The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-11
Irer Thrifty achievements!

Mrs. Orrin Payne, who was born in Mon
tague, Mass, in 1900, was the oldest of
nine childrcn,-six boys and three girls.
Verify sho has lived busy life. She can t
remember when she did not have to work.
When nineteen she taught one term of
school, receiving five shillings per week
and boarding round, always having bread
and milk for supper, wearing q chcckcred
tow gown, tho cloth for which she had
spun herself. For the succeeding twelve
years she kept her fathers house, all her
brothers (thc yougest four and the oldest
nincteen) living at home. Besides provi-
ding for the table, doing tho washing and
all the like duties Of the household, she spun
all the linen and wove and made the clothes
for tho whole family. The manner of living
then was boiled pot every day for dinner,
served cold for breakfast, bread crumblcd
by tho housokecper, Or pudding and milk
for supper-pies only Thanksgiving and
election days. During this time she fire.
quently went out sewing for day Qiftecn
hours( and when they stopped the clock to
prolong the time, often eighteen hours, at
twelve and a-half cents per day. One June
day she spun sixteen yards shirting. In
1912 she married Orrin Payne. Nathan
Chcyney remarked that she would make a
man of anybody and good store customer
for him. Dlr. Payne was three years her
senior. He died in 1878. Her married life
has been marked by the same industry as
her maidenhood. The first four years they
raised flax and made it into cloth aftcrward,
when it was superseded by cotton, She
has always had n loom and made wooden
cloth, carpets, etc. She took 100 pounds
per year to make into cloth "to halves ="
She made about 100 yards of frocking a
year, at 8 cents per yard. She furnished
the material for tho uniform Of we'll
known .non-commissioncd military compa-
ny that hailed from her ncighborhood.
Some years she has woven 900 yards Of
carpcting. Her first carpet was for Moses
Bardwcll; the price Of weaving ten cents
per yard She has made all her own bed
quilts and great numbers for other people !;
always exhibited bed quilts, stockings,
socks and stocking yarn, at the Franklin
fairs, so long rs the society has existed, and
always received premiums. She had the
care Of a considerable dairy; made butter
and cheese; boarded the district school
ma'ams two terms year for twenty cen
sccutivc years, besides occasionally taking
other boardcrs. She says that her present
boardcr, Locke Payne, is the only one from
whom she has heard complaint, and, like
Oliv>r Twist, "found fault with his victuals
and asked for more" She kept paupcrs
when they were knocked Off to the lowest
bidder. Old Granny Sinclair, ten years at
70 cents per week; Betsy Allen, two years
Mt 81; Hannah Coon, three years; Olive
Cary, two years; Granny Ellis, two years
at 81; and never had one able to do her
own washing.
Within six years she has woven 100
yards of carpcting and done considerable
spinning. Until within six years since she
has been disabled by an accident, she has
never hired help in the house to The cost of
$40. After Mr. Payne had got his farm
paid for she began TO save in her own name,
and accumulated considerable sum of mo-
ney. The neighbors of her early life-thc
bold yeomanry of Dry Ilill-havc all pas
sed away. Antipus Stewart went away
and hung himself; two large families Of
Bartletts; Darius, Daniel and Libceus
Payne; Uncle Bill Greene; Martin and Eli
jah Goodnow; Tom md John IIurd, have
all passed away. The school has dcgcner-
ated from forty to ten scholars. The old
farms and houses are occupied by foreign
crs and transient inhabitants; and Dry
Hill seems to be destined to become what
1t was apparently designed fora link to
hold the world together, and grow wood
and timber upon.