The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-02-25
OLD TIME FARMERS.

SAD AWL| i "A N"LNS.
/ Fifty years ago and more farmers were
! simply farmers and nothing else. They
/ depended almost wholly on the products
Of their farms for living. They raised
nearly all the supplies for their own
| tables, and largely for their clothing,
which was manufactured from the raw
material in their own homes. Wheat was
much more generally grown then than
now. but not in sufficient quantities to
furnish bread tnr tie household. Flour
was rarely bought by the barrel, and bar
ley, rye ard Indian corn were extensive
~ used. In those earlier days flour
bread was, with large numbers of fami-
lies. dignitied with the name of 90 cake"
and considered 4 luxury for use on extra
occasions. when company was entertain
ed. i story is still told in one of our
old Rockingham county towns, which il
luStrates this fact. A heightened gentle
man. known as the "Squire.' called at
the farm house one day on some business,
and when he had finished his errand, and
had remountcd at the door. the good
| housewife wishing to impress the Squire
with the dignity and thrift of her family.
said to him, esquire. won't you stop and
have some flour bread and butter?"
thinking it now too late for him to accept
her invitation. To her chagrn. the
doughty squire replied, Thank you
marin. don't care if do" and prompt
ly dismGunted and entered the house.
The poor woman could only explain
that to her surprise she found the flour
bread all out, and offered him the best
she had. Some Indian hammock. When
boy the writer has often seen in the house
nocks. eight or ten in number, set up on
tins in front of the fire in the broad ire
place, there b. lag room left then N one
corner for him to sit and look straight
mp the chimney into the blue heavens
There was very little market for farm
produce i'll those days. except in the
larger towns, and long journeys had to
be made, mostly to such as were known
as seaports ''--as there were no interior
towns of sufficient population to be cen-
tres of much trade. Every farmer kept
flock of sheep, and wool constituted
large proport on Of the clothing of the
family. 1t was carded, spun and woven
at home, and made into garments for
both sexes. The best clothes for the boys
and men were made Of what was called
fulled cloth" This was made at home,
Of the finest material and taken to the
mills known as ''fulling mills" where it
was put through a process of thickenng,
lyeing and finishing. The women used
10 wear gowns of cloth which was called
pressed woolen.f This was simply
homemade flannel, taken to the mills
above named, and pressed, so as to pre-
sent glossy surface.
Every farmer had small patch of flax
This was pulled and spread out in row S
on the ground, "rotted," and then
broken" and swingled' and was
thus prepared for the combing carding,
and the little Wheel as the machine
was called on which the flax was spun,
to distinguish it from the larger machine
for spinning wool. 1t was woven into
cloth for table covers. toweling sheeting
and shifting. The tow which was
the coarse portion combed out on the
< hetchel, was spun into coarse yarn,
of which a cloth was made for summer
suits for the men and boys. The tow
shirt so commonly worn, was, when new
an instrument of torture to the wearer,
as it WIS full"f prcklns spines left from
the woody part of the stalk.
The tailor of the old days. with his
goose. travelling from house to house. to
make up the clothes for the men and
boys-or to cut aud tit them for the Cos
Siping "tailorcss " to complete-is not
known to the present generation.
The old fashioned shoemaker, who us
ed to peramhulate the country round
with his kit. taking the families in turn
at their homes and working till the whole
household was shod is almost forgotten.
That, however, was Il common thing in
olden days. The writer calls to mind
an anecdute OF one of these ancient cord
wainers who was noted for his wit and
the yeniality OF his disposition. as for
the excellent quality of his work. He
used to make the shoes for all the lead
ing families of the town. and his visits
We're occasions of great .jolity on the
part of the youngsters of the house
holds. One OF these families had
black woman in their service as a slave,
and when her turn came the young peo-
pie thought they would have some fun
at the shoemaker's expense, when he
should come to measure the long heel
PhilIis was called in and the boys were
there to see the sport, but the willy old
cobber was equal to the occasion. He
ordered the poor darkey to thrust her
foot into tub. She obeyed only after
a stern command and stamp of his
foot. when he told her she might GO
lie then measured her wet track on the
floor, and cheated the Jolly youngsters
out OF their fun Boston JoUrHal.