The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-04-21
OLE.TIME FARMERS.

Fifty years ago and more the farmers
we're simply farmers and nothing else.
They depended almost wholly on the pro-
ducts of their farms for their 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
quantity to furnish bread fOr the house
hold. Flour was rarely bought by the
barrel, and barley, rye and Indian corn
were extensively used. In those early
days flour bread was. with large num-
bers of families. dignIfed with the name
of cake. ard considered a luxury Tor use
on extra occasions, when company was
entertained \ story is still told IN one
of our little Rockingham towns which
illustrates this fact 4 high-tOned gen
tIeman known as the squire, called
at a farmhouse one day on some busi-
ness. and when he had finished his er-
rand. and had remOunted at the door,
the good housewife, wishing 10 impress
the Squire with the dignity and thrift
of her family. said to him, g. Squire,
won't YOU stop and have some flour
bread and butter - thinking it now too
late for him to accept her invitation.
To her chargriu the doughty Squire dis
mounted and replied ''IEank you.
marin. don't care if 1 do :" and enter
ed the house. The poor woman could
only explain that to her surprise she
found the flour-bTead ali out, and offer
ed him the best she had-some Indian
hammock. When a boy. the writer has
often seen in the house of q ueighbOr a
string of these bannOcks, eight or ten in
number, set UP on tins in front of the
fire in the broad fireplace, there being
room for him then left to sit and look
straight up the chimney into the blue
heavens. There was very little market
for farm produce in those days, except
in larger towns, and long journeys had
to be made, mostly to such as were
known as '-Sea-pOrtS as there were no
interior towns of sufficient population TO
be centres of much trade. Every farm
er kept q flock of sheep. and wool con-
stituted a large proportion of the cloth
ing of the family. 1t was carded, spun
and woven at home, anG made into gar
meuts for both sexes. The best clothes
for the men and boys were made Of
what was called i'fulled CLOTH This
was made at home. of the finest mater
ial, and taken to the mills known as
'fulling mills, p" where it was put thrO'
a process Of thicheuiuE, dysiug and Gn-
ishing. The women used to wear gowns
Of cloth which was called pressed cloth
This was simply home made flannel, ta-
ken to the mills above named, and press
ed. so as to present a glossy surface.
Every farmer had a small patch of
flax. This was pulled and spread out i'm
rows on the ground. ''TOtted" and then
''brOken" and ''swingIed' and was thus
prepared for the cOmbing, carding. and
the little wheel, as the machine was call
ed on which the flax was spun, to dis
tinguish it from the larger machine for
spinning wool. IL was woven into cloth
for table covers, tOweling, sheeting and
shirting. The "lOW'i which was the
coarse portion COmbed out ON the -'Let-
chel" was spun into a coarse yarn, of
which cloth was made for summer suits
for the men and boys. The cow shirt,
as commonly worn. was, when new. an
instrument of torture as to the wearer.
as it was full of priCkliug spiues left
from the woody part Of the stalk.
The tailor of the old days. with his
goose, travelling from house TO house in
order to make up the clothing of the
men and bOvs-0r 10 cut and tit them
for the gOsSi pin .'.ailOress'' to complete
lis unknown 10 the present generation.
The old-fashiOncd shoemaker, who used
to perambulate all The country r0aud
with his kit, taking the families I'm turn
at their homes. and working till The
whole household was shOd. in almost
wholly forgotten. That. however. was
a common thing i'm the Olden days The
writer calls TO mind an aueCdOle Of one
of the ancient cCIdWaiueTa. who was as
noted for his miTth and The geuiality os
his disposition as for the excellent quail
ity of his work. He used TO make shoes
for all the leading families of the town.
and his visits were occasions of much
fun and jOllity on the part of the Young
ster5 of the household. One of these
families lad a black woman in their ser
vice as a slave. and when her turn came
the young people thought they would
have some fun at the Shoemaker's eE>
pense, when me should come to measure
Ln5 'lUm= heel Phillis was called in. and
and all the boys were there to see the
but the willy old cObbleT was equal to
the occasion. He ordered the poor daI-
key to thrust heI foot into a tub. She
Obeyed only after a stern command and
a stamp of the foot, when he told her
she might go. He then measured he~
wet track on the floor, and cheated the
jolly youngsters out of theiI sport. Bos-
ton Journal.