Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-02-06

strange idea prevails that the dead
must be clothed in garments never
before worn, and the superstition of
the people prevents them from pro-
curing the. necessary burial clothes
until the last breath has passed the cold
lips. AS consequence when death
visits household some neighbOr
must he sent perhaps many miles to
make the needed purchases, often
arousing merchant at dead of night.
Another curious practice is for all
the neighbors to go to the house of
death to watch Frequently fif-
teen or twenty people remain each
night, and while they look after the
dead the family must attend to the
preparation and serving of an elabo-
rate supper. When a family is poor
this is no inconsiderable matter. On
| the day of the burial men and women
| gather, coming on horseback, in farm
wagons, any way and every way.
Usually the women wear huge log
cabin sun-bonnets, frequently having
long wells tied over them. The ''fu-
neral is preached they always
express it-at the house or church,
as they elect, but whatever the service
may have been, when the grave is
reached there must be hymns sung,
prayers said and remarks made.
Then the grave is filled and the flow
ers put in place. Frequently the SER
vice at the grave occupies an hour
and half it is never less than an
hour. This, remember, is in the
country.
Sparta is the county seat of White,
another thriving, prosperous county,
but one in which murder runs riot
and the punishment of a murderer is
an occurrence so rare as to be quite
novelty. None of the cleanliness
or thrift inseparable from a busy
New England town are manifest in
these southern villages. Men stand
about in squads idly speculating as
to the name and business of the lat
est arrival dogs and hogs snarl over
the remnants of the slop pail just
dumped into the street; cows go nos
ing about hunting for a stray clover
leaf, and often the landlord of the
hotel meets you with most unappe-
tizing odor about him. At Sparta
the landlords daughter came to oul
room to see me. She was a sweet
faced, bright-eyed girl, full of vivac-
ity, quick-witted and with some edu,
cation. / could have spent charm
ing hour with her had she come alone
but she did not; she brought the al
most constant companion of the ma
jority of the country girls of the
l south-a stick and box of snuff
: the splintered end of the stick is wet
dipped in the snuff, then put in the
mouth. The filthy practice disgust
: me beyond expression, and when th'
| person indulging in it is a young wo
man | do not ever attempt to smoth
er my disapproval. In an old lad.
such habits are excusable; youns
, woman should let her self-respect res
+. cue her from becoming the victim o
4 habit so filthy as is the use of smut
in any shape.
S Tennessee is blessed in the abund
: ance of her forests and the variet
t and quality of the timber found there
e in. This is more especially tru
: of the easterly portions of the state
although the central and norther
e sections have reaped a rich harves
n from the forests The lumber bus
: ness is in the hands of organize
a companies, and these are compose
:, of northern and western men. E2
perienced men are sent through a
1t the timber lands, selecting suitabl
:. trees, which are then purchased stanC
IS ing, from the owner of the lanC
1, hauled to some stream, and fnall
e foated to the steam mill stationed /;
q some accessible point, Black wa
st nut and poplar are the most sougi
-e after, and there have been sacrifice
l. some grand old trees. Even til
l, gnarled roots of the walnut are ma
N ketable at a good price per pounC
a. they being in good demand for VI
he neering purposes.
or Sometimes the lumber companit
IN buy immense tracts of timber lanC
but as titles to land in Tennessee al
y not the best in the world, some hes
he tation is felt about assuming the prt
l. prietarship of real estate.
" OF course the land is being robbie
I'd of its best timber-that is true
s nearly every portion of these Unite
Il States. The present generation S n
Id cessities did not enter into the ca
}; culations of that which can
a before it, and the men of t.
b. day are not troubling themselvt
rs ABOUT the lumber to be used by thos
ly who will come after them. 1t is
ls sort of ''take no thought for Il
~ morrow" business, like many 9th,
n things in life. Fortunately all throue
b. these mountain spurs, coal
Or found, SO the fuel of the future is vel
ly well assured.
Of Sparta will rejoice in railroa
le one of these days. Thirteen yea
le were consumed constructing the roa
c. thirteen miles, and it is hoped the II
Is naming thirteen may at least be bui