The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-10-22
WAR TIME ExPEDIENTS.


Some Facts illustrating the Proverb that
"Necessity Is the Mother of Invention"
Life In the South During the War.
Perhaps, taking everything into con-
sideration, no portion of the Confed
eracy ''during our late unpleasantness"
was SO destitute of the necessaries Of
life as that portion lying on the South
ern sea board and forming part of the
States of Mississippi, Alabama and
Florida. The great industries of these
States, that is, that portion situated as
explained above, was timber, lumber,
resin, tar, pitch and turpentine. The
soiPis not favorable, except in favored
spots. for cultivation. Consisting of
vast level flats, the top soil of loan is
very thin, while Immediately beneath it
is heavy pipe clay, while the only
vegetation that seems to thrive are the
great forests of pine. These, skirting
the Gulf of Mexico. following the coast
line for several hundred miles, and with
a breadth ranging from one to two
hundred miles, form She well-known
pine meadows, destined in years to
come to be prolific source of wealth
to the South. Perhaps with us,
who resided in this portion of tho
Confederacv, the first necessity, after
the small supply on hand was ex-
hausted, was salt. This was a need
soon felt, and it is unnecessary to add
that a pound of it soon became very
precious. Old brine that had done duty
until it could be used no longer was
boiled down until every particle of
| saline matter was extracted from it,
and the salt thus obtained was again in
| its turn used in the same manner. As
the supply became scarcer and scarcer,
the next method, or rather recourse,
was to dig up the smoke-house and to
| filter water through the earth thus OBJ
tanned, this in turn being subjected to
the usual process of boiling in order to
obtain the precious condiment. So
| scarce did it become as the war wore
| on, that when a beeve was killed, in
stead of sailing down in barrels as at
first, it became more economical to cut
| the flesh into thin strips and dry it in the
| sun. It must be confessed that beef
| treated in this manner is more palatable
than most persons would imagine. They
who lived near the coast Jared somewhat
better, for taking the boilers from the
various saw-mills, they separated
| the shells from the fiues, and splitting
them into equal halves, a strong head
of wood was fitted into the ends and
thus treated they were placed over a
furnace and filled with the salt water
from the Gulf. Of course the business
| had its reyerses, for sometimes the
blockading squadron, attracted by the
smoke, would move up and with few
shells completely demolish the salt
works. The salt kettles, being made of
old boilers, were too heavy for the
\ enemy to carry Off, and as no damage
beyond knocking out the wooden heads
could be inflicted, the salt manufacturers
| would, with interchangeable energy when
the hostile fleet removed to safe dis
lance, gather up the debris, make few
| repairs and recommence boiling.
The ingenuity of the people was to
replace the various articles of clothing
| and the different domestic luxuries
Old dresses, old coats were turned and
made over. remodeled and cut down.
The writer remembers well what pana
| of envy was awakened within his
bosom going to ball one night to find
| that the attentions of the fair ones wert
all bestowed on an acquaintance who
made his advent that evening in {
bright, spick, span new pair of panta-
looms. made of new ticking, with
broad, blue stripes, cut bias.
Perhaps the easiest problem for us tc
solve amid our various troubles wa:
that of making hats. Fortunately tn,
supply of palmetto in our Southern
swamps is in a manner speaking mex
haustible, and from this source we wer
soon compelled by the course of event
to draw our supply of hats. We soor
learned to improve upon the first rude
models, and when the war was brough
to close some of the ladies, especially
had acquired taste and proficiency
The palmetto hats they made would no
have reflected discredit upon fashion
able halter. The heart of the palmett,
is generally selected as being still he'll
together, and not being sprouted on
and unfolded into the fan-shaped lea
so familiar to travellers in the South
While in this condition the folds lie on
upon another, and are perfectly whit
and pliable. After being severed iron
the main trunk it Is opened out ant
hung in the shade to dry. Abou
a weeks drying suffices to pre-
pare it for use. It is nov
separated. each fold from the other
and cut into convenient lengths. then d
vided into little strips about an eight
of an inch in width, and these in tur
plated or braided together into one con
tinuous braid until of sufficient lengt
to make the hat. The hat itself wa
always commenced from the center c
the crown by sewing the braid togethe
in slightly overlapping circles. Th
rim, as finishing touch, was general
bound with braid.
Keenly felt was the need of ammun
ton. Owing to the stringency of th
,, blockade it soon became almost impo.
sible to obtain either powder or leaC
: The latter was the first to give out, an