The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-09-26
WAR TIME EXPEDIENTS.


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
soil is not favorable. except in favored
spots, for cultivation. Consisting of
vast level flats, the top soil of loan is
very thin, while immcd ately beneath it
is a 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 a prolific source of wealth
to the South. Perhaps with us,
who resided in this portion of the
Confederacy, the first necessity, after
the small supply on hand was eN-
hausted, was salt. This was a need
soon felt, and it is unnecessary to add
that pound of it soon became very
precious. OLD L:ine that had done duty
until it could be used no longer vas
boiled down until every particle of
saline matter was extracted frOrs 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. 1t 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 flues, 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
bod =, -
blockading squadron, attracted by the
| smoke, would move up and with a few
shells completely demolish the salt
works. The salt kettles, being made OF
old boilers, We're too heavy for the
| enemy to carry of, and as no damage
beyond knocking out the wooden heads
could be inflicted, the saltmanufacturcr.
would, with interchangeable energy when
! the hOstileSleet removed to Il safe dis
tance, 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 Injuries
| Old dresses, old coats were turned and
made over, remodeled and cut down.
The writer remembers well what pang
of envy was awakened within his
bosom going to ball one night to find
that the attentions of the fair ones were
all bestowed on an acquaintance who
made his advent that evening in q
bright, spick, span new pair of panta-
| looms, made of new ticking, with
broad, blue stripes, cut bias.
Perhaps the easiest problem for us to
solve amid our various troubles was
that of making hats. Fortunately The
supply of palmetto in our Southern
| swampS is in manner speaking mex
haustibe, and from this source we were
soon compelled by the course of event;
to draw our supply Of hats. We soon
learned to improve upon the first rude
models, and when the war was brought
| to a close some of the ladies', especially
had acquired taste and proficiency
The palmetto hats they made would not
have reflected discredit upon Il fashion
able halter The heart of the palmetto
| is generally selected as being still hello
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 ONT
upon another, and are perfectly whit
and pliable. After being severed from
the main trunk it is opened out anC
hung in the shade to dry. Abou
weeks drying suffices to pre-
pare it for use. 1t is nov
separated. each fold from the other
and cut into convenient lengths, then di
vided into little strips about an eight
of an inch in width, and these in turn
plated or braided together into one con
tinuous braid until of sufficient length
to make the hat. The hat itself wa
always commenced from the center o
the crown nv sewing the braid togethe
in slightly overlapping circles, Tn,
rim, as a finishing touch, was general,
bound with braid.
Keenly felt was the need of ammuni
ton. Owing to the stringency of TIN
blockade it soon became almost impos
sible to obtain either powder or lead
The latter was the first to give out, anC
in order to supply this need all the ma
chinery was taken apart and all the ole
boxes, filings, etc, were put to a new
use converted into shot. As Their
were no shot towers the fayorite methoC
was to climb the tallest tree one coulC
find, melt the lead as well as we coult
in the top and let the liquid metal droI
into tub of cold water beneath. Tn
81 I