The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-27
GOOD OLD DAYS In OHIO.
THE TIMES WHEN HOUSES WE'RE
LOCKED WITH A WOODEN LATCH.
A Different World from That of tae
Present Time-A Bonanza Of Curiosi.ies
- An Ark in the Wilderness Home
oIanrf,.cturers---Itiner Tinkerers.

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far-away beautiful land that belonged to
very different one from the one nov. .aiabit-
Ny father was q native of LoUdon county,
Virginia, and his farm was in the mic
large settlement of Marylanders and A.
gfnians, who brought with them the I,irnne.-
and customs of their native states. ;.-:s- ..:-o
stories and recollections were fuil - lie
things they had seen and experienced III those
places where to them the world had just Dec:i
born.
In those days thero was nothing about 4
house and farm, from fine-tootned comb to
a pair of horses and wagon, that people did
not borrow or lend Besides, there was kept
up between neighhors a constant exchange OF
mince pies, sausages, spareribs and all ina nner
of eatables. Whoever killed beef Of other
animal always sent a part to his nearest
neighbor-;, and in due time received the like
in return.
THE HOUSES OF TIE FIRST SETTLERS.
I never saw lock on the door of any farm
house in Ohio; indeed. more than half the
houses had no other latches than wooden ones.
These were lifted by means of a leather string
that always chung on the outside" There
many houses, in no part of which could be
found nail, screw, or any other thing OF
iron. Doors, windows and all were put TO
gether with wooden pins, great and small.
The shakes, or 'clapboars," Of the roof were
held in place by weight poles" small logs,
laid upon each length of boards. Some chin
neys were of brick, but many were OF sticks
and clay.
In the old house of my maternal grand
mother were many curious things. There
were many bark boxes, neatly sewed together
and gaily painted, and adorning the walls
were bows, quivers, tomahawks, eagle pluEles
and the like. For blowing the fire there was
in common use huge fan, made of buckskin,
sewed to the spreading prongs of forked
stick, and with handle as long as that of an
ordinary broom-and Indian bellows
In the garret of this old house found, as a
boy, bonanza of curiosities. There were inn
mense horse pistols with flint locks, old
swords and muskets, long hunting knives,
and helmets made of rawhide that would
have withstood the stroke Of O tomahawk.
From this garret one day lugged down TO
the old lady a pack-saddle-a thing the like OF
which had ct that time never seen-and
asked her what it was. Then she described
the use of the sawbuck-looking affair, and
told me how in the days before there were
any vessels running on Lake Eric their goods
were all packed across the Allegheny mount
aims on the backs of horses
EoAH's ARK IL THE WILDERNESS.
Bat what liked best to hear the old lady
relate was the story of her coming to Ohio
with my grandfather to take possession of
tract Of land they had bought in the wilder
ness They stopped nearly a year at Pitts
burg, where my grandfather caused to h
built sonia barges fat-boats. These boats
were freighted after the fashion of Noahs
ark They had on board of them horses, cat
tie sheep, hogs, dogs, chickens, turkeys, geese
ducks and ali manner of beasts and fowls;
also, all kinds Of farming implements, anc
the tools of many trades.
The boats We're fioated down the Ohio river
to Marietta, then were poled and warped ur
the Muskingum as far as they could be taken,
or to the nearest point to the tract OF land
that was to be settled upon. When they ar
rived on this land there were not men enough
in tine neighborhood TO raise an ordinary log
house; therefore their first habitation was
constructed of logs that were split. Around
this was constructed large stockade, into
which the sheep, hogs, and most OF the other
animals had to be brought every evening, IN
order to prevent their falling prey to bears,
wolves and other wild animals.
For many years nearly all the clothing worr
was of home manufacture Even in my time
there was spinning and weaving in almost
every household. On almost every farm was
a ..loonl- house. in which q loom was kept
hanging away weaving either linen or woolen
cloth. At certain seasons the meadows We're
seen spread with long webs of bleaching linen.
This linen was used for sheets, table-cioths,
towels and clothing.
Itinerant shocmakers came with their
benches and kits of tools, and remained till all
III the family were shoj every farmer having
on hand a supply of leather of his own made
at the nearest taEncry from the skins of his
own animals. In those days they skinned
every animal that had a skin when it died
hogs, dogs and all. Men who made a bust
ness of breaking and dressing flax also went
from farm to farm; also those who threshed
grain with fails, those who assorted and
handled tobacco, and those who split rails
Then there were travelling clock-doctors and
timers of many kinds.
Dancing parties and social gathering Of al
most every kind, were, in the early times
called afrolics" Besides the "frolics' proper
there were house and barn-raisings, log-rou
ings and corn-huskings.-Cor. Cincinnati En-
quirer-
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