The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-04-08
Pioneer Life-No. 8.
BY DAVIS MACKLEY.

or picked pork, were excellent. The
way in which beans were picked was
something after this manner: A tight
barrel was procured. Beans had the
strings taken off, and then the beans
were put in clean basket, and the
basket held in boiling water in a ket-
tel for few minutes, and then put
into the barrel A handful of salt
was sprinkled' on them-another bas-
ket of beans scalded and put into the
barrel, with more salt. When the
barrel was near enough full,
pieces of boards were laid on, a weight
put ON them, water poured in until
all was covered. Soon the beans fer
mented and became sour, like crout.
The best pumpkins were dried, or
put in the husk-pen or fodder-house
for use in the Spring. The inferior
ones were made into molasses or
pumpkin butter. Pumpkins to be
dried had the rind taken off by chip
ping off a piece at time, with a case
knife. Then it was cut into two
pieces, the seeds and entire inside
scraped out, rings cut off each half
until near the ends, which ends were
saved to make pumpkin butter. The
rings were put upon sticks, and hung
up to dry. Dried pumpkins cooked
with fat meat were good.
The inferior pumpkins were cut
open, the insides scraped out. The
pumpkins were then boiled, mashed,
and the whole mass strained through
coarse cloth This liquid was boiled
into molasses Some Of it, before it
became molasses, had the ends Of the
pumpkins which had been cut for
drying, and other rich pumpkins put
into it and boiled for pumpkin butter.
Large quantities Of pumpkins were cut
into small pieces and fed to milk cows.
The cows ate them with great relish,
and it caused them to give an in
creased yield Of rich milk.
The pioneer had plenty Of the very
best meat. The cattle got so fat dur
ing the summer, in the woods, or
range, that they made the very best
beef. The price of beef was 2b cents
per pound for fore quarter, and 81 for
hind quarter. Very late in the fall,
when the weather began to get cold,
whole beef could be kept, for winter
use for family; but generally beef
was divided among several families.
and then returned when these. fami-
lies killed a beef.
In the early fall shooting match
would be had by some one. There
were five quarters of beef, the hide
and tallow being regarded as one
quarter, and the first choice, as being
worth more than even hind quarter
of beef.
A man had a young heifer worth
ten dollars. He announced that on a
certain day he would have shooting
match. For each 121 cents, man
was entitled to one shot. Some men
would pay dollar, for eight shots,
some so cents, for four, and so on un-
til the ten dollars was paid. The tar
get was made in different ways. Some
tackled small piece of white paper
on clapboard burnt black. Some
tackled large piece of white paper on
board. and spit upon it, and poured a
small quantity of powder on it, and
with the finger rubbed it, and made
black spot about the size Of a silver
dollar. Some cut a notch from the
side of piece of paper, and tackled
the paper on blackened board, the
centre was known by cross, cut with
knife on the board, and the target
being placed directly on the place
where the cross was made.
The usual distances were 40 and 80
yards-or steps, as man could come
very near three feet at step. The
very best marksmen chose 40 yards
off hand, while those less confident
chose go yards with a rest. A log was
laid so yards from the target, and the
man would lie down ON his belly, lay
his gun on the log and then fire.
There was rarely any dispute as to the
result, as the pioneers were very gen.
orally honest, honorable men. The
man having the shot nearest the CEN
tire got first choice-the hide and tai
low, the next nearest, next choice. or
one of the hind quarters, and so on.
Most parts of the slaughtered ami
NAL were utilized. The shanks and
hoofs were boiled for several hours,
taken out of the kettle, and when the
liquid in which they were boiled got
cold, a large quantity of oily tallow
was skinned off, and used to make
soap. In the bottom Of the kettle
was dark colored jelly, from the
hoofs. This was cut into square
pieces and laid upon boards to dry,
and was then very strong glue. The
heads of spools, the whirl, flyers, and
other parts Of the spinning wheel,
and many other articles became bro
Ken, and glue was very convenient.
The horns were used as dinner
horns, the point being cut off down
20 the hollow part. Some were
craped with butcher knife so thin