The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-04-15
Pioneer Life-NO. 7
BY DAVIS MACKLEY.

YduhttS Cdllcu II, ONclJ yCe'i' hOAS
we're several varieties of oaks, and
somesof these, or all of them, had
acorns every year; then there were
beech nuts, and other nuts. The
ground would be covered with acOrns,
sufficient to furnish food for millions
Of pigeons, then enough for the hogs.
Hogs that got fat on acorns made the
very best meat. Hogs became very
wiTd-as wild as deer The hogs that
were kept near the house were put in
the pen late in the fall, and fed with
corn until about Christmas, when
they were killed and dressed. They
were not fattened until they were
about two years old. There was not
much difference in the manner of pre-
pairing pork and bacon then and now.
The feet and head were well cleaned
and boiled tender, the meat taken off
and chopped fine, salt, red pepper,
sage etc., put in, the whole pressed
and laid away, and slices cut off as
needed. This was very good article
of food. 1t was called souse, or head
cheese. The lower jaw including the
tongue, was salted and smoked, same
as middlings, hams and shoulders.
These jaws were very good cooked
with greens.
Hogs were generally healthy, the
only disease being kidney worms. |
have seen hogs that had the hind legs
paralized from kidney worms, so that
they had to drag their hinder parts
along the ground. The remedy for
kidney worms was ratsbane, or arse
mic. Hogs cannot be poisoned. In
the summer time there were many
rattle-snakes in the woods. They
were sluggish, and would rarely get
out Of the way. The hogs ate every
rattlesnake they could find, and would
fatten on such food. The hog was
and is, an unclean- animal. Go to g
slaughter house and see the hogs eat
ing the blood, carrion and other filth
and you will not wonder that the
Jews were forbidden to eat such E
beast.
Deer were quite plenty. Many
| were killed. Deer came, mostly al
night, to drink at springs that hac
| water impregnated with salt These
springs were called deer licks. The
hunter would conceal himself neal
the lick-sometimes in tree-top
where the leaves would hide him, anC
when one or more deer came to th'
lick he was pretty sure of one o.
them.
The numerous salt springs abou
Jackson made it resort for deer, ant
this gave the name Of Lick TOWNSHIP
to the township organized here. Owe
thirty years ago Salt Lick Furnace
was built here. afterwards calle'
Diamond.
Venison, or the meat of wild deer
was the best meat known. The dee
was clean, pure, healthy animal. |
only ate the incest vegetable food
The meat had a fine grain, and ever,
body relished it. Venison hams wer
luxury. Dried venison was calle'
jerk.
The skin Of the deer was very use
full. When the hair was taken of
with lye, the skin was stretched owe
hoop and dried for sieve, hereto
fore described. The skins Of dee
were generally dressed. The hal
being taken off, the skin was put in t
solution of soapsuds thickened will
brains, and the skin thoroughly
squeezed and worked with the hands
| It was then hung up and a fire of rot
ton wood built under it, and it wa'
smoked for several hours, when it wa'
very soft and nice. It was used tx
make moccasins, pantaloons, etc
Narrow strips were cut off, and called
whangs. These were used to make
moccasins. pants, and other articles
as well as shoestrings, moccasir
strings, etc.
Buckskin pants were very warm
soft and nice. When they got wet
and then dried, they were inclined tc
shrink, and get hard. The pioneers
used to tell a yarn about hunter
who was out in a heavy rain, and his
buckskin pants became soaked. He
built a fire and dried them. They
were strapped down by piece going
under each foot. As the legs dried
and became shorter, the straps began
to tighten, and finally raised him
from the ground. He found that he
must go up, so he hastily got out his
knife to cut the straps. When he
had succeeded in cutting one, the
other pulled with much greater force,
and began to whirl him up like the
rim of big spinning wheel, and
thus he went up out of sight. This
was no doubt a burlesque on the use
of buckskin breeches in changeable
weather.
The fawn, or young deer, was a
beautiful animal. It was the picture
of innocence and purity. 1t was of a
pale cinnamon color, covered all over
with small spots of pure white. The
white spots disappeared late in the
summer.
The males had small protuberances
between the eyes and ears where the
horns, or antlers, came the second