The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-02-11

Habits nj Backwoodsmen-The Hunters
Drcss-A - Half-Faced" Cabin.

neDsS@ M backWoOusmeu-Ino muutcr'D
Dress-A " Half-Fsced (" Cabin.
From the Louisville Courier Journall
From advance sheets of forthcom-
ing historical work on Kentucky, by
the Hon. u. Il. Smith, we give the fol-
lowing interesting facts:
"Backwoodsmen were class pecu-
liar to themselves in their characters,
their habits. and their preferments.
Their dress was adapted to the life of
the forest ranger. Their hunting shirt
was a loose frock, with cape, made of
deer-sk ms dressed. Leggins of the
same material covered the lower mbs,
with moccasins for the feet. The cape,
the coat, and the leggin were usually
adorned with fringes. The undergar-
ments were, of course, cotton. A leather
belt encircled the body; on the right
side hung the Ratchet or tomahawk, on
the left was the hunting-knise, the
powder-horn, and Tablespoonful in
dispensable. With garments less sub
stantial they cosld not have made their
way through the brush and thorns, or
over rocks and pebbles. The hunter
was his own tailor, and fashioned his
bore his trusty rifle, ever on the alert
for deadly foes or welcome game. 1t
was fint-locked, but Investigated, and
rarely did it fail the pract ced marks
man, un ess the sparks from flint and
steel missed the powder, or there was
slash in the PAN" The contingency
of final resort to tomahawk or knife
implied death to ono or both of the
combatants as we'll.
"The hunters camp was SO much q
part of the earliest backwoodsman' s
life that we must not omit to describe
it here. 1t was called 'half-faced
cabin At the north and west sides,
from whence the chill winds blow, the
body of large fal en- tree was chosen
for the rear end. Ten feet in front of
the south or southwest side, and ten
fee apart, two double sets of stakes
were firmly driven in the ground, and
standing about eight feet high, for the
front corners. Between the double
s axes the ends of the poles were in
serted, while the other ends rested
against or on top of the fallen trees,
thus forming framework for the side
of the camp-cabin. Poles were cut and
laid across the top, and the framework
was finished. The roof and sides were
next covered with bark stripped from
adjacent trees, or with blankets and
the skins of wild beasts slain.
"The shelter was now complete at top
and on three sides. With an ak only il
was the work of single day. The
southerly and sunny front was left
open, and here the campfire was built
and kindled for the comfort OF the
stalwart household and to broil or stew
the delicious loin of venison, the rich
steak of bear or buffalo, or the dainties
OF such of the wild game as might last
have fallen by the hunters rifle. But
sudden experiences of Indian warfare
soon taught the prisoners that the pro-
lection of the frail hunters camp was
of little avail against the arrows and
rifles of the stealthy and ambushed
savage, ready to resist to he death the
intruder on his favorite hunting.
ground The bullet-proof cabin with
porthol s, and finally the stockade and
block-house, which were substituted
from hard ce,sity, soon came to
make up a part of history"