West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-06-11
JlM's CAelN.
A Cuvlsus Picture ot Primitive Life ir ths
North Carolina highlands.


North Carolina Highlands.
Jim'S cabin. like others in the mount.
ain, is i'm II hollow. SO rs to be close 20
an cvcr-lowing spring. SAYS a writer
describing the life of North Carolina
moUutNinccr. Barn hc has none. lie
raises a little corn and some of the
common vegetables a sorghum patch
furnishes him with sirup and hi, bee
skips help 60 furnish sweets. Tho bull
tongue is his plow and cultvator Ii
is a single tooth, like cultivator share
fastened to II homemade beam. His
harrow is a scrubby trcc-top These
farming utensils and the household
furniture are the same his father used
a century aga. This is how his churn
was manufactured: a section of a SaS-
SnfraS log was bored through from end
TO end with m augcr Then strips
were split out from the inside until the
shell was of proper thickness This
was smoothcd inside and groove was
cut Quito hold the bottom made from
a dry board, which was closely fitted i'm
and the green shell left TO shrink neatly
about it, The churn was perfectly
tight although il was bound hy no
hook. The "lyo gum is another in
stitution made from hollow low. A
dug-out is anchored i'm the brook. and
in this Mrs. Railcy stands when she
does the family washing. She first
dips the clothes i'm the clear water, aud
then, drawing them over the end of the
log she bclabors them with II paddle,
repeating the process, until they arc
clean. Almost every thing used is
made at home. Even the shoe thread
Is from flax grown on tho clearing, and
Jim tans the leather from which hc
makes his own shoes
A mountain loom is a whole show
and il plays Il leading part in tho
household economy Jim split the
frame of his out of white oak and
shaped it with drawing knife The
"quills' (bobbms) are pieces OF reed
The shuttle is whitfield from the wood
of rhododcudrom maximum. The spin
| ming wheels are also hand made from
the tree. Leaves of symplocos furnish
yellow dye; buttcrnut root Il brown.
and other colors are made from other
products OF the forest
OF course took dinner with Jim.
and his table WAS bounlifully furnished
with fried chicken and bacon, boiled
| cabbage, baked potatoes and baked
| pumpkin, hard corn bread and butter
sweet milk and huttcrmilll, coffee OF
| the blackc-t aud strongest. swcutcncd
with sorghum The first meal at a
mountain h,ard is a try ing cNposicncr
in one respect, for Tho table is built
very high aud the benches low. so
| that the cdgC of the table j. ON Lowell
with the shoulders. This arrange
! mont enables the feeder to sip coffee
| from his cup without raising il. and by
placing his mouth al the cdgc of his
| plate lac can shovel i'm his proven Ter
without much effort. II requires some
| practice, however TO accomplish these
| ieats with grace and precision After
| dinner we sat about the biz stone fire
| place, while Jim smoked homemade
| tobacco in homemade pipe, and
| Mrs. Railcy took down from a shelf an
| carthcrn jar sealed with tarrcd cloth
which she proceeded TO open The
contents, canned peaches, were
cmpticd into n large tim basin, and
over these was poured quantity Of
honey, and aftcrward some sweet
cream. Several spoons were then
| placed i'm the dish. and Jim. taking hi
| pipe from his mouth, handed one 10 each
of the youngsters and larger one to
me, inviting all hands to 'Hay too. 80
The order was promptly obcycd by
| every one but me. | had eaten 50
| heartily that the dessert could not cN.
cite my appetite. WHadcipbia Press.