Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-10-09

Homes which Arc Old, Tumble Down
and Untidy AffAirs-view of an Interior.
Table Etiquette-rhe Basket Maker q,
work-Mcthod of Manufacture.
Dantown Is eighty-1vs miles from New
York. md Is reached by tho New York.
New Haven and Hartford railroad. via
Stamford and New Canaan. colony of
basket makers there inhabit district be-
ginning about four miles north OF New
Canaan. running In length about eight
miles, and In width about three miles.
In this bailiwick Is included another set
tlement called Jumptown. but the whole
district is known as Dantown. The set
Element derives Its name from the first
settlers, whose name was Dan, and ninety
nine hundredths of the people who live
there now are also Dams.
We drove over TO Dantown to SEQ II
thoy wero really tho uncouth people thoy
were credited with being The roads are
narrow and full Of rocks: In fact, the
whole country is nothing but rocks and
an almost impenetrable Jungle. The
homes Of tho basket makers aro old,
tumble down, ramshaclSle affairs, un-
painted. built OF oak shingles. one-half
Of them fallen off, and tho balance In n
state OF irretrlevablo decay, fences falling
down. gates with no hinges, tho whole
settlement looking as II a cyclone had
struck 1t away back In revolutionary
war times. and not stroke Of repairs
been put to 1t since.
VIEW OF AN INTERIOR.
For furniture Of these houses thero Is
nothing but tho plainest straight backed
chairs, with basket woven seats. some OF
them handed down from great grand
fathers time. and some Of late domestic
manufacture, but all presenting tho same
style and discomfort. The old fashioned
freplaces arc built Of wood and plastered
inside and out. The Dantowners are not
high llvers. They eat because It sustains
life. They do not sit long at table. and
alities Of table etiquette. The writer sat
down to dine, or, as the host expressed 1t,
Ito take pot luck, and was told to pitch
In and help yerself," which he did. The
bill Of faro was pork and beans, potatoes,
bread and molasses, and apple &uce, the
young girl OF the family remarking: "Say,
maar. Of it's dark t'night I'll git nuther
bag O. tbpm there apples" Whereupon
maar replied: DRY up yer yawp."
The people live frugally, because they
aro compelled. A basket maker mua
wprk carly and late TO make S5 O week.
nnd as there are generally dozen young
'nps- about the house. this does not 30
for. though the young 'uns" were all tn
q seml-state OF nudity.
Yet these people are as content with
their lot as North Carolina clay cater
Thoro Is always a market for their baskets,
and they manage TO squeeze along on the
commonest food so that they can Indulge
In tobacco and get the little brown Jug
filed. Tho latter Is OF moro absolute
necessity TO tho majority Of tho Dautown-
ers than the sack OF flour or tho ditch OF
bacon. Years ago they were famous for
their store Of Mcdford rum. but II Is never
seen now. In Its place Is rye whisky, and
not tho best, either, and now that New
Canaan Is prohibition town, they arc
sometimes put to desperate straits for tho
wherewithal to wet tLJlr whistles.
THE DAsKET MAKER AT WORK.
There nre no organized workshops, and
tho business OF setting up baskets Is car.
ried on In the kitchen, dining room and
parlor. which Is generally all In ono room.
They arc very particular about their tim
Der. They use hickory. white and black
ash and black oak. They use tho first cut
Of tho log and no other. Tho bark 10
peeled of, and tho log, which Is nev0r
over ten inches through, Is split into sec-
tions, making It easier to handle. phey
take section and pound 1t over n log or
rock until 1t slivers. 1t Is then aggregated
by peeling tho slivers of, which are used
for what Is called filling" for the baskets.
The standards" are peeled much thicker,
and have the appearance OF flour barrel
hoop. They are tied In bundles, and, II
not used when green, arc soaked In water
over night, which makes them pliable and
easy to weave. II they do not cut this
wood themselves they are compelled to
pay $18 cord for II; but 1t Is said that
great many cut their own wood and are
not particular whose land they cut 1t
from. Times have changed with tho bas-
ket makers, and competition has cheap
ened their product from &l5 dozen
twenty years ago to $3.50 dozen now.
And then wood was only so a cord.
The mode Of basket making Is simple.
First tho thick sticks are cut TO the re-
ouirod length and laid on the ground,
looking like gigantic starfish. At the
point Of contact they are fastened, and
then comes tho work Of weaving the light
or si6o strips In and out. One strip Is
woven In several times around tho basket
before It gives out, when another one Ia
Tapped ON. AS the weaving continues the
standards arc raised and bent or shaped"
until 1t has reached the required height.
Then two thicker strips, fat on one side,
rounded with draw shave on the other,
are clapped on. The standards, which
project above this band, are twisted
around It and securely fastened. Tho
handles arc put on before tho band is;
These are made Of thick strip trimmed
down smooth. with notch cut In them,
which abuts against tho band. Then the
basket Is turned upside down. and an
other star shaped set Of strips is pushed
mp Though tho wool Of the basket. This
IS done 80 that tho basket can sit on It's
own bottom. A basket maker has to
hustle TO mako two dozen baskets In
weeis They mako all findt-tho corn,
the market and the oyster basket, but the
latter takes precedence over the two ftr-
mer, as tho demand along the sound Is
never filed. d.-Dnntown tN. ~ Cor. Hew
York Sun.
Hmazona to the Fronh