Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-11
ITO be continued
One Hundred Years Ago.

You stole it, then?
ITO be ccntinued)
One Hundred Years Ago.
We had practically no stoves then. DIR.
| Franklin had invented a stove, or rather
an iron box in which fire was made, but
| heating and cooking were done by fire.
| pieces. The houses of the rich had sew
eral of these, but the yeoman had only
one, and that was in the kitchen. A warm
sleeping room was unknown, aud the old
copper bed pan, filed with Goals, was
| moved about in the bed to dry and warm
| it. But they slept in feather beds and in
| wooden blankets. Baking was done in a
Dutch oven" set before the fire, the pol
| ishei sides rejecting the heat. Roasting
| was roasting, for the meat was put on a
| spit and basted from the pan below, into
which the juices fell. Those were days
of the "boiled dinner" huiled corn,
''samp," and the delicious pot-pies, OF
which we have only counterfeits nova
days.
person who rides in a comfortable
car from Chicago to New York in less than
a day ID apt to forget that a century ago
there were few public highways over
which wagon even could be driven. Our
first railroad YVES completed in 1926 and
passengers were first carried in 1880.
There was one trunk road from Boston to
Maine which followed the coast to the
mouth of the Kenebec; another into New
Ham pshire aud on TO Canada; another to
Providence, r. l., and another to New
York through Springfield, Hartford, ano
New Haven. From New York there was
a wagon road each side of the Hudson to
Albany and one southwark across New
Jersey to the Delaware river and thence
to Philadelphia. All other roads of any
length were mere bridal paths. It took
Washington nearly two weeks to go from
Mount Vernon to New York to be inaug-
ureted. A little earlier Eikanah Watson
left Providence, R. l., Oh the first OF Sep
tember for Charleston, S. c., on hurried
business trip. On the 18th of November
he reached his destination, having occu-
pied seventy days in making the journey
OF ,243 miles.
There were few hotels in those days
and such as existed We're called inns, or
more frequently taverps. Travellers
making long journeys usually took
chaise, if the way was road, and posted
notices asking for a com panion. They
stopped when night or meal-time over
| took them. An incident related by Mr.
published in an evening journal, striking
ly illustrates the hospitality of the people.
He stopped one day at farm house
which he took one day to be tavern and
| ordered dinner in spirit of the utmost
freedom. On asking for his bill she
said: 'Sir, keep no tavern, but I am
very much obliged to you for your VISIT"
and exacted from his visitor promise 10
stop with him again should he again pass
that way. But in many now populous
districts settlements were so few and far
between that the traveller was Obliged to
blvouac with his horse for his ONLY COM
| panion and the clouds for his only can
| opy.
| Slavery existed in all the states then
| except in Massachusetts. As late as the
census of 1896, she first one taken, all
| the states except the one noted had SER
vile Inhabitants; even Vermont had sew
ente Ell and New Hampshire 159. How
| strange it Is to read now of the buying
and selling of slaves in New England a
century ago and to find in Boston papers
advertisements of runaway negroes. The
| following is verbatim copy of sale of q
slave given in Connecticut in 1884:
"To all men to home these presents come
greeting: Know yeae that I Josiah
Campo of Milford in the County of New
haven in the State of Connecticut for the
consideration of Sixty Pounds Lawful
money Do Sell make ever and conforme
unto Abraha n Clark of Milford in sd
county and state afores'd as my one
| Proper Estate on negro Boy named Han
dow Coggs thirteen yesrse and During sd
negroes natural Life and if said negroo
IS set free within six yearse from this
| Date by the Laws of this state then I
Josiah CRmpe Do bind my Self my heirs
Executors or administrators to Pay back
to said Clark so much of sd sum as shall
| be judged that sd negroo base not earnt
and l Josiah Campo Do bind my Self my
| heirs executor or administrator formerly
| by these Presents TO warrant and Defend
sd Clark from all Clame from aney Per
| son or Persons whatsoever for sd neeroo
whereunto l have Set my hand and sell
this 30th Day Of January Ad 1884.
JOSIAH CAMP