Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-07
UNDER THE BLOCKADE.
INGENUITY PRACTICED BY SOME
WOMEN IN WAR TIMES.

WOMEN IN WAR TIMES.
Difficulties Experienced in Providing
Lishts-Tallow and Lard Gave Out and
Eeeswax and Rosin Were Used-Songs
Printed on Wall Paper.
Has proper estimate ever been placed, /
| wonder, upon the large amount OF wit sharp
ening, the constant exercise and consequent
development OF ingenuity practiced by the
fair ladies Of the Confederacy during the last
! years Of the warf
The exigencies OF the time were great, for
the outside resources Of the south-slim at the
start, if one viii recall the small number of
manufactures to be found in that section
were dwindling fast away, and often such
supplies as could be developed at home and
among families were the only ones that could
| be relied upon.
These supplies included articles of every
nature. from food and clothing for the fam
! lily down to toys for the children. The ques-
/ ton of dress became a perplexed one after al
! ports were blockaded by northern vessels and
all frontier ports We're held by northern
| troops, and womans wit was severely taxed
! in order to make good appearance from the
material at her command.
CANDLE MAKING BEES"
| The subject CT lights was another with
which it was found difficult to contend. Tai
low was used freely during the first years of
the war; old candle molds were brought out
from their hiding places and put to use, and
''talew dipsn became IS familiar to us as
they had been to our forefathers. But the
source of supply Of these lights of other
days" soon became exhausted, and woman's
ingenuity was again put to the test. Lard
also had been in frequent use, and favorite
Light was saucer or can filed with this
melted substance wherein Aoated burning
sycamore ball. It, too, was growing scarce,
however, and new material must be evolved.
Several things were tried, but a mixture of
beeswax and rosn was found best of them
all. Through this mixture, when melted, a
long coil of candle wick was drawn again
and again until thoroughly coated, and in or
der to make this coating even several persons
stood in a row holding the wicking at short
intervals and shaping the wax upon it as it
passed through their hands The position Of
greatest honor and difficulty in this under
taking was conceded to be the one next to
the pan containing the heated melted mix
ture.
When cold, this wa1en rope was wound,
row after row, around bottle, with the free
end put through strip Of tin with hole in
it, in order 20 hold it upright. These candles
gave forth a meager but steady light.
Candle making bees" were quite the style,
and young ladies and their military beaux
ION leave" managed to extract a great deal
of MET Timent from them. The refreshments
We're usually fruit and peanuts.
A light for sick rooms consisted of scrap
of paper cut like miniature cap and set in
saucer Of lard. When the point of this little
cap was well oiled and Lit 1t gave forth suf-
ficient illumination to see a watch or drop
medicine by. Before lard became so scarce
q lady friend Of ours illuminated her house
beautifully for an evening party with these
tiny jets of fame She borrowed wine
glasses from far and near, converted them
into these little lamps and placed them in
pyramids on mantles, brackets and all avail
able places. The effect was very novel and
pretty. Those who lived in the pine regions
obtained their light from the picturesque
and cheerful glow of pine knots. but it was of
so Pickering q nature as to be very hard upon
the eyes if reading, writing or sewing was at
tempted.
A vision Of a belated war time supper,
eaten under the fantastic glare of a pine
torch, held by negro boy at the end Of the
table, stands out in bold relief on the tablets
of my memory, and can see as wildly as if
today the faces Of those about the board, be-
meath the wavering Rembrandtesque shadow
cf the torch.
PAPER WAS SCARCE
Paper grew very scarce toward the close of
the war, and newspapers made their appear
ance on wall paper, while the familiar songs
of the period, such as "Lorena," Richmond
on the James, ''An Quiet Along the Poto-
mac Tonight" Crock Ne to Sleep" and
'W hen This Cruel War Is Over were print
ed on sheets much reduced from the usual
size, and of very coarse brown paper. En-
velopes were always turned, and thus made
to do double duty, and where letters were
written in pencil the first writing was erased
usually with piece of an old rubber shoe,
and the same paper used for the reply.
School books of ali encient date were
brought to light. and while in some schools
but one text book Of q certain kind was used
for entire class, the pupils of another class
were, perhaps, each supplied with different
text book on the same sub ject. The greater
number Of the remedial agents Of the time
were prepared by the ladies, for regular
drugs had been made contraband and were
exceedingly bard to procure. Fla1seed, dried
blackberries, slippery elm and other such ma
tural remedies as the country afforded were
kept on hand in most families. Healing
herbs were largely cultivated, and often
times the simplest remedies, such as pine
water or shuck tea. were made to serve a
timely and efficient turn
Sick and wounded soldiers were common
inmates OF private dwellings, and roll of
lint and bandages were usually kept with the
medicine ready for immediate use.
And thus woman. III every capacity, as
faithful nurse, cheerful provider for the
house, loving worker for the absent. and
brave bearer of the great sorrow and priva-
ton wrought by the war, shone forth with
the soft aud steady briliapce of star during
the dark and troublous times of the Confed-
s. Judson in Pittsburg Bulie-
tin.
Chaplain MlDurn.
Rev. W H Milburn. known throughout
-. L l.