Wichita eagle., 1890-01-30
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
HOW OUR GRANDPARENTS LIVED,
WORKED AND DRESSED.

WORKED AND DRESSED.
| Fashions Did Not Change in Those Days
so Often as They Do Now-When the
Women Really Made Their Own Clothes.
Heory tlay's Jeans Breeches.
The costume of the pioneer belle was not
elaborate and when she left the parental
cabin for a home of her own no Saratoga
trunks we're required for her wardrobe She
wore the larger portion of it. In later years
we resA that Henry Clay used to drive to
Washington city in his family carriage with
his wifi and daughter, slad take their ward
robe with them for a winters stay at the ma
tional capital Now the luggage of such a
party ryould half I'll baggage car.
In tbs day Of diversified industry when one
labor saving invention crowds another off
the stage in endless and rapid succession, one
can scarcely comprehend the patient, perse-
vering effort required of the pioneer house
wife ia the discharge Of the ordinary duties
of tie cabin The lack of costly furniture,
handsome carpets, fragile bric-a-brac and
expensive hangings did not lessen her care.
She WIS both mistress and servant, matron
and nurse, housekeeper and charwOfnan,
dairyn1aid and cook. Neatness was not less
demanded Of hor than Of the modern house
wife, and her split broom and scrub brush
found ample service in keeping floor and fur
uiture clean and white.
DIVIDED LABOR.
The labor was pretty well divided between
the sexes The men, the early writers tell
us, '"hurbed and brought in the meat; they
planted, plowed and gathered the corn,
grinding it into meal at hand mill or
pounding it into hominy in the mortar,
which was occasionally the work of either or
the joint labor Of both" But with these
offices the labor of the women was scarcely
begun Custom and necessity united to lay
upon her the care of providing for every
household need that the rude agriculture Of
the period did not supply, and in all the null
hilarious duties which engaged her skill and
energy she labored unaided by labor saving
machinery And SO she MIXED the cows in
all weather, while sturdy men and boys
watched an operation too enenIinate to enlist
their services. She cflurned the butter, car
ried the tubs TO a spring quarter or half
mile from the cabin, or caught rain water in
troughs and barrels from the caves for the
"washing;" made her own soap; washed,
picked, carled and dyed the wool; pulled,
broke and hacked the fax; spun the thread
and wove the cloth; contgived and made the
garments; reared her children, nursed the
sick, sympathiSed with the distressed, and en-
couraged the disheartened laborer at her
side In all this, and above it all, woman
was the tutelary saint Of the frontier.
The first cloth made in Kentucky was in
176, by the wife of William Poasue, who
that year joined the settlement at Harrods-
burg. She brought with her the first spin
ming wheel ever seen west Of the mountains,
and she spun thread from the Int Of the net
tie, which grew aDIlndantly in the new coun-
try, and upon rude loom contrived by her
husband she worked 1t into cloth. This she
called linen, bat by adding a filling" spun
from buffalo wool she mode a cloth she
called insey wooisey. Considerable of such
cloth was made here before the introduction
of sheep, and before the people began to cul-
tivate fax and hemp.
These are no fancy sketches drawn from a
romantic imagination, but true Of pioneer
life, and the world is not half century older
since much Of that described above could be
daily witnessed in Kentucky
A DUEL OVER JEANS.
The spinning wheel, the loom and the rec,
have disappeared, except as relics. Ut is
fashionable now to have our grandmothers'
old wheels, bedecked with ribbons and gew-
gaws, conspicuously Displayed in our parlors
and hbraiies) A suit OF country brown jeans
is never seen now, except when the revenue
officers bring i'll squad OF moonshiners from
~ f~Jl 81 20
buckskin brooches every man wore home
made jeans and linens. I have seen the late
Governor John L. Helm on public occasions,
where he took a conspicuous part, dressed in
a suit OF jeans
The CELEBRATED duel between Henry Clay
and Humphrey Asrshali in 1907 grew out Of
Marshall S sarcastic criticism of Clay for wear
ing jeans clothes Marshall was gu aristo-
crat socially and fedsraIist politically. He
believed Gays republican ideas and pie
beian tastes affected to give him prestige
with the people, and ne gave his singing
pen and bitter tongue" full swing at him,
until Clay could no longer endure his biting
snd he challenged him. The result
of the duel was nothing more serious, said
Col. Sam Major, writing of the affair, than
"a slight wound to DIR. Clays jeans brooches
inflicted 10y Msrshau's Mantonn
One of the early writers, describing the
times in the first quarter of toe present cell
fury, says: Fashionable young men wore
tight boo,ed, swallow tailed coats, with large,
high collars, buff or white vests, stockinet
pants, high top boots, wrinkled or fair, with
q tassel in front, high short collars reaching
to the ears, and few wore ruffies. Gold
watches were uncoLamon, but a bulls eve
with metallic FOB chain, seal and key was
usually sported. The fashions didn't change
then as often as they do now. The Same bon
net or hat was worn for years. Men wore
their hats eight or ten years, and yet, not
half worn out, would barter them to the hat
ter in part pay for new one Of the latest
style.
The same bonnet WIS worn as long, TIL
trimming perhaps changed every two o,
three years Calico was the prevailing ma
terial for ladies fine dresses, such as were
worn in making calls, attending religious
meetings or evening parties. The more e.
DERBY wore bombaziue. Six yards were
amply sufficient for a pattern. An article |
called homespun wool. or cotton and wool |
was usually worn about the house when eo-
gagged in ordinary domestic duties. There |
were social parties n those days, but there !
was some regard paid TO proper hours for |
meeting and dispensing. The company as
sembed at early candle lighting and went |
home at reasonable bedtime, ana had no ice |
cream or oyster suppers. w. H. Perrine in |
Louisville Coor,er- journal.