Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-08-07
Old Times.

Ed. Register-A short time ago l
was reading, in some paper, where
nun Der of young folks were having q
men asked the question: "Can any
one in this company tell what was the
first thing they can remember distinct
ly so as to be able to repeat it to us?"
After short time spent in thinking,
one young lady repeated the first thing
she could recollect; then another; and
so on through the company, until all
had given their experience. AS read
the article there came up to my mind,
as fresh as if but yesterday, one little
incident 1 have never forgotten.
At all farms in the New England
States, at that time were kept large
fiocks of sheep, not only for the flesh
to eat, but for the wool-not only to
sell, but to make the clothing for the
family. In those days there were but
very few woollen factories where
woolen clothes were made. Each
farmer, if he had no girls of his own to
spin the wool into yarn, would hire
some spinster to come to his house and
spin his yearly crop of wool into yarn.
There were in our town several OLD
girls, whose trade was spinning; that
was all they did from years end to
year's end. How many thousand
miles one of those spinsters walked in
a year, as they walked back and forth
the length of the thread of yarn in the
hand, and how many millions of times
that big wheel has turned around,
would be hard to guess. And SO IL
was with other occupations. l can
we'll remember there were other old
girls-[ wont say old maids-whose
occupation was to go from house 10
house and cut and make the wollen
clothes for all the family. When they
had got to the place, there they stayed
until all the work was done. Then
there were other old girls, called
montau-those who made up all the
fine dress goods for the female part OF
the family, and children's clothes.
Each one had their special trade or
occupation, and did nothing besides.
I knew girls-young girls-who dld
nothing but braid palm hats, and 9TH
ers straw for hats and ladies bonnets.
So, you see. all those things had to be
done by hand, and each was sep rate
trade. Now at all farm houses, you
would find standing in the corner OF
those old fashioned firepIaces dye
tub. Do you ask what a dye-tub was:
A dye-tub was wooden tub about as
high as a common chair, larger at the
bottom than at the top, SO the hoops
would not como off, and so it would
not tip over. With cover fitted on
top, made round, and double thickness
-Sne thickness to fit inside the top of
the tub, the upper cover to fit over the
top. This tub was only about two
thirds full of dye, made of indigo,
madder and ohamber-lye; and of all
the stinking things! If anything
smelt bad on the place, it was always
an expression, "It stinks as bad as
dye-tub." Now, what I want to tell
you remember go distinctly, was:
lone spring my ma had montau-
moke come to the house, and make up
all hers and the childrens clothes. /
was the Youngest but one. just big
enough to be up to some mischief. 1t
was one Sunday morning in May,
lovely morning, such as only the
10 onth of May can get up. My ma had
dressed my two older brothers and
seated them in some little chairs, and
dressed me. I can see myself, in my
thoughts, just as if it were yesterday.
had on a neat white dress, all ruffied
and tucked, with short sleeves, with a
blue ribbon around the waist, and one
around my neck; long white stockings
and red shoes. After combing and
brushing my hair, she took me to the
looking-glass and held me up to look
at myself Ah, didn't 1 look sweet. At
ter looking at myself awhile she kissed
me and sit me down on an old dye-tub
and said, "Now, you sit still until get
myself ready" How still I sat and
looked at my new red shoes and nice
clothes. Who ever saw young one
sit still for five minutes at time, with
turning around, or getting up on its
feet to look at something? After q
few minutes, begun to hitch around.
AT last saw something up on the