The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-01-07
Our EARLY History.
AN INTERESTING PAPER BY
HON. KEMP P. BATTLE.
Something of the Customs and
Habits Of the People Of Col
onial Days.
ISta te Chronicle. i

1
Estate Chronicle.l
ROM the Maya.
!. i: i: 4 ! /: !: !: !: { ! !.
A< zine Of america,
~ History for thi:
M a month, we take the
u H~ following picture o.
60 our Colonial fore.
ZZGo fathers, as faithful
7% as it is vivid. 1t i:
part of an article by DR.. Kemp P. Bat
tie, Professor of History in the Uni.
versity, on the Career of Brigadier-
General Jethro Sumner. DR.. Battle
is now investigating the early history
of our State and is training the young
men at the University in methods oi
historical study. Let US hope that
our history will soon be truthfully writ
ten by some historical genius, who is
in full sympathy with our character
and civilization. How can spiteful
Yankee trickster and politician like
Henry Cabot Lodge do US justice ?
We bid DR.. Battle God-speed in his
work
The eastern planters of colonial
days we're a race of striking virtues,
but with many defects both as to char
acter and conduct. They were high
spirited, brave, and truthful. They
were loyal to the English crown, but
they understood their rights and were
always ready to defend them. As
their plantations supplied them with
nearly all the necessaries of life and
they had surplus sufficient to furnish
the guns and powder and shot, the
tea and coffee and sugar, the ribbons,
the laces, and other nicknacks which
the fair sex OF all ages and under every
cline must have to gid the refined
gold Of their natural charms, they
were in heart and habit independent.
The country mansions were the thea
tres OF generous hospitality and kind
ness. There was lavish abundance Of
home-m made productions. There was
not much travelling when thirty-hve or
forty miles day over rough roads
and dangerous ferries was the rule,
but the people were free from the fe-
verish restlessness engendered by our
railroads and steamboats,. Visits to
relatives and friends on occasions of
weddings, natal days, Christmas holi-
days, and to the great world at Nor
folk or Richmond, or the capital Will
liamsburg, we're productive of more
thrilling pleasure than the frequent
and stale modern excursions to seaside
or to mountain. These trips to the
town gave glimpses into the world Of
fashion. Theatrical companies aped
the acting Of London and Paris, and
the great balls brought out powdered
wigs, bespangled coats, magnitude
nous hoops and gorgeous silks and
rufles, which would have passed mus
ter in the circles beyond the Atlantic.
The colonial planters were devoted
to horses, and boasted justly that they
owed scions of the best racers OF Eng
land. They had frequent races, and
both sexes thought it no harm to bet
on them, the men heavily, often to
the impairment of their fortunes, the
ladies seldom venturing beyond pair
of gloves. Foxes abounded so as to
threaten the existence of lambs and
poultry great hunts we're not only
sport but a necessity. These were
rounded off with bountiful feasts and
drinking frolics, thereby causing the
name of fox-hunting to be synony-
nous with reckless dissipation. Cock
fighting and gambling at cards were
considered respectable in these "good
old days. Grand balls assembled
the young and the old for the stately
minuet and the lively Virginia reel,
and weddings were celebrated with
festivities which lasted for many days.
They were gay and funloving peo-
pie.
The young men learned the art Of
horsemanship not only in fox-chaseS
but by constant habit of visiting and
travelling on horseback. SO deep
rooted was this fashion that the trav
eler of that day AYERS that he has often
seen men walk five miles to catch
horse in order to ride one. The Use
of firearms was learned by practice in
hunting bears and deer, wild turkeys
and squirrels, and other game SO nu-
merous as to seriously threaten the
existence of food crops. Shooting
matches, too, were common, the
victor not only winning the stake but
receiving the plaudlts OF admlrlng
neighborhoods.
There was little OF what we call ed
ucaton. A few boys received college
training at William and Mary. Still
fewer were sent to the great schools or
universities of England, but the greater
part were content with reading and
writing and a little arithmetic. The
writing was invariably legible but
much liberty in spelling was allowa-
Bile. Shakespeare spelled his own
name in four different ways one hum
dred and fifty years before, and his
example of independency was followed
in colonial times. If Washington and
bis generals had not fought better
than they spelled, Clinton and Corn
wallis would have shaken hands over
subjugated country. In General Sum-
ner's will the county OF "Isle Of
Wight" is spelled "Hewhite." The
gallant Murfree writes OF "legenary
coors'' DICTIONARY corps. Uniform
spelling came in with WebsteE's blue
back spelling book. The colonial