The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-08-06
IN the SOUTH DURING THE WA.

'" IT'S WIFI OOnIN9 ire WAX.
TsiAis Thst Bsset Many Family which
Had 10 Eat and Be Clothed.
To most people Virginia cooking
has been q synonym for q delight
fully prepared meal. And no doubt
this universal opinion Is q correct
one. But Virginia cooking, when
there wasn't anything to cook, is
quite different matter from what II
b with pantry to which the whole
country supplies every delicacy in
and out Of season.
Those upon whom devolved the
care Of the lardcr during the days OF
the civil war tell a pitiful but ludi-
crOus tale of the straits to which dire
want and necessity often reduced
them. The country was Of course
then torn up by excitement, and the
marching troops foraging kept it
pretty well clear of everything in
the edible line. OF course the north
ern soldiers appropriated all they
could get for themselves and their
horses. and the southerners expected
nothing but liberality at the hands
of those for whom they fought. Oc-
casionally woman who was hard
pressed for money Confederate
bank notes being almost worthless
would concoct rare dishes and sell
them to the passing Union troops at
exorbitant prices.
A lady, who il famed for her
shrewd and keen business wit, told
funny story OF some such dealings.
She found some old Norway raisins
and mixed with them some stale,
dusty honey that had been kept for
years for poison mixing purposes.
These ingredients she compounded
into pies. and though she failed to
taste them herself she sold every
one Of these pies to the passing troops.
Uncle Sam had many foes to face,
but il IL safe 10 say none ever had a
deadlier effect than those same pies.
Coffee. being an imported article,
Was impossible 10 obtain. Tea, mus
tai,i and a thousand other seeming
necessities grew To be strangers at
southern tables. Sometimes sweet
potatoes We're roasted. Gu, into sev-
eral pieces and boiled as coffee, but
rye was the usual substitute.
Corn bread was of course the usual
dish. and chickens or turkey often
served las meat when the soldiers left
any such dainty. Salt Was a scarce
article. and famine was staring the
| people in the face when salt works
were started in West Virginia Pork
was the usual meat, and such vege-
tables as the dangerous times enabled
the slaves who s,aid al the farms 10
rais., were the principal fare Cattle
were driven off 10y soldiers Of either
army. ~ h-ef was sss,fre Hard
tack" biscuit We're often the only
bread ,o Ia gotten. and many poor
soldiers lived ola II for days AT time
"Hari tack. which Is aluui ,ls diff
cult Ia chew ar a pien Of marble
tombstone. was soaked in water over
night. then fried in milk in the morn.
ing
In the matter of clothing. too. the
south was nearly as lad Of as i, was
for food. Most Of tbs mills for max
ing g,sls were IT the north. 40 Miss
Dixie found herself hard pushed u
gc; the eopis and ribbons for he,
ffflls and furl-.luws Still fashion
r.igned in spite II wars alarms. and
the rough homcslun and cheap cali
cu dresses were turned and mad,
over and looked upon with truly
feminine pride When Confeicrat.
money had 10 much deprecated
fabulous lsrio-s were paid for the sim
ple~t thing calico selling at so Iel
yard. soap n; &c Ter pound, lawn So
a yard. and tsarrcl of -four bcinl
worth sloO in grcntacks OF courss
their value In gold was only the sell
ing price nj the north, hut southern
paper WAS almost worthless. Yet il
spite Of the dcpr~Ssions in the pan
try. the scarcity OF raiment in the
wardrobe and the ;crrurs Of the rag
ing war the Dixie girls amused them
selves much IN the manner Of today
New York Advertiser.