The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-10-24
THE YEARsAGo.

farm ana familiar with all the tools ana
precepts Of farm work at that time as
it progressed from the sickle and fall
to the cradle and the threshing ma
chine, may be both interesting n In
structive to your many readers. The
locality is in the vicinity of Fort Du
Oueane. near Pittsburg, and not far
from the battlefield Of BraddOck's de-
feat. The grandfather, a sturdy Ger
man farmer, came out to that country
Immediately after the war of the revo
luton, and with his tOmahawk blazed
out his claim around the ridge and
across the fertile valley and enclosing
within his marks some six or seven
hundred acres of land. On this he set
tied and farmAed, hunted and fought
the redskins until peace came. He
lived a hundred years, built upon the
spot selected for his dwelling a fne
stone house and stone barn after the
style and customs Of his people. When
old age came on he divided this farm
among his three boys. Father was
the Youngest boy, and when memory
first takes up the thread of life it re-
calls my uncles and cousins who by
that time has cleared their respective
allotments and built stone houses to re-
place the log cabins in which they
started life and were living in the en-
joymen5 Of abundance with all the
neces5aries and many of the luxuries
although in variety, finish and form
they were not quite up to the standard
of present day requirements. The
block houses erected for refuse and de-
fence against the Indians were still
standing, and wild turkey and deer
were still occasionally seen and hunted.
From grandfather, father and neigh
bOrs there was learned many a tale Of
the marvellous proves and exploits Of
Indian chiefs and pioneer scouts. These
things are only alluded to to show how
short is the space that separates US
from the past. Two lines upon a space
that goes back to a period before the
revolution and my fathers life and my
own covers the period of the history of
the United States. He died in the cen
tennial year one hundred years old.
It is worth while to look a little more
closely into the state of affairs then
and since throughout the United
States in order that before we close it
may be contrasted with the present
conditions. The country proper, ex-
Guiding cities, manufacturing centers
and their suburbs, was more thickly
settled then than it is now. 1t was di-
vided into farms Of from 80 to 800
acres. There were few farmers in debt
and few er mortgages. The farmer lived
on his own land and himself and family
did, as a rule, all the labor thereon
both in the house and the field. Within
themselves they made a large part of
their clothing, their farm tools, etc.
They raised all their wheat, corn, fruit
and vegetables and sold enough of sur
plus to purchase groceries for the fam
lily, and ribbons and ornaments for
their wives and daughters. There was
absolute and perfect equality. Neither
number Of acres nor number of dollars
determined social position. The poorer
girl who helped the wife in the house
escorted from the quilting and ap-
pie pairing and stood up in the dance
and often married the son and it was
considered all right and proper. Many
examples OF this are in memory and
could be cited did space permit. There
was no want, poverty or restitution
such as now exists. The old, the de- |
crepit, the insane, idiotic and helpless !
were provided and tenderly cared for
out of the abundance that filed the |
land and by men and women whose |
hearts were made tender and compass |
sionate by the peace and prosperity |
with which they were surrounded.
Great wealth had not corrupted them
o had their souls been burdened by
the fires of want and extreme poverty.
There is much talk in these latter
days of the ''social evil" In the day,
time and place spoken of "all the men
were brave and all the women virtu-
GUS" In a circuit of twenty miles and
a territory embracing hundreds of
families memory recalls not a single
case of adultery and bu5 one case of Sc.
duction and that the case of a very |
young girl taken advantage of by one
who should have protected her and bit
terly did he atone for his conduct for
socially he was ~ostracised. If the in
dependent women of those days did