The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-07-03

| They had no stores OF any klnd-nO
salt, iron, nor iron works; nor had they
money to make purchases where those
articles could be obtained. Peltry and
furs were their only resources before
they had time to raise cattle and horses
for sale in the Atlantic States.
Every family collected what peltry
and fur they could throughout the
year, for the purpose of sending them
over the mountains for barter. In the
fall of the year, after seeding time,
every family formed an association
with some of their nei ghbors for start
ing the little caravan. 4 master driver
was selected from among them, who
was to be assisted by one or more young
men and sometimes boy or two. The
horses were fitted out with pack sad
dies, to the hinder part of which was
fastened II pair of hobbies made of
hickory withes. y bell and collar or
namented his neck. The bags provid-
ed for the conveyance of salt were filled
with feed for the horses. On the jour-
ney, part of this feed was left at con-
venient stages on the way down, To
support the return of the caravan.
Large wallets, filled with bread, jerk,
boiled ham and cheese, furnished pro-
visions for the drivers. At night,
| after feeding, the horses whether put
into pasture or turned out into the
woods were hobbled and the bells
were opened.
The barter for salt and iron was first
made at Baltimore; Frederick, Hagers-
| town, Oldtown and Fort Cumberland,
i'm succession became the places of eX-
change. Each horse carried two bush
els of alum salt, weighing 81 lbs. to the
bushel. This, To be sure, was not :,
heavy load for the horses but it was
enough, considering the scanty sub
sistence allowed them ON the journey.
The common price of "A bushel of alum
salt at an early period was cow and
a calf and, until weights Were intro
duced the salt was measured into a
half-bushel by hand, as lightly as pos
sible No one was permitted to walk
heavily over the floor while the opera
ton of measuring was going on.
II would appear from Rev. Mr.. Dod-
bridges statement that Bedford Is COM
pared with the more remote settle
ments, had during the revolution be-
come in degree civilized. His de
scription of the primeval furniture of a
cabin related to the new settlement in
the Monongahela country, but as the
almanac makers say, VIII answer
nearly as well for other places in the
same latitude:
"The furniture for the table, for sew
eral years after the settlement Of this
county, consisted of few pewter dish
es, plates and spoons; but mostly OF
wooden bowls, trenchers, and noggins.
If these last were scarce. g0urdls and
hard shell squashes made up the def
cheney. The iron pots, knives and
forks were brought from the east side
of the mountains, along with the salt
and iron, on pack horses.
These articles of furniture cores
pOnded very well with the articles OF
diet on which they were employed.
Hog and hominy" We're proverbial
for the dish of which they were the
compOnents parts. Johnny cake and
pone were, at the outset of the settle
ments of the country, the only forms of
bread in use for breakfast and dinner.
At supper, mush and milk were the
standard dish.
In our whole display of furniture,
the delft, china, and silver were un-
| known. They did not then, a now
| require contributions from the four
quarters of the globe to furnish the
breakfast table, yet our hOmely fare and
unsightly cabins, and furniture pro-
duced hardy, veteran race, who plant
ed the first footsteps of society and civ
iliZation in the immense region OF the
west.
I.welI recollect the first time | evel
saw teacup and saucer, and tasted
coffee. Ny mother died when wa'
six wears of age. My father then sent
me to Maryland with a brother of my
grandfather, Mr.. Alexander Wells
To school.
At Col. Browns, in the mountains, 4
Stonycreek Glades, Col. Richar,
Browns in Brothersvalley township
| for the first time saw tame geese; an,
by bantering a pet >-gander, | got {
severe biting by his bill and bcatin:
10y his wings. | wondered very mucl
that birds so large and strong shoul,
he so much tanner than the wild turk
eys lat this place, however, all wa
right, excepting the large birds, whicl
they called geese. The cabin and it
furniture were such rs | had been nc
customed to see in the backwOods, a
the country was then called.
At Bedford everything was changed
The tavern at which my uncle put u
was IA stone house, and TO make tn
change still more complete, it was pla:
tered on the inside, both as 10 the wall
and ceiling. On going into the dinin
room, | was struck with astonishmen
at the appearance of the house. | ha
no idea that there Was any house i'll tn
world which was not built of logs; her
| looked around the house and coul
see no logs, and above | could see n
ioists. Whether such thing had bee
[ made by the hands of man or ha
1 grown so of itself, | could not conjec
ure. / had not the courage To inquil
: anything about it. When supper can
: on, ''my confusion Was worse confoun'
e ed" a little cup stood in a. bigger OF
I with some brownisr looking stuff in
[ which was neither milk, hominy N
e broth; what TO do 18th these little cul
> and the little spoon belonging
t them, / could not tell and was afra
V TO ask anything col, seeming the use
o them.
: 1t was in the time of the war, al
r the company were giving accounts
: catching. whipping and hanging Il
It tories. The word jdH frequently @
e Cured this word | had never hea
e before, but soon discovered, and W