The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-04-24
"reminiscences From The Riverside
Observer, Of Hood Canal.

party. The cake she herself had made.
She gave me piece. 1t has reminded
me of the cake I had when was
about her age, forty or more years ago
in Oregon, and thought how much
more cake these Indians have than we
white children used to have. Sugar
was not as cheap in those days as it is
now, and poor folks did not have much
cake. Generally, however, we had cake
in the house, fer once in long time
my mother made very common one,
and then set it away. It usually last
ed several months, only when com pany
was present or on great occasions was
it brought out, when few pieces were
cut off, but we small boys did not
generally get a common sized piece
If we got few of those crumbs, we
were in luck. People now say how
dry 1t must have been, after it had
thus been kept for months. Perhaps
it was, but to this day dry cake has a
charm for me for can taste the good
old taste it had when I used to get
those few crumbs
AS for candy, I do not remember
that my father ever bought any more
than once or twice. On Fourth of
July's we used to get few pieces at
the celebrations, so we knew how it
tasted and I think my mother used to
save hers and take it home, for once in
long while if we had chance to look
into one little box of hers, there were
generally few pieces of candy. I
think she often kept them for year
Or more. 1 followed in my fathers
footsteps for long time, for I never
bought any until / was past thirty
years. But latterly I have fallen, oh
SO low, for have many year, 1 think
l am safe in saying ten times as much
for my children, as my father bought
for me in twenty years.
Lights are another thing, which
now are not what they used to be.
Twice every year, my mother put in
one hard days work, dipping tallow
candles. About six wicks as long as
a candle were put on each stick, and
the hot grease was put in a big brass
kettle, and then these wicks were dip
ped into the grease and hung out to
cool. There were large number of
these sticks and when all had been
dipped the first ones were cool, and so
again and again they were dipped, un-
til towards night they had grown to
the size of common candle. It does
not seem now as if we could ever have
read by such dim light, but we did,
and our eyesight was just as good as
those eyes are which are now brought
up on coal oil, electric lights or gas.
Occasionally we tried whale oil lamps
but they were not much of an improve
ment on tallow candles. Sperm and
adamantine candles could have been
bought at the stores, but we could not
afford them. l we'll remember spend
ing night at neighbors, who chanc-
ed to be minus both candles and whale
oil. Lard alone was left, so the lady
just put some in tin cup, kept 1t
warm, put rag into it one end OF
which hung over the side, and this
end she lit. 1t gave out some light,
some smoke, but it was better than
nothing.
Napkins we never saw, men who
put on style, used their pocket hand
kerchiefs, the common people nothing
l think must have been past twenty,
when one day at Walla Walla, l took
dinner at our ministers, and napkin
was given me to use. / watched the
rest and used it as they did. And later
/ was at the same place for meal,
and the napkin was in ring, the first
I had ever seen, and do not remem.
Der that had ever heard OF one.
managed to get it out and use 1t With
out much trouble, but when was
done was in quandary, for how to
get that square thing even when fold
ed up into that round hole was a
mystery to me. l was busy eating
when the rest put theirs in, and failed
to learn how. At last l quietly took
the ring up and tried to get the nap
kin to go in, but it was not the righ
) shape. I did not dare to make many
experiments for fear Of attracting at
tention, showing my ignorance ane
being laughed at. So at last | lale
the two down side by side and LEI
them. ..
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:. An Affidavit.