The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-02-25
The Good {:
!: Old Days

The Time of the Spinning
! Wheel, the FImil and the Small
: FMrmer-Land Monopoly Must I
Give Way to Co-Operntion. I
TT SEEMS difficult to realize that
l simply tenant on the land which
every farmer of the future will be
his ancestry owned. 10 comprehend
this coming condition let us study tie
past in farming in contrast win the
present:
Fifty years. ago the farm, was a
little world within itself. This. in the
United States, was best illustrated IN
New England. The farm of that per-
iod comprised from 100 to 200 acres.
It was originally covered with for
est, the land was billy and covered
with stones, but that was all the bet
ter. The clearing of the land and
picking of stones kept the boys busy
and they grew up to the habit of early
rising, industry and economy which
laid the foundation of their future
success in the great cities to which
these boys afterwards went to work
their way in the world.
In those days the stalwart New En-
gland boys swung the cradle in the
harvest field, they moved with
scythe, they raked with a mandrake
they pitched with two-tined fork
and they thrashed out ,4-e grain with
two four-foot sticks two ends teth-
cred together with a leather string.
L his was called a fail, holding one Of
the sticks in the hand the other swing
ing loose OH the string permitted the
farmer to strike the bunuaes of straw
and thresh out the grain that might
be therein.
In those days there was plenty of
work for the girls also on the farm.
If the boys were too busy in picking
stones and cutting frewood to get
time, the girls did the milking, butter,
milk, cream and butter being a part
of the household living.
The farm raised and slaughtered the
animals that supplied the home with
meat, and to salt and preserve this
meat, work portion of it into mince-
meat, sausage and smoke the hams,
Ftook up a good deal of the girls time.
| IF there was any extra time it. was us
ed up in, making soap, dipping can
dies, feeding the calves and gathering
the hens eggs to be taken to the store
the next time when any of the family
went to town.
But the girls had a great deal more
than this to do. After the men folks
had sheared the sheep few feeces
were left from the quantity that was
sold and these were taken TO the wool
en- factory in the village where it was
| carded into rolls---long rolls half an
inch in diameter and eighteen inches
long, in which condition it was re-
turned to the ''wimmin folks" in read
mess for spinning.
| The meals being gotten out of the
way and the men gone to their work
in the fields, if there was nothing else
for the girls to do, after the churning
was done and the eggs gathered, the
girls started in on spinning with PEI
feet certainty of having enough of
that to do to take up all the extra
time.
/ If there was a large family of girls
they were all busy. The work was all
iapportioned by the frugal, industrious
mother. Matilda did the baking and
made the butter, Jane did the spin!
l. I'm
stockings when she was not teaching
school, mother did the weaving and
grandmother did the general darning
and clothes repairing for the house.
hold.
Everybody was busy and everybody
was happy. True there was good
dea. of extra work from time to time
| for the women. There was sugar.
making time, hog-killing and the per-
, iod when the shoemaker came with
his oldest boy and made the shoes for
| the women and the boots for the
men.
1t was all work in those days but a
large lot of comfort went right along
with it. The young people got to-
| gether at the. sugaring off parties,
they had great time at the husking
bees and they had nice times at the
! apple bearings.
Those were good old days in the
early history of this country, when
church attendance was regular, when
education was appreciated, when in
dustry was taught, when economy
was practiced, and when exercise was
obtained in performing useful work
instead of bruising each other in foot
ball.
Those were the days when suostan-
! tial character was formed in the early
history Of the country, upon which
| we have builded what prosperity we
have. Those were the days when a
young man could marry and support
wife. Those were the days when no
fear was entertained but that all the
children that came along could be
supported. Those We're the days when
tramps and beggars were unknown
Those We're the days before machin-
cry enriched the few and imp0verish-
led the many. -....r,
IL .