Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-24
The FIRST SETTLERS
A PIONEERS "REMINISCENCES OF
EARLY HOMES IN IOWA.
PEN PICTURES OF A SIMPLE LIFE
A Pioneer Breakfast and the Toilet
That Preceded 1t - With the In.
dams Securing the Claim - A
Story of an Early Family.

| Notwithstanding the fact that in this
city there are many old settlers, who
came to Ottumwa when log cabins were
the only habitation, the honor of being
the first family circle within the pres
ent limits of the state of Iowa west OF
the bend of the Des Moines river. save
one. that of Samuel Clayton, who arriv
ed in November. 1886, belongs 10 James
Dutiield, his wife, Margaret, and their
children, Maria, John, George, James,
| William. Joseph, Joshua H., and Eliza
/ beth Duffield. George C. Du1iield. one
of the family, in the annals of Iowa
! has the following interesting story to
tell OF primitive life in Iowa:
G!im9ses of Early Life.
Eve moved into our cabin, two miles
west of Clayton's, in April, 1887, where
/ soon after our family was enlarged by
the birth of Henry D, Duffield.
Accustomed to some of the Injuries
of the east. the settlers sought con-
veniences here, making their claims
'cordin to wood n wafer" My father
! placed his cabin in the border of an
opening in the timber, near spring,
which fed livulet entering Chequest
creek two miles above its mouth.
THE scenes and experiences of that
cabin life, commencing in my four
teenth year, are sweet and vivid mem
cries. My senses were constantly
| thrilled. The mornings passed some
thing like this-Supposing it to be the
summer of 1898: 'Clink, clink. clink,
my sleepy eyes would omen on father
bent down TO the earth, striking flint on
steel. Then came pause as he blew
and blew the tiny spark into spread
/ ing ember. Quiet for time and nap
I for me. Maria. Maria, came the call
i from mothers bed. the kettle is boil
ling and then Maria's William!
Il George! Jimmie! Clear QUIT This
meant that we We're to get off the floor
i with our made down beds SO that the
I table could be set Out we bounced,
! OF, lingering in the way, were tumbled
! sans culotte unon the puncheon floor,
4 and second offense was a swiftly
switched breach of discipline.
Set Table.
1.-THE floor being cleared the dry
i goods box table was set where we had
slept. The baking corn bread, the
frying pork or VeniSon and the coffee
] Gor father and mother only), boiling
on the fire, filled the room with appe,
tizing odors. Meanwhile John had
hunted the hills and hollows. Had
driven up, yoked and tied Dick and
: Buck near the door Father had fed
old julie and cut and split the wood
for the day. William came from the
spring with pail of water. Those
} of us Who We're large enough had gone
! FIr M in rla.s0 OF,
washed our faces, drying them in the
lair on our way back. Lucky were we
If mother did not send us back FOR
4 a more thorough effort.
j A Primitive Toilet.
From williams pail father took a
cup of the cold fresh water, and
A hanging his hat on the cabin corner,
made his toilet in this way: Placing
4 his cup between his knees and spread
A ing his heels apart he splashed into
his clasped hands the exact amount OF
water needed. The filled hands We're
rubbed. the proper lurch added a good
I bath for the face, and the last splash
into the hands was Carried to the hair
and thoroughly rubbed in. A home
spun towel did for his face what the
breeZes did for ours. The comb was
tightly seized in the right hand, the
. left being extended tightly upon the
hair above the left ear. 1t was rak-
ed across the forehead and back until
: the last stroke brought the back part
:, Of the hair under the ear The cont
then changed hands, the right hand
marking the place the left hand had
4 fixed: when done the part, If it could
be called such, extended from the fore
head to the nape of the neck, with
both ears completely hidden. The last
stroke was to throw a roach over the
forehead, more, perhaps, to put the
, hair away from the eyes than to dec
crate the head. Such, with lustrous
and luxuriant black hair, was the APP
: pearance of one settlers toilet. And
such was the appearance of all the
boys in the family. (Mother was our
barber, and she got around to the task
of cutting our hair once or twice q
year. The head being combed she
started the shears in below the left
ear. clipped around and came out UNI
der the right. If the edges We're ever
it was a good job.
Spring Mornings.
well, the toilet made father, moth
er and the eldest boys sat down te
breakfast, the girls and smaller chill
not the third table. We We're nov
turned outdoors.
Mornings in the spring We're de.
, light. On every side the sight anc
scent met blooming crab. service Der
. ny, choke cherry and the various thorn!
, and luxuriant annuals The woods
We're chorus; perhaps more nearly
, an orchestra; for the music of the
new and brilliantly plumed songsters
We're joined in Justify by the drumming
pheasant, the tapping woodpecfer, thu
whistling quail and gobbling turkey
For two or three summers we boy.
i We're each morning to be found on thu
outskirts of an Indian camp, commin
Cling with the dogs and children ant
eager to indulge our opportunities
/, Mother was to the Indians a 'gooC
squaw,' and fathers worst criticism
on her economy was that she shared
with them her scanty stores.
One Day of Pioneer Boys Life.
"A days history can be made from
the experiences we had. Leaving oul
$ cabin with certain strings made, TO
, us by mother part of what had beer
! a hunting knife, and no more clothini
t than necessary to support our pockets
! we went to the camp. Our play fellow
i went with us to the creek where tn
S choicest swimming holes We're ours
To our strings they joined hooks TO
a | which they had bartered with trader
"A One of the Indian boyS and went t