Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-01
EARLY DAYS IN PIKE COUNTY.
Missouri Pioneers Made Ends Meet In
Various WAYS.


James T. Matson gives an interest
ing account Of the early days in Pike
county. The first settlement made In
that county was on the south bank Of
the Salt river. in 1915, and from that
time to 1924, when the first land sales
were held at Palmyra, Mo-. Pike
county filled up very rapidly. Most
Of the settlers came from the south.
In those days luxuries, and even the
ordinary necessaries Of life. were few.
Everybody depended upon his own,
resources to supply his needs. 5
For summer wear" said Mr., Mat
son, "our clothing was made from
fax and hemp grown on the farm,
and the lint was made into thread
and woven with cotton, yarn, which
came in five-pound punches. as chain.
and fax and hemp yarn as filling.
The women became so expert In spin
ming and weaving 1t that 1t made a
nice, excellent, and durable fabric.
Of which we were Justly proud Our
winter clothing was made from the
WOO, taken from the sheep raised on
the Farm. After shearing the wool
from the sleeps back, we washed
and secured all the dirt and picked
every foreign substance out Of II. 1t
was taken to carding machine, and
there made into rolls, which were
spun and woven as filling into q cot
ton chain, making q linsey-woolsey
for the women. When It was desired
to have variety of colors. the yarn.
was colored In blue dye. walnut bark.
etc. Our shoes were made by some,
one in the neighborhood. Often the
shoemaker would come to the house
and make shoes for all the family
out Of leather tanned from hides by
took one-half Of the hides for the
tanning. All Of our shoes were sew
ed by hand. Eo 3
Farmers tools, such as hoes, axes,
chains Of all kinds and sizes were
then made at our blacksmith shops.
Our ploughs were made with the cut
ting part Of the plow lying fiat and q
wooden mold board to turn over the
SOIL. called a bar and shear to break
the land for seeding. which for sew
eral years consisted In corn only. 1t
was taken to the horse mill and
ground into meal. The mill was run
by horses and ground from one to
two bushels of corn an hour. After
farmers began to raise wheat there
were bolting cloths added, which
separated the bran from the -four.
and the -four into two parts. the fine
and the coarse, or shorts. The bolt
ing machine was turned by hand and
the flour made was rather an un-
|common treat, being used only when
company was present and on Sunday.
Wheat was very hard to get in a
condition to be made into bread. The
wheat was first sown, then with q
plow we covered II up In the corn or
where corn had been raised. In har-
vest we cut 1t with q scythe or sickle
or reap hook. And to cut, bind and
shock an acre was called a good days
work. Then we cleared of a place
about as large as one-half my front
yard, being careful 10 have smooth.
hard surface, and on this we laid the
bundles somewhat in an upright posi-.
ton in a circle. like circus ring.
with the bundles wide enough for two
horses abreast to tramp the grain out
After removing the straw, the wheat
and chaff had to be separated. this
being done by the ,Eiaa. sithers natur-
any or by artificial means.
"Our meat was not so hard to get.
as our bread. Some Of IL was pro-
cured by @ method now called q
pleasant pastime, but most Of It from
hogs and cattle which grew up under
the care of the husbandmer. The
hog was what In now called the Fan
worth. evidently the best bacon hog
ever in Pike county. The lard was
put to itself and the meat to itself.
The farmers lost a great number Of
cattle with q disease called bloody
murrain' disease that rendered even
their hides worthless."-New York
Tribune.