The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
BY d
ESQ tell the story that the world of today
will be the better for its recital.n)
ANA


ed in a day at n of these regular
wolf hunts.
There were times when it was
impossible to obtain flour, and corr
bread was an acceptable substitute.
The ingenuity of the good mother
was often taxed to supplement the
supply of wild game. Corn was Of
ten ground on hand mills or a home
made crater and sifted through a
piece of dressed deer skin which
had been perforated by a not wire
or sharpened nail. Bread made from
this contained all the healthful in
gradients Of the grain and could not
fail to be sweet and nutritious.
This is no imaginative descrip-
ton Of the difficulties to be over.
come in settling the soil Of Iowa and
Mahaska county. There are persons
yet living who participated in these
hardships.
large during those first years. They
had not ret learned the lesson OF ex-
travagance. Many a happy meal
was eaten Of corr bread and meat,
prepared under the most humble
circumstances by the cheerful and
constant wife. No restitution was
ever permitted in n neighborhood.
What n had all were free to use
while it lasted. The last pound Of
meat or peck of meal was generous
ly divided with a needy neighbor.
There was no s~elfisnness. A cordial
and generous life made all the adys Of
the year happy days. The first set
tiers who came into this country
thought themselves fortunate to get
mail from their friends once in three
or six months. After the days Of
post Offices all news was several
tination. The postal authorities at
that time allowed excess of postage
Ito be paid by the person to whom
the letter was addressed. Judge
Sewers used to tell of a young pi-
oneer who was unable to raise the
twenty-five cents back postage for
the want of which hes was not per-
mitted to lift the letter from the Of
Ace. He made periodical trips to
the ONCE to have the satisfaction of
inspecting it until such time as he
could raise the price which enabled
him to secure it.
The perils and suffering to be
encountered by the pioneers did not
prevent them from being a cheerful
and light hearted people. Frolics
were frequent. Whenever anything
was to be done requiring more help
than the family could supply a day
in the future was selected on which
to make a frolic. These occasions
were widely advertised, n every
body was made welcome, and as a
rule the whole neighborhood plan
ned their work to attend the gather.
ed their work to attend the gather,
ing. H~ouse-raising, log-rolling,
bookkeeping and the like for men,
and quilting and sewing for the
women. On these occasions ample
preparations were made t o enter,
tain the crowd with plenty of food
and drink. With joking and a gen.
eral merry-making time the work
went on until the allotted task was
done. In the evening the fun-making
began in earnest and continued far
into the night, especially among the
young people. A house-raising,
which was always regarded great
fun, would furnish a stimulus and
excitement for a neighborhood for
weeks previous and after the event.
The first cabins were built with
the logs just as they came from the
forests, round, with the bark IN.
A little later it was accounted an in
dication of good taste to chip off
two sides of each log. Then came
the more elegant home made Of
hewed logs, presenting a fat surface
both inside and out. A good deal
of preparation was necessary or the
part Of the host to have all in readi-
ness for a n~ouse-raising. The tim
bers must all be prepared in proper
lengths, then cut and Nnotched and
ready to be laid in place. Men who
"NAC SoPONAdliy ohllllul Win Oh oAS
were placed on the of the
building to clip out just the right
sized chip TO allow the log to make
a close fit. ~
Horse racing, foot racing and
shooting matches were popular
amusements. At these gatherings
there were almost always tests of
physical strength in some form and
sometimes vicious fights were pre-
cipitated by an imagined insult or
some boastful spirit whose superfiu-
GUS vitality was chatting to demon
strate that he was the best man in
the crowd. He usually got what
boosters deserve, a good Ticking"
from which time he ceased to- be the
champion of the neighborhood. A
too free use Of liquor generally
brought on these pernicious con,
tests. Most of these festivities
wound up with dancing, which was
always a fayorite diversion with the