Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-02-03
NUMBER 80
OLD TIME HAROSHiPS.
Nhe Present Generation Has Little
Knowledge of Them.


sbe Present Generation Has Little
Knowledge of Them.
Sneaker Cannon, whose years ana ex-
nerience qualify him to speak with
some degree of authority and VINO
spent the earlier years OF bis LIE IN
that part Of the country where indiViu-
ualism had the fullest possible scope
for development, recently stated that
the opportunities Of the present uay
far exceed those enjoyed by the grand
fathers of the present generation three
ouarters Of century ago and that the
present generation is better physically
mentally and morally than any Oh us
predecessors have been. 1t is only be-
couse time has smoothed away the
roughness Of the past that the pessi-
mists Of the present day seem TO hnd
that those whose activities covered the
first half Of the former century were
more favored than we now are and
that "the times are out of joint"
One must read of the struggles OF
the men Of other years in order tully
to appreciate what they experienced III
order to gain a livelihood. The Maga-
zine of History prints part Of the ad-
dress Of the late w. =. Ryman OF
Wilkesbarre, Pa, before the wyoming
Historical and Geological society,
wherein he mentions some Of the dlf1-
culties Of settling the Wyoming val
lev. He stated that when he was
small boy he heard Charles Harris,
then an old man, tell Of some OF ms
earlier recollectiOns, which ran back
TO about the time Of the Wyoming mas
sacre: of how his father worked all
the first day Of his arrival at what IS
still known as the Harris Settlement
Telling trees and building a cabin.
| NIGHT came on before the cabin could
be inclosed. With the darkness came
a pack Of wolves, and to protect his
family Mr.. Harris built Il fire and sat
I'D all night to keep it burning. Ihe
wolves were afraid Of the flames and
would not come near and when day
light came they disappeared. To pass
one night under such circumstances
REQUIRED bravery, but to stay, build
house. clear a farm and raise n family
with such terrOrs constantly menacing
required courage that commands our
highest esteem.
Another settler, a Mr.. Worthington,
came from Connecticut as late as 1906
and was compelled to cut a way
through the forest and build a house,
his nearest neighbors miles away and
no clearing in sight anywhere. Wolves
were then numerous and bold at night,
and the only way Mr.. Worthington
could protect his family from their as
saults was for ell to climb the ladder
TO the second floor and pull the ladder
ND after them. Mr.. WorthingtOn used
to say that his life during those early
DAYS was most lonely and dishearten-
ing.
The best Of the first stores in the
nearest town would hardly be dignifed
bv that name now. Only a few neces-
, saries were kept in any of them, and
'necessaries" then had a much scantier
; meaning than now. A few Of the COM
mOnest and cheapest cotton cloths were
. kept in stock: the woolen goods used
: for winter wear for both men and wo-
men were all hOmespun. 1t took many
years for the storekeepers to convince
the farmers that they could buy heavy
: clothes Of part wool and part cotton
[ that would be as durable as and cheap
er than the all wool hOmespun. The
e time spent on the latter was counted as
e nothing and the argument failed. A
l few other kinds Of goods in daily use,
I such as coffee, tea, tobacco, rum, sugar
molasses and, Of course, powder shot
and fints, were sold. Lucifer matches
had not yet been invented, and the
T problem of keeping fire was, in win
y ter time a serious one.
q With no improved machinery the LOT
f Of the agriculturist was especially hard
b There was no easy work on the farm
:. as there is at the present time. The
n only plow in use then was made en-
d tlrely Of wood, except the point, and
5. was little different from that used y
II the ancient Egyptians 1000 years ago
r This plow was jabbed into the ground
e here and there between roots, stump'
e and stones. and with it little dir
/ could be torn up now and then.