Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-02-03
OLD TIrdE t,ARDSHiPS.
The Present Generation Has Little
knowIcdgc of Them.

W.
,peakcr Cannon. whose years and ex
prri"ncc qualify him to speak with
some degree of authority and who
spent tie earlier years OF his life In
that part Of the country where indivd-
uallSm had the fullest possible scope
for Development recently stated that
The opportunities of the present day
Ear exceed those enjoyed by the grand
fathers of the present generation three
quarters of u century ago and that the
present generation Is better physically,
mentally and morally than any of its
predecessors have been. Ii Is only be-
Callsr time has Smoothcd away the
ruughncsS of the past that the pesSi-
miSi' of the present day seem TO find
that those whose activities covered the
first half of the former century We're
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 fully
10 appreciate what they experienced in
order Ia gain livelihood. The Maya
zine of History prints Il part of the adj
dress Of the late w +. kyman Of
WilkcSharrc. Pa. before the Wyoming
Historical and Geological society.
wherein he mentions some of the dill.
culiicS of settling the Wyoming val
ley lie stated that when lie was
small hoy he heard Charles Harris.
then IN old man. tell of some of his
earlier rcc0llcctlonS. which ran back
To about The time of the Wyoming mas
the first day of his arrival at what Is
still known rs the Harris Settlement
Telling trees and building cabin
Night came on before the cabin could
be incloscd. With the darkness came
pack of wolves. and to protect his
family MIR Harris built II fire and sat
up all night Ia keep il burning The
wolves were afraid Of the flames and
would not come near. and when day
light cam" they disappeared To pass
one night under such circumstances
required bravery, hut to stay. build a
house. clear farm ana raise family
with such tcrrorS constantly mcnacng
required a courage that commands our
highest esteem
Another settler. n Mr.. Worthington.
came from Connecticut rs late rs 1906
and was compelled to cut a way
through the forest ana build house.
his nearest ncighbors 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
snultS was for all to climb the ladder
to the second floor and pun the ladder
up after them. MIR. 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- dignificd
by that name now. only few neccs-
saries were kept in any Of them. ana
"ncCeSSaries' then had much Scantier
meaning than now \ few of the com
moncst and cheapest cotton cloths were
kept in stock: the WOODEN goods used
for winter wear for both men and wo-
men We're all homcspun II took many
years for the storekcepcrs To convince
the farmers TINT they could buy heavy
clothes Of part wool and part cotton
that would he as durable ms and cheap
er than the all wool homcSpun. The
time spent ON the latter was counted as
nothing and the argument failed. A
few other kinds of goods In daily use,
such rs coffee, tea tobacco, rum sugar.
molasScs and. of course. powder. shot
AMI hints. were sold I.ucifer matches
had not yet been invented and the
problem of keeping II fire was, in win
ter time, Il serious one.
With no improved machinery the lot
of the agriculturist was especially hard.
There was no easy work on the farm
as there is AT the present time. The
only plow in use then was made en-
tirely of wood. except the point. and
was little different from that used by
the ancient Egyptians 1000 years ago.
This pillow was jabbed into the ground
here and there between roots. stumps
ana stones ANA with it a little dirt
could be torn up now and then.