New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-14
OLDTlME HARDSHTPS
Tine Present Generation Has Little
knO7rIedge of Them.

speaker Cannon. whose years and expsr,a,c.
Q'siiry him 20 speak with degree OF author
ana VINO spent the earlier years OF his life IN
that part of the country where indfviduaIisro han
the fullest possible scope FOR development racart1.
stated that the opportunities OF the nressn+ d..
iar exceed those enjoyed ~ the grandfatberz %
the present generation three-quarters OF a century,
ago ana 1hat the present generation IS better
physically. mentally and morally than anv OF t..
predecessors have been. Il is only because tins
mas snoothed away the roughness Of the mast +bat
ue pessimists OF the present day seem 10 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 ara out OF foint"
One must read of the struggles OF the men of
other years in order fully appreciate what they
experienced IN order 70 gain livelihood. The
magazine or History prints part OF the address
OF the late w 2 Rymon of Wilkes-Barre PENN
oeIoTe the Wyoming Historical and Geological So
ciety. wherein he mentions some Of the difficulties
OF settling the Wyoming Valley He stated that
when he was q small boy he heard Charles Harris,
then an old man, tell some Of his earlier recol-
iectlons. which ran back about the Tins Of the
wyoming massacre; of how his father worked all
the first day of his arrival at what IA still known
the Harris Settlement telling trees and build
ing 4 cabin. Night came before the cabin could
be inclosed- With the darkness came A pack OF
wolves, and protect his family Mr. harris built
a fire and sat up all night 70 keep it burning The
wolves Vera afraid OF the flames and would not
come near, and when daylight they disap-
peared. To pass one night under such crcum-
stances required bravery. but to stay. build a
house. clear a farm and raise a family with such
terrors constantly menacing required a courage
that commands our highest esteem. Another set
tier, a Mr.. Worthington. came from Connecticut
as late : 1906. less than hundred years ago. and
was compelled 70 cut way through the forest
and build house. his nearest neighbors miles
away and no clearing in sight anywhere. Wolves
were then numerous and bold night and the
only way Mr. Worthinston could protect HIS fam
lily from their assaults was for all to climb tbs
ladder to the second floor and pull the ladder up
after them. Mr. Worthington used 70 say that his
life during those early DAYS was most lonely and
disheartening.
The best of the irst stores in the nearest town
would hardly be dgHified by that nov. Only
a few necessarteS were kept IN any OF them. and
''necessaries'' then had a much scantier meaning
than now. A few OF the cOrnmonest and cheapest
cotton cloths were kept I'm stock; tie woOen
goods used for winter wear for Esth men and
women, were all hOmespun. Il took many years
for the storekeepers 10 convince the farmers that
they could buy heavy clothes Of part wool and
part cotton that would he as durable as and
cheaper than. the all wool homespun. The TINA
spent on the latter counted as nothing and
the argument failed. A few other kinds OF goods
in daily use, such coffee. tea. tobacco rum.
sugar. moIssses and. OF course powder shot and
fnts. were sold Lucifer matches had not vet been
invented and the problem of keeping a fire was In
winter time. a serious one.
With no improved machinery the lot of the agri-
cUlturst especially hard There was no easy
work the farm there Is at the present time
The only plough IN use then made entirely OF
wood. except the point. and was little different
from that used by the ancient Egyptians four
thousand years ago. This plough was tabbed into
the ground here and there between roots stun1ps
and stones and with II a little dirt could be torn
up ard then.