The Washington herald., 1907-04-07

One Of the cheapest places on the Amer
lean continent to live is tidewater Mary
I land. This phrase includes all the eastern
shore and the western shore almost 10 the
foothills OF the Blue Ridge It has been
estimated that a negro family Of, say, six
persons. whose provider earns S75 a year
in actual cash. can live in reasonable COM
fort as To shelter. food. and clothing. says
a Maryland writer in the New York Sun.
Such family can rent a cabin and a
garden patch for 81 or So a year. per-
haps for less. and after that the problem
Of food is simple enough. while what re-
mains of the cash. together with the sur
plus Of the garden produce. viii clothe tina
family.
Just at the cabin door the father and
older boys may take out Of the water
most of the food OF the family. The
garden and the pigpen will furnish the
rest, and if Injuries are occasionally de-
manded fowling piece will procure them
at almost any season Of the year. An
unusually severe winter when the inIets
are frozen may subject such 3 family 10
haTdships. but If the head of the house.
is really thrifty he can weather in COM
fort even the worst Of winters Fuel costs
little. Along parts Of the coast a watch
ful family may catch enough driftwOod
during the year to heat the house and
boil the pot all winter long. Tie oppoT-
tunitles Of a really industrious ana in
genious family in these parts are re-
markable. There is always d breakfast 10
be had with hook and line or trap.
Every family can raise chickens. and
there is sure market al the nearest village
store for eggs and fowls. Prices, indeed,
especially for fowls, seem ruinously cheap
to the NOrIheTner. but the cost of prOduc-
ton is low. Part Of the year there ars
rabbits TO be trapped for fresh meat and
for the fur The negro family can cure
its own bacon. and thus make sure OK
enough meat all winter long for ordinary
/ occasions.
Corn Meal and Postum.
Corn meal furnishes bread. You can get
enough corn meal in this country 10 last
family the year through for a small part
Of what a well-to-do urban family pays
! for breakfast foods with tempting names
and extravagant pretensions. Most fam
lies have a supply of hominy also. which
in this country really means cracked corn.
The hominy is cooked many hours. and
D
going all night there Is the pleasant
/ ceremony about bedtime of taking a fine
! large spoonful Of the nearly cooked hom-
my out of the pot in order 10 taste its
quality .sttle butter and salt mingled
with the hominy al this stage makes il
an excellent thing 10 90 10 bed OF
Trap or gun viii yield fresh meat and
peltries 10 the negro family. The muskrat
is the most valuable fur-beariug animal
Z
all the blacks and many Of the whites
| The euphemism marsh rabbit is employ
ed by the whites 10 make the creature seem
more palatable. As a matter OF fact the
flesh Of the muskTat il delicious. and as
the animal is nOtoriously Of clean habits,
there seems no reason why any one should
apologize for eating Il. Muskrat flesh IS
openly sold by the wagon load in Cam
bridge. The 'pOssum and the coon are
trapped for food, and both are prime
delicacies with the colored people, as they
should be with the whites. for the flesh
OF both animals Is delicious when proper
/ ly cooked.
Travel by Water.
The thrifty negro family dwelling on
the shore owns a boat. usually q small
canoe, easily driven with oars, but also
carrying a triangular sail. IN such a
Aoe4l Ai-E BffafCl NdtA II use ali ABOUT MS
inlet and out into the bay If he chooses
to pay a small sum for a license he can
catch oysters from it for the greater part
Of the year The little boat is the one
vehicle of the family. In II man and wife
sail far across their inlet to visit neigh
boring families, and if either is 10 indulge
in the luxury Of a trip 10 Baltimore, the
little boat is used to reach the nearest
steamboat landing, usually within half an
hours sail Sometimes you viii see a
whole negro family with a varied assert
ment Of bundles approaching the steam
boat wharf in one of these little canoes.
the father at The helm, II the craft be
under sail. or perhaps sculling rapidly
with an oar that by some miracle Of deft-
ness is made 60 keep its place on the
sharp stern of the boat.
Spring brings vegetable Injuries TO the
negroes Of thrift and energy. They have
peas. lettuce. radishes, and string beans
weeks before these vegetables are within
the reach of the New York poor. Sweet
potatoes are 50 cheap here in the autumn
that Sl-Or s. at most-Will 20 far toward
obtaining anegro family winters supply.
Buried in sand under the hearth the stora