Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-25
FEATHER BEDS DOWN SOUTH.
It's Turning Time Now From Maryland
to North Carolina.

Now IN the time when the people living
south of Mason and Dixon's line from
Maryland clean down to North Carolina
turn their feather beds. They do not turn
them inside out or even upside down, but
the feather bed is put next the Stats or
sacking bottom or spring and a hard mat
tress of hair or felt is placed on top.
Some folks like to sleep directly on the
feather bed all summer long and there are
hotels in the region where the guest ia
asked in July whether he will have feath-
ers or not. But most people turn them.
The feather bad is the southern sign of
responsibility and ancient lineage. Every
family of old responsibility had half a
dozen feather beds a generation ago, and
q good many are still in use. They are
handed down as heirlooms. cherished with
pride and care, and in the best families
cleansed and reticked from time to time.
summed thoroughly at least once a week
and treated as articles of the highest con-
~s!deration.
Whenever there is a country vendue in
the belt from Mason and Dixon's line 200
miles southwark half the community is
on the lookout for a chance to buy feather
beds cheap. They are regularly sold by
the pound. and even the ofuest if in good
condition, fetch pretty good prices.
Really old fashioned folks still save their
goose feathers to make beds of, though
the fetch of the feather is not what it
bSSo u W. civ tAS dOCloiS L against ! 1
as an article of unwho!esome luxury. New
erthe!ess. when southernsl.s come north 10
live they are apt to fetch along their
feather beds. There are old ladies who
would sooner. leave behind the family bible
than their feather beds, and this we're
night there will be scores of southerners
in New York; s~Ieeping'qn feathers.
There is no possession that a colored.
family in the south takes greater pride in
than a feather bed. 1t usually comes into
the possession of such a family second
hand. but sometimes it is the result of pa
tent years given to the measuring of goose
feathers. 49,. .i
An old colored woman who came to New
York from Virginia leaving q. husband be-
hind was vastly disturbed . when she
learned that he was i'll. The family in
which she was employed condoled with her
and tried 10 aheer.het. up, but. abandoned
the attempt when the old woman said:
Il feared eff he dies -deyil sell" my feath-
er bed
He did not die, but the old woman had
the bed sent north before he had a chance
to fall i'll aga!n.y =, =.
The value Of the feather bed lies in tho
fact that 1t is practically indestructible
and Is always an available. asset. II the
feathers are. property Cured and. the he'd
end OF a hundred years as on the day 1t
was made. -.
There is always somebody South of Ma
son and Dixon's' life !ixhoSfS ready to nav
a fair price forAsa FEATHER bed and If by
any accident it.has' lost part of; Its con-
tents so that It is too thin to. serve its
original purpose.,tie 9ealers are always
ready to buy-it.aAd nf1&e.the. feathers I'M
into pillows. sIn.this foTm-the feather bed
has u new and long lease; ofalife, People
the country over are pillowing their heads
upon feathers that .ortces. .shothed the
slumbers- of Virgina]. best. families.
=. -. 1890. r