The Washington herald., 1907-12-29

Editor The Washington Herald:
The person whose memory goes back,
10, these seventy years, has known most
the material history OF our land if not
the world.
When hard cider figured in the Presi-
Dental elections and coons We're fastened
on the tall hickory poles that graced the
center Of the wagons. with al the horses
N the neighborhood hitehed before them.
filed with hooting, bowling men eager
for a fracas or fight When the
scholars sat upon the fat side Of a slab
with pegs stuck in holes. older ones did
a little better higher up before two long
boards against the wall for a desk in log
or mud hUts for schoolhouses. When
every town had its cannon-house perched
on its highest hill for protection. and
kept its military organization. with a
general training every year in the largest
central tOwn-generals. colonelS, majors.
captains. dashingly uniformed and mount
ed. made quite a formidable display and
called many visitors 10 the gathering.
The day Of stage coaches from New
York City 70 Buffalo daily. assembling
II
and drinks all around. the driver that
could withstand the temptation became
an excellent citizen when going into other
walks Of life. Many such were encoun-
tered a few years ago.
An article in last Sundays issue called
vividIy 10 mind ride Of ten miles when
quite young 10 the adjoining county 10
Seneca. y. Y. to see the pigeon traps
this being the year Of the greatest
flight known. Former years yielded a
gOodly number and made fair sport
but now they were flying over daily in
focks that actually made darkness last
ing many minutes. and we were eager for
the trip. Several boys Of myRage were
taken in. and old Major soon covered
the ground. Arriving AZ the home Of our
friend. we were cautioned to keep still
and sneak along the fences and In the
woods to the traps. and into the cabin
covered with brush, to hide from the
birds all appearance Of life.
A short distance from the blind was
stretched a net about by 100 feet, ar
ranged with poAs and springs, with a
stool pigeon about midway upon a trap
worked from the blind the eyes Of the
bird having been sewcd shut and wheat
strewn over the space that the trap COW
cred. All thus ready, we had only TO
wait the sight Of an approaching flock
They were soon sighted, the stool pigeon
was raised by the proper cord and allow
ed TO drop to the ground. flutteriEg its
wings up again and again until it had at
tracted the attention of the birds, and
down they came with a swOop. Soon the
wheat-covered space was q mass of strUg-
Cling birds, and the trap was sprung.
Strings of birds were soon on the way
to market, corn cribs and all spare rooms
were filed with live birds; we We're
sent home loaded. over 5.O00 We're caught
that day. Going to evening meeting sew
eral days after, we saw a flight OF birds so
many and so low that canes and brooms
brought many 20 the ground and filed
many a pot brimful of delicious pigeon
pie. 1t was never seen after that year.
Horse railroads came along. soon fol-
lowed by steam. connecting with small
stea ners on the lakes, extending and de-
veioping as the capital could be induced
to take hold and help. How many roads
would have been built but for the combi-
nation of men and their capital? Then,
why this cry of trusts? Only the growth
of the country, and its business is the
difference.
Horse railroads, fat bars of iron, soft at
that. laid lengthwise on timbers laid like
wise, and the horse travelling between
them. Too much weight caused the end
of the rail- TO loosen and run up into the
car. often impaling the passengers. They
took the name Of "nigger head" I re-
member a great celebration at the open
ing of the steam road between Ithaca and
Owego, the largest gathering that had
ever taken place in Middle New York
Steamboats,, canal boats. and the Erie
Canal came crowding along growing and
developing as the needs of the country
demanded.
Steel pens and envelopes were not
known when we came upon the carpet
The teacher of the school was the quill
pen maker for the community. Envelopes
that first began to come from the cities
We're soaked apart and used as patterns.
and the lucky cnes made their own. Iron
plows and stoves began to make their ap-
pearance. Hatters became trappers and