The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-26
FEATHER BEDS DOWN SOUTH.
It's Turning Time Now From Mary.
land to North Carolina.

Now is the time when the people
| living south of Mason and Dixon:
| line from Maryland clean down II
! 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 o.
sacking bottom or spring and a hard
mattress of hair or felt is placed on
top.
Some folks like TO sleep directly on
there are hotels in the region where
the guest is asked in July whether he
will have feathers or not. But most
people turn them.
The feather bed is the Southern
sign of respectability and ancient linz
cage. Every family Of old respectable
ity had half dozen feather beds n
generation ago, end a good many are
still in use. They are handed down
as heirooms, cherished with pride
and care, and in the best families
cleansed and reticked from time to
time summed thoroughly al leasl once
a week and treated as articles of the
highest consideration.
Whenever there is a country vendue
In the belt from Mason aud niNone
line goo miles southwark half the com
munity is on the lookout for a chance
TO buy feather beds cheap They are
regularly sold BY the pound, and even
the oldest, II in good condition, fetch
pretty good prices
Really old fashioned folks still save
their goose feathers 10 make beds of,
though the fetch of the feather bed
is not what il used to he, and the
doctors are against ii as an article oil
unwholesome luxury. Nevertheless.
when Southefners COME North to live
they are apt to fetch along their fea-
Their beds There are old ladies' whb
would sooner leave behind The family
Bible than their feather beds, and this
very night there will he scores OF
SoutheTners in New York sleeping on
feathers
There is no possession that col
orcd family in the South takes great
er pride in than feather bed II
usually comes into the possession ~
such family second hand but some
times ii is the result Of patient Years
given 10 the treasuring of goose fca-
tners.
An old colored woman wh2 came 10
New York from Virginia leaving
husband behind was vastly DISTURBED
when she learned that he was ill., The
family in which she was employed
condoIed with her and tried to cheer
her up, but abandoned the attempt
when the old woman said;
II feared Of he dies dey'll sell my
feather bed"
He did not die, but the old woman
had the bed sent North before he had
a chance TO fall i'll again
The value of the feather bed lies In
the fact that It Is practically indies
tructible and is always an available
asset, If the feathers are properly
cured and the bed is properly cared
for 1t is as good at the end OF a nun
dred years as on the day II was made
There is already somebody south
Of Mason and Bixon's line who is
ready to pay a fair price for a feather
bed and if by any accident Il hrs lost
part of its contents so that it is too
thin to serve its original purpose The
dealers are always ready TO buy II and
make the feathers up into pillows. In
this form the feather bed has new
and long lease of life People the
country over are pillowing their heads
upon feathers that once soothed the
slumbers Of Virginia's first families