Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-09-22
PEOPLE OF THE OZARKS
Their Customs and Mode of
Hospitality Splendidly Told
By John Ely Who Motored
Through Missouri This
Summer.
Phelps, Wis, Sept. 4th.

III Was County a glimpse OF the
home life, manners and customs
of the people living near the foot
hills of the beautiful Ozark coun-
try in Missouri
There is a peculiar sameness in
every thing pertaining to their
everyday life, that has a spice of
monotony in it for any one ac-
customed to our sharp energetic
northern life.
The dwelling houses are all
built III one general plan with
but very little variation, namely
a main or upright part, usually
two stories, containing two
rooms below and one above.
The stairway IS either in one
corner of one of the rooms or
between the two.
One room is usually occupied
as a "settin' room, the other as
a parlor; both invariably
contain a bed-the one in the
parlor is the bed par excellence
and is rendered to the guests of
honor.
The old fashioned pillow sham.
the pieced quilt of red, green,
white and yellow quilted in a
feather stitch, and removed and
piled up in a chair when not in
use, IS an item found in every
house. And as we disrobe and
turn down the coverlet, we sink
out of sight in an old fashioned
twenty-pound feather bed, On
a hot sultry night in Missouri
YOU can easily imagine the rest.
The floors of the "settin' room
and parlor are covered with a
homemade and coIored rag
carpet in which red and green
predominates. The furniture of
both rooms is simple ard mex
pensive, altho comfortable.
Very few pictures or decorations
adorn the rooms which |
greatly fear would fall far
short of coming under any color
scheme or tasteful arrangement
There is usually kitchen built
into the back part of the house
which also answers the purpose
of a diningroom. The cistern is
d universal institution and
wholly indispensable as our
friends of the Ozarks drink the
water that flows over the
shingles of their houses-not so
lad after all when one gets ac-
customed to the thought that
there isn't any other kind Of
water III close proximity.
The kitchen garden is usually
where the thrifty housewife can
have easy access to it, and
contain the best of garden sass"
any where to be found.
Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, vans,
cabbages, cuCumbers, onions,
lettuce, radishes, turnips, peas,
string beans, carrots, beets and
Strawberries are to be found in
every kitchen garden. And they
seem to thrive as if they really
considered it an honor and
pleasure to do so. While calling
on any OF these people we usually
set a spell in the setting room
or parlor, and cbatted and talk
ed right nice" and hardly knew
where the time had sped to so
pleasantly. When the hostess
would get up and excuse herself
saving she would see to the
"gettin of something to eat, ="
in most marvellous short time
we were usually ushered out into
the kitchen where the table
groaned from its overburden of
good things to eat-chiefly
garden sass. "
Icould never quite understand
how the good wife managed to
get So many delectable things to
eat together in SO short a time.
Biscuits (called bread } are
baked for every meal, also corn
bread. Butter Is put on the
table but not eaten by any one,
as every one dips his or her
biscuits and corn bread in pork
grease or gravy of some kind,
The only meats in use are
home prepared ham and bacon.