USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Antrim > History of the town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement to June 27, 1877, with a brief genealogical record of all the Antrim families > Part 31
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If a man wanted a plow, he must get a carpenter to make the wood-work, and a blacksmith to put on the iron. Of course, some of these were very uncouth, unhandy things. The handles were bungling, and low, and long. A heavy beam about seven feet long, a wooden frame, and a " wooden mold-board," com- pleted the " wood-work." Then the blacksmith made the "point" and the "share " and the " wing," these together going by the name of the "plow-irons." When these became dull, they were taken to the blacksmith to be " sharpened." I have carried these rude, clumsy irons to be sharpened many a time. Over the wooden mold-board they used to nail bits of sheet-iron, or tin, to keep it from wearing out.
So, also, if any one wanted clothing of any kind, it must be home-made. There was no such thing as a " furnishing store"; and "ready-made clothing" had not entered a merchant's dream. It required considerable time to get up a suit of clothes. Tailors went from house to house, and did up the cutting and sewing of . the family, once in about two years ; that is, such cutting and sewing as the common housewife could not do. Female apparel was chiefly made by the wearers. The first " dress-maker " in Antrim began business at comparatively a modern date. Now, any person can go to the store and fit out, from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, in fifteen minutes, to the latest fashion !
Every artisan had a certain hardship and inconvenience in his work then. The weaver, the fuller, the tanner, - each had the clumsiest machinery, and had to do a vast amount of hard work. " Labor-saving machinery " was hardly known. Blacksmiths used to do what they do now ; but also made scythes, axes, hoes,
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SNOW-SHOES.
and nails. Every bolt was made by hand, and every nail came from the anvil. Blacksmiths, eighty years ago, used to go from farm to farm and shoe oxen where wanted. They would catch the ox, lead him into the barn, throw him down on some straw, turn him onto his back, cross his legs and tie them ; and then and there the shoes were put on. The " ox-swing " is of recent date.
The hardship of travel on snow-shoes must not be unnoticed. It has been said that one accustomed to them could travel easily in this way ; but surely without reason. They were hard to manage, weighed several pounds each, and dragged some snow with them. A man could thus walk on the softest snow, but it was exceedingly tiresome. The writer has tried it enough to know. Yet, in'deep, soft snow, they could go with them where it would be impossible to go without them at all. These shoes were invented by the Indians, were in common use when Amer- ica was discovered, and are manufactured and used and sold by the Indians to this day. By means of them the savages secured their winter stock of meat, it being their custom to hunt the deer and moose when the snows were very deep. The animals, with small feet and great weight, would sink to the bottom at every step, while the hunter skimming along the surface would soon worry them down and easily dispatch them by hand.
The accompanying picture is given lest the children of the next generation forget what a snow-shoe was. The outside piece of tough maple or ash, nearly an inch in diameter, was bent into the shape it bears in the picture, and the ends riveted together. Two cross- pieces, as appears, were put in ; and from these and the rim a stout net-work of leather straps was fixed. Those made by the Indians had strips of green hide instead of leather. In wearing them, the toe of the foot was slipped under a loop on the front cross-piece, so as to have the weight come there. Gen- erally, the foot was not tied ; and therefore it SNOW-SHOE. could be slipped out any time, and the shoes taken under the arm. Snow-shoes were from two to four feet in length, and generally about a foot wide. The more ancient ones had the heel-end weighted so as to trail in the snow, only the
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PRIMITIVE FARMING-TOOLS.
forward end being lifted when the man stepped. The smaller ones were used by women and boys. In walking with them it was necessary to swing out the foot as a boy does skating ; and this process, though very laborious, aided in making progress, somewhat as with the skater. Every family was supplied with one or two pairs of snow-shoes. Physicians used them, travel- ing where no horse could go. Dr. Cleaves got his death by a walk of eight or ten miles on snow-shoes to see a patient. Women would put them on, and start out across the pathless snows half a mile to a sick neighbor's. Soldiers marching against the Indians were always provided with snow-shoes. Companies were sometimes detained till these shoes could be made. With these heavy things upon their feet, their knap- sacks stuffed with provisions on their backs, and gun in hand, our fathers made campaigns of a week or ten days' duration, far into the trackless forests of northern New Hampshire and Maine.
I have already referred to the trouble and hardship of our fathers on account of cumbrous carts and plows, or the entire lack of them. I have heard my grandparents say, that, in the absence of plow or team, they would dig up the ground by hand for planting ; and that, in the absence of a cart, they would carry manure from the barn to the field in a rude hod on the shoul- der. Many did their farming this way for years. Pitchforks were heavy, bungling things made of iron by ordinary black- smiths. Scythe-snaths were simply straight sticks, or some nat- ural bend picked up in the woods. Hoes were made by black- smiths out of iron, were sometimes edged with steel, and had an " eye " at the top, into which a stout handle was inserted and wedged. When a boy I had an old cast-off hoe of this kind to play with, - a heavy and awkward thing which it must have taken much strength and patience to use. All their shoveling was done with wooden shovels. Probably no steel or iron shovel was seen in Antrim before 1808, and few for many years after that. My father used to get out timber for wooden shovels on his farm, as there was much timber there of the kind needed. These were split out of the old-growth red oak, about fourteen inches wide, two inches thick, and three and one-half feet long. Out of this piece, at one end, the shovel was " hollowed," part was left the whole length for a handle, and then the end of the blade was " shod " as they called it, -i. e., edged with steel. These " shod-shovels," being shod over and over when needed,
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BRICK-MAKING.
lasted a great many years. The writer formerly owned a very fine specimen which had been handed down from the past. It was excellent for some work ; but how it could be used for most purposes I never could see. It must have taken the strength of a giant to make headway with it in a manure-heap, or in a bank of earth. James Hopkins, Esq., used to make these shovels, chiefly for his own use. He used also to manufacture a nar- rower wooden shovel, perfectly straight, which was lighter, and much better for some purposes.
I must not omit to mention the laborious manner of making bricks. This manufacture was carried on to some extent for a long series of years on the Hopkins place (now Arthur Miller's), by James Hopkins, Clark Hopkins, Lyman Dow, and others. No machine for grinding clay was used here before 1840. Previous to that, the clay was spread about a foot thick on a " bed " and ground by the treading of oxen. This " bed " was on a hard spot, or on plank, was from twelve to fifteen feet in diameter, was circu- lar in form, surrounded by a railing ; and into this they put four oxen, yoked with chains, standing close, and a small boy on the outside kept them going round and round, till the clay was thor- oughly ground by their feet. This was a slow and weary job for both boy and team. The " core," or small part in the center which would not be trodden, had to be " turned out," and the rim outside the oxen's feet to be " turned in "; and then the process repeated to complete the bed. Then this was removed and another bed prepared. Sometimes several were going on at the same time. In this way excellent brick were made. Mr. Hopkins tried other ways, but only to return to the old plan, as turning out the best brick. The brick for the Center church, made on the Hopkins farm, were all made in this way, and were of the best, and cost only two dollars and a half per thousand. The wonder is, how they could be made in such a hard way for that sum. There was a time when brick houses were fashionable, and large quan- tities were made here for this purpose, many being carried into adjoining towns. The large chimneys of those days swallowed up many bricks. Nowadays, with wooden houses and small chimneys, there is small demand. But there is clay enough on the Miller farm to build a city.
Other things I cannot mention here without repeating myself too much, or writing too much at length. But, on the whole, the
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INCONVENIENCES AND HARDSHIPS.
annoyances, inconveniences, drawbacks, and hardships of our early settlers, were almost incredible. They had to do things at disadvantage, and laid out a great deal of what was called " main strength." The labor, downright, tough labor, was enor- mous. They were trained in the school of hardship and trial ; and they were not disheartened by any obstacles.
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SCOTCH-IRISH CHARACTER.
CHAPTER XVI.
SCOTCH-IRISH CHARACTER AND INFLUENCE.
IT is just to say something more than may be found in the pre- ceding pages, concerning the Scotch-Irish character and the influence of that race in this country. They were a peculiar people, and truly remarkable and original. They had personal and national traits that separated them from their English neigh- bors for generations ; and even to-day these marks of character appear, after a mingling-together of a hundred and sixty years. The American people have become so used to the admixture of foreign elements as not to notice peculiarities that are not con- spicuous or offensive ; but the student of character can trace them still. When the Londonderry settlers came, they were so different from the English in customs and language as to arouse the enmity of the latter. Coming from Ireland and having a religion different from that prevailing in New England, they were supposed to be Papists, and bitter prejudices were aroused against them. Efforts were made to prevent their getting land ; they were freely spoken against ; little inroads were frequently made upon them ; and there was even talk of expelling them by vio- lence, as was actually the case with the Scotch-Irish colony that settled in Worcester, Mass., about 1740. It took several gener- ations to wipe out these prejudices entirely ; but it was soon so well understood that the Scotch-Irish were Protestants, and a worthy, brave people, that they were unmolested, and even looked upon with favor by many.
They were not Irish. Not a drop of Irish blood was in them. Their fathers, coming from Argyle and Ayr in Scotland, had dwelt in the north of Ireland : but in language, habits, tastes, education, religion, history, capacity, manner of life, and general appearance, they were always distinct from the Irish; and so distinct, as history shows, that a stranger traveling in Ireland could pick out the Scotch communities with his eye. They prided themselves in being unlike the Irish. To call one of them a " Paddy," was to make sure of being knocked down before the words were fairly out! A hatred of Papacy, disgust with Irish unthrift and ignorance, and bitter memories of Irish mur-
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THEIR INDIVIDUALITY.
ders handed down from parent to child, - all united to make them sensitive when the name was applied to them. So great was their feeling on this point, that their minister, Rev. James McGregor, took up the matter, and stoutly protested to Gov. Shute against being " termed Irish people." That part who wintered in the harbor of Portland were termed " poor Irish people," in a petition for provisions sent in their behalf to the legislature of Massachusetts, - very much to their mortification and disgust. Some of their manufactures were called "Irish linens." The petition for incorporation, 1719, was indorsed, " In behalf of a company of Irish at Nutfield." But these offensive designations wore away.
There were several colonies of the Scotch-Irish, coming at different times. These settled in various parts of the country, and their descendants in every place have been conspicuous in virtues and abilities. But probably no other, out of the many Scotch-Irish settlements in this country, has been so noteworthy and influential as that of Londonderry. Probably not less than twenty towns have been organized almost entirely by their de- scendants, in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, Nova Scotia, and our Western States, besides their taking a leading place in the organization of scores of others. They have gone everywhere and vastly increased in numbers and influence. Dr. Whiton estimated the descendants of the Londonderry set- tlers at fifty thousand in 1852; others, at that time and before, carrying the number much higher. I think it not possible that the number can be now (1879) less than one hundred thousand ; and the proportion of influence in the country is very much greater still.
Among the characteristics of this people, I place first their strong, manly individuality. They had opinions and convictions of their own, and they had a way of holding them which was their own. They took nothing second-hand. They were decided, earnest, high-spirited, independent, and set in their way, and not ashamed to declare just what they believed and meant to do. They never kept you in the dark as to their political or religious convictions. There was a certain bold, cordial, honest open- heartedness about them which was attractive, though rough some- times in its forms and methods. The Scotchman must choose for himself. He never followed a leader blindly. He couldn't be controlled by a priest. Against being used and managed like
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THEIR INTENSE RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS.
the Irish clans, as a driven flock, there stood out always the bold, decided, thinking man ! The individual rights must be observed. In a regiment of a thousand Scotchmen, there were just one thousand men set on thinking, knowing, and judging for them- selves, and about as independent a set of fellows as human history presents. The brave, ready, skillful, yet unmanageable Gen. John Stark was a characteristic Scotchman. A recent wri- ter, touching upon the personal, self-asserting character of this stock of men, the strong force and opinion of each man wherever found, speaks of " that rare old Scotch-Irish stock, which has for the last two hundred years given us so many of those honest, earnest men, remarkable for their moral and physical strength, as well as for their correct and decided views, as portrayed in political and religious history, -men grave and majestic in their simplicity, always in advance of the times, acknowledged lead- ers, molding and fashioning the social and political tendencies of the people with whom they were associated."
I have already spoken of their religious traits. Independent as you please, nevertheless they were humble and devout wor- shipers of God. They were very tolerant toward all that was not a sham in others' religion, but for themselves they were stiff Presbyterians ; and they were such knowing just what Presby- terianism was. There was none of the modern sectarianism without an intelligent understanding of what or why. The Scotch , settler of Antrim was ready to give any man a reason of the hope that was in him ; nor did he always wait to be asked either. The whole theology was put into the mind of the child. They had a knowledge of Scripture, and an acquaintance with church history, which would astonish Sunday-school scholars of the present day. They made the Bible a subject of thought and study at home. They were deeply acquainted with it. They could prove Scripture by Scripture, and quote at marvelous length. Their religion was of the simple, unceremonious kind, and their worship was reverential and solemn. And their piety, being founded on principle, appeared in their lives and under- takings.
For example, they were religiously honest. Having received the " benefits of government " from the officials of New Hamp- shire, they thought of the Indians as the original and rightful owners of the soil, and sent at once their minister, Rev. Mr. McGregor, with an associate, to procure a right under the deed
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THEIR HONESTY AND GENEROSITY.
given by the Indian chiefs. They wanted an honest claim to the soil. The same is illustrated in Aiken's keeping the note run- ning to Smith to remind himself that he owed him, and then, on payment, delivering up the note to the said Smith to remind him that it was paid ! Instances are exceedingly rare of trickery or over-reaching among the Scotch-Irish for a hundred years, and, as a rule, ever since. They despised everything that was insin- cere or crooked, in business or religion. Close, economical, saving, still they would have dropped dishonest gold like fire. They abhorred the silver of Gehazi, and they did it in such a hearty, decided way as to have a meaning, and render roguery unpleasant and unsafe. When English appropriated a little of the town's money in 1782, he thought it prudent to locate some- where else for the rest of his days.
The generosity of these Scotch-Irish settlers was another out- flow from their religion. Though poor themselves, they were always ready to share with others. Aiken's little cabin could always accommodate the wanderer that knocked at the door. The sick and the aged were cared for by somebody. They were hearty givers in case of real need. At whatever personal sacri- fice, the Scotch-Irish were always on the liberal, noble side. They were also a truly hospitable people. Mr. Whiton says " their hospitality was unbounded, being freely tendered both to friend and stranger, and as readily accepted." It was customary " to have the latcli-string out." Rarely was a door fastened. Some families were almost kept poor by the free entertainment of everybody that came along. The tramp was welcome. A warm fire, a mug of cider, a share of the family meal, and a pil- low at night, were most cordially given to any and all. I have been told of families that always had more or less of such guests the year round, and of many a tired housewife's saying she " guessed they would be eaten up."
There was also a certain open-heartedness about them that seemed to be almost an item of religion. Management and diplomacy they hated. Secret enmity they could not endure. Plain, outspoken, square, and honest, they had but little charity for private scandal and abuse behind one's back. The injurer was always first to hear of the injury. If one felt hurt by his neighbor, he went right over to him, with his head up, and with a defiant air, and demanded an explanation in a loud voice and on the spot. Sometimes the parties would come to blows. But
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THEIR FRANKNESS AND HEROISM.
the matter was searched to the bottom, and cleared up and set- tled up, and stayed settled up. Thus they squared accounts as they went along. The tornado cleared the sky, and it was fair weather afterwards. Hence, they were nearly free from long- continued feuds and neighborhood spites. If they were noisy and angry, it was quick over. The roughness was outside. In very heart, they scorned deception. One knew where to find them. They spoke out what they thought. And in daily inter- course there was a certain noble candor about them, fairness, freedom from equivocation, a spirit so frank and true, as to make them agreeable and winsome as a people.
From the same deep principle also came a certain unceremo- nious politeness which characterized our ancestors. They were in no sense a Frenchy, obeisant, fawning, flattering people. They put on no airs. They had no artificial refinements. They never made good clothes do the business for them. Etiquette might lift up her little empty head and say they were rude and unmannered. But in fact the principles of all true politeness were in them. They had kind and gentle and honest and manly feelings, without which the forms of politeness are but a mockery. They had the courtesy of goodness and love. If there was little that was oily and showy in their manners, there was nothing that was hollow and unreal. A hearty greeting, with them, meant just what it seemed to mean.
The Scotch-Irish have been called quick-tempered, and even hard-tempered. This is true. But it is not true that they were conspicuously such in comparison with either English or Irish, or any other race. I have never found any class of people greatly deficient in temper. Our Scotch fathers and mothers were thoroughly endowed in this respect. Their anger was quick and violent, but soon over. They resented an insult instantly, and on the spot, and in the boldest way, and with tre- mendous force. But they had no sullen, meditating malice. They were not cruel and revengeful. Their very anger was face to face, open, and honorable.
Another trait of our fathers was an exalted heroism. They seemed to be fearless of danger. Away back in Scotland and Ireland they battled against fearful odds. They were trained by centuries of peril and trial. When every man in Antrim (save one who afterwards served four years) marched towards Lex- ington at the sound of war, they showed a certain loftiness of
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SCOTCH ACCENT.
courage and self-sacrifice worthy of their sires. And when the women determined to remain here in the few weak, scattered cabins in the wilderness, in want, and among wild beasts. they showed the same mighty spirit with the mothers that helped defend old Londonderry to the death! The courage of victory was in every born child of them. Their feats of bravery are too many to be put in a volume like this. And I can only add here, that they were heroes in private life as well as against the foe. There was a brave, fearless, undaunted way with them. They pressed on with an intrepid spirit in all their work and business and discouragement. In sickness and sorrow they wept sore, but they held up their heads like men. The fields of Antrim, the miles of stone wall, are everywhere a witness of brave hearts that once throbbed here. Theirs was the courage of battle, and the courage of suffering, and the courage of toil.
The Scotch accent may be mentioned here as something very pleasing to the ear, and not yet entirely softened away. It was called the " brogue." They retained many words purely Scotch, and their broad, strong pronunciation of the English gave a grace and keenness to its use. I have found a few aged peo- ple retaining the brogue very strongly. When Dr. Morrison preached before the New Hampshire legislature, that body had a resolution introduced to print so many copies of the discourse ; and a certain member, rising to compliment the same, moved to increase the number of copies, " provided they would print the brogue." This peculiarity of speech distinguished the Scotch here for generations. It was not the Irish brogue, though hav- ing some resemblances to it. In some Scotch-Irish families, it still remains, especially in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylva- nia. In New England it has chiefly disappeared, not, however, without influencing the pronunciation of many words.
The Scotch-Irish were noted for great simplicity of life. They were a proud race, high-spirited, having good opinions of them- selves, and enjoying office and leadership; but they had no ostentation in their style of living. Their pride took a different turn. Probably no highly intelligent and enlightened people can be named whose daily habits were so simple and humble. Even the wealthiest were not accustomed to have servants, nor to give up work. You could not tell the richest among them from the poorest among them by anything ordinarily discoverable in their dress or bearing. Jewels and silks were rare. No elegant fur-
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THEIR FIRMNESS AND WIT.
niture could be found. Every house looked humble. In every kitchen the furniture was about the same. The old-fashioned " dresser " stood in every one, displaying the same stock of pewter plates and wooden spoons. No housewife was jaded out by getting up elaborate dishes, or scrubbing parlors and best chambers. Guests received most relishable food, and looked upon table linen faultlessly white; but no display, no great things, no rivaling of any neighbor.
Another Scotch-Irish trait has held its own for centuries ; namely, that of being extremely set in everything. Our fathers wanted light on every subject, and informed themselves, and ยท made up their minds ; but after that, it was commonly about as easy to move one of these hills of Antrim as to stir one of these old yeomen out; of his opinion. They meant to be right and they meant to stick to it. They had ways of their own. They loved opinions. They had a mortal hatred of giving-up. They came to their convictions logically and fairly, and then their will was always a part of their conviction. And this " setness " en- tered into their politics and religion, and into their ways of doing things. Their tenacity of purpose was remarkable, and gener- ally agreeable because generally right. They were constitu- tionally fitted to accept the doctrine of the " perseverance of the saints." Their unyielding purpose was of the kind to win suc- cess in the world ; and hence, in the forest, in the face of poverty and wild beasts, on the battle's front, in public debate, - in every place of peril or trial, the Scotchman lias made his mark.
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