USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 3 > Part 60
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On the 3d of November, 1869, a new hall for the use of the lodges Nos. 2, 3, 4, 9, and eneampments Nos. 1, 2, of Providenee, was formally dedieated with impressive ceremonies. It is situated at No. 97 Wey- bosset street and was purehased in June, 1869, for $35,000, by Gardner T. Swarts, and by him sold to the bodies. The building stands on leased land, which lease expired July 1, 1900. The lesees deelined to renew the lease, consequently the building was sold at an appraised valuation in accordance with the terms of the lease. These several bodies are now located in comfortable quarters at No. 206 Weybosset street. At the session of the Grand Lodge, held February 5, 1901, it
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FREE MASONRY AND ODD FELLOWSHIP.
was resolved that a special committee of five members be appointed by the Grand Master for the purpose of applying for and obtaining from the Legislature of the State a charter for what shall be known as "The Odd Fellows Building Association". A similar resolution was also adopted by the Grand Encampment at its session held March 6, 1901.
James Wood, the founder of Odd Fellowship in Rhode Island, was an Englishman and a member of the Order in that country. He came to this country in the spring of 1827, settling in Taunton, Mass. Seven years later he removed to this State, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying January 17, 1867, at the age of sixty-five years.
The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows (colored) is represented in both Providence and Newport by Hope Lodge No. 119, Narragan- sett Lodge No. 1,541, Weybosset Lodge No. 1,834, Westminster Lodge No. 2,408, all of Providence ; and Canonchet Lodge No. 2,439 of New- port. The Grand Lodge meets annually in August at 25 North Main street, Providence. Joseph H. Peirce is Deputy Grand Master.
The D. G. Masters Council No. 21 meets every third Friday at 25 North Main street.
The only encampent is Rose of Sharon Encampment No. 1 of Provi- dence, which meets at 98 Weybosset street the third Friday in each month. Robert L. Nickens is the Grand Commander.
Hd. PSmich
NOTE-In addition to the two more prominent secret organizations described in the text, Rhode Island has numerous others, partially or wholly secret in their policy, as well as many of purely fraternal character in which insurance or other benefits accrue to their members. The Knights of Pythias is one of the older and stronger of these organizations in this State, with a Grand Lodge in Providence, which was formed in February, 1871. There are six Councils of the Improved Order of Red Men in Providence, and also the Great Council of Rhode Island, of which Henry S. Archer is the Great Sachem. The Knights of Columbus, with its State Council in Providence, is represented by a number of Councils in other cities and villages. The State Council of the Catholic Knights of America meets in Providence, and the Order has made many subordinate Councils, seven of which are in Providence. The Grand Commandery of the United Order of the Golden Cross was instituted in Provi- dence in 1888. The Grand Lodge of the Knights of Honor meets in Providence under George A. Dary, Grand Dictator. The Foresters of America is very numerously represented in this State, with its Grand Court in Providence.
Early Habits and Customs and Old Landmarks.
CHAPTER VII.
EARLY HABITS AND CUSTOMS.
In colonial days each man, beside his trade or profession, followed the calling of the farmer.
The early settlers in New England were hard working, industrious people : on their labors in the field and in the woods depended the life, comfort and happiness of themselves and their families. Spring, summer, autumn and winter followed each after the other with never failing regularity ; each season had its duties.
With the advent of spring's warm sunshine and budding vegetation the hard work of the year began. Ground must be broken for plant- ing; this could not be delayed. No matter how badly the services of a neighbor miglit be desired for other work, planting must be attended to. All the townsmen were busy in the field. In 1685 Edward Inman of Providence had granted to him a tract of land in "Loquassqussick woodes", but he was unable to have its bounds defined by a surveyor for the reason, as the records state, "it is ye season of ye yeare for planting."
Planting was not the only duty that commanded the attention at this season. Fruit trees had to be grafted, and wlien the new April moon appeared in the sky, with the "horns" up, that was the time to sow wheat and rye. Then there were the fences to be looked after and to be kept up, lest the wandering stock break in and later destroy the results of all their labors.
As the season advanced new duties were made necessary ; haying time came, and a good farmer cut his grass while the morning's dew yet sparkled upon it. New ground which had been cleaned of "rub- bish" must be burned, against another planting time. An old order of the town of Providence regulated the time when the fields in certain sections of the town should be fired; on the plains the second of the first month, and on the neck and other parts the "15th of the said moneth yearly".
While goodman toiled in the fields or in the woods until the horn blew near night-fall, goodwife, after her household duties were looked to, sought in the woods and meadows for the green herbs and other plants ; these were carefully hung from the great beams in the attic, or
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
spread upon boards or on the floor. They filled the house with an aromatic odor, which even to-day can be detected in many old houses, although years have passed since any have been thus gathered and cured. Our ancestors were subject to many of the ills which now afflict us, and no household was without its stock of motherwort, thor- oughwort, elecampane, lungwort, pennyroyal, and many other species of herbs, barks and roots of the meadow and woodland.
In colonial days doctors were not always available when sickness came to the household ; nor was it possible to obtain always the benefit of a personal visit, but in order that the patient might receive the benefit of their professional skill, the sick person would write out in detail the symptoms of his sickness for the consideration of the doctor;
COREY HOUSE, ERECTED 1713, QUIDNISSET, NORTH KINGSTOWN.
In the chimney of this house Lieut. Job Cory was concealed while a British raiding party searched the house during the English occupancy of Rhode Island in the war of the Revolu- tion.
and thus when a person was sick he would write the "discription of the operation of the sickness", which in one case was as follows: "sumtimes I have a strange knawing and fretting in my Stomack; and sids which seems both hot and Cold with a sour riscing in my stomach and also a sour tast in my mouth and oftentimes a trembling at heart and sumtimes my heart becteing very quick and sumtimes makeing of stops and then fetch a leep and sumtimes sumthing riseing up and Coming over me like a fright which makes it scem as if I should die presently and sumtimes my breath going away just as I am going into Sleepe, and also many other strainge fainty feels to tedious for me to relate but one thing more I shall relate; that is I am very much troubled with wind in my Stomach and If I take that which is of a hot nature it is apt to make me faint, and much sweete makes me fainte and sour or tart things fret my stomach"; and the good old doctor
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EARLY HABITS AND CUSTOMS AND OLD LANDMARKS.
carefully reviewed the description and concluded in his mind that his patient was suffering from the dyspepsia, and forthwith returned a recipe which we hope afforded relief to the sufferer.
An old writing yet preserved gives us the name of one of the early medical advisers, Doctor Rodman ; three generations of these Rodmans were physicians, and they were skillful and prominent in Southern Rhode Island.
In this it says, "If Doctor Rodman should send me any thing, I would desire him also to send a note of direction how to use it and how it will operate.
"I would also desire you to ask doctor Rodman whether he hath any such Cordill pills as Beniamen Newbuery did formerly make which said pill was also to cause rest and sleep and if he have such pill and accounts it good for me then I do desire a littel of it with' directions how to use it."
Among the choicest household treasures were little scraps of paper on which were written the directions for making the mixtures for use in the time of sickness. They were compounded without a fine regard for quantities, but they no doubt served their purpose, for we know that our ancestors were hale and hearty and lived in most cases to ripe old age. Rheumatism afflicted them as it does us now, and for this the following was said to have been a remedy :
"A Receit for the Gout or Rumatick Disorder. Take a Pound of Bittersweet Root and a Pound of Saxapiriller Root ye Bark of ye Root of Each and a Pound of Sweetfirn Boughs one Pound of Black Birch Bark Pound them well in a Morter Let it soak all night in Eight Quarts of Water then Boil it away to two Quarts then strain it out put in a Pound of Sugar Just Boil and Skim it then take it off and put in a Quart of West India Run. Take three jills of it in a day (viz) a jill at a time one hour before Eating for Thirty Days."
Another was:
"A Diat drink to be made of Elder bark half a peck of the Green two ounssis of Race Ginger two ounssis of Spanish Ruborb one handful of Elicumpain one handful of horseradish Roots one handful of worm- wood one handful of beech peas one handful of scurvigrass one Peck of Malt one quart of Molasses take half a pint in the morning fasting and Every Night take a Spoon full of Rum with Cloves of Garlick Steeped in it".
There were recipes for the cure of the rickets, sore eyes, jaundice, "'a consumption", and many others. They were the curious combina- tions of roots, barks, herbs and spices, those old fashioned remedies, ancestors of the nostrums now called Indian Remedies.
Here is a "Cure for the Rickets":
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
"Take a handful of hartshorn & a handful of Shepards pouch & a handful of agramony & a handful of Garden Hyssup & a handful of balm & a handful of maiden hair & a hand [ ful] of yellow Solomon seal and make Surup of all these and give the Child three spoons full a day at morning noon & night & let ye Childs blood twiee a week."
There was no finedivision of quantities in preparing these medieines, a "handful" was thought to be near enough without any regard to the size of the hand.
This recipe is called "An Extriordina Medseion for Sore Eyes to elens the ball of the Ey from any Redness or fogeons flesh or any Sueh Like thing and it Rather Strengthens the sight of any Ey to whome it is Rightly applyed.
"Take the Best of old England Saffron Dry it in a plate by the fire then Rob it to powder And in the morning wett your Ey with white Rose water then put in the powder of Saffron in to your Ey and there let it abide until it works out of its one aeeord and at night when you go to bed take a plegget of Clean to Dip it in vinigar then take some of the said ros water put it into a small viall then put to it the white of an Eg then shake it well together then Spred it on the plegget of to and bind it on your Ey and there to abide all night and so doe as often as you pleas."
All sorts of remedies were thus prepared, and even to-day among the New England country folks these same old fashioned medieines made of roots, herbs and barks may be found regularly supplied in the household.
Goodwife also looked after the garden seeds for next year's planting, pieked them when ripe, sorted them over and rolled them up in papers and earefully put them away in drawers for future use.
Paper was a searee artiele about the house in those days, and thus it eame about that the Town Evidenee, the deed which conveyed the title to all the lands ineluded in the city of Providenee and nearly half of the whole State north to the Massachusetts line, was onee used for this purpose, for Howlong Fenner, who was the daughter of William Harris, the opponent of Roger Williams, said in 1708 that Joseph Carpenter told her that his grandmother, who was the wife of William Carpenter, "thought it was a pees of wast paper and Raped up garden seeds in it when she had soed her seeds she threw away the deed as waist paper and he found it and wt lieing out in the wet some of the deed Torn out". Its mutilated condition to-day shows plainly that it has received hard usage and bears out the statement of the base use made of so valuable a document.
In August sueh spare time as eould be taken from the work in the field was devoted to looking over and repairing the sleds for the winter's work of hauling wood for the use of the household, and for earting stone to repair walls.
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EARLY HABITS AND CUSTOMS AND OLD LANDMARKS.
While the apples in the orchard were ripening in the summer sun, the barrels for the "orchard tea" required attention. Early cider was made in September. The barrels used the year before must be rinsed out with warm water and smoked with brimstone before fill- ing.
Our ancestors looked carefully after the cider crops, for when winter came and old Boreas with his icy breath kept them within doors during the long evenings, no more comfortable spot could be found than before the great fire-place, piled high with blazing logs. Here families and neighbors sat in the ruddy fire light and feasted on roasted apples and nuts, drank mugs of mulled cider, cider royal, egg cider, and many other mixtures of which cider could be made the main part.
November brought the husking, when parties of merry boys and girls, and even the older ones of the families, went about from place to place helping one another to husk their corn. Husking parties combined both work and play, and the jolly people went about it, flushed with the anticipation of the red ear, pudding, nuts, cider, and all the good things that formed the "treat" when the work and fun was drawing to a close.
The long winter months now set in; even then there was much about the farm to occupy the time of the farmer; there were no idle minutes in his life. When the winter's snow covered the ground the sleds were hitched up and the field of activity was the wood lot, for the year's wood must be cut and hauled to the dooryard, split and piled up for drying before it was in condition for all uses of the household. To get a load of wood in the summer was a day's job, but in winter it took but a quarter of the time. There was an old saying among the farmers that "there will be no need of bellows if your wood is dry and you build your fire right", which was to say that the year's supply should be piled high in the winter so that the vexation of having to build a fire of green wood might not be encountered.
The people depended upon the resinous pine wood for lighting up the interiors of their houses; this they fashioned into pieces of con- venient shape which they called candles. This means of illumination continued for many years. In 1681 this method was in use, for it was represented to the town of Providence, or, as the records quaintly expressed it : "There is a bruite abroade that some person or persons are Determined to propagate the runing of Tarr from pitchwood; As also of pitchwood to make Coale: The Towne Well weighing ye premises, & Considering ye Great damage which will Accrew in Case such a designe be put in Execution, see Cause the same timely to pre- vent; And doe hereby declare against, and forbid any persons from this day forward to make any Coale of pitchwood, or runn any Tarr from pitchwood, or be a procurer or employer of any so to do, (Except it be to ye quantety of Tenn Gallons for his own proper use, and 36-3
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
he being an Jnhabetant of this Towne, ) and All ye Tarr and Coale soe made shall be fforfit, one halfe thereof unto ye informer, and ye other halfe unto ye Towne Treasurey : The which shall be seized either by a warrant from any one of Majestrates or by order from ye Towne. And that the sayd person or persons who make ye sayd Tarr & Coales. and theire imployers and procureres for Each Defeet, from time to time shall forfitt Each of them ye sum of ffifty shillings and if any person or persons whatsoever shall remoue, desspose of or Conveye away any Tarr or Coales that thereby ye seasure thereof might be obstrueted, or shall be instrumentall to ye propagateing of the same, Each person soe offending, shall from time to time for Each Defect forffitt ye sum of Tenn pounds in mony, which shall be recovered by a due Course of Law; one Third part of which fforffiture shall be to
THE ROWLAND ROBINSON HOUSE, NORTH KINGSTOWN.
Here lived the "Unfortunate Hannah Robinson " whose romantic story is told in Updike's "Narragansett Church." The pile of stones are beneath the window where she sat and watched for her lover.
ye Jnformer, and ye other two parts shall be to ye Towne Treasurey. And this order to stand in force any former Aet or Clawes therein by our towne at any time made to ye Contrarey here of in any wise not withstanding."
This contemplated wholesale destruction of the pine tree wrought the people up to the highest pitch of excitement, for fear that the "Great Benniffitt yt they haue had by there pitehwood for Candell light" would be taken from them. As a further notice to those per- sons who proposed to thus deprive the householders of their means of candle light, it was voted by the town "yt a Coppie of this order about
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EARLY HABITS AND CUSTOMS AND OLD LANDMARKS.
pitchwood be sett up in some publick place of this Towne which was Done".
But there were families within the town that did not use these smoky pitch lights for illuminating purposes. Thomas Walling, in 1674, had "Tallow & Candals". John Smith (miller), in 1682, had "about two pound of tallow Candles". Brass candlesticks belonged to Toleration Harris and William Harris in 1681, while iron candlesticks were used by others.
On stormy days the farmer in his barn, crib or tool house spent his time looking after the farming tools; the broken shovel, handleless hoe, the toothless rake, and the broken plough share all must be mended, for spring would surely follow the winter and the time would soon come when
"Little Robin-Red-Breast The Thrush, Tom Tit and Sparrow Awake the sluggard from his nest And bid him plough and harrow."
With all the duties and demands on the farmer's time, there was now and then relaxation from them all and some recreation was indulged in.
Hunting in the woods was a favorite pastime for the men and older boys; squirrels, foxes, bears and even deer were to be found in the "wild woods", and when they were fortunate enough to find a beaver settlement, as they often did, their amusement was turned to con- siderable profit, for there was a great demand for these furs, and the Indians carried on an extensive traffic in them.
Wolves were hunted for the reward offered for their destruction, and to rid the country of these pests, much encouragement was given to killing them.
Wrestling and shooting at a mark were other pastimes, although in the early colonial days this latter divertisement would have been deprecated as involving too much waste of powder and lead.
To provide pasturage and protection for their cattle early became a subject of consideration to all of the New England settlers. In Providence, in 1649, swine and goats were taxed for common charges. Wolves infested the outlying country and were a source of much annoyance to the cattle as well as to the settlers themselves. Wolf traps were located at different places around the neighborhood; William Arnold had one, so did Thomas Olney the elder, and William Field; that they were contrivances of considerable importance is evidenced from the fact that they were often referred to in deeds as boundary marks.1 In Plymouth these traps were constructed by an order of the town, and on Nov. 4, 1650, it was ordered "that five
1 Early Records of Providence, vol. i, pp. 62, 109.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
trapps or more bee forthwith made by severall companies in severall Naighborhoods in the Townshipp and that Nathaniel Morton give due notice of papers of the names of such as are to joyne together for the end aforesaid that soe they may bee made and tended"; it was also agreed "that such as kill wolves to have an axe or hatchet for every such wolf".1 These measures were adopted mainly for the protection of the cattle. Down in the lowlands grew grapes, barberries, straw- berries, hurtleberries, cranberries, and a berry called by the Indians Sautash, a kind of currant; these latter were said by Williams to be
RUINS OF THE COL. BENJAMIN CHURCH HOMESTEAD, BRISTOL, BUILT IN 1681.
From an old photograph taken in 1859, in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical Society.
as sweet to them, when mixed with their parched meal and made into cakes, as the plum or spice eakes were to the English, and doubtless the settlers aequired a taste for these currants like their red brothers.
The medium of exchange among the settlers was seldom money, but in "Pork at 28s. hundred, wheate at 4s. 6d. Bushell, pease at 3s. 6d. bushell, Butter at six pence pound", and in the same way they paid their taxes.
Sometimes when it became necessary to hire additional help about 1 Plymouth Records, vol. i, p. 31.
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EARLY HABITS AND CUSTOMS AND OLD LANDMARKS.
their farms they resorted to the Indians for assistance, but they kept accurate account of the time thus employed, as the following extract from an old account book will show :
" About the 20 of June 1707 mor work done for me by John Absolom By husking of Corn 00-03-00 00-01-06
and one day and a half of his son
more work by husking of corne
himself 2 days and his squaw 3 days
00-07-04
and margerett one day and his 2 days 00-00-04
Young Absolom 36 days hay making Cumes 01-04-00"
And they kept as accurate accounts of the time lost by reason of a "wet day" or a "veri hot day".
"Thomas Barns began to work the 29th or the 30th of may: lost the 4 of June half a day and the 11 of June and 18th of June Besides one wet day and one veri hot day the 20 of June wet weather most part of the day Lost".
Daniel Neal, writing about 1700 of "The Present State of New England", says that "The first Planters found the Grass in the Vallies above an ell in Height: and consequently pretty rank for want of cutting, but their cattle eat it and thrive very well with it". All around the Providence plantations were broad, free-flowing rivers, the meadow lands were fertile and extensive, as the long list of greater meadows which are found frequently referred to on the records will testify. The rank grass which the early settlers found at first growing so luxuriously on these numerous tracts, soon made way for a finer and more suitable fodder for the cattle of the settlers.
The colonial farmer looked carefully to his stock; wild beasts invested the wildwoods and the cattle were in most cases housed at night. Bells were attached to the cows in early times as they are now, so that their wandering might be traced, and the task of watching and driving them was assigned to the children. But with all the care that. was bestowed they frequently wandered away from their owner and mingled with other herds, or were found straying along the road or roaming the woods and meadows.
Around the Indian villages were numerous dogs; these noisome, vicious creatures had become so great a nuisance to the settler on account of their worrying the cattle that, in 1667, the town ordered that
"Vallentine Whittman [who was an Indian interpreter] and Thomas Clemence shall goe into the Indian dwelling at pomecansett, And unto other Jndians living neare this Towne; And warne them to Take som Course with their Dogges to keep them from ffalling upon the Jnglish Cattell or Else they must Expect to have their Dogges Killed".
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This unique and diplomatic communication was doubtless taken notice of and the Indian spared the penalty of having their "Dogges" killed.
Every owner of cattle had a mark by which the latter might be identified when found straying at large or causing mischief in un- fenced corn fields. These brand marks were required to be recorded or registered on the books of the town. While no particular book was used for this purpose, they may be found scattered here and there among the faded pages of the record books of many towns, recorded thus :
"Joseph Mawrey his Brand marke for horses is I M on the neere Buttock, His Eare marke for Cattle is, a Cropp off of, the topp of ye Right Eare, & a halfe penney under it behind the Eare".
"The Eare marke which John Browne giveth his Cattle, is in Each Eare a hole".
"The Eare marke which Henry Mawrey gives his Cattle, is a Cropp off from the Topp of the left Eare & a halfe peney Cut out of the hinder part of the same Eare".
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