USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 68
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At that period, the farmer, if he wanted a plow, would carry a triangular bar of iron to a blacksmith, of which to make a share. while he
In those days men wore cloth made in their own families, from materials raised on their own, farms, and leggings were worn instead of boots.
In those days men raised flax, prepared it for the hatchel, and often in evening or stormy days hatcheled it.
In those days all made it a point to attend church with their families, every Sabbath, in some manner, preaching or no preaching.
In those days (must I say it ?) men drank rum, brandy, whiskey, cider, punch, sling, egg-nog, toddy ; must have it at raisings, haying, harvest- ing, as a daily beverage, to treat friends, at so- cial parties, in cold weather and warm, in wet and dry, on all occasions, whether in sickness or in health, prosperity or adversity.
In those days women manufactured the cloth with which they and their families were cloth- ed; knit the stockings for themselves, their hus- bands and sons, as well as the leggings for the latter, as boots were not known for bors; did their own housework and made up the clothing for their families.
The young women understood how to spin and weave wool, flax and tow. Every young lady who could procure it by her own labor, had one calico dress. A few years since, a matron lady was living in town, who when young work- ed at spinning and weaving for 50 cents a week, to enable her to purchase a calico dress at a dol- lar a yard. Thus it took the labor of two weeks to pay for one yard; and as 6 yards constituted a pattern, it required 12 weeks' work to pay for her dress, besides the making and trimming. When at length she had paid for it she knew its value, and of course took care of it.
Then women and girls knew how to, and act- ually did milk cows, feed pigs and poultry, make butter and cheese, carry wood and water. and sweep house with a broom made by their fathers or brothers, from ash or birch sticks, nor did they consider themselves degraded by it.
The boys of that period could chop down trees, clear land, split rails, make fence, reap, mow, thrash, get out flax, and if a book fell into their hands, it was carefully studied. Their progress in arithmetic was not measured by the number of pages run over, but by the amount of practi-
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cal knowledge acquired. They were not over- gorged with books, and of the few to which they did have access, the contents were thoroughly digested. I have known and now know men whose early opportunities for education were very limited, yet who are able to teach young men who have had all the advantages of modern instruction. The former had to acquire their learning by their own efforts, and they retain it yet in their age.
After postoffices began to be established, and letters carried in the mail. the postage of a sin- gle letter, any distance less than 300 miles was 10 cents-over that distance 25 cents; and if it consisted of two pieces, ever so small, double those rates.
The writer knew an aged lady who was sub- jected to the necessity of paying 50 cents for a single half sheet, with a little scrap of calico, just to show the figure of a new dress her daughter in-law had lately bought, and the main letter was on the subject of the dress. Her 50 cent piece would almost balance the whole. She felt herself injured, and would nev- er have taken the letter from the office, if she could have got at its contents without spar- ing her hard earned half dollar-and so with hundreds of others ; and many had to lie in the office-were refused. and treated as dead letters.
Formerly it was the custom for merchants, physicians, &c., to deal almost wholly upon trust, and not much matter who they trusted. Their maxim was-trust all, and charge the more, so that those who pay will make good those who do not. But this, with their extrav- agant way of living, occasioned many to fail, and drove them to the necessity of clearing out, or of taking the poor debtor's oath, and thus increasing the population of the county seat. There was much suing in those days and much cost made in trying to collect bad debts. At- torneys, justices and constables made it profita- ble ; for, if there was nothing to be obtained of the debtor, it could be collected of the cred- itor. The debtor might go to jail and lie there 40 days and then swear that he was not worth five dollars more than what the law allowed to each family-which was their shelter, comfort- able furniture and provisions for the family, one cow, one hog and 10 sheep. And it was said by some, that if the debtor was not possessed of those articles, the creditor must make them good : but this part of the subject was rarely, if ever, enforced. This paid the debt for the present. There was much going to jail, much ill blood among neighbors, and those who ought
to have been friends; much notifying of cred- itors (in the Herald) of the intention of debtora, and much swearing : and often the cost would amount to more than the debt, besides the loss of the time of 40 days which might have been employed in the payment of the debt, and per- haps earning something more.
They commonly (if they could get bail) got " the liberty of the yard," which was without limits at the east. They were not inclined to go that way, but remained mostly in idleness in the village ; and some took up their residence there with their families, and became promin- ent characters in the place. This was the "city of refuge." So long as they remained there they could not be molested in person or property ; and it has been said that those secured debtors constituted a large part of the population of the village of Rutland in those days-and it is thought by some, that Rutland must have been quite populous. The debtor might remain there as long as he pleased, without taking the poor man's oath in perfect security ; but he must re- main in this place of refuge, or he might be taken by the hawk.
Many of the early customs of this country, which have become obsolete, might have well been retained. It is well, however. that most of them have passed away; and it is to be hoped that they will never return again in any community. But it is well that the rising gen- erations be reminded of the manners and ways of their ancestors, that they may avoid their mistakes, and imitate only their virtues.
HARD TIMES.
I am a farmer. and have for 60 years depend- ed on farming for a living, and have always cal- culated on something of the different products of a farm to spare, and sell it for what it would fetch, trying to be satisfied, and make the best use of it I could, without whining. I never found it of any use to spend my time in com- plaining. But rather to be the more diligent and strive the harder, and economise the more ; making retrenchments in needless thing , and use my time and what I had with more prudence.
As to the sales of property, since I have been a farmer: Ist. Of horses I have raised and sold many, and the highest that I ever sold one for was $ 70. 2nd. Of oxen the highest was $ 75 a pair, and I have raised and sold many. I have sold cows for $ 10, in the fall, 12 and 14 was do- ing well. I once sold 5 good cows in April for $ 90. $ 10, for two-year olds was doing well ; I have sold for less. I have sold good wheat for 62 1-2c. per bushel; Rye at 42 1-2c. carriod to
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Whitehall 20 miles. In the winter of 1827-'28, I sold 100 bushels of good corn for $ 45, carried 8 miles. . Oats at 20c., carried 8 miles. I have sold good butter at &c, cheese at 6c, carried 8 miles, etc., etc.
I have paid $ 2.50 for a bushel of salt, 50 cents per yd. for calico, 22 cts. pr. lb. for shingle nails, and 17 cts. for nails of larger size.
Those times were called hard, and all times are complained of by uneasy, extravagant persons After reading the foregoing, and comparing with the present times, I would ask my brother farmers, if they are not confounded, and perfectly ashamed of their ingratitude in complaining and whining about hard times ?
Will you not make up your minds to say that we now live in the best times that we can have for our country ? Medium times are always the best, surest and most reliable to venture business upon, and ought to be very satisfactory to all.
Brother farmers in Vermont, I congratulate you on the present good times, and hope that you will make up your minds to be satisfied with, and thankful for, such good times as we have, and try to enjoy them contentedly, and make the best use of them to do good to the needy, and never more complain of hard times. They may be harder for all branches of business before they are softer.
THE BIRDS-WHERE ARE THEY ?
I have been an inhabitant of Rutland county for a period of more than 70 years, and have not only been an observer of human bipeds, but also of the feathered tribe. I am no ornitholo- gist, and make no pretentions to being an Au- dubon or a Wilson ; yet I have been an observ- ant of, and contemplated the change which has taken place among the inhabitants of our forests, as well as of other things.
When the country was new, our fields and forests were made vocal, and rendered pleasant and animated by the presence of the feathered songsters, and the ear was gratified by a thous- and melodious trills and solos, which on every fair day made the woods an orchestra, whose music was more elevating than the tones of the piano, or even those of the organ. It was na- ture's melody. A person in those days, even when alone in the woods, could not be lone- some. Besides the music of the birds, the beau- ty of their plumage was a feast to the eye, and rendered the forests as beautiful as their songs had made it melodious. Their gaiety never left them, and their activity was a continual rebuke to the indolent.
But now where are they ? The robins, once very numerous, and to be seen at almost any hour of the day, skipping over the ground along the fence and about the house, fearless and glee- some. deligliting in human society, and ever manifesting a desire to please the ear with its music, is now rarely seen, and never heard to sing as in old times.
The thrush, although not social like the robin, nor as numerous, was then esteemed as one of the most melodious songsters of our forests- was a natural singer-could sing any tune on any key, and imitate almost any kind of a sound. She would perch on some higli eleva- tion, and there pour out her most delightful music in great variety, for hours, sometimes, to the annoyance of other birds, whose notes she would imitate exactly. When driven from her high station, she would immediately take anoth- er, and continue her music. Now she has left us entirely.
The golden robin was a very social, active bird, though somewhat noisy. Her notes were not so harmonious as those of the thrush, but still they were not disagreeable. She was sprightly in her motions, and gloried in a beau- tiful plumage. She usually built in the vicinity of human habitations, in some high, solitary tree, and was visible at any time of the day. For many years the golden robin has been sel- dom seen.
The cat-bird, though not beautiful in plum- age, nor pleasant in her every day chat, was delightfully pleasant in her set tunes, and for variety of notes was surpassed only by the thrush. Her nest was built in some thick, low bush near a human dwelling. But she, too. is now rarely seen, and seems to have somewhat lost her old powers of singing.
The house wren : Oh! that pretty little so- cial companion, that little domestic, that used to sit on the gate post and twitter out its trill- ing notes; and which built its little nest in the hollow end of a log in our log-house, and yet was not tame enough to let a cat approach without showing deep displeasure. The wren has now deserted us entirely, and left a great vacancy in our domestic amusements.
The blue jay was once very plenty, and re- mained with us through the winter, and often relieved the dreariness of that season of the year, being about our corn-cribs, crying "cheer- up, cheer-up" -- which was very pleasant and encouraging. Although not a great singer of songs, yet a great hand at detached music.
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Their presence or voice is now seldom seen or heard.
The great shining blackbirds, which were once so plenty as to be considered an annoy- ance, from their habit of pulling young corn, were a musical bird; and though they were not in the habit of singing continuous set piec- es, yet their voice was shrill, clear and pleasant. They liked to get in company on some old tree, high in the air. and sing in concert many hours at a sit. Althoughi, we did not like their thiev- ish habits, yet, we were delighted with their music. But they, too, have almost entirely left us.
The perewink, another beautiful bird-lively and musical, which often made our forests vocal with its strong, sharp note, which was always of one kind, yet often repeated. It was a very beautiful bird, of various colored plumage, with a beautiful crest; not very shy, but seldom seen in open cornfields. Now seldom seen or heard.
The shearbill was a very active, sprightly bird about the size of the blue bird, and were always seen in flocks, and very beautiful; some of a scarlet red, and some of a golden yellow, -very noisy when on the wing, and might be heard long before they were seen. They by their music gave the air a very lively impression. They, too, have left us.
The cuckoo, though nothing very attractive, in her appearance or her notes, yet, there was something about her to induce solemnity : her notes were sad and monrnful, and were oftenest heard in a dull and gloomy time. She liked to get into some large spreading tree near a hu- man dwelling, and there utter forth her dolorous notes. It is now very seldom heard.
The quail, when the country was new, would often be seen on an old log-fence or stump, about sundown, with their sharp whistle, as if they would say, "no more wet! no more wet !" and could be often heard until into the even- ing : but these plump and beautiful birds are no more to be seen or heard.
The whippoorwill, which was very often heard in the dusk of the evening, crying out with their sharp and animating "whippoorwill !"have generally ceased to entertain us with their even- ing diversions.
The great black woodcock was a prominent bird in our foreste: on almost any day in the year it was to be seen on the sides of the trees, or flying from one tree to another. When on the wing you might hear its " eut, cut, cut-up !" at a great distance. It has also gone from among us.
The wake-up, or brown woodpecker, was or.co a very common bird. Its notes were not ver? musical, yet they were somewhat animatin", when calling on us to " wake up!" This biri has latterly been very seldom seen or heard.
The red headed woodpecker was one of our most common birds, and his company was very agreeable. We liked to hear his " cheer ! cheer " and his noise in drumming on the dry trees in the winter was any thing but unpleasant : but he is rarely seen now.
The night hawk, too, was very frequently seen tlen. It was very amusing to witness his manœuvres, and hear his "creak! creak !" in the evening.
These original inhabitants of our forests. and many others not mentioned in this article, hare deserted, in good part, our fields, forests and orchards. All the most prominent singing birds are gone, and those which are left supply their place but poorly. Now our forests are still and gloomy, even during that season of the year in which the birds were most animated formerly."
These observations by Mr. Churchill, which I have slightly altered, were published in the Rutland Herald, and answered in the same paper, by ZADOC THOMPSON, as follows :
MR. EDITOR : In the HERALD of the 9th inst., I read with much interest, and not a little sym- pathy, the lament of your venerable correspond- ent, for the disappearance from our midst of so many of our birds. Although, I cannot claim a residence of an equal number of years in the land, I have lived long enough to bear testimony to the general truth of his statements. Indeed it cannot be disputed that several species of birds, which were quite common in early times, are now seldom, if ever, seen or heard. Like the aboriginal bipeds without feathers, they have vanished before the advance of the white men, and some of them like the poor Indian, are prob- ably destined to utter extermination. Witness the wild turkey-once found in Vermont-once numerous in Western New York-and where is it now? Retiring with the Buffalo and the Indian before the steady march of civilized set- tlement ; all the three diminishing in numbers, and at a rapidity, too, which will soon render it necessary to speak of them as beings which were, but now are not.
When any species of birds has wholly forsaken us, or become less common than formerly, there is not usually much difficulty in assigning the canse. Birds will resort to such places as will afford them the best supply of food, the best pro-
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tection, and the best accommodations for rear-| ing their young ; and when the clearing and set- tlement of a neighborhood deprives them of these, they will seek them in other places As the home of some birds is forest, and that of oth- ers the cultivated fields, the change of a country from one condition to the other will naturally lead to a change of the feathered inhabitants; and very much of the change, witnessed in Ver- mont, is owing to this cause.
Some birds seem to regard man as a friend, and therefore seek his society and protection. How familiar, in early times, did the robin sing and twitter around his dwelling, and build her nest, and rear her young upon the projecting timbers of his log-house and upon the beams of his open barn! The robin then put confidence in man. But that confidence has since been betrayed ; and can we wonder that these birds now avoid those dwelling-places, where they are made the prey of swarms of domestic cats, where their eggs and young are made the playthings of un- feeling urchins, and themselves are cruelly shot, as a matter of sport, by grown-up boys ? Let more trees be planted along the roadsides and around our buildings ; let the lazy sportsman lay aside his gun; aud let the children and cats be restrained; and the cheerful notes of the robin, perched on the top of the elm over the gate, shall again welcome the day-dawn, and cheer the in- mates of our dwellings as in days of yore.
The black woodcock and the red-headed wood- pecker, whose departure your correspondent particularizes, have doubtless left us, for the want of proper food and shelter. Both these species rear their young in old trees, and live upon ants and the larvæ of beetles found under the bark and in the rotten wood of the same; and since the old trees of our forests have been mostly re- moved or burned up, these woodpeckers have been obliged to seek food and shelter elsewhere. Some of the birds, which disappeared from the neighborhood of your correspondent, may not have done so from other sections of the State. One of these, the golden robin or Baltimore ori- ole, is certainly more common in this part of the State than it was thirty years ago. But we have - little reason to be pleased that it is so, since he is one of the greatest burglars of the feathered They prepared to risk the attempt. It was early in the morning when they set out, and again approaching the guard-house, which was some rods distant from the highway, they were ordered to halt by two armed soldiers on duty, who had been ordered by the command- I persons answering the description of our ad- race, destroying the eggs of the robin, the social sparrow, and the summer warbler; and vieing with the cats and naughty children in their en- deavors to deprive our villages of the presence of these agreeable songsters. Nor is this all; they are very sure to appropriate to their own | ant of the post, who was absent, to arrest two use our early peas, by opening the pods longi-
tudinally ; and in their coarse, noisy song there is no note which can serve to redeem their char- acter.
While some birds have left us which were formerly common, others have taken their pla- ces, which were then entirely unknown. I can- not learn, for example, that the cliff swallow, Hirundo julva, was ever seen in Vermont pre- vious to the year 1818. It now builds its nests by hundreds together, under the eaves of barns in various parts of the State.
Several other cases might be mentioned where some speices of birds have diminished and others increased in the same neighborhood, since the settlement of the country was commenced; but I have not time to pursue the subject.
BURLINGTON, March 14, 1855. Z. T.
RUNNING THE LINES.
The year 1837 is yet remembered by many, from the events associated with the Canadian revolt. Many in the States, impelled by a sym- pathy with, or a love of adventure, espoused the cause of the provincials. Among the lat- ter were Sam Stone and Amasa Jordan. Going to Canada, they obtained commissions in the rebel service, to raise troops in the States, to which they now proposed to return. Arriving at the guard-house near the frontier, which was everywhere strictly guarded, and unable to give any satisfactory account of themselves, their purposes and intentions, they were for- bidden to proceed. They now went to Mon- treal, where, passing under assumed names, they met an old acquaintance from Vermont, named Proctor-a shrewd genius who drove a stage from some point in Canada to the States. He, ignorant of their character, accosted Jor- dan at a hotel; but soon discovered the mistake in regard to his identity. This excited the sus- picions of the police in regard to our adventur- fers, who, by the assistance of Proctor, formed a plan of escape by " running the Lines." It being agreed that they should come down in an empty stage, they were informed, on one of the coldest days of winter, that an oppor- tunity now presented itself which might not soon occur again.
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venturers. A parley ensued, and I believe Jordan got out of the stage. Stone demurred, affecting lameness : he at last came out on the side of the stage; while he clung to the top with his hands, one of the soldiers came near. In an instant Stone threw his body into a hor- izontal position, striking him violently in the face-while, with a fierce oatb, he defied the power of his sovereign Lady, and challenged all her minions ; the soldier fell back with his jaw broken-and the other was quickly dis posed of, and their muskets thrown many yards into the snow. Proctor, as if in great alarm, bawled out, "what are you doing ?" and, ap- plying the whip, started off at a furious gallop, seeming to defy the attempts of our adventurers to overtake him: while, as if deaf, he neither halted nor turned his head at the call of eight or ten men who had issued from the guard- house, armed with knives, to take the part of their unfortunate companions. Ile proceed- ed on his way into a part of the road where, free from notice, he slackened his pace, and was at length overtaken by the two reckless men, who, faint with the loss of blood, leaped, or rather crawled into the stage. Being bold, athletic men, and also arined with knives, they had commenced a running fight with their pur- suers, who, as they approached, quickly repent- ed their temerity. Stone, who was a specimen of a bull-dog, with the agility of a panther, escaped with a trifling wound on his thigh. To him Jordon. (who was literally cut in pieces.) owed his life. after fighting as stoutly, but per- haps not as skilfully, as Stone, who was by profession a boxer. Having baffled their as- sailants, they were soon conveyed to a place of safety by Proctor, whose linen was soon brought into requisition.
Proctor returning the next day, found the occupants of the guard house in no enviable mood, and all more or less smarting from their discomfiture, easing their pain by cursing the Yankees. They seemed quite unconscious of the trick he had played them, for, said they, " you did not hear."
The above narrative I have given in nearly the words of the stage-driver, by whom it was related to me many years ago. On reaching Hubbardton, Jordan, for some weeks, was se- clued from observation. under the care of Dr. H -. He carried on for some years, the business of a tanner in this town, and after- ward removed to Michigan, where he was acci- dentally shot by his son, while hunting deer, in the year 1849.
THE WELL STORY.
In the western part of the town is an old well, to which an odd sort of interest was ouce attach- ed, and which, of all its surroundings, remains a solitary memorial of one of its former proprie- tors, " Uncle A," a methodist class-leader, much noted for " singing paslms and praying prayers," an easy-going and rather estimable man, who managed by, now and then " making a turn," to bring both ends of the year together, and other- wise than as aforesaid, little remarkable, except that by some worldly minded, censorions people, he was thought rather neglectful of his wayside duties, while traveling towards the Christian's Rest.
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