Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1885 — Boys of Twenty-flve Years Ago. [ARTICLE]

Boys of Twenty-flve Years Ago.

A boy in lowa writes as follows! “I am greatly interested & your Talks with the Boys.’ In Borne of them yon have spoken of the boys of twenty or twenty-five years ago. I take it you are old enough to toll us something interesting about the boys of that period.” Well, my lad, I wish a dozen times a week that I was a boy of to-day, but never once do I wish to be set back to the boyhood of twenty-five years ago. I presume there was considerable difference between the boys living in cities and those dwelling in towns or living on farms—l mean in the matter of dress and privileges, but it was lonesome enough to be a boy anywhere. What was home? Well, the very rich had carpets, bane-seat chairs and a melodeon and “kept a hired girl,” but the commonly well-off had rag oarpets on the parlor floors and the others went bare. Splint or flag-bottom chair were thought good enough, and the dollar chromos of to-day would have been considered fit for the parlor of the richest man in the village. Wall paper had soarcely been heard of, and all furniture was of the plainest description. All the beds of these days had cords and a straw tick, and all boys up to 14 or 15 years of age slept in trundle-beds. It was neldom that a common family lighted more than one candle of an evening, and this furnished the light for all. It was something extra when two candles were allowed, and the sight of three or four burning at once in one house would have created the greatest astonishment outside. It was the way all people lived—simple, economical, and without any heed for society or fashion, but it was terribly dreary compared to your homes of to-day. What was our living? One meal was almost the counterpart of another. In a village of 500 inhabitants perhaps three families could afford wheat bread, but it was “Johnny oake” with all the rest, week in and week out. Fresh meats came at rare intervals, aud salt pork, potatoes, apple “sass,” a very crude sort of pie, and weak tea or barley coffee. Mind you, the children got no warm drinks, and though almost everybody kept a cow, the nulk wassayed for pudding. While butter was not more than 6 cents per pound, the children were expected to eat gravy in place of it; and while eggs might be had for 5 cents a dozen they were looked upon as a luxury. Up to the time when afboy was 14 he had no chair at the table, but stood up to eat. It was a rare thing for a young person to give a party, or for a young people to be found at lectures or exhibitions. The rule was to force them into bed soon after dark. At the age of 15 I had never seen a show of any sort, nor had anything of the kind ever been in the village. Had there been one every week it would have done us boys no good. Not three out of the hundred I knew could have raised a dime to pay his way in, or would have been allowed to use the money in that way. How did we dress? Well, the oldest son had rather the best k show. Father’s wornout clothes were ripped up, dyed' over and made up anew for him. The rest of us had to take our chances when a “store order” was. traded out. Every mother was a tailor, and she cut the clothes according to her own ideas. The pantaloons might be too short, but never too long. If the coat happened to fit it was all right; if not, the boy had to wear it just the same. It was considered a sin to let boys wear boots or shoes during the summer. Therefore from May to October all boys went barefoot, even to church. A pair of cowhide boots were good enough for anybody’s boy, and a sixshilling cloth cap fitted him out for head-gear. What amusements did we have? In the towns and villages the boys had their games for Saturday afternoon, but during the rest of the week were expected to put in their spare time at the wood pile or in the garden. On a farm it was not more than twice a year that a boy got a half day off. It was considered sinful to dance, and singing was not much encouraged. If a lad had any musical talent he had more enemies than friends. The idea of most parents seemed to be to prevent their boys from having a good time. If a lad could not be loaded down with enough work to keep his spirits in check, there were plenty of women in the neighborhood to tell him to his face that they expected to live to see him hung for murder. As to the family government, the oldtime father was supposed to be infallible. He could not take his son’s life, but he could come very near it and escape even censure. The boys were not requested, but ordered, to do this and that. I can remember many fathers who made it a practice to keep “gads” in the house. About once in so long they made a trip to the woods to cut blue-beech /and hickory switches, and these were laid by to season. The boy who did not receive a “licking” once a week felt that something dreadful was about to happen in that community. It was considered the correct thing to “tan his jacket” on general principles. Many parents reasoned that unless a boy was thrashed about once in bo often he would be pretty certain to go to the bad. I cannot remember a case where a boy did not stand in fear of his father. — M. Quad.