CHAPTER II THE LOG CABIN WAS THE PALACE OF THE PIONEER CHINKED LOGS, COVERED WITH CLAPBOARDS RIFLE AND SPINNING WHEEL—ALMOST ANYTHING WAS A BEDROOM—COOKING WAS PRIMITIVE FOR SHARP APPETITES—WELCOME FOR THE WAYFARER—PRAIRIE FIRES AND WOLF HUNTS—AMUSEMENTS FOR THE FRONTIER PEOPLE WERE NOT LACKING—WHAT UNREMITTING TOIL HAS ACCOMPLISHED. pioneer life Most of the early settlers of Iowa came from older states, as Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio, where their prospects for even a competency were very poor. They found those states good to emigrate from. Their entire stock of furniture, implements and family necessities were easily stored in one wagon, and sometimes a cart was their only vehicle. the log cabin After arriving and selecting a suitable location, the next thing to do was to build a log cabin, a description of which may be interesting to many of the younger readers, as in some sections these oldtime structures are no more to be seen. Trees of uniform size were chosen and cut into logs of the desired length, generally 12 by 15 feet, and hauled to the spot selected for the future dwelling. On an appointed day a few neighbors who were available would assemble and have a "house-raising." Each end of every log was saddled and notched so that they would lie as close down as possible; the next day the proprietor would proceed to "chink" and "daub" the cabin, to keep out the rain, wind and cold. The house had to be redaubed every fall, as the rains of the intervening time would wash out the greater part of the mortar. The usual height of the house was seven or eight feet. The gables were formed by shortening the logs Vol. I-4 gradually at each end of the building near the top. The roof was made by laying very straight small logs, or stout poles, suitable distances apart, and on these were laid the clapboards, somewhat like shingling, generally about two and a half feet to the weather. These clapboards were fastened to their place by "weight poles" corresponding in place with the joists just described, and these again were held in their place by "runs," or "knees," which were chunks of wood about eighteen or twenty inches long, fitted between them near the ends. Clapboards were made from the nicest oaks in the vicinity, by chopping or sawing them into 4-foot blocks and riving these with a frow, which was a simple blade fixed at right angles to its handles. This was driven into the blocks of wood by a mallet. As the frow was wrenched down through the wood, the latter was turned alternately over from side to side, one end being held by a forked piece of timber. The chimney to the western pioneer's cabin was made by leaving in the original building a large open place in one wall, or by cutting one after the structure was up, a stone column, or a column of sticks and mud, the sticks being laid up cob-house fashion. The fireplace thus made was often large enough to receive fire wood six to eight feet long. Sometimes this wood, especially the "back log," would be nearly as large as a saw log. The more rapidly the pioneer could burn up the wood in his vicinity, the sooner he had his little farm cleared and ready for cultivation. For a window, a piece about two feet long was cut out of one of the wall logs, and the hole closed, sometimes by glass, but generally with greased paper. Even greased deer hide was sometimes used. A doorway was cut through one of the walls if a saw was to be had, otherwise the door would be left by shortened logs in the original building. The door was made by pinning clapboards to two or three wood bars and was hung upon wooden hinges. A wooden latch, with catch, then finished the door, the latch being raised by any one on the outside by pulling a leather string. For security at night, this latch string was drawn in, but for friends and neighbors, and even strangers, the "latch string was always hanging out as a welcome." In the interior over the fireplace would be a shelf, called the "mantel," on which stood the candle stick or lamp, some cooking and table ware, possibly an old clock, and other articles. In the fireplace would be the crane, sometimes of iron, sometimes of wood. On it the pots were hung for cooking. Over the door, in forked cleats, hung the ever trustful rifle and powder horn. In one corner stood the larger bed for the "old folks," and under it the trundle bed for the children. In another stood the old-fashioned spinning-wheel, with a smaller one by its side, in another the heavy table, the only table, of course, there was in the house. In the remaining corner was a rude clapboard holding the tableware, which consisted of a few cups and saucers and blue-edged plates standing singly on their edges against the back, to make the display of table furniture more conspicuous, while around the room were scattered a few splint bottom or Windsor chairs and two or three stools. These simple cabins were inhabited by a kind and true-hearted people. They were strangers to mock modesty and the traveler seeking lodging for the night, or desirous of spending a few days in the community, if willing to accept the rude offering, was always welcome, although how they were disposed of at night the reader might not easily imagine, for as described, a single room was made to answer for the kitchen, dining room, sitting room, bedroom and parlor, and many families consisted of six or eight members. sleeping accommodations The bed was very often made by fixing a post in the floor about six feet from one wall and four feet from the adjoining wall, and fastening a stick to this post about two feet above the floor on each of two sides, so that the other end of the two sticks could be fastened in the opposite wall. Clapboards were laid across these and thus the bed made complete. Guests were given this bed, while the family disposed of themselves in another corner of the room or in the "loft." When several guests were on hand at once they were sometimes kept over night in the following manner: When bedtime came, the men were requested to step out of doors, while the women spread out a broad bed upon the mid-floor and put themselves to bed in the center. The signal was given and the men came in and each took his place in bed next his own wife, and the single men outside beyond them again. cooking To witness the various processes of cooking in those days would alike surprise and amuse those who have grown up since cooking stoves and ranges came into use. Kettles were hung over the large fire, suspended with pot hooks, iron or wooden, on the crane, or on poles, one end of which would rest upon a chain. The long handled |