AN IREDELL NEIGHBORHOOD A HALF CENTURY AGO 1845-53
By Captain H.A. Chambers of Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Landmark
Statesville, N.C.
April 24, 1900
In addition to the meetings at church, school and at
the debates, the means of social, friendly and business intercourse
among the people of the neighborhood, were furnished by the “singings”
and the cooperative labor arrangements known as “choppings”, “log
rollings”, quiltings and corn shucking.
Whenever anyone wanted to clear a piece of timber land and get it ready
for cultivation more quickly than he could do so with his own forces, he
arranged for a “chopping” and required a number of his neighbors to come
with their axes and help him cut the timber from the land.
When the men arrived in the morning of the appointed day, the “right
handed” men and the “left handed” men were so arranged that when a large
tree was encountered four men could chop on it at the same time, two on
each side. Interest was often added to the work by contexts between the
men in cutting up the trunks of the trees. When the tree fell, the
bodies were cut up into proper lengths for rails when fit for that
purpose. The limbs were trimmed and, with the balance of the tree, cut
into suitable lengths for fire wood. The ringing sound of the axes, the
falling and crashing of the trees and the voices and shots of the men
always made a scene of animation and excitement.
Once when I was a small boy, my grandfather tried to clear a piece of
land along the longer branch that ran southward through the hollow east
of his house and had a “chopping” for the purpose. I was too small to
take part in this work but I remember how, when I was not required to be
helping the women at home, I enjoyed the exciting work going on—the
greater chips flying as axes forced them out, the flailing and crashing
of the trees and the warning shouts of the men to the others to get out
of danger when some especially large tree was almost to fall.
During the day, the body of a large tree fell across and over a deep
hole in the branch. One of the men had to cut this tree in two
immediately over this hole. Just as he gave the last stroke, which
severed the tree, the “cut” suddenly and unexpectedly turned and threw
him, and his axe into the water amid the shouts and laughter of the
other men where he was not only thoroughly wet but somewhat strangled
before he could get out.
When, from those public “choppings”, the individual work of the men of
the family, or the falling of a dead tree in the fields, logs unfit for
rails, fire wood, or any other useful purpose, had accumulated beyond
the ability of the family force to manage, the neighbors, on request,
again met to help pile these useless logs hat they might be burned.
These occasions were called “log rollings” though in fact many of these
logs were carried to the desired place instead of being rolled.
In lifting and carrying the heavy logs, friendly contests of strength
were often had between the men at the opposite ends of the hand spikes
on which the log was carried. It was considered something of a triumph
for the man on one end of the hand spike to cause his neighbor at the
other end to give way or complain of the burden. Indeed, at all these
meetings of the men to help their neighbors with their work—at the “choppings”,
“log rollings” and the corn shucking—various devices, such as the
context above mentioned, were adopted to temper the hard work with
amusement and pleasure.
Occasionally, it would be arranged to have a quilting during the day, or
singing at night, at the same place and time of a “chopping”, “log
rolling” or corn shucking so that the women folk could join with the
men, not only in aiding the family work, but in the social pleasure of
the occasion.
As the country was cleared up, and the farmers got as much cleared land
as they cared to cultivate, these public “choppings” and “log rollings”
fell into disuse. The men of the family were usually able themselves to
make such additions to the cleared land as were needed from time to
time. But the corn shuckings were kept up. Indeed, the more cleared land
cultivated, the more corn there was to be shucked.
These corn shuckings, however, were hardly considered work. They were
really regarded more as fun and recreation. They usually occurred one
night and were generally so arranged so that no two in the neighborhood
conflicted. At them, there was always a shucking race or contest to add
interest and fun to the occasion.
Upon assembling, the corn pile was divided as nearly equally as
possible. Captains were chosen who “threw up” or cast lots, for choice
of “ends” of the piles, and then alternately selected the persons
present as their partisans and helpers in the shucking contest. These
contests wee nearly always exciting and as the pile diminished in size
the interest and desire to win increased. The captains and their
respective adherents shouted and encouraged each other to such with
increasing energy.
If the pile and the shuckers had been equally divided, the contests were
close and it was sometimes difficult to determine which side was the
winner. Now and then in a very exciting race, there would be a little
cheating by hiding some of the unshucked corn or by shoving a little
under the dividing rail to the other side or by not shucking the corn
very clean. But, as a rule, the contests were fairly and openly
conducted.
The successful side when they had fairly won, always raised an exultant
yell and sometimes the men would take the captain on their shoulders and
carry him with shouts of triumph around the defeated party. It is a
wonder that ill feelings and fights did not occur on these occasions but
I do not recall anything of the kind. My recollection is that these
affairs were always conducted in the best of humor.
NOTE: In a recent letter, Mr. White of White’s Mill near Statesville,
informs me that in giving the sketch of the Moyer family, I was mistaken
as to the name of Mrs. Moyer, daughter of Joel Kimball. He says her name
was Martha instead of Polly. Mr. Kimball had a daughter named Polly but
she married Robert Plyler, a half brother of Calvin Plyler, the school
teacher, heretofore mentioned. She and her husband and Calvin Plyler are
still living. He was from the south side of Third Creek. I have no doubt
Mr. White, whose opportunities are better than mine, is right about
this. And now that my attention has been called to it, I have an
impression that as a boy, I was struck with the names of these two
ladies because of the alliteration—Martha Moyer and Polly Plyler.
Mr. White also informs me that Thomas Kimball had nine children by his
second marriage—five sons and four daughters, viz.: John, Luther, Billy,
LaFayette and Allen and Abba, Laura, Margaret and Jennie.
Mr. White also says that he attended the school house about 1849 taught
by his cousin George Houseton White, at the neighborhood school house,
heretofore mentioned. He says Miss Mary Steele attended that school and
it is evident from his letter that he still has a soft place in his
heart for the “prettiest girl” in the school house. I have no doubt but
that a number of other old fellows scattered about the country who were
boys fifty years ago, feel just as Mr. White does. For Miss Mary was not
only pretty, but amiable and very popular. Mr. White says she would not
play “town ball” at all unless she was on his side of the game. There
now! What vanity we men have about the preferences of pretty women!
Mr. White gave me some other items but they are not strictly within the
scope of these sketches which have already become somewhat extended.
To Be Continued
Transcribed by Christine Spencer, May, 2008
