Hancock County, Ohio - Chapter 9: The Country Shoemaker - the Schoolmaster Log Rolllng, 1881

IN the early settlement of the coimty, an absence of mercantile and manufacturing establishments made it exceedingly inconvenient, and at times almost impossible to obtain the necessary articles of clothing. A very laro-e portion of the early settlers were preparing to engage in agricultnral pnrsuits, and hence mechanics and artisans were in demand, and the supply was of the less skillful class. At that time the country shoemaker - and almost every settlement contained one - was a very necessary appendage to a well regulated neighborhood. His mission and duty was to go from house to house in the neighborhood, and make up suiiicient foot wear for the whole family. Each farmer or head of a family, would purchase leather enough, both sole and upper, to supply each member of his family with a pair of shoes, good heavy water proof ones, none of your cotton cloth, consumption soled articles - shoes made for service, rather than for ornament. The shoemaker was then engaged to work up the stock. He had no shop turnished with counters, shelves and drawers, well stored with manufactured work, indeed it frequently happened that he had no abiding place, but like the country school-master, boarded around.

lie went from house to house, carrying with him his kit of tools, woul,d take his seat by the side of the huge fire-place, and then to the wonder and astonishment of the young members of the community, would measure, and cut, and shape, and make shoes enough for the whole family. When finished, he would pack up his Ml and go to the next. His annual visits were looked for with interest by the little ones who, when he had come, would gather arouifd him, watching with open eyed wonder, the putting together with wax end and peg, the homely but serviceal)le shoe. And how they enjoyed his story telling and his songs. The coming of the shoemaker was one of the events not to be forgotten. The pioneer, after he had prepared his clearing ready for logging - as it was called - would invite his neighbors to come and assist him in rolling the logs into heaps ready for burning, and no one who was invited would neglect to attend, unless for the best of reasons. When the log-rollers had assembled on the ground, they selected two or more of their number as Captains, and by choice made by the Captains would divide themselves into parties, and apportion an equal amount of work to each party. The party who first cleared the ground, was declared winner and entitled to the first "smile" from the little brown jug, and a seat at the first table. A clearing with a score or more of men thus engaged in a friendly contest, was rather a lively place.

But on occasions of this kind, the good wife, not to be outdone by her man, would quietly put the patch-work quilt in the frames, and invite the wives and daughters of the log rollers to come in and help her. Thus, whilst the men and boys were busy in the fields, the women and girls were equally ])usy with needle. After supper, whilst the girls were engaged in washing the dishes, and setting the house in order, the meu foimd recreation in feats of rimning:, wrestling and jumping. Candles, or the dry hickory-bark torch were lit at dark, and the rural violinist, that is, the country fiddler makes his appearance, takes his seat on a table, tunes up his instrument, when "choose your partners" was in order. Away goes the music and away go the dancers, often much more energetic than graceful, "French four," "money musk," "Scotch reels," interspersed with jigs and regular break downs. None of your now fashionable waltzes, polkas, schottish, and fancy cotillion, in which the whirling and turning, and everlasting swinging, is enough to give the spectator the delirium tremens.

The pioneer boys and girls danced to the music of such good old healthy tunes as the Fisher's Horn Pipe, Devil's Dream, Arkansaw Traveller and Col. Johnston. Whilst the young people were thus engaged, the older ones occupied themselves in smoking and rehearsing the gallantries and exploits of their younger days, occasionally joining in the dance, just to show the young folks how they used to do, you know.

But to the still younger ones, the most interesting part of a log-rolling and quilting was the supper, for they were sure to get an extra piece of Johnny Cake, and a piece of pumpkin pie, after which they were generally willing to go to bed; but willing or unwilling, they went, as their room was much more desirable than their company.

Fifty years ago there were but few school buildings in the county, and they w^ere of the rudest sort, but small and rude as they were, they were deemed sufficiently large to accommodate all who would attend school. There was not a very great demand for school marms, nor w^ere the expenses of keeping up a school three months in the year, very heavy. Although the school buildings were cheap;> and perhaps shabby in appearance, and the accommodations for the pupils the poorest, and the qualifications of the teachers far from first-class, yet with a determination on the part of teachers, and pupils, and parents, that the time should be well improved, the community progressed in intelligence. As the }»opulation increased, each settlement had its log school house, not built perhaps, by taxation, but the free gift of the honest patrons, who met, cut the logs, carried them together, erected the building, completed it by covering with clap boards and weight poles, chink and daub the cracks, put in the rude benches, the paper windows, and employ the first man who came along, qualified to teach spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic as far as the single-rule of three, and who was willing to board around, sent their children to school and were happy.

Thus our forefathers did not forget that the peace, and safety, and prosperity, and happiness of every community depended upon the intelligence of its members. Did not forget that vice in all its forms, was sure to attend ignorance and superstition. Hence, the first building erected in a settlement, was a school house. In those days the country school master ranked next in importance to the circuit preacher, and as he went boarding around he was welcomed to the best seat by the fireside, and the choicest viands at the table, and was regarded by the patrons of the school as the embodiment of wisdom, and by the younger members of the family as the embodiment of po\yer, for well they remembered the birch rods sticking up in the walls of the old school house, and with what expertness he could wield them.