Chapter 43
-- Compiled by the Cumberland Women's Club
and Published by the Cumberland Advocate
1874-1974
(used by permission of the Cumberland Advocate)
Donated by Linda Mott
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"Branlander" (Burnland)
When
trees were cut down and taken to the mill many stumps were left. These
had to be disposed of before the land could be cultivated. It has been
said that many farmers even put in a few crops between the stumps at first.
About the only way to dispose of these stumps was to burn them out and
in one area of Vermillion there seemed to be so much smoke and fire from
these
burning stumps that by some Scandinavians it was named "Burnlandet"
meaning Burnland in English. Even in the church history it carried that
name until 1935. Today this is some of the best agriculturist land in the
country.
There
were many beggars in olden times. As the man came to your door he would
hand you a little black book. In it would be his name and some information
about him and mostly that he needed help so would you please give him a
donation. Also that he couldn't speak English so he would only shake his
head if you talked to him. If you gave him a dime, which was a lot
those
days, he would nod and smile and go on to the next place.
Then
there were tramps, these differed from beggars as the latter wanted money
while the tramps usually wanted food. These men would travel through the
country on foot and they usually slept in barns at night. They would come
to a house and ask for food. If it was forth coming they sometimes made
a cross or some other sign by the roadside, thus letting the next
tramp
know that there was a good place to stop.
Beggars were here earlier than tramps.
Did you ever hear of rag peddlers? They are definitely a thing of the past. They would come with one horse and little wagon. If you had any rags, rubber, etc., they would weigh them and give you a few pennies for them. Most likely they sold these rags, etc., to someone else who would make something out of them.
When
the settlers first came to this country they exclaimed over the pretty
little kittens running around. Their amazement soon turned to horror as
they tried to pet them, for they were skunks.
to What
Can You Get For A Penny These Days?
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