A History of Deerpark in Orange County, N. Y.Gumaer, Peter E.
History
A History of Deerpark in Orange County, N. Y.
Gumaer, Peter E.
Deerpark (N.Y. : Town) -- History
Our diets continued to be the same as has been mentioned for some
years after the Revolutionary War ended; but the diets of mush, &c.,
which were eaten with milk, began to be abandoned after different
kinds of teas and coffee began to be used, and, after becoming
generally used, the milk diets were in a manner wholly abandoned. In
these drinks a little milk and sugar was put; molasses also was very
plentifully used, and with this, sugar and other articles, many
palatable, different kinds of sweet cakes, pies, &c., were made;
also, different kinds of spices became fashionable for adding
agreeable flavors to some diets. Now, all these are eatables and
drinks which we did not have in our early days. In addition to all
these we now have different kinds of preserves made with sugar,
molasses, and different sorts of fruit, berries, &c., and some other
diets we did not have.
After tea and coffee had been used for some time, they were preferred
by the young people to the milk diet; but some of the older class,
who had been habituated to eating buttermilk pop, mush and milk, and
other diets, often chose to have these in preference to tea or
coffee. Such are the effects of habit.
As to our industry and labors for the support of our families and to
make advancement, they continued during our lives to be about the
same on an average as those of our parents, in which some were more
persevering and others less than their respective parents.
The inhabitants of the lower neighborhood who were contemporary with
our parents, and those who were the same with ourselves, have also
continued and progressed in about the same manner as we and our
parents have done in the habits of life mentioned.
After our manner of living changed, we were from time to time
afflicted with ailments and diseases which all have continued to
suffer at times, more or less, until the present time; but of late
years have not had such mortal distempers in this vicinity as some we
had at certain previous periods.
* * * * *
PHYSICAL STRENGTH OF FIRST GENERATION.
The first generation of the sons of the four families were reputed to
have been strong men. It was said that the three eldest sons of Jacob
Cuddeback, Benjamin, William and James, could carry 12 skipple wheat
(9 bushels), by putting it into four three-skipple sacks, and,
placing one under each arm and taking hold with each hand of the top
of the others, could, on a barn floor, in this manner carry it from
one end of the barn to the other; and that Anthony Swartwout's two
sons, Samuel and James, could do the same, and that Harmanus Van
Inwegen's son Gerardus, who was a smaller man, could carry it a few
steps. Abraham Cuddeback, youngest son of his father, could not do
it, nor Peter Gumaer's son Peter, so that only two out of eight were
unable to carry it. From which the difference of their bodily
strength, and that of those now on the stage of action becomes
apparent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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