Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865Herndon, Sarah Raymond
History
Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865
Herndon, Sarah Raymond
Overland journeys to the Pacific; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
But why Icarian? I cannot understand, for certainly they did not
impress me as high flyers, neither as flyers at all. They seemed the
most humdrum, slow-going, even-tenor, all-dressed-alike folks I have
ever seen. Every dwelling is exactly alike, log-cabins of one room,
with one door, one window, a fire-place with stick chimney. I rode
close by the open doors of some of the houses, and tried to talk
with the women, but we could not understand each other at all. The
floors, windows and everything in the houses were scrupulously clean,
but not one bit of brightness or color, not a thread of carpet, or a
rug, and all the women’s and girls’ dresses made of heavy blue denim,
with white kerchiefs around the shoulders and pinned across the front
of the waist, the skirt above the ankles, and very narrow and heavy
thick-soled shoes. The men and boys all looked alike too, but I did not
observe them closely enough to describe them.
There are several large, long buildings, one with a large bell
in belfry on top of building. They are dining-hall, town-hall,
school-house and two others. I did not learn what they are used for.
All the buildings are one story, of the plainest architecture, for the
one purpose of shelter from sun and storm. There is not a thing to
ornament or beautify, not a shade-tree or flower, yet everything--men,
women, children, houses, yards and streets--are as clean as they can be
made.
They are peaceable, law-abiding citizens, live entirely independent of
the people of adjoining neighborhoods. They are supposed to be wealthy;
the town is the center of well-cultivated and well-stocked farms.
The principle upon which the community is founded is “Brotherly Love”,
a sort of co-operative communism, in which all things are the common
property of all. They live upon what their farms produce, have vast
herds of cattle and sheep, a fine site for their town, and seem the
picture of contentment, which is better than riches.
We stopped within sight of Quincy, and another camping outfit. We soon
learned they are Mr. Harding and Mr. Morrison and family, from Lewis
County. We are acquainted with Mr. Harding and have often heard of the
Morrisons.
Mr. Morrison and Mr. Harding came over, and the men have had a
sociable, gossiping time this evening; the men can surpass the
women gossiping any time, notwithstanding the general belief to
the contrary. The young folks have been playing games to celebrate
Hillhouse’s birthday. They had hard work to get him to join them.
A SWING AMONG THE TREES.
Saturday, May 13.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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