Chapter 12 cont. HOSPITALITY The traveler always found a welcome at the pioneer's cabin.  It was never full.   Although there might already be a guest for every puncheon, there was still "room for one more," and a wider circle would be made for the newcomer at the big fire.  If the stranger was in search of land he was doubly welcome and his host would volunteer to show him all the "first-rate claims in this neck of the woods," going with him for days, showing the corners and advantages of every "congress tract" within a dozen miles of his own cabin. To his neighbors the pioneer was equally liberal.  If a deer was killed, the choicest bits were sent to his nearest neighbor, a half dozen miles away perhaps.  When a "shoat" was butchered, the same custom prevailed.  If a newcomer came in too late for "cropping," the neighbors would supply his table with just the same luxuries they themselves enjoyed, and in as liberal quantity, until a crop could be raised.  When a newcomer had located his claim, the neighbors for miles around would assemble at the site of the newcomer's proposed cabin and aid him in "gettin" it up.  One party with axes would cut down the trees and hew the logs, another with teams would haul the logs to the ground, another party would "raise" the cabin, while several of the old men would "rive the clapboards" for the roof.  By night the little forest domicile would be up and ready for a "house warming," which was the dedicatory occupation of the house, when music and dancing and festivity would be enjoyed at full height.  The next day the newcomer would be as well situated as his neighbors. An instance of primitive hospitable manners will be in place here.  A traveling Methodist preacher arrived in a distant neighborhood to fill an appointment.  The house where services were to be held did not belong to a church member, but no matter for that.  Boards were collected from all quarters with which to make temporary seats, one of the neighbors volunteering to lead off in the work, while the man of the house, with the faithful rifle on his shoulder, sallied forth in quest of meat, for this truly was a "ground-hog" case, the preacher coming and no meat in the house.  The host ceased not the chase until he found the meat in the shape of a deer.  Returning, he sent a boy out after it, with directions on what "pint" to find it.  After services, which had been listened to with rapt attention by all the audience, mine host said to his wife, "Old womean, I reckon this 'ere preacher is pretty hungry and you must git him a bite to eat."  "What shall I get him?"  asked the wife who had not seen the deer; "thar's nuthin' in the house to eat."  "why look thar," returned he, "thar's a deer, and thar's plenty of corn in the field; you git some corn and grate it while I skin the deer, and we'll have a good supper for him."  It is needless to add that venison and corn bread made a supper fit for any pioneer preacher and was thankfully eaten. Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L FAM