More from the Pioneer Sketches of the Cove: The Ripley Family It was a common thing in early days that children should be "bound out." Sometimes orphans were thus disposed of and sometimes parents who thought they could not care for the children bound them out. That meant a boy or girl was to serve to whom they were bound for a period of years, receiving their board and clothes, usually until 18 years of age. A boy generally received a suit of clothes, a horse, saddle and bridle when the contract expired. Jackson Ripley was a "bound boy." When his time was up in Dutch Corner where he had served he came with his horse into Morrisons cove and worked on farms. He wooed and won Rosanna Stuckey as his wife. They were married in 1843 and went to housekeeping on a farm west of New Enterprise, near Flitchville. They soon bought the farm and spent their lives there. It was my privilege to live in their good home two winters when teaching the Flitchville school. It was always conceded they kept their barn and barnyard in perfect order. Everything was cleaned up at least once and usually twice each day. Part of the barnyard was swept clean. The horses and cattle were regularly curried and lived kneedeep in straw when stabled. I frequently helped in the evenings with the work and really enjoyed it. Mrs. Ripley was just as particular as her husband, and if he was away she saw that everything was done just right. They had one son and one daughter. The daughter married E. A. Kegarise of Roaring Spring. For many years they conducted a hardware store in that thriving town. She had left home when I was there. The one son, David, was engaged in huckstering, hauling produce to Altoona twice each week. He married Miss Annie Blackburn and they remained with his parents as long as they lived. I remember distinctly the early rising in this home. At 5 o'clock breakfast was ready. No cereal breakfast here. Sausage or ham-we never ate side meat in those days-with hot cakes, corn or buckwheat cakes, plenty of all kinds of preserves, friend potatoes, perhaps scrapple, coffee and apple pie. Well, if that seems a big breakfast, just remember that is seven hours until dinner. Mrs. Ripley was always urging everyone to eat, saying: "It is a long time 'till dinner." She would continue to put victuals on my plate as long as I would eat, and say: "You must eat more meat and butter. You are so slim because you do not eat enough." I weighed 130 pounds and thought I was quite a man. After teaching here two years, I was elected to teach at Loysburg and C. W. Dittmar was sent to Flitchville. He boarded at Ripley's and when he came Friday evening, I inquired how he liked it. He replied, "Fine, but this week they ate breakfast at 5 o'clock, because they had threshers." I said nothing. The next Friday evening he hunted me up to inquire if Ripley's always got up at 4 o'clock and ate at 5 o'clock and when he learned they did, he said, " I can never stand it," and resigned as teacher, going home to work at his trade as saddle and harnessmaker. He said, "They are great cooks, but 5 o'clock is too early for me." Mr. and Mrs. Ripley lived to a ripe old age, he being 80 years and Mrs. Ripley 79 when they died. David Ripley and his wife had one daughter, Mrs. Rosie Ripley Lower. After David Ripley's death, Mrs. David Ripley lived with her daughter in Roaring Spring. Mrs. Lower has a very interesting family, as shown in this group. The son, Marion F. R. Lower, is a student in Pennsylvania college at Gettysburg. He purposes to study law when he finishes his liberal arts education. We doubt not the sterling qualities of their grandparents and great-grandparents will be manifested in these choice young people. However, I am quite sure they do not rise at 4 o'clock, nor enjoy such breakfasts as we did. I eat cereal and fruit now, generally. Annie Whiteman PABlair Rootsweb List Administrator Annie Whiteman/Steve Patz Blair County Coordinators http://www.rootsweb.com/~pablair