HISTORY OF ORANGE
time to eat their lunches and could meet in groups and gossip together. In summer the men sat on the long steps extending on three sides of the steeple and talked about the crops and about their weekly experiences. The value of this feature of the church service can hardly be overrated. Through these gatherings the men and women became intimately acquainted with one another, without which opportunity they would have known little about their fellow townsmen. They had no telephones nor a daily paper. These gatherings at the country churches throughout bout New England and in other parts of the land, while they may not have furnished much spiritual edification, did nevertheless materially contribute to the social side of life. Of course there were some each Sunday who attended only one service and so lost the benefit of the intermission.
The question has often been asked: ''How did the people manage to live and support the large families which were quite common in the early days?" They raised few crops that were sold for cash; most of what they grew was consumed on the premises. We are told that most of their transactions were by way of exchange, so that they needed little actual cash. Butter, cheese, and poultry were staple products, but the results from these sources were not great. Probably livestock was their most dependable source of income, especially during the years immediately following the Civil War. Prices for cattle were high, and a trim pair of working oxen could be sold for $325. Older ones which were turned off for beef brought good prices, so that the shrinkage in value on cattle which were kept for a period of years was comparatively small, while the horse, after he had outlived his usefulness, became a dead loss. Goose-raising was also a side line of some importance, and nearly every family in the country kept a flock. The goose had value, whether living or dead. Like sheep-shearing, goose-plucking from both live or dead birds was a common practice.
Goose-feather beds were considered indispensable in every well-ordered household, and were costly.
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