Colorful sacks

We found an article in our files from the Clay Center Dispatch, dated April 1, 1985 that we thought would be of interest to readers. The article was written by Doris Salter. We have several colorful sacks in the museum.

Man did not come into the world with a sack in his hand; he came better equipped for he had a brain. Soon man learned to use animal skins as a carrying device. When I appeared on the scene many millenniums later, there were two distinct kinds of sacks; the gunny sack and the cloth sack, and each had its special use.

Outside in the granary were shorts and bran (by-products of flour milling) that came in those gunny sacks. Kafircorn seed and binder twine also came in them. These sacks were all kept and used. As soon as they were emptied they were hung on wires from the rafters to discourage mice from making nests in them. Those that got holes in them were used on the farmhouse porch floor to wipe muddy shoes.

Some men ripped the sacks out flat and made flynets to put on the work horses in summer to scare away the files.

Household products such as flour, salt came in cloth sacks, and the company printed its name in bold, colorful letters (except sugar which came in 100 lb. sacks with a burlap sack on the outside). After the flour sacks were emptied they were put in a basin of cold water and rubbed with a cake of laundry soap. Hopefully the dye would wash out and you’d have a pretty white sack that could be used for “company” dish towels or an apron. Alas! Some of the dye was permanent and would not come out. But these sacks were used anyway to make children’s underclothes. It certainly made the girls modest, for you did not want your dress to fly up and display Gold Medal on the seat of your pants.

Dad got some feed in bright orange sacks and I needed slips (petticoats)! So mom made me two thinking they’d fade to a nice pasted peach color in a couple of washings. They didn’t fade a bit! To this day I dislike the color orange probably for that reason.

World War II came in 1941 and with it shortages of civilian products. Cloth material disappeared from stores until Penney’s had one three bolts left. But the feed companies arise to the challenge and sold their products in print sacks. It was a colorful display and milady went along with her husband to buy feed, for it was she who chose the print sack she wanted, for she made the clothes for the family. Some garments took two or more sacks and women traded to get the rigid number to make the desired article. We made everything from sacks. Clothing, tablecloths, curtains and even sheets.

Inspite of careful planning I had four odd sacks; two green and white stripe, a red with orange flowers, and a sickish purple. And I needed a sheet! I had bright idea (so I thought). I’d sew those four together and bleach them white! I took the conglamoration, the washtub, and bleach down to the well and put it to soak. By noon I knew it wasn’t going to work-that hadn’t bleached a bit! But I needed a sheet, so after it was dry I put it on our bed-hoping no one would notice.Children are always underfoot when you’re doing housework, and Colleen saw it. “look at the pretty sheet! Can I have it on my bed next week?” Then Soloma had her turn, and Buddy pouted until it was on his bed. My friend also saw it and chuckled-it wasn’t funny, it was tragic! But laughter is contagious and together we laughed until we cried.

It was too good to keep, so next month at club the story was told. We had unleased a flood, for almost everyone had a “sack” story to tell. I usually came home from club disgusted, for regardless of how clean and neat the children were when we came they were dirty urchins at the day’s end-es pecially Beverly for she and Carolyn had crawled out the small chicken house opening so they resembled bedraggled chickens. That day was different, tradedy had become comedy!

Times change. Fabric stores are filled with beautiful material; sheets are many and varied. Some of us recall the “sack years” and I remember THE PRETTY SHEET.