The first generation of the sons of the four families were reputed to
have been strong men. It was said that the three eldest sons of Jacob
Cuddeback, Benjamin, William and James, could carry 12 skipple wheat
(9 bushels), by putting it into four three-skipple sacks, and,
placing one under each arm and taking hold with each hand of the top
of the others, could, on a barn floor, in this manner carry it from
one end of the barn to the other; and that Anthony Swartwout's two
sons, Samuel and James, could do the same, and that Harmanus Van
Inwegen's son Gerardus, who was a smaller man, could carry it a few
steps. Abraham Cuddeback, youngest son of his father, could not do
it, nor Peter Gumaer's son Peter, so that only two out of eight were
unable to carry it. From which the difference of their bodily
strength, and that of those now on the stage of action becomes
apparent.
The degeneracy of the inhabitants of this neighborhood has not been
confined to them alone, but has extended from here down the Neversink
and Delaware rivers throughout the Holland Dutch settlements; also
from this neighborhood to Kingston. In the lower neighborhood in this
town formerly were men as stout as those mentioned. It was said that
one man in it could add one more bag of wheat and hold it with his
teeth, and carry 15 skipple wheat (11-1/4 bushels).
Among the first generation along the Delaware river in the States of
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, were men of equal strength with those
mentioned, but not generally as strong. Such was also the case in
respect to the inhabitants from here to Kingston.
The second generation of the four families did not arrive to as great
bodily strength as the first, but still were strong men. All of them,
excepting three, were men whose stature averaged about six feet, and
their average weight was near 200 lbs. when in prime of life. Two of
the three, who were of shorter stature, averaged about the same
weight. I have seen the smallest, lightest and weakest man of their
whole number with only the use of one hand, take a short three
skipple sack, filled with rye, from the ground and put it on his
shoulder. There were twelve of these men, and nine of them had
families. These had 36 sons, who were all inferior in bodily strength
to their respective fathers, and were all smaller and lighter men,
excepting a few of the sons of Cornelius Van Inwegen, who were taller
and may have been heavier than their fathers, and nearly or quite as
strong. All the others were inferior to their fathers, and some much
weaker in strength. Such a change in the bodily characteristics of
these sons from that of their fathers must have proceeded from their
different habits during the time of their respective growths, in
which there was some difference, both in respect to diet and other
attendants. The first (being the second generation) during their
growth had for their eatables bread of unbolted wheat meal and meat
soups, thickened with such meal, and they had a great proportion of
wild meat of animals, fowls and fishes, which were yet plentiful here
at that time. These diets their children did not have during the time
of their growth, excepting a meal of fresh wild meat sometimes. They
had rye bread and pork and beef, preserved with salt. This meat was
generally used for dinner, together with some potatoes, turnips, and
other kinds of roots and vegetables. Bread and butter, mush and milk,
and other milk diets potatoes, turnips, and other roots and
vegetables, were plentiful here during the growth of the first as
well as the second of those two classes of people. Now, in addition
to the change mentioned, there was another of a different nature,
which must have affected in a small degree the growth of the first,
and in a great degree that of the latter. This was the effect of the
French and Revolutionary wars, in each of which a fort was built at
the house of Gumaer, and his neighbors all collected in it, which had
the effect of creating more impure air in it than when occupied by
one family. This, in the first war, could not hurt the constitutions
of the children as much as in the next, because its duration was
shorter, and most of them were sent from here to relatives in other
places, and there were not as many in the fort as in the last war
when the number in it of all classes was about 100 from the time the
fort was built in 1777 until the war ended. The walls of the house,
both in the rooms below and on the chamber, were all lined with beds,
and although the inmates of the house remained healthy, yet the
collection of so many people in it, and their beds and bedding, must
have created much impure air, especially in the night when the doors
were shut and all were in it, whereby the constitutions of the
children must have become weakened and their growth retarded, so as
to have remained both weaker and smaller than what they would have
been if the war had not occurred. This stagnation of growth, which
caused the third generation to remain inferior in strength to their
respective fathers, did not continue to debilitate in the same ratio,
the fourth class, but these arrived to about or nearly the same
strength of body as that of their fathers. In relation to health,
however, there has been a gradual decline, and people have now
become more subject to disease in this town than in former times.
The Holland Dutch, who settled throughout this valley, must have had
sound and strong constitutions, which their children inherited
unimpaired, and the manner in which they were brought up and lived
during the time of their growth in this valley must have been very
conducive to sustain health and promote strength.
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