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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/9949.txt b/9949.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..da473c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/9949.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6413 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bark Covered House, by William Nowlin + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Bark Covered House + or, Back in the Woods Again + +Author: William Nowlin + +Posting Date: November 5, 2011 [EBook #9949] +Release Date: February, 2006 +First Posted: November 3, 2003 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BARK COVERED HOUSE *** + + + + +Produced by Papeters, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg +Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + + + + + + + +THE BARK COVERED HOUSE, + +OR + +or, BACK IN THE WOODS AGAIN; +BEING A GRAPHIC AND THRILLING DESCRIPTION OF REAL PIONEER LIFE IN THE +WILDERNESS OF MICHIGAN + +BY WILLIAM NOWLIN, ESQ. + +1876 + + + + +PREFATORY NOTE. + + +I little thought when I left my farm yards, horses and cattle in the care +of other men, and began to write, that I should spend nearly all the +winter of 1875 in writing; much less, that I should offer the product of +such labor to the public, in the Centennial Year. But I have been urged +to do so by many friends, both learned and unlearned, who have read the +manuscript, or listened to parts of it. They think the work, although +written by a farmer, should see the light and live for the information of +others. One of these is Levi Bishop, of Detroit, who was long a personal +friend of my father and his family, and has recently read the manuscript. +He is now President of the "Wayne County Pioneer Society," and is widely +known as a literary man, poet and author. + +W.N. + + + + + + +KEY. + + +Sketch of the lives of John and Melinda Nowlin; of their journeying and +settlement in Michigan. + +Thrilling scenes and incidents of pioneer life, of hopes and fears, of +ups and downs, of a life in the woods; continuing until the gloom and +darkness of the forest were chased away, by the light of civilization, +and the long battle for a home had been fought by the pioneer soldiers +and they had gained a signal victory over nature herself. + +Hope never forsook them in the darkest hours, but beckoned and cheered +them on to the conquest of the wilderness. When that was consummated hope +hovered and sat upon her pedestal of realization. For better days had +come for the pioneers in the country they had found. Then was heard the +joyful, enchanting "Harvest Home;" songs of "Peace and Plenty." + +Crowned with honor, prosperity and happiness--for a time. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +I have delineated the scenes of this narrative, from time to time, as +they took place. I thought at the time when they occurred that some of +them were against me. + +I do not place this volume before its readers that I may gain any +applause: I have sought to say no more of myself than was necessary. + +This is a labor of love, written to perpetuate the memory of some most +noble lives, among whom were my father and mother who sought a home in +the forests of Michigan at an early day. Being then quite young, I kept +no record of dates or occurrences, and this book is mostly sketched +from memory. + +It is a history of my parents' struggles and triumphs in the wilderness. +It ought to encourage all who read it, since not many begin life in a new +country with fewer advantages than they. + +It is said that "Truth is stranger than fiction." In this I have detailed +the walks of ordinary life in the woods. In these pictures there is +truth. All and more than I have said have been realized. My observations +have been drawn from my own knowledge, in the main, but I am indebted to +my sisters for some incidents related. Together, with our brother, we +often sat around the clay hearth and listened to father's stories, words +of encouragement and counsel. Together we shared and endured the fears, +trials and hardships of a pioneer life. + +This work cannot fail to be of deep interest to all persons of similar +experience; and to their descendants for ages to come who can never too +fully appreciate the blessings earned for them by their parents and +others amid hardships, privations and sufferings (in a new country) the +half of which can never be told. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAPTER. + + + I--TALKING OF MICHIGAN + II--DISAGREEABLE MUSIC + III--HOW WE GOT OUR SWEET, AND THE HISTORY OF MY FIRST PIG + IV--OUR SECOND HOUSE AND FIRST APPLE TREES + V--THE JUG OF WHISKY AND TEMPERANCE MEETING + VI--HOW WE FOUND OUR CATTLE + VII--TROUBLE CAME ON THE WING + VIII--HARD TIMES FOR US IN MICHIGAN + IX--A SUMMER HUNT + X--HOW WE GOT INTO TROUBLE ONE NIGHT AND I SCARED + XI--THE INDIANS VISIT US--THEIR STRANGE AND PECULIAR WAYS + XII--THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE--A PICTURE FROM MEMORY + XIII--METHEGLIN; OR, THE DETECTED DRINK + XIV--OUR ROAD--HOW I WAS WOUNDED + XV--PROSPECT OF WAR + XVI--FISHING AND BOAT RIDING, + XVII--HOW I GOT IN TROUBLE RIDING IN A CANOE + XVIII--OUR CLEARING AND THE FIRST RAILROAD CARS + XIX--TREES + XX--DRAWING CORD-WOOD--HOW THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT--THE STEAM WHISTLE + XXI--HOW I HUNTED AND WE PAID THE MORTGAGE + XXII--BEAR HUNT + XXIII--GRANDFATHER'S POWDER HORN--WAR WITH PIRATES + XXIV--LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN + XXV--MAKING A BARGAIN + XXVI--HOW I COMMENCED FOR MYSELF--FATHER'S OLD FARM + XXVII--THOUGHTS IN CONNECTION WITH FATHER AND EARLY PIONEER LIFE +XXVIII--FATHER'S NEW HOUSE AND ITS SITUATION--HIS CHILDREN VISIT HIM + XXIX--MY WATCH LOST AND VISIT TO CANADA + XXX--MOTHER'S VISIT TO THE EAST + XXXI--LEAVING NEW YORK CITY FOR HOME + + + + +ILLUSTRATIOINS. + + +"THE MICHIGAN" +THE BARK-COVERKD HOUSE +THE THOMPSON TAVERN +HOUSE BUILT IN 1836 +FIRST RAILWAY CARS +HOUSE BUILT IN 1854 + + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +TALKING OF MICHIGAN. + + +My father was born in 1793, and my mother in 1802, in Putnam County, +State of New York. Their names were John and Melinda Nowlin. Mother's +maiden name was Light. + +My father owned a small farm of twenty-five acres, in the town of Kent, +Putnam County, New York, about sixty miles from New York City. We had +plenty of fruit, apples, pears, quinces and so forth, also a never +failing spring. He bought another place about half a mile from that. It +was very stony, and father worked very hard. I remember well his building +stone wall. + +But hard work would not do it. He could not pay for the second +place. It involved him so that we were in danger of losing the place +where we lived. + +He said, it was impossible for a poor man to get along and support his +family; that he never could get any land for his children there, and he +would sell what he had and go to a better country, where land was cheap +and where he could get land for them. + +He talked much of the territory of Michigan. He went to one of the +neighbors and borrowed a geography. I recollect very well some things +that it stated. It was Morse's geography, and it said that the territory +of Michigan was a very fertile country, that it was nearly surrounded by +great lakes, and that wild grapes and other wild fruit grew in abundance. + +Father then talked continually of Michigan. Mother was very much opposed +to leaving her home. I was the eldest of five children, about ten or +eleven years of age, when the word Michigan grated upon my ear. I am not +able to give dates in full, but all of the incidents I relate are facts. +Some of them occurred over forty years ago, and are given mostly from +memory, without the aid of a diary. Nevertheless, most of them are now +more vivid and plain to my mind than some things which transpired within +the past year. I was very much opposed to going to Michigan, and did all +that a boy of my age could do to prevent it. The thought of Indians, +bears and wolves terrified me, and the thought of leaving my schoolmates +and native place was terrible. My parents sent me to school when in New +York, but I have not been to school a day since. My mother's health was +very poor. Her physician feared that consumption of the lungs was already +seated. Many of her friends said she would not live to get to Michigan if +she started. She thought she could not, and said, that if she did, +herself and family would be killed by the Indians, perish in the +wilderness, or starve to death. The thought too, of leaving her friends +and the members of the church, to which she was very much attached, was +terribly afflicting. She made one request of father, which was that when +she died he would take her back to New York, and lay her in the grave +yard by her ancestors. + +Father had made up his mind to go to Michigan, and nothing could change +him. He sold his place in 1832, hired a house for the summer, then went +down to York, as we called it, to get his outfit. Among his purchases +were a rifle for himself and a shot gun for me. He said when we went to +Michigan it should be mine. I admired his rifle very much. It was the +first one I had ever seen. After trying his rifle a few days, shooting at +a mark, he bade us good-by, and started "to view" in Michigan. + +I think he was gone six or eight weeks, when he returned and told us of +his adventures and the country. He said he had a very hard time going up +Lake Erie. A terrible storm caused the old boat, "Shelvin Thompson" to +heave, and its timber to creak in almost every joint. He thought it must +go down. He went to his friend, Mr. George Purdy, (who is now an old +resident of the town of Dearborn) said to him: "You had better get up; we +are going down! The Captain says 'every man on deck and look out for +himself.'" Mr. Purdy was too sick to get up. The good old steamer +weathered the storm and landed safely at Detroit. + +Father said that Michigan was a beautiful country, that the soil was as +rich as a barn-yard, as level as a house floor, and no stones in the way. +(I here state, that he did not go any farther west than where he bought +his land.) He also said he had bought eighty acres of land, in the town +of Dearborn, two and a half miles from a little village, and twelve +miles from the city of Detroit. Said he would buy eighty acres more, east +of it, after he moved in the spring, which would make it square, a +quarter section. He said it was as near Detroit as he could get +government land, and he thought Detroit would always be the best market +in the country. + +Father had a mother, three sisters, one brother and an uncle living in +Unadilla Country N.Y. He wished very much to see them, and, as they were +about one hundred and fifty miles on his way to Michigan, he concluded to +spend the winter with them. Before he was ready to start he wrote to his +uncle, Griffin Smith, to meet him, on a certain day, at Catskill, on the +Hudson river. I cannot give the exact date, but remember that it was in +the fall of 1833. + +The neighbor, of whom we borrowed the old geography, wished very much to +go West with us, but could not raise the means. When we started we passed +by his place; he was lying dead in his house. Thus were our hearts, +already sad, made sadder. + +We traveled twenty-five miles in a wagon, which brought us to +Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson river, then took a night boat for Catskill +where uncle was to meet us the next morning. Before we reached Catskill, +the captain said that he would not stop there. Father said he must. The +captain said he would not stop for a hundred dollars as his boat was +behind time. But he and father had a little private conversation, and +the result was he did stop. The captain told his men to be careful of +the things, and we were helped off in the best style possible. I do not +know what changed the captain's mind, perhaps he was a Mason. Uncle met +us, and our things were soon on his wagon. Now, our journey lay over a +rough, hilly country, and I remember it was very cold. I think we passed +over some of the smaller Catskill Mountains. My delicate mother, wrapt +as best she could be, with my little sister (not then a year old) in her +arms, also the other children, rode. Father and I walked some of the +way, as the snow was quite deep on the mountains. He carried his rifle, +and I my shot-gun on our shoulders. Our journey was a tedious one, for +we got along very slowly; but we finally arrived at Unadilla. There we +had many friends and passed a pleasant winter. I liked the country +better than the one we left, and we all tried to get father to buy +there, and give up the idea of going to Michigan. But a few years +satisfied us that he knew the best. + +Early in the spring of 1834 we left our friends weeping, for, as they +expressed it, they thought we were going "out of the world." Here I will +give some lines composed and presented to father and mother by father's +sister, N. Covey, which will give her idea of our undertaking better than +any words I can frame: + +"Dear Brother and Sister, we must bid you adieu, +We hope that the Lord will deal kindly with you, +Protect and defend you, wherever you go, +If Christ is your friend, sure you need fear no foe. + +"The distance doth seem great, to which you are bound, +But soon we must travel on far distant ground, +And if we prove faithful to God's grace and love, +If we ne'er meet before, we shall all meet above." + +About twenty years later this aunt, her husband and nine children +(they left one son) sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grand-children +visited us. Uncle had sold his nice farm in Unadilla and come to +settle his very intelligent family in Michigan. He settled as near us +as he could get government land sufficient for so large a family. With +most of this numerous family near him, he is at this day a sprightly +old man, respected (so far as I know) by all who know him, from +Unionville to Bay City. + +Now as I have digressed, I must go back and continue the story of our +journey from Unadilla to Michigan. As soon as navigation opened, in the +spring, we started again with uncle's team and wagon. In this manner we +traveled about fifty miles which brought us to Utica. There we embarked +on a canal boat and moved slowly night and day, to invade the forests of +Michigan. Sometimes when we came to a lock father got off and walked a +mile or two. On one of these occasions I accompanied him, and when we +came to a favorable place, father signaled to the steersman, and he +turned the boat up. Father jumped on to the side of the boat. I attempted +to follow him, did not jump far enough, missed my hold and went down, by +the side of the boat, into the water. However, father caught my hand and +lifted me out. They said that if he had not caught me, I must have been +crushed to death, as the boat struck the side the same minute. That, +certainly, would have been the end of my journey to Michigan. When it was +pleasant we spent part of the time on deck. One day mother left my little +brother, then four years old, in care of my oldest sister, Rachel. He +concluded to have a rock in an easy chair, rocked over and took a cold +bath in the canal. Mother and I were in the cabin. When we heard the cry +"Overboard!" we rushed on deck, and the first thing we saw was a man +swimming with something ahead of him. It proved to be my brother, held +by one strong arm of an English gentleman. He did not strangle much; some +said the Englishman might have waded out, in that case he would not have +strangled any, as he had on a full-cloth overcoat, which held him up +until the Englishman got to him. Be that as it may, the Englishman was +our ideal hero for many years, for by his bravery and skill, unparalleled +by anything we had seen, he had saved our brother from a watery grave. + +That brother is now the John Smith Nowlin, of Dearborn. + +Nothing more of importance occurred while we were on the canal. When we +arrived at Buffalo the steamer, "Michigan," then new, just ready for her +second trip, lay at her wharf ready to start the next morning. Thinking +we would get a better night's rest, at a public house, than on the +steamer father sought one, but made a poor choice. + +Father had four or five hundred dollars, which were mostly silver, he +thought this would be more secure and unsuspected in mother's willow +basket, which would be thought to contain only wearing apparel for the +child. We had just got nicely installed and father gone to make +preparations for our embarkation on the "Michigan," when the lady of +the house came by mother and, as if to move it a little, lifted her +basket. Then she said, "You must have plenty of money, your basket is +very heavy." + +When father came, and mother told him the liberty the lady had taken, he +did not like it much, and I am sure I felt anything but easy. + +But father called for a sleeping room with three beds, and we were shown +up three flights of stairs, into a dark, dismal room, with no window, +and but one door. Mother saw us children in bed, put the basket of silver +between my little brother and me, and then went down. The time seemed +long, but finally father and mother came up. I felt much safer then. Late +in the evening a man, with a candle in one hand, came into the room, +looked at each bed sufficiently to see who was in it. When he came to +father's bed, which proved to be the last, as he went round, father asked +him what he wanted there. He said he was looking for an umbrella. Father +said he would give him umbrella, caught him by the sleeve of his coat; +but he proved to be stronger than his coat for he fled leaving one sleeve +of a nice broadcloth coat in father's hand. Father then put his knife +over the door-latch. I began to breathe more freely, but there was no +sleep for father or mother, and but little for me, that night. + +Everything had been quiet about two hours when we heard steps, as of two +or three, coming very quietly, in their stocking feet. Father rose, armed +himself with a heavy chair and waited to receive them. + +Mother heard the door-latch, and fearing that father would kill, or be +killed, spoke, as if not wishing them to hear, and said: "John have the +pistols ready," (it will be remembered that we had pistols in place of +revolvers in those days) "and the moment they open the door shoot them." +This stratagem worked; they retired as still as possible. + +In about two or three hours more, they came again, and although father +told mother to keep still, she said again: "Be ready now and blow them +down the moment they burst open the door." + +Away they went again, but came once more just before daylight, stiller +if possible than ever; father was at his station, chair in hand, but +mother was determined all should live, if possible, so she said "They are +coming again, shoot the first one that enters!" &c., &c. + +They found that we were awake and, do doubt, thought that they would meet +with a little warmer reception than they wished. Father really had no +weapons with him except the chair and knife. I said, the room had no +window, consequently, it was as dark at daylight as at midnight. The only +way we could tell when it was daylight was by the noise on the street. + +When father went down, in the morning, he inquired for the landlord and +the man that came into his room; but the landlord and the man with one +sleeve were not to be found. Father complained to the landlady, of being +disturbed, and showed her the coatsleeve. She said it must have been an +old man, who usually slept in that room, looking for a bed. + +We went immediately to our boat. As father was poor and wished to +economize, he took steerage passage, as we had warm clothes and plenty of +bedding, he thought this the best that he could afford. Our headquarters +were on the lower deck. In a short time steam was up, and we bade +farewell to Buffalo, where we had spent a sleepless night, and with about +six-hundred passengers started on our course. + +The elements seemed to be against us. A fearful storm arose; the captain +thought it would be dangerous to proceed, and so put in below a little +island opposite Cleveland, and tied up to a pier which ran out from the +island. Here we lay for three weary days and nights, the storm +continually raging. + +Finally, the captain thought he must start out. He kept the boat as near +the shore as he could with safety, and we moved slowly until we were near +the head of the lake. Then the storm raged and the wind blew with +increased fury. It seemed as if the "Prince of the power of the air" had +let loose the wind upon us. The very air seemed freighted with woe. The +sky above and the waters below were greatly agitated. It was a dark +afternoon, the clouds looked black and angry and flew across the horizon +apparently in a strife to get away from the dreadful calamity that seemed +to be coming upon Lake Erie. + +We were violently tempest-tossed. Many of the passengers despaired of +getting through. Their lamentations were piteous and all had gloomy +forebodings of impending ruin. The dark, blue, cold waves, pressed hard +by the wind, rolled and tumbled our vessel frightfully, seeming to make +our fears their sport. What a dismal, heart-rending scene! After all our +efforts in trying to reach Michigan, now I expected we must be lost. Oh +how vain the expectation of reaching our new place, in the woods! I +thought we should never see it. It looked to me as though Lake Erie would +terminate our journey. + +It seemed as if we were being weighed in a great balance and that +wavering and swaying up and down; balanced about equally between hope and +fear, life and death. + +[Illustration: "THE MICHIGAN."--AFTER LEAVING THE ISLAND IN THE +SPRING OF 1834.] + +No one could tell which way it would turn with us. I made up my mind, and +promised if ever I reached terra-firma never to set foot on that lake +again; and I have kept my word inviolate. I was miserably sick, as were +nearly all the passengers. I tried to keep on my feet, as much as I +could; sometimes I would take hold of the railing and gaze upon the wild +terrific scene, or lean against whatever I could find, that was +stationary, near mother and the rest of the family. Mother was calm, but +I knew she had little hope that we would ever reach land. She said, her +children were all with her and we should not be parted in death; that we +should go together, and escape the dangers and tribulations of the +wilderness. + +I watched the movements of the boat as much as I could. It seemed as if +the steamer could not withstand the furious powers that were upon her. +The front part of the boat would seem to settle down--down--lower and +lower if possible than it had been before. It looked to me, often, as +though we were going to plunge headforemost--alive, boat and all into the +deep. After a while the boat would straighten herself again and hope +revive for a moment; then I thought that our staunch boat was nobly +contending with the adverse winds and waves, for the lives of her +numerous passengers. The hope of her being able to outride the storm was +all the hope I had of ever reaching shore. + +I saw the Captain on deck looking wishfully toward the land, while the +white-caps broke fearfully on our deck. The passengers were in a terrible +state of consternation. Some said we gained a little headway; others said +we did not. The most awful terror marked nearly every face. Some wept, +some prayed, some swore and a few looked calm and resigned. I was trying +to read my fate in other faces when an English lady, who came on the +canal boat with us, and who had remained in the cabin up to this, time, +rushed on deck, wringing her hands and crying at the top of her voice, +"We shall be lost! we shall be lost! oh! oh! oh! I have crossed the +Atlantic Ocean three times, and it never commenced with this! We shall be +lost! oh! oh! oh!" + +One horse that stood on the bow of the boat died from the effects of the +storm. Our clothes and bedding were all drenched, and to make our +condition still more perilous, the boat was discovered to be on fire. +This was kept as quiet as possible. I did not know that it was burning, +until after it was extinguished; but I saw father, with others, carrying +buckets of water. He said the boat had been on fire and they had put it +out. The staunch boat resisted the elements; ploughed her way through and +landed us safely at Detroit. + +Some years after our landing at Detroit, I saw the steamboat "Michigan" +and thought of the perilous time we had on her coming up Lake Erie. She +was then an old boat, and was laid up. I thought of the many thousand +hardy pioneers she had brought across the turbulent lake and landed +safely on the shore of the territory whose name she bore. + +But where, oh where "are the six hundred!" that came on her with us? Most +of them have bid adieu to earth, and all its storms. The rest of them are +now old and no doubt scattered throughout the United States. But time or +distance cannot erase from their memory or mine the storm we shared +together on Lake Erie. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +DISAGREEABLE MUSIC. + + +It was night, in the Spring of 1834, when we arrived at Detroit, and we +made our way to the "United States Hotel" which stood near where the old +post office was and where the "Mariner's Church" now stands, on +Woodbridge street. + +The next morning I was up early and went to view the city. I wished to +know if it was really a city. If it looked like Utica or Buffalo. + +I went up Jefferson Avenue; found some brick buildings, barber +poles, wooden clocks, or large watches, big hats and boots, a brass +ball, &c., &c. + +I returned to the Hotel, satisfied that Detroit was actually a city, for +the things I had seen were, in my mind, sufficient to make it one. After +I assured myself that there was a city, so far from New York, I was quite +contented and took my breakfast. Then, with our guns on our shoulders, +father and I started to see our brand-new farm at Dearborn. First we went +up Woodward Avenue to where the new City Hall now stands, it was then +only a common, dotted by small wooden buildings. + +Thence we took the Chicago road which brought us to Dearbornville. From +there the timber had been cut for a road one mile south. On this road +father did his first road work in Michigan and here afterwards I +helped to move the logs out. The road-master, Mr. Smith, was not +willing to allow full time, for my work; however I put in part time. +Little did I think that here, one mile from Dearbornville, father +would, afterwards, buy a farm, build a large brick house, and end his +days, in peace and plenty. + +From this point, one mile south of the little village, we were one mile +from father's chosen eighty, but had to follow an Indian trail two miles, +which led us to Mr. J. Pardee's. His place joined father's on the west. +We crossed Pardee's place, eighty rods, which brought us to ours. I dug +up some of the earth, found it black and rich, and sure enough no stones +in the way. Late in the afternoon I started back to mother, to tell her +that father had engaged a Mr. Thompson (who kept tavern in a log house, +half a mile east of Dearbornville) and team, and would come after her in +the morning. When I reached the Chicago road again, it seemed anything +but inviting. I could just see a streak ahead four or five miles, with +the trees standing thick and dark either side. + +If ever a boy put in good time I did then. However, it was evening when I +reached Detroit, and I had traveled more than twenty-six miles. Mother +was very glad to see me, and listened with interest, to her boy's first +story of Michigan. I told her that father was coming in the morning, as +he had said; that Mr. Joseph Pardee said, we could stay with him while we +were building. I told her I was glad we came, how nice the land was, what +a fine country it would be in a few years, and, with other comforting +words, said, if we lived, I would take her back in a few years, to visit +her old home. + +The next morning father and Mr. Thompson came, and we were soon all +aboard the wagon. When we reached Mr. Pardee's his family seemed very +much pleased to see us. He said: "Now we have 'Old Put' here, we'll +have company." + +Putnam county joined the county he came from, and he called father "Old +Put" because he came from Putnam county. + +Father immediately commenced cutting logs for a house. In one week he had +them ready, and men came from Dearbornville to help him raise them. He +then cut black ash trees, peeled off the bark to roof his house, and +after having passed two weeks under Mr. Pardee's hospitable roof, we +moved into a house of our own, had a farm of our own and owed no one. + +Father brought his axe from York State; it weighed seven pounds; he gave +me a smaller one. He laid the trees right and left until we could see the +sun from ten o'clock in the morning till between one and two in the +afternoon, when it mostly disappeared back of Mr. Pardee's woods. + +Father found it was necessary for him to have a team, so he went to +Detroit and bought a yoke of oxen; also, at the same time, a cow. He paid +eighty dollars for the oxen and twenty-five for the cow. These cattle +were driven in from Ohio. The cow proved to be a great help toward the +support of the family for a number of years. The oxen were the first +owned in the south part of the town of Dearborn. They helped to clear the +logs from the piece father had cut over, and we planted late corn, +potatoes and garden stuff. The corn grew very high but didn't ear well. +The land was indeed very rich, but shaded too much. + +The next thing, after planting some seeds, was clearing a road through a +black ash swale and flat lands on our west section line, running north +one mile, which let us out to the point mentioned, one mile south of +Dearbornville. We blazed the section line trees over, cleared out the old +logs and brush, then felled trees lengthwise towards each other, +sometimes two together, to walk on over the water; we called it our +log-way. We found the country was so very wet, at times, that it was +impossible to go with oxen and sled, which were our only means of +conveyance, summer or winter. When we could not go in this style we were +obliged to carry all that it was necessary to have taken, on our +shoulders, from Dearbornville. + +We had many annoyances, and mosquitoes were not the least, but they did +us some good. We had no fences to keep our cattle, and the mosquitoes +drove the oxen and cow up to the smoke which we kept near the house in +order to keep those little pests away. The cattle soon learned, as well +as we, that smoke was a very powerful repellant of those little warriors. +Many times, in walking those logs and going through the woods there would +be a perfect cloud of mosquitoes around me. Sometimes I would run to get +away from them, then stop and look behind me and there would be a great +flock for two rods back (beside those that were around me) all coming +toward me as fast as their wings could bring them, and seeming only +satisfied when they got to me. But they were cannibals and wanted to eat +me. All sang the same song in the same old tune. I was always glad when I +got out of their company into our own little clearing. + +[Illustration: THE BARK COVERED HOUSE--1834.] + +But Mr. Pardee was a little more brave; he said it was foolish to +notice such small things as mosquitoes. I have seen them light on his +face and run in their bills, probe in until they reached the fountain of +life, suck and gormandize until they got a full supply, then leisurely +fly away with their veins and bodies full of the best and most benevolent +blood, to live awhile, and die from the effects of indulging too freely +and taking too much of the life of another. Thus at different times I saw +him let them fill themselves and go away without his seeming to notice +them; whether he always treated them thus well or not, I cannot say, but +I do know they were the worst of pests. Myriads of them could be found +any where in the woods, that would eagerly light on man or beast and fill +themselves till four times their common size, if they could get a chance. +The woods were literally alive with them. No one can tell the wearisome +sleepless hours they caused us at night. I have lain listening and +waiting for them to light on my face or hands, and then trying to slap +them by guess in the dark, sometimes killing them, and sometimes they +would fly away, to come again in a few minutes. I could hear them as they +came singing back. Frequently when I awoke I found them as wakeful as +ever; they had been feasting while I slept. I would find bunches and +blotches on me, wherever they had had a chance to light, which caused a +disagreeable, burning and smarting sensation. + +Frequently some one of us would get up and make a smudge in the room to +quiet them; we did it by making a little fire of small chips and dirt, or +by burning some sugar on coals, but this would only keep them still for a +short time. These vexatious, gory-minded, musical-winged, bold denizens +of the shady forest, were more eager to hold their carniverous feasts at +twilight or in the night than any other time. In cloudy weather they were +very troublesome as all the first settlers know. We had them many years, +until the country was cleared and the land ditched; then, with the +forest, they nearly disappeared. + +As I have said our oxen were the first in our part of the town. Mr. +Pardee had no team. Father sold him half of our oxen. They used them +alternately, each one two weeks, during the summer. For some reason, Mr. +Pardee failed to pay the forty dollars and when winter came father had to +take the oxen back and winter them. The winter was very open, and much +pleasanter than any we had ever seen. The cattle lived on what we called +"French-bogs" which grew all through the woods on the low land and were +green all winter. + +We found wild animals and game very numerous. Sometimes the deer came +where father had cut down trees, and browsed the tops. Occasionally, in +the morning, after a little snow, their tracks would be as thick as +sheep-tracks in a yard, almost up to the house. The wolves also, were +very common; we could often hear them at night, first at one point, then +answers from another and another direction, until the woods rang with +their unearthly yells. + +One morning I saw a place by a log where a deer had lain, and noticed a +large quantity of hair all around on the snow; then I found tracks where +two wolves came from the west, jumped over the log, and caught the deer +in his bed. He got away, but he must have had bare spots on his back. + +One evening a Mr. Bruin called at our house and stood erect at our north +window. The children thought him one of us, as father, mother and I were +away, and they ran out to meet us, but discovered instead a large black +bear. When they ran out, Mr. Bruin, a little less dignified, dropped on +all fours, and walked leisurely off about ten rods; then raised again, +jumped over a brush fence, and disappeared in the woods. + +Next morning we looked for his tracks and, sure enough, there were the +tracks of a large bear within four feet of the window. He had apparently +stood and looked into the house. + +[Illustration:] + +The first Indian who troubled us was one by the name of John Williams. He +was a large, powerful man, and certainly, very ugly. He used to pass our +house and take our road to Dearbornville after fire-water, get a little +drunk, and on his way back stop at John Blare's. Mr. Blare then lived at +the end of our new road. Here the Indian would tell what great things he +had done. One day when he stopped, Mrs. Blare and her brother-in-law, +Asa, were there. He took a seat, took his knife from his belt, stuck it +into the floor, then told Asa to pick it up and hand it to him; he +repeated this action several times, and Asa obeyed him every time. He, +seeing that the white man was afraid, said: "I have taken off the scalps +of six damned Yankees with this knife and me take off one more." + +When father heard this, with other things he had said, he thought he was +the intended victim. We were all very much frightened. Whenever father +was out mother was uneasy until his return, and he feared that the +Indian, who always carried his rifle, might lay in ambush, and shoot him +when he was at work. + +One day he came along, as usual, from Dearbornville and passed our house. +Father saw him, came in, took his rifle down from the hooks and told +mother he believed he would shoot first. Mother would not hear a word to +it and after living a year or two longer, in mortal fear of him, he died +a natural death. We learned afterward that Joseph Pardee was the man he +had intended to kill. He said, "Pardee had cut a bee-tree that belonged +to Indian." + +According to his previous calculation, on our arrival, father bought, in +mother's name, eighty acres more, constituting the south-west quarter of +section thirty-four, town two, south of range ten, east; bounded on the +south by the south line of the town of Dearbon. A creek, we called the +north branch of the River Ecorse, ran through it, going east. It was +nearly parallel with, and forty-two rods from, the town line. When he +entered it he took a duplicate; later his deed came, and it was signed +by Andrew Jackson, a man whom father admired very much. Mother's deed +came still later, signed by Martin Van Buren. + +This land was very flat, and I thought, very beautiful. No waste land on +it, all clay bottom, except about two acres, a sand ridge, resembling the +side of a sugar loaf. This was near the centre of the place, and on it we +finally built, as we found it very unpleasant living on clayey land in +wet weather. This land was all heavy timbered--beech, hard maple, +basswood, oak, hickory and some white-wood--on both sides of the creek; +farther back, it was, mostly, ash and elm. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HOW WE GOT OUR SWEET, AND THE HISTORY OF MY FIRST PIG. + + +We made troughs, tapped hard maples on each side of the creek; took our +oxen, sled and two barrels (as the trees were scattered) to draw the sap +to the place we had prepared for boiling it. + +Now I had an employment entirely new to me: boiling down sap and making +sugar, in the woods of Michigan. This was quite a help to us in getting +along. We made our own "sweet" and vinegar, also some sugar and molasses +to sell. Some springs, we made three or four hundred pounds of sugar. +Sugar was not all the good things we had, for there was one added to my +father's family, a little sister, who was none the less lovely, in my +eye, because she was of Michigan, a native "Wolverine." + +Now father's family, all told, consisted of mother and six children. The +children grew to be men and women, and are all alive to this day, +January 26, 1875. + +After we came to Michigan mother's health constantly improved. She soon +began to like her new home and became more cheerful and happy. I told +her we had, what would be, a beautiful place; far better than the rocks +and hills we left, I often renewed my promise that if she and I lived and +I grew to be a man, we would go back, visit her friends and see again the +land of her nativity. + +To cheer her still more we received a letter from Mr. G. Purdy of York +State, telling us that he was coming to Michigan in the fall, with his +wife (mother's beloved sister, Abbie,) and her youngest sister, Sarah, +was coming with them. + +Asa Blare, the young man who picked up the Indian's knife, bought forty +acres of government land joining us on the east, built him a house, went +to Ohio, married and brought his wife back with him. + +Now we had neighbors on the east of us, and Mr. Henry Travis (a +brother-in-law of Mr. Pardee) came, bought land joining Mr. Pardee on +the west, built and settled with a large family. About the same time +many families from the East came and settled along the creek, for miles +west of us. + +Now we were on the border of civilization. Our next clearing of any +importance was the little ridge. Father commenced around the edge, cut +the brush and threw them from the ridge all around it to form a brush +fence; then all the trees that would fall into the line of the fence were +next felled, also, all that would fall over it, then those which would +reach the fence were felled toward it. Then we trimmed them, cut the logs +and piled the brush on the fence. I felt very much interested in clearing +this piece. When father took his ax and started for work I took mine and +was immediately at his side or a little behind him. In this manner we +returned and we soon had the two acres cut off and surrounded by an +immense log, tree-top and brush fence; at least, I thought it was a great +fence. Now came the logging and burning, father worked with his oxen and +handspike, I with my handspike. Some of the large logs near the fence he +swung round with the oxen and left them by it. Others we drew together +and when we piled them up, father took his handspike and rolled the log, +I held it with mine until he got a new hold. In that way I helped him +roll hundreds and thousands of logs. We soon had them all in heaps but +they were green and burned slowly, some of them would not burn at all +then. We scratched round them and put some seeds in every spot. We could +do but very little with a plow. Father made a drag out of the crotch of a +tree and put iron teeth in it; this did us some service as the land was +exceedingly rooty. + +In raising our summer crops we had to do most of the work with a hoe. +Sometimes where it was very rooty we planted corn with an ax. In order to +do this we struck the blade into the ground and roots about two inches, +then dropped the corn in and struck again two or three inches from the +first place which closed it and the hill of corn was planted. + +Now I must go back to the first season and tell how I got my first pig. +It was the first of the hog species we owned in Michigan. Father went to +the village and I with him. From there we went down to Mr. Thompson's +(the man who moved us out from Detroit). He wished father to see his +hogs. They went to the yard, and as was my habit, I followed along. Mr. +Thompson called the hogs up. I thought he had some very fine ones. Among +them was an old sow that had some beautiful pigs. She seemed to be very +cross, raised her bristles and growled at us, as much as to say, "Let my +pigs alone." + +[Illustration: "THE THOMPSON TAVERN"--1834.] + +I suppose Mr. Thompson thought he would have some sport with me, and +being generous, he said: "If the boy will catch one I will give it to +him." I selected one and started; I paid no attention to the old sow, but +kept my eye on the pig I wanted, and the way I went for it was a caution. +I caught it and ran for the fence, with the old sow after me. I got over +very quickly and was safe with my pig in my arms. I started home; it +kicked and squealed and tried to get away, but I held it tightly, patted +it and called it "piggy." I said to myself, '"Now I have a pig of my own, +it will soon grow up to be a hog, and we'll have pork." When I got home I +put it in a barrel, covered it up so it could not get out and then took +my ax, cut poles, and made it a new pen and put it on one place in Adam's +world where pig and pig-pen had never been before. Now, thought I, I've +got an ax, a pig and a gun. + +One morning, a day or two after this, I went out and the pig was gone. +Thinking it might have gone home, I went to Mr. Thompson's and enquired +if they had seen it. I looked in the yard but the pig was not there. I +made up my mind that it was lost, and started home. I followed the old +trail, and when within sixty rods of the place where I now live, I met my +pig. I was very glad to see it, but it turned from me and ran right into +the woods. Now followed a chase which was very exciting to me. The pig +seemed running for its life, I for my property, which was going off, +over logs and through the brush, as fast as its legs could carry it. It +was a hard chase, but I caught the pig and took it back. I made the pen +stronger, and put it in again, but it would not eat much and in a few +days after died, and away went all my imaginary pork. + +Mr. Pardee had bought a piece of land for a Mr. Clapp, of Peakskill, New +York, and was agent for the same. He said the south end of this land was +openings. It was about one mile from our place, and Mr. Pardee offered to +join with father and put corn on it, accordingly, we went to see it. +There was some brush, but it was mostly covered with what we called +"buffalo grass," which grew spontaneously. Cattle loved it very much in +the summer, but their grazing it seemed to destroy it. It soon died out +and mostly disappeared, scrub-oak and other brush coming up in its place. + +Mr. Pardee and father soon cleared five or six acres of this land, and +with the brush they cut made a light brush fence around it, then tore up +three or four acres and planted it with corn. The soil was light yellow +sand. When the corn came up it was small and yellow. They put in about +two acres of buckwheat. A young man by the name of William Beal worked +for Pardee. He helped to tend the corn. One morning, as they were going +up to hoe the corn, William Beal took his gun and started ahead; this he +frequently did very early. He said, when about half way to the corn, he +looked toward the creek and saw a black bear coming toward him. He stood +in the path, leading to the corn-field, which they had under-brushed. +The bear did not discover him until he was near enough, when he fired +and shot him dead. This raised quite an excitement among us. I went to +see the bear. It was the first wild one I saw in Michigan. They dressed +it, and so far as I know, the neighbors each had a piece; at all events, +we had some. + +They hoed the corn once or twice, and then made up their minds it was no +use, as it would not amount to much, the land being too poor. The whole +crop of corn, gathered there, green at that, nubbins and all, was put +into a half bushel handle basket, excepting what the squirrels took. + +The buckwheat didn't amount to much, either. Wild turkeys trampled it +down and ate the grain, in doing which, many of them lost their lives. I +began to consider myself quite a marksman. I had already, with father's +rifle, shot two deer, and had gotten some of the turkeys. + +Father never cropped it any more on the openings, and his experience +there made him much more pleased with his own farm. That land is near +me, and I have seen a great many crops growing on it, both grain and +other crops, but never one which I thought would pay the husbandman for +his labor. + +Father's partnership with Mr. Pardee was so unsuccessful on the openings, +and in having to take the oxen back, and buy hay for them when that +article was very high (their running out helped him some) that he +concluded to go into partnership with Mr. Pardee, no more. + +He sold half of his oxen to Asa Blare, who paid the money down, so their +partnership opened in a little better shape. This partnership, father +said, was necessary as our money had become very much reduced, and +everything we bought, (such as flour and pork) was extremely dear; +besides, we had no way to make a farthing except with our "maple-sweet" +or the hide of a deer. + +Father could not get work, for there were but few settlers, and none near +him, who were able to hire. So he economized to save his money as much as +possible, and worked at home. The clearing near the house grew larger and +larger, and now we could see the beautiful sun earlier. + +Father worked very hard, got three acres cleared and ready for wheat. +Then he went away and bought about four bushels of white wheat for seed. +This cost a snug sum in those days. About the last of August he sowed it +and dragged it in with his drag. He sowed about a bushel and a peck to +the acre. (I have for many years back, and to the present time, sowed two +bushels to the acre). + +His wheat came up and looked beautiful. The next spring and early summer +it was very nice. One day a neighbor's unruly ox broke into it. I went +through it to drive him out and it was knee high. Father said take the ox +home. I did so. The neighbor was eating dinner. I told him his ox had +been in our wheat and that father wished him to keep the ox away. He said +we must make the fence better and he would not get in. This was the first +unkind word I had received from a neighbor in Michigan. The wheat escaped +the rust, headed and filled well and was an excellent crop. It helped us +a great deal and was our manna in the wilderness. + +Father and I continued our chopping until we connected the two clearings. +Then we commenced to see the sun in the morning and we thought it shone +brighter here than it did in York State. Some of the neighbors said that +it really did, and that it might be on account of a reflection from the +water of the great lakes. Perhaps it was because the deep gloom of the +forest had shaded us so long and was now removed. Israel like, we looked +back and longed for the good things we had left, viz:--apples, pears and +the quince sauce. Even apples were luxuries we could not have and we +greatly missed them. We cleared new ground, sowed turnip seed, dragged it +in and raised some very large nice turnips. At this time there was not a +wagon in the neighborhood, but Mr. Traverse, being a mechanic and +ingenious, cut down a tree, sawed oft two short logs, used them for hubs +and made the wheels for a cart. These he took to Dearbornville and had +them ironed oft. He made the body himself and then had an ox-cart. This +was the only wheeled vehicle in the place for some years. As Mr. Traverse +was an obliging man the neighbors borrowed his cart. Sometimes it went to +Dearbornville to bring in provision, or other things, and sometimes it +went to mill. (There was a mill on the river Rouge, one mile north of +Dearbornville.) With this cart and oxen the neighbors carried some of +their first products, sugar, butter, eggs, &c., to Detroit. Some young +sightseers, who had not seen Detroit since they moved into the woods and +wished to see it, were on board. They had to start before midnight so it +would be cool traveling for the oxen. This was the first cart and oxen +ever seen in Detroit from our part of the town of Dearborn. + +They reached home the following night, at about ten o'clock, and told me +about the trip. + +We wanted apples, so father took his oxen, went and borrowed the cart, +loaded it with turnips, went down the river road half way to Detroit, +traded them with a Frenchman for apples and brought home a load which +were to us delicious fruit. In this way we got our apples for many years. +These apples were small, not so large and nice as those we had been used +to having; but they were Michigan apples and we appreciated them very +much. They lasted us through the winter and did us much good. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +OUR SECOND HOUSE AND FIRST APPLE TREES. + + +Father said he would get us some apple trees. He had heard there was a +small nursery below Dearbornville. One morning he and I started for the +village; from there, we went to Mr. McVay's, about two miles east, near +the Rouge. + +Of him father bought thirteen apple trees, did them up in two bundles, +his large, mine small. We took them on our shoulders and started home, +through the woods, thus saving two miles travel. On our way we explored +woods we had never seen before. + +We planted the apple trees on the west end of the little ridge. They are +now old trees. I passed them the other day and thought of the time we set +them. Now some of them look as if they were dying with old age. I counted +and found that some of them were gone. I thought there was no one but me, +who could tell how, or when, those trees were planted, as they are nearly +forty years old. + +East of those trees father built his second house in 1836. He made the +body of this house of large whitewood logs, split oak shakes with which +to cover it, and dug a well east of the house. Into this well he put the +shell of a large buttonwood log; we called it a "gum." It was said that +water would not taste of buttonwood; we had very good water there. + +Father borrowed Mr. Traverse's cart, loaded up our things and we were +glad to leave our Bark Covered house, clay door-yard and Mr. Pardee's +woods, to which we had lived so near, that we could see the sun only for +a short time in the afternoon. + +In the house we were leaving we had some unwelcome visitors, an Indian, +John Williams, and a snake. One day, towards evening, mother was getting +supper, and as the floor boards were lain down loosely they would shake +as she walked across the floor. Some member of the family heard a +strange noise (something rattling) which seemed to come from a chest +that stood in the back part of the room on legs about six inches high. +Every time mother stepped on the board upon which he was coiled up, his +snakeship felt insulted and he would rattle to let them know that he was +there and felt indignant at being disturbed. Mother said they all tried +to find out what it was; they finally looked under the chest and there, +to their astonishment, they saw a large black rattlesnake all curled up +watching their movements and ready, with his poisonous fangs, to strike +any one that came within his reach. He was an interloper, a little too +bold. He had, however, gotten in the wrong place and was killed in the +room. He had, no doubt, crawled up through a hole in the floor at the +end of a board. + +The children were very much alarmed and mother was frightened. She said +she thought it was a terrible place where poisonous reptiles would crawl +into the house. Near the house sometime after, brother John S. and sister +Sarah were out raking up some scattering hay. I suppose sister was out +for the sake of being out, or for her own amusement. While she was raking +she saw a large blue racer close by her with his head up nearly as high +as her own, looking at her and not seeming inclined to leave her. I never +heard of a blue racer hurting any one and this was the only one I ever +knew to make the attempt. Sister was greatly scared and hallooed and +screamed, as if struck with terror. Brother John S., then a little way +off ran to her as quickly as possible; while he was running the snake +circled around her but a few feet off and seemed determined to attack +her. Though brother was the younger of the two his courage was good. With +the handle of his pitchfork he struck the snake across the back, a little +below the head, and wounded him. Then he succeeded in sticking the tine +of the pitchfork through the snake's head; at that sister Sarah took +courage and tried with her rake to help brother in the combat. As she +held up the handle the snake wound himself around it so tightly that he +did not loosen his coils until he was dead. That snake measured between +six and seven feet in length. + +We knew nothing of this species of reptile until we came to Michigan. I +have killed a great many of them, but have found that if one gets a rod +or two the start, it is impossible to catch him. I well recollect having +run after them across our clearing (where we first settled). They would +go like a streak of blue, ahead. I make this statement of the reptiles, +so that the people of Wayne County, or Michigan, who have no knowledge +of such things may know something about the vexatious and fearful +annoyances we had to contend with after we settled in Michigan. + +We were all pleased when we got into the new house. We had a sand +door-yard, and lived near the centre of our place. East of this house, on +the little ridge, we raised our first patch of-water-melons, in Michigan. +Father said they raised good melons on Long Island, where it was sandy +soil, and he thought he could raise good ones there. He tried, and it +proved to be a success; the melons were excellent. When they were ripe +father borrowed the cart, picked a load of melons and (just before +sundown) started for Detroit. Mother and my little Michigan sister, +Abbie, went with us. I think it was the first time mother saw Detroit +after she left it, on the morning following her first arrival there. She +wished to do some trading, of course. Father and I walked. We took a +little hay to feed the oxen on the road. The next morning we reached +Detroit. The little market then stood near where the "Biddle House" now +stands, or between that and the river. + +Father sold his melons to a Frenchman for one shilling apiece. The market +men said this was the first full load of melons ever on Detroit market; +at all events, I know it was the first load of melons ever drawn from the +town of Dearborn. + +Mother's youngest sister lived in the city, and was at the store of Mr. +Cook, or "Cook & Burns," where we did some of our trading. Their store +was on Jefferson avenue. Mr. Cook was an eccentric man, and had his own +way of recommending his goods, and one which made much sport. Auntie +called for some calico. Mr. Cook took a piece off the shelf, threw it on +the counter, threw up both arms, put his hands higher than his head, then +picked it up again shook it and said: "There, who ever saw the like of +that in Michigan? Two shillings a yard! A yard wide, foot thick and the +colors as firm as the Allegheny Mountains!" + +But an old colored woman came in who rather beat the clerk. She inquired +for cheap calico; the clerk threw down some and told her the price. She +said, "Oh that is too much! I want some cheap." Then the clerk threw down +some that looked old and faded. With a broad grin, showing her teeth and +the white of her eyes not a little, she said: "Oh, ho! my goot Lo'd dat +war made when Jope war paby!" + +When father and mother had traded all they could afford, it was nearly +night, and we all got into the cart and started for home. We got upon the +Chicago road opposite where the Grand Trunk Junction now is, and stopped. +Mother thought she could not go any farther, and the oxen were tired. +Father went into a log house on the north side of the Chicago road and +asked them if they could keep us all night. They said they would, and we +turned in. They used us first-rate, and treated us with much respect. +Next morning after breakfast we went home. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE JUG OF WHISKY AND TEMPERANCE MEETING. + + +I have already said that, as money was getting short; father sold Asa +Blare half of his oxen. They thought they could winter the oxen on marsh +hay. They found some they thought very good on the creek bottom, about a +mile and a quarter from where we lived. They said they would go right at +work and cut it before some one else found it. As there was some water on +the ground, and they would have to mow in the wet, they thought they +would send and get a jug of whisky. + +In the morning we had an early breakfast, and they ground up their +scythes, then started, I with the jug, they with their scythes. We went +together as far as our new road. Father told me after I got the whisky, +to come back round the old trail to a certain place and call, when they +heard me they would come and get the jug. + +I went to Dearborn, got my jug filled, paid two shillings a gallon, or +there-abouts, and started back. When I had gone as far as the turn of the +road, where Dr. Snow now lives, out of sight, I thought to myself I'd +take a drink. I had heard that whisky made one feel good and strong and +as my jug was heavy, took what I called "a good horn;" I thought, +however, it did not taste very pleasant. After that I went on as fast as +I could, a little over a mile, till I got beyond where the road was cut +out and into the trail, when I made up my mind I was stouter and my jug +really seemed lighter. There I stopped again and took what I called "a +good lifter." It burnt a little but I went on again till I came to the +creek, then I called father who answered. + +I felt so wonderfully good that I thought I'd take one more drink +before he came in sight. So I took what I called "a good swig." When +father came he said they had found plenty of good grass and he wished +me to go and see it. I told him I didn't feel very well (I was afraid +he would discover what I had been doing, I began to feel queer) but I +followed along. + +The grass was as high as my head in places and very heavy. It was what we +call "blue-joint," mixed with a large coarse grass that grew three square +at the butt. I got to the scythes where they had been mowing, told father +I could mow that grass, took his scythe, cut a few clips and bent the +blade very badly. (He often told afterwards, how much stronger I was than +he, said he could mow the stoutest grass and not bend his scythe, but I +had almost spoiled it.) I lay down the scythe, everything seemed to be +bobbing up. I told father I was sick, he said I had better go home and I +started gladly and as quickly as possible. The ground didn't seem to me +to be entirely still, it wanted to raise up. I struck what I called a +"bee-line" for home. When I got there I told mother I was sick, threw +myself on her bed and kept as quiet as possible. When father came he +inquired how I was; I heard what he said. Mother told him I was very sick +but had got a little more quiet than I had been. He said they had better +not disturb me so I occupied their bed all night, the first time I had +ever had it all alone one night. The next morning I felt rather +crest-fallen but congratulated myself in that they did not know what the +trouble was, and they never knew (nor any of the rest of the family until +I state it now). But I knew at the time what the trouble was, and the +result was I had enough of whisky for many years, and took a decided +stand for temperance. + +Some years after that, there was a temperance meeting at a log +school-house two miles and a half west of us. I was there and the house +was full. After the opening speech, which pleased me very much, others +were invited to speak. Thinking I must have a hand in I found myself on +the floor. When I got there and commenced speaking, if it had been +reasonable, I would have said I was somebody else, I would have been glad +to have crawled out of some very small knot-hole, but I found it was I +and that there was no escaping, so I proceeded. + +Of course I did not relate my own experience, nor tell them that I had +been sick. I gave them a little of the experience of others that I had +heard. I had an old temperance song book from which I borrowed some +extracts and appropriated them as my own. I swung my arms a little and +with my finger pointed out the points. I stepped around a little and +tried to stamp to make them believe that what I said was true. As I +advanced and became more interested I spoke loud, to let them know it was +I, and that I was in earnest. I admonished them all to let whisky alone. +Told some of its pernicious effects; how much money it cost, how many +lives it had taken, how many tears it had caused to flow and how many +homes it had made desolate. + +When I came away I was pleased with myself, and thought I had made quite +a sensation. A few days afterward I met my friend, William Beal, and +asked him how the neighbors liked the temperance meeting. Of course, I +was anxious to know what they said about my speech. He told me the old +lady said I was "fluent and tonguey," that I was like a sort of a lawyer, +she named, who lived at Dearbornville. I knew this man well, and hadn't a +very good opinion of him. But what she said was not so much of a breaker +as what the old gentleman said, for I considered him in many respects a +very intelligent man. He came here from Westchester County, near +Peakskill. He owned the farm and lived on it (I have seen where he lived) +which was given to John Spaulding for the capture of Major Andre. His +occupation there was farming and droving. He drove cattle to New York +city in an early day, when that great metropolis was but a small city. I +have often heard him tell about stopping at Bullshead. He said that was +the drovers' headquarters. I know he was worth ten thousand dollars +there, at one time; how much more I cannot say, but somehow his thousands +dwindled to hundreds and he came here to seek a second fortune. + +Of course I thought a man of his experience was capable of forming a +pretty correct opinion of me. He said, "Who is he? His father brought him +here, and dropped him in the woods; he's been to mill once and to meeting +twice. What does he know?" + +When I heard this it amused me very much, although the decision seemed +to be against me. I made no more inquiries about temperance meeting, in +fact, I didn't care to hear any more about it. + +Writing my first temperance effort has blown all the wind out of my +sails, and if I were not relating actual occurrences I should certainly +be run ashore. As it is, sleep may invigorate and bring back my memory. +When relating facts it is not necessary to call on any muse, or fast, or +roam into a shady bower, where so many have found their thoughts. When +relating facts, fancy is hot required to soar untrodden heights where +thought has seldom reached; but too freely come back all the weary days, +the toils, fears and vexations of my early life in Michigan, if not +frightened away by the memory of the decision of the old lady and +gentleman, on my temperance speech. + +Perhaps I should say, in honor of that old gentleman, Mr. Joseph Pardee, +now deceased, that he was well advanced in years when he came to +Michigan, in the fall of 1833, stuck his stakes and built the first log +house on the Ecorse, west of the French settlement, at its mouth, on +Detroit River. He was a man of a strong-mind and an iron will. He cleared +up his land, made it a beautiful farm, rescued it from the wilderness, +acquired, in fact, a good fortune. When he died, at the good old age of +eighty-one years, he left his family in excellent circumstances. He died +in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +HOW WE FOUND OUR CATTLE. + + +The old cow always wore the bell. Early in the spring, when there were no +flies or mosquitoes to drive them up the cattle sometimes wandered off. +At such times, when we went to our chopping or work, we watched them, to +see which way they went, and listened to the bell after they were out of +sight in order that we might know which way to go after them if they +didn't return. Sometimes the bell went out of hearing but I was careful +to remember which way I heard it last. + +Before night I would start to look for them, going in the direction I +last heard them. I would go half a mile or so into the woods, then stop +and listen, to see if I could hear the faintest sound of the bell. If I +could not hear it I went farther in the same direction then stopped and +listened again. Then if I did not hear it I took another direction, went +a piece and stopped again, and if I heard the least sound of it I knew it +from all other bells because I had heard it so often before. + +That bell is laid up with care. I am now over fifty years old, but if +the least tinkling of that bell should reach my ear I should know the +sound as well as I did when I was a boy listening for it in the woods +of Michigan. + +When I found the cattle I would pick up a stick and throw it at them, +halloo very loudly and they would start straight for home. Sometimes, in +cloudy weather, I was lost and it looked to me as though they were going +the wrong way, but I followed them, through black-ash swales where the +water was knee-deep, sometimes nearly barefooted. + +I always carried a gun, sometimes father's rifle. The deer didn't seem to +be afraid of the cattle; they would stand and look at them as they passed +not seeming to notice me. I would walk carefully, get behind a tree, and +take pains to get a fair shot at one. When I had killed it I bent bushes +and broke them partly off, every few rods, until I knew I could find the +place again, then father and I would go and get the deer. + +Driving the cattle home in this way I traveled hundreds of miles. There +was some danger then, in going barefooted as there were some massassauga +all through the woods. As the country got cleared up they disappeared, +and as there are neither rocks, ledges nor logs, under which they can +hide, I have not seen one in many years. + +One time the cattle strayed off and went so far I could not find them. I +looked for them until nearly dark but had to return without them. I told +father where I had been and that I could not hear the bell. The next +morning father and I started to see if we could find them. We looked two +or three days but could not find or hear anything of them. We began to +think they were lost in the wilderness. However, we concluded to look one +more day, so we started and went four or five miles southeast until we +struck the Reed creek. (Always known as the Reed creek by us for the +reason, a man by the name of Reed came with his family from the State of +New York, built him a log house and lived there one summer. His family +got sick, he became discouraged, and in the fall moved back to the State +of New York. The place where he lived, the one summer, was about two +miles south of our house and this creek is really the middle branch of +the Ecorse). + +There was no settlement between us and the Detroit River, a distance of +six miles. We looked along the Reed creek to see if any cattle had +crossed it. + +While we were looking there we heard the report of a rifle close by us +and hurried up. It was an Indian who had just shot a duck in the head. +When we came to him father told him it was a lucky shot, a good shot to +shoot it in the head. He said, "Me allers shoot head not hurt body." He +took us to his wigwam, which was close by, showed us another duck with +the neck nearly shot off. Whether he told the truth, or whether these two +were lucky shots, I cannot tell, but one thing I do know, in regard to +him, if he told us the truth he was an extraordinary man and marksman. + +Around his wigwam hung from half a dozen to a dozen deer skins; they hung +on poles. His family seemed to consist of his squaw and a young squaw +almost grown up. Father told him we had lost our cattle, oxen and cow, +and asked him if he had seen them. We had hard work to make him +understand what we meant. Father said--cow--bell--strap round neck--he +tried to show him, shook his hand as if jingling a bell. Then father +said, oxen--spotted--white--black; he put his hand on his side and said: +black--cow--bell--noise, and then said, as nearly as we could understand, +"Me see them day before yesterday," and he pointed in the woods to tell +us which way. Father took a silver half-dollar out of his pocket, showed +it to the Indian, and told him he should have it if he would show us the +cattle. He wiped out his rifle, loaded it and said, "Me show." He took +his rifle and wiper and started with us; we went about half a mile and he +showed us where he had seen them. We looked and found large ox's tracks +and cow's tracks. I thought, from the size and shape of them, they were +our cattle's tracks. The Indian started upon the tracks, father followed +him, and I followed father. When we came to high ground, where I could +hardly see a track; the Indian had no trouble in following them, and he +went on a trot. I had hard work to keep up with him. I remember well how +he looked, with his bowing legs, it seemed as if he were on springs. He +moved like an antelope, with such ease and agility. He looked as if he +hardly touched the ground. + +The cattle, in feeding round, crossed their own tracks sometimes. The +Indian always knew which were the last tracks. He followed all their +crooks, we followed him by sight, which gave us a little the advantage, +and helped us to keep in sight. He led us, crooking about in this way, +for nearly two hours, when we came in hearing of the bell. I never had a +harder time in the woods but once, and it was when I was older, stronger, +and better able to stand a chase, that time I was following four bears, +and an Indian tried to get them away. I was pleased when we got to the +cattle. Father paid the Indian the half-dollar he had earned so well, and +thanked him most heartily, whether he understood it or not. Father asked +the Indian the way home, he said, "My house, my wigwam, which way my +home?" The Indian pointed with his wiper, and showed us the way. + +Father said afterward, it was strange that the Indian should know where +he lived, as he had never seen him before. I never saw that Indian +afterward. + +The cattle were feeding on cow-slips and leeks, which grew in abundance, +also on little French bogs that had just started up. We hallooed at them +very sharply and they started homeward, we followed them, and that night +found our cattle home again. Mother and all the children were happy to +see them come, for they were our main dependence. They were called many +dear names and told not to go off so far any more. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +TROUBLE CAME ON THE WING. + + +Among the annoyances common to man and beast in Michigan, of which we +knew nothing where we came from, were some enormous flies. There were two +kinds that were terrible pests to the cattle. They actually ate the hide +off, in spots. First we put turpentine, mixed with sufficient grease so +as not to take the hair off, on those spots. But we found that fish oil +was better, the flies would not bite where that was. + +What we called the ox-flies were the most troublesome. In hot weather and +in the sun, where the mosquitoes didn't trouble, they were most numerous. +They would light on the oxen in swarms, on their brisket, and between +their legs where they could not drive them off. I have frequently struck +these flies with my hand and by killing them got my hand red with the +blood of the ox. + +The other species of flies, we called Pontiacers. This is a Michigan +name, and originated I was told, from one being caught near Pontiac with +a paper tied or attached to it having the word Pontiac written upon it. + +These flies were not very numerous; sometimes there were three or four +around at once. When they were coming we could hear and see them for some +rods. Their fashion was to circle around the oxen before lighting on +them. I frequently slapped them to kill them, sometimes I caught them, in +that case they were apt to lose their heads, proboscis and all. These +flies were very large, some were black and some of the largest were +whitish on the front of the back. I have seen some of them nearly as +large as young humming birds. The Germans tell me they have this kind of +fly in Germany. But with the mosquitoes, these flies have nearly +disappeared. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +HARD TIMES FOR US IN MICHIGAN, 1836-7. + + +The oxen having worked hard and been used to good hay, which we bought +for them, grew poor when they were fed on marsh hay. Then Mr. Blare +wanted to sell his part to father; then the cattle would not have so much +to do. Father was not able to buy them, as his money was nearly gone. He +said he would mortgage his lot for one hundred dollars, buy them back, +buy another cow and have a little money to use. + +He said he could do his spring's work with the cattle, then turn them +off, fatten them, and sell them in the fall for enough to pay the +mortgage. Mother said all she could to prevent it, for she could not bear +the idea of having her home mortgaged. It seemed actually awful to me, +for I thought we should not be able to pay it, and in all probability we +should lose the place. I said all I could, but to no avail. The whole +family was alarmed; one of the small children asked mother what a +mortgage was, she replied that it was something that would take our home +away from us, if not paid. + +Father went to Dearbornville and mortgaged his lot to Mrs. Phlihaven, a +widow woman, for one hundred dollars, said to be at seven per cent., as +that was lawful interest then. We supposed, at the time, he got a hundred +dollars, but he got only eighty. Probably the reason he did not let us +know the hard conditions of the mortgage, was because we opposed it so. +Mrs. Phlihaven said as long as he would pay the twenty dollars shave +money, and the seven dollars interest annually, she would let it run. And +it did run until the shave money and interest more than ate up the +principal. + +Father bought the oxen back for the old price, forty dollars, and bought +another cow, of Mr. McVay, for which he paid eighteen dollars, leaving +him twenty-two dollars of the hired money. + +It was now spring, the oxen became very poor, one of them was taken sick +and got down. Father said he had the hollow horn and doctored him for +that; but I think to day, if the oxen had had a little corn meal, and +good hay through the winter, they would have been all right. + +After the ox got down, and we could not get him up he still ate and +seemed to have a good appetite. I went to Dearbornville, bought hay at +the tavern and paid at the rate of a dollar a hundred. I tied it up in a +rope, carried it home on my back and fed it to him. Then I went into the +woods, with some of the other children, and gathered small brakes that +lay flat on the ground. They grew on beech and maple land, and kept green +all winter. The ox ate some of them, but he died; our new cow, also, died +in less than two weeks after father bought her. Then we had one ox, our +old cow, and two young cattle we had raised from her, that we kept +through the spring. In the summer the other ox had the bloody murrain +and he died. + +Then we had no team, no money to get a team with, and our place was +mortgaged. Now when father got anything for the family he had to bring it +home himself. We got out of potatoes, these he bought at Dearbornville, +paid a dollar a bushel for them, and brought them home on his back. He +sent me to the village for meal. I called for it and the grocerman +measured it to me in a quart measure which was little at the top, such as +liquors are measured with. I carried the meal home. In this way we had to +pack home everything we bought. + +When potatoes got ripe we had plenty of the best. On father's first visit +to Michigan he was told that the soil of Michigan would not produce good +potatoes. We soon found that this was a mistake for we had raised some +good ones before, but not enough to last through the summer. + +We still had wheat but sometimes had to almost do without groceries. We +always had something to eat but sometimes our living was very poor. +Sometimes we had potatoes and milk and sometimes thickened milk. This was +made by dampening flour, rolling it into fine lumps and putting them into +boiling milk with a little salt, and stirring it until it boiled again. +This was much more palatable than potatoes and milk. + +One afternoon two neighbors' girls came to visit us. They stayed late. +After they went away I asked mother why she didn't give them some tea; +she said she had no tea to give them, and that if she had given them the +best she had they would have gone away and told how poor we were. + +Mother had been used to better days and to treating her guests well, and +her early life in Michigan did not take all of her spirit away. She was a +little proud as well as I, but I have learned that pride, hard times and +poverty are very poor companions. It was no consolation to think that the +neighbors, most of them, were as bad off as we were. This made the thing +still worse. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +A SUMMER HUNT. + + +Father and I went hunting one day. I took my shot-gun, loaded with half a +charge of shot and three rifle bullets, which just chambered in the +barrel, so I thought I was ready to shoot at anything. Father went ahead +and I followed him; we walked very carefully in the woods looking for +deer; went upon a sand ridge where father saw a deer and shot at it. I +recollect well how it looked; it was a beautiful deer, almost as red as a +cherry. After he shot, it stood still. I asked father, in a whisper, if I +might not shoot. He said, "Keep still!" (I had very hard word to do so, +and think if he had let me shot, I should have given it a very loud call, +at least, I think I should have killed it.) Father loaded his rifle and +shot again. The last time he shot, the deer ran away. We went to the +place where it had stood. He had hit it for we found a little blood; but +it got away. + +It is said "the leopard cannot change his spots nor the Ethiopian his +skin," but the deer, assisted by nature, can change both his color and +his hide. In summer the deer is red, and the young deer are covered with +beautiful spots which disappear by fall. The hair of the deer is short in +summer and his hide is thick. At this time the hide is most valuable by +the pound. His horns grow and form their prongs, when growing we call +them in their velvet; feel of them and they are soft, through the summer +and fall, and they keep growing until they form a perfect horn, hard as a +bone. By the prongs we are able to tell the number of years old they are. + +In the fall of the year when an old buck has his horns fully grown to see +him running in his native forest is a beautiful sight. At that season his +color has changed to a bluish grey. When the weather gets cold and it +freezes hard his horns drop off, and he has to go bareheaded until +spring. Then his hair is very long and grey. Deer are commonly poor in +the spring, and at this season their hide is very thin and not worth +much. So we see the deer is a very singular animal. As I have been going +through the woods I have often picked up their horns and carried them +home for curiosities. They were valuable for knife-handles. + +When the old buck is started from his bed and is frightened how he +clears the ground. You can mark him from twenty to thirty feet at every +jump. (I have measured some of his jumps, by pacing, and found them to +be very long, sometimes two rods.) How plump he is, how symmetrically +his body is formed, and how beautiful the appearance of his towering, +branching antlers! As he carries them on his lofty head they appear like +a rocking chair. As he sails through the air, with his flag hoisted, he +sometimes gives two or three of his whistling snorts and bids defiance +to all pursuers in the flight. He is able to run away from any of his +enemies, in a fair foot race, but not always able to escape from flying +missiles of death. + +Before the fawn is a year old, if frightened and startled from its bed, +it runs very differently from the old deer. Its jump is long and high. +It appears as though it were going to jump up among the small tree tops. +The next jump is short and sometimes sidewise, then another long jump +and so on. It acts as though it did not know its own springs, or were +cutting up its antics, and yet it always manages to keep up with the +rest of the deer. + +[Illustration] + +Father had killed some deer. He shot one of the largest red bucks I had +seen killed. After this we wanted meat. Father said we'll go hunting and +see if we can get a deer. He said I might take his rifle and he would +take my gun. (For some reason or other he had promoted me, may be he +thought I was luckier than he.) We started out into the woods south of +our house, I went ahead. There was snow on the ground, it was cold and +the wind blew very hard. We crossed the windfall. This was a strip of +land about eighty rods wide. It must have been a revolving whirlwind that +past there, for it had taken down pretty much all the timber and laid it +every way. Nothing was left standing except some large trees that had +little tops, these were scattered here and there through the strip. It +struck the southeast corner of what was afterward our place. Here we had +about three acres of saplings, brush and old logs that were windfalls. + +I think this streak of wind must have passed about ten years before we +came to the country. It came from the openings in the town of Taylor, +went a northeast course until it struck the Rouge (after that I have no +knowledge of it.) In this windfall had grown up a second growth of +timber, saplings and brush, so thick that it was hard work to get through +or see a deer any distance. We got south of the windfall and scared up a +drove of deer, some four or five. + +The woods were cracking and snapping all around us; we thought it was +dangerous and were afraid to be in the woods. Still we thought we would +run the risk and follow the deer. They ran but a little ways, stopped and +waited until we came in sight, then ran a little ways again. They seemed +afraid to run ahead and huddled up together, the terrible noise in the +timber seemed to frighten them. The last time I got sight of them they +were in a small opening standing by some large old logs. I remember well +to this day just how the place looked. I drew up the rifle and shot. +Father was right behind me; I told him they didn't run. He took the rifle +and handed me my gun, saying, "Shoot this." I shot again, this gun was +heavily loaded and must have made a loud report, but could not have been +heard at any great distance on account of the roaring wind in the +tree-tops. The deer were still in sight, I took the rifle, loaded it, and +shot again; then we loaded both guns but by this time the deer had +disappeared. We went up to where they had stood and there lay a beautiful +deer. Then we looked at the tracks where the others had run off, and +found that one went alone and left a bloody trail, but we thought best to +leave it and take home the one we had killed. When we got home we showed +our folks what a fat heavy deer we had and they were very much pleased, +as this was to be our meat in the wilderness. + +A man by the name of Wilson was at our house and in the afternoon he +volunteered to go with us after the other deer. We took our dog and +started taking our back tracks to where we left; we followed the deer but +a very little ways before we came across the other one we had hit; it had +died, and we took it home, thinking we had been very fortunate. Here I +learned that deer could be approached in a windy time better than in any +other. I also learned that the Almighty, in His wisdom, provided for his +creatures, and caused the elements, wind and snow, to work together for +their good. + +Now we were supplied with meat for a month, with good fat venison, not +with quails, as God supplied his ancient people over three thousand years +before, in the wilderness of Sinai, or at the Tabernacle, where six +hundred thousand men wept for flesh, and there went forth a wind and +brought quails from the Red Sea. No doubt they were fat and delicious, +and the wind let them fall by the camp, and around about the camp, for +some distance. They were easily caught by hungry men. Thus was the wind +freighted with flesh to feed that peculiar people a whole month and more. + +When the terrific wind, that helped us to capture the deer, raged through +the tree-tops it sounded like distant thunder. It bent the tall trees, in +unison, all one way, as if they agreed to bow together before the power +that was upon them. When they straightened up they shook their tops as +though angry at one another, broke off some of the limbs which they had +borne for years, and sent them crashing to the ground. + +Some of the trees were blown up by the roots, and if allowed to remain +would in time form such little mounds as we children took to be Indian +graves when we first came into the woods. Those little mounds are +monuments, which mark the places where some of those ancient members of +the forest stood centuries ago, and they will remain through future ages +unless obliterated by the hand of man. + +We thought that the wind blew harder here than in York State, where we +came from. We supposed the reason was that the mountains and hills of New +York broke the wind off, and this being a flat country with nothing to +break the force of the wind, except the woods, we felt it more severely. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +HOW WE GOT INTO TROUBLE ONE NIGHT, AND I SCARED. + + +One warm day in winter father and I went hunting. I had the rifle that +day. We went south, crossed the windfall and Reed creek, and went into +what we called the "big woods." We followed deer, but seemed to be very +unlucky, for I couldn't shoot them. We travelled in the woods all day and +hunted the best we could. + +Just at sundown, deer that have been followed all day are apt to stop and +browse a little. Then if the wind is favorable and blowing from them to +you, it is possible to get a shot at them; but if the wind is blowing +from you to them, you can't get within gunshot of them. They will scent +you. They happened to be on the windward side, as we called it. I got a +shot at one and killed it. It was late and, carelessly, I didn't load the +rifle. It being near night, I thought I should not have a chance to shoot +anything more. + +It was my custom to load the rifle after shooting, and if I didn't have +any use for it before, when I got near home, I shot at a mark on a tree +or something. In that way I practiced shooting and let the folks know I +was coming. In this way I also kept the rifle from rusting, as sometimes +it was wet; when I got into the house I cleaned it off and wiped it out. + +In a few minutes we had skinned the two fore quarters out. Then we +wrapped the fore part of the hide around the hind quarters, and each took +a half and started. It was now dark, and we did not like to undertake +going home straight through the woods, so took our way to the Reed house, +from which there was a dim path through to Pardee's, and we could find +our way home. + +We were tired and hungry, and our feet were wet from travelling through +the soft snow. As Mr. Reed had moved away there was no one in the house, +and we went in and kindled a fire in the fireplace. The way we did it, I +took some "punk" wood out of my pocket, held flint stone over it, struck +the flint with my knife, and the punk soon took fire. We put a few +whitlings on it, then some sticks we had gathered in the way near by the +house. We soon had a good fire and were warming and drying our feet. + +This "punk" I got from soft maple trees. When I wanted some I went into +the woods and looked for an oldish tree, looked up, and if I could see +black knots on the body of the tree, toward the top, I knew there was +"punk" wood in it and would cut it down, then cut half way through the +log, above and below the black knot, and split it off. In the center of +the log I was sure to find "punk" wood. Sometimes, in this way, I got +enough to last a year or two from one tree. It was of a brown color and +was found in layers, which were attached and adhered together. When I +chopped a tree I took out all I could find, carried it home, laid it up +in a place where it would get drier, and it was always ready for use. + +We had to use the utmost precaution not to get out of this material. +Sometimes I have known my little Michigan sister, Abbie, to go more than +a quarter of a mile, to the Blare place, to borrow fire; on such +occasions we had to wait for breakfast until she returned. I do not know +that the fire was ever paid back, but I do know that we had callers +frequently when the errand was to borrow fire. + +When I went hunting I was careful to take a piece of this with me. I +broke or tore it off (it was something like tearing old cloth). With +this, a flint and a jackknife I could make a fire in case night overtook +me in the woods and I could not get out. Fire was our greatest protection +from wild animals and cold in the night. This was the way we kindled our +fire in the Reed house, before "Lucifer matches" or "Telegraph matches" +were heard of by us, although they were invented as early as 1833. After +we got a little comfortable and rested, and the wood burned down to coals +we cut some slices of venison, laid them on the coals and roasted them. +Although we had no salt, the meat tasted very good. + +Late in the evening we took our venison and started again. It was hard +work to follow the path in the thick woods, and we had to feel the way +with our feet mostly as it was quite dark. We had got about eighty rods +from the house when, as unexpected as thunder in the winter, broke upon +our startled ears the dismal yells and awful howls of wolves. No doubt +they had smelled our venison and come down from the west, came down +almost upon us and broke out with their hideous yells. The woods seemed +to be alive with them. Father said: "Load the rifle quick!" I dropped my +venison, and if ever I loaded a gun quick, in the dark, it was then. I +threw in the powder, ran down a ball without a patch, and, strange to +say, before I got the cap on the wolves were gone, or at least they were +still, we didn't even hear them run or trot. What it was that frightened +them we never knew; whether it was our stopping so boldly or the smell +of the powder, or what, I cannot say; but we did refuse to let them have +our venison. We got away with it as quickly as possible and carried it +safety home. + +Another wolf adventure worth relating: I had been deer hunting; I had +been off beyond what we called the Indian hill and was returning home. I +was southwest of this hill, and on the north side of a little ridge which +ran to the hill, when two wolves came from the south. They ran over the +little ridge, crossing right in front of me, to go into a big thicket +north. I had my rifle on them. They did halt, but in shooting very +quickly I did not get a very good sight, however, I knocked one down and +thought I had killed him. (They were just about of a size, and when I +shot, the other went back like a flash the way he came from.) I loaded +the rifle, but before I had it loaded the one I had shot got up and +looked at me. I saw what I had done. I had cut off his lower jaw, close +up, and it hung down. Another shot finished him quickly. He measured six +feet from the end of his nose to the point of his tail. + +I have seen many wolves, I have seen them in shows, but never saw any +that compared in size with these Michigan wolves. It takes a very +large, long dog to measure five feet. There was a bounty on wolves. I +went down through the woods to Squire Goodel's, who lived near the +Detroit river, got him to make out my papers and got the bounty. These +pests were more shy in the day-time. They were harder to get a shot at +than the deer. There were many of them in the woods, and we heard them +so often nights that we became familiar with them. When the "Michigan +Central Railroad" was built, and the cars ran through Dearborn, there +was something about the iron track, or the noise of the cars which +drove them from the country. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE INDIANS VISIT US--THEIR STRANGE AND PECULIAR WAYS. + + +Some three or four years after we came to the country there came a +tribe, or part of a tribe, of Indians and camped a little over a mile +southwest of our house, in the timber, near the head of the windfall +next to the openings. They somewhat alarmed us, but father said, "Use +them well, be kind to them and they will not harm us." I suppose they +came to hunt. It was in the summer time and the first we knew of them, +my little brother and two sisters had been on the openings picking +huckleberries not thinking of Indians. When they started home and got +into the edge of the woods they were in plain sight of Indians, and they +said it appeared as if the woods were full of them. They stood for a +minute and saw that the Indians were peeling bark and making wigwams: +they had some trees already peeled. + +They said they saw one Indian who had on a sort of crown, or wreath, with +feathers in it that waved a foot above his head. They saw him mount a +sorrel pony. As he did so the other Indians whooped and hooted, I +suppose to cheer the chief. Childlike they were scared and thought that +he was coming after them on horseback. They left the path and ran right +into the brush and woods, from home. When they thought they were out of +sight of the Indian they turned toward home. After they came in sight of +home, to encourage his sisters, my little brother told them, he wouldn't +be afraid of any one Indian but, he said, there were so many there it was +enough to scare anybody. When they got within twenty rods of the house +they saw some one coming beyond the house with a gun on his shoulder. One +said it was William Beal, another said it was an Indian. They looked +again and all agreed that it was an Indian. If they had come straight +down the lane, they would have just about met him at the bars, opposite +the house, (where we went through). There was no way for them to get to +the house and shun him; except to climb the fence and run across the +field. The dreaded Indian seemed to meet them everywhere, and if possible +they were more scared now than before. Brother and sister Sarah were over +the fence very quickly. Bessie had run so hard to get home and was so +scared that in attempting to climb the fence she got part way up and fell +back, but up and tried again. Sister Sarah would not leave her but helped +her over. But John S. left them and ran for his life to the house; as +soon as they could get started they ran too. Mother said Smith ran into +the house looking very scared, and went for the gun. She asked him what +was the matter, and what he wanted of the gun; he said there was an +Indian coming to kill them and he wanted to shoot him. Mother told him +to let the gun alone, the Indian would not hurt them; by this time my +sisters had got in. In a minute or two afterward the Indian came in, +little thinking how near he had come being shot by a youthful hero. + +Poor Indian wanted to borrow a large brass kettle that mother had and +leave his rifle as security for it. Mother lent him the kettle and he +went away. In a few days he brought the kettle home. + +A short time after this a number of them had been out to Dearbornville +and got some whisky. All but one had imbibed rather too freely of +"Whiteman's fire water to make Indian feel good." They came down as far +as our house and, as we had no stick standing across the door, they +walked in very quietly, without knocking. The practice or law among the +Indians is, when one goes away from his wigwam, if he puts a stick across +the entrance all are forbidden to enter there; and, as it is the only +protection of his wigwam, no Indian honorably violates it. There were ten +of these Indians. Mother was washing. She said the children were very +much afraid, not having gotten over their fright. They got around behind +her and the washtub, as though she could protect them. The Indians asked +for bread and milk; mother gave them all she had. They got upon the +floor, took hold of hands and formed a ring. The sober one sat in the +middle; the others seemed to hear to what he said as much as though he +had been an officer. He would not drink a drop of the whisky, but kept +perfectly sober. They seemed to have a very joyful time, they danced and +sang their wild songs of the forest. Then asked mother for more bread and +milk; she told them she had no more; then they asked for buttermilk and +she gave them what she had of that. As mother was afraid, she gave them +anything she had, that they called for. They asked her for whisky; she +said she hadn't got it. They said, "Maybe you lie." Then they pointed +toward Mr. Pardee's and said, "Neighbor got whisky?" She told them she +didn't know. They said again, "Maybe you lie." + +When they were ready the sober one said, "Indian go!" He had them all +start in single file. In that way they went out of sight. Mother was +overjoyed and much relieved when they were gone. They had eaten up all +her bread and used up all her milk, but I suppose they thought they had +had a good time. + +Not more than two or three weeks after this the Indians moved away, and +these children of the forest wandered to other hunting grounds. We were +very much pleased, as well as the other neighbors, when they were gone. + +Father had a good opinion of the Indians, though he had been frightened +by the first one, John Williams, and was afraid of losing his life by +him. He considered him an exception, a wicked, ugly Indian. Thought, +perhaps, he had been driven away from his own tribe, and was like Cain, a +vagabond upon the face of the earth. He was different from other Indians, +as some of them had the most sensitive emotions of humanity. If you did +them a kindness they would never forget it, and they never would betray a +friend; but if you offended them or did them an injury, they would never +forget that either. These two traits of character run parallel with their +lives and only terminate with their existence. + +I recollect father's relating a circumstance that happened in the +State of New York, about the time of the Revolutionary War. He said an +Indian went into a tavern and asked the landlord if he would give him +something to eat. The landlord repulsed him with scorn, told him he +wouldn't give him anything and to get out of the house, for he didn't +want a dirty Indian around. There was a gentleman sitting in the room +who saw the Indian come in and heard what was said. The Indian started +to go; the gentleman stepped up and said: "Call him back, give him what +he wants, and I'll pay for it." The Indian went back, had a good meal +and was well used; then he went on his way and the gentleman saw him no +more, at that time. + +Shortly after this the gentleman emigrated to the West, and was one of +the advanced guards of civilization. He went into the woods, built him a +house and cleared a piece of land. About this time there was a war in the +country. He was taken captive and carried away a long distance, to an +Indian settlement. He was tried, by them, for his life, condemned to +death and was to be executed the next morning. He was securely bound and +fastened. The chief detailed an Indian who, he thought, knew something of +the whites and their tricks and would be capable of guarding the captive +safely, and he was set as a watch to keep him secure until morning. I +have forgotten what father said was to have been the manner of his +execution; whether he was to be tomahawked or burned, at all events he +was to meet his fate in the morning. Late in the night, after the +warriors were fast asleep and, perhaps, dreaming of their spoils, when +everything was still in the camp, the Indian untied and loosed the +captive, told him to be careful, still, and follow him. After they were +outside the camp, out of hearing, the Indian told the white man that he +was going to save his life and show him the way home. They traveled until +morning and all that day, and the night following, the next morning they +came out in sight of a clearing and the Indian showed him a house and +asked him if he knew the place; he said he did. Then the Indian asked him +if he knew him; he told him that he did not. Then he referred him to the +tavern and asked if he remembered giving an Indian something to eat. He +said he did. "I am the one," said the Indian, "and I dare not go back to +my own tribe, they would kill me." Here the friends par Led to meet no +more. One went home to friends and civilization; the other went an exile +without friends to whom he dared go, with no home, a fugitive in the +wilderness. + +There was a man by the name of H. Moody who often visited at father's +house he told me that when he was young he was among the Mohawk Indians +in Canada. This tribe formerly lived in what is now the State of New +York. They took up on the side of the English, were driven away to Canada +and there settled on the Grand River. Mr. Moody was well acquainted with +the sons of the great chief, Brant, and knew the laws and customs of the +tribe. He said when they considered one of their tribe very bad they set +him aside and would have nothing to do with him. + +If one murdered another of the same tribe he was taken up and tried by a +council, and if it was found to be wilful murder, without any cause, he +was condemned and put to death; but if there were any extenuating +circumstances which showed that he had some reason for it, he was +condemned and sentenced, by the chief, to sit on the grave of his victim +for a certain length of time. That was his only hope and his "City of +refuge." If any of the relatives of the deceased wanted to kill him +there they had a right (according to their law) to do so. If he remained +and lived his time out, on the horrible place, he was received back +again to the fellowship of his tribe. This must have been a terrible +punishment. It showed, however, the Indian's love of his tribe and +country, to sit there and think of the danger of being shot or +tomahawked, and of the terrible deed he had committed. He had taken away +what he could never give. How different was his case from the one who +left tribe, friends and home, and ran away to save the life of a white +man who had given him bread. + +About two and a half miles southwest of our house there was a large sand +hill. Huckleberries grew there in abundance. I went there and picked some +myself. On the top of that hill we found Indian graves, where some had +been recently buried. There were pens built of old logs and poles around +them, and we called it the "Indian Hill." It is known by that name to +this day. The old telegraph road runs right round under the brow of this +hill. This hill is in the town of Taylor. I don't suppose there are many +in that town who do not know the hill or have heard of it, and but few in +the town of Dearborn. I don't suppose there are six persons living who +know the reason it is called the "Indian Hill" for we named it in a very +early day. + +Some twelve or fifteen years after this a man by the name of Clark had +the job of grading down a sand hill nearly a mile south of Taylor Center. +In grading he had to cut down the bank six or seven feet and draw it off +on to the road. He hired me with my team to go and help him. I went. He +had been at work there before and he showed me some Indian bones that he +had dug up and laid in a heap. He said that two persons were buried +there. From the bones, one must have been very large, and the other +smaller. He had been very careful to gather them up. He said he thought +they were buried in a sitting or reclining posture, as he came to the +skulls first. The skulls, arm and thigh bones were in the best state of +preservation, and in fact, the most that was left of them. + +I took one thigh bone that was whole, sat down on the bank and we +compared it with my own. As I was six feet, an inch and a half, we tried +to measure the best we could to learn the size of the Indian. We made up +our minds that he was at least seven, or seven and a half, feet tall. I +think it likely it was his squaw who sat by his side. They must have been +buried a very long time. We dug a hole on the north side of a little +black oak tree that stood on the hill west of the road, and there we +deposited all that remained of those ancient people. I was along there +the other day (1875) and as I passed I noticed the oak. It is now quite a +large tree; I thought there was no one living in this country, but me, +who knew what was beneath its roots. No doubt that Indian was a hunter +and a warrior in his day. He might have heard, and been alarmed, that the +white man had come in big canoes over the great waters and that they were +stopping to live beyond the mountains. But little did he think that in a +few moons, or "skeezicks" as they called it, he should pass to the happy +hunting ground, and his bones be dug up by the white man, and hundreds +and thousands pass over the place, not knowing that once a native +American and his squaw were buried there. That Indian might have sung +this sentiment: + +"And when this life shall end, + When calls the great So-wan-na, +Southwestern shall I wend, + To roam the great Savannah." + +--_Bishop_, + +No doubt he was an observer of nature. In his day he had listened to the +voice of Gitche Manito, or the Great Spirit, in the thunder and witnessed +the display of his power in the lightning, as it destroyed the monster +oak and tore it in slivers from top to bottom, and the voice of the wind, +all told him that there was a Great Spirit. It told him if Indian was +good he would go to a better place, where game would be plenty, and, no +one would drive him away. No doubt he had made preparation for his +departure and wanted his bow, arrow, and maybe other things, buried with +him. If this was so they had disappeared as we found nothing of the kind. +It is known to be the belief of the Indian in his wild state, that he +will need his bow and arrow, or his gun and powder horn, or whatever he +has to hunt with here, to use after lie has passed over to the happy +hunting ground. + +About the time that Clark dug up the bones, I became acquainted with +something that I never could account for and it has always been a +mystery to me. An Englishman was digging a ditch on the creek bottom, to +drain the creek, a little over three-quarters of a mile west of +father's house. He was digging it six feet wide and two feet deep, where +brush called grey willows stood so thick that it was impossible for a +man to walk through them. He cut the brush and had dug eight or ten +inches when he came to red earth. Some day there had been a great fire +at this place. The streak of red ground was about an inch thick, and in +it he found what all called human bones. I went to see it myself and the +bones we gathered up were mostly small pieces, no whole ones; but we saw +enough to convince us that they were human bones. The ground that was +burned over might have been, from the appearance, twelve feet square. It +must have been done a great many years before, for the ground to make, +and the brush to grow over it. + +This creek, the Ecorse, not being fed by any rivulets or springs from +hills or mountains, is supplied entirely by surface water. It is +sometimes quite a large stream, but during dry weather in the summer time +it is entirely dry. The Englishman was digging it deeper to take off the +surface water when it came. + +It is possible that, sometime, Indians had burned their captives there. +In fact there is no doubt of it. It must have been the work of Indians. +We may go back in our imaginations to the time, when the place where the +city of Detroit now stands was an Indian town or village, and ask its +inhabitants if they knew who were burned twelve miles west of there on a +creek, they might not be able to tell. We might ask the giant Indian of +the sand hill, if he knew, and he might say, "I had a hand in that; it +was in my day." But we have no medium, through which we can find out the +dark mysteries of the past. They will have to remain until the light of +eternity dawns, and all the dead who have ever lived are called to be +again, and to come forth. Then the dark mysteries of the past which have +been locked up for centuries will be revealed. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE--A PICTURE FROM MEMORY. + + +As I have been led away, for some years, following poor Indian in his +belief, life and death, and in doing so have wandered from my story, I +will now return to the second or third year of our settlement. I +described how the body of our second house was made, and the roof put on. +I now look at its interior. The lower floor was made of whitewood boards, +in their rough state, nailed down. The upper floor was laid with the same +kind of boards, though they were not nailed When they shrunk they could +be driven together, to close the cracks. The chimney was what we called a +"stick" or "Dutch chimney." The way it was built; two crooked sticks, six +inches wide and four inches thick, were taken for arms; the foot of these +sticks were placed on the inner edge or top of the second log of the +house, and the upper ends laid against the front beam of the chamber +floor. These sticks or arms were about six feet apart at the mouth of the +chimney. Father cut a green black oak and sawed off some bolts, took a +froe, that he brought from York State, and rived out shakes three inches +wide and about an inch thick. Of these and clay he laid up the chimney. +It started from the arms and the chamber beam. After it got up a little +it was like laying up a pen. He spread on some clay, then laid on four +sticks and pressed them into the clay, then spread on clay again, +covering the sticks entirely. In this way our chimney was built, and its +size, at the top, was about two by four feet. It proved to be quite a +good and safe chimney. + +[Illustration: "THE HOUSE BUILT 1836."] + +The last thing before retiring for the night, after the fire had burned +low and the big coals were covered with ashes, was to look up chimney and +see if it had taken fire. If it had, and was smoking on the inside, +father would take a ladder, set it up in the chimney, take a little water +and go up and put it out. This was seldom necessary, as it never took +fire unless the clay cracked in places, or the weather wore it off. + +When there was a small fire in the evening, I could stand on the clay +hearth and look through the chimney at the stars as they twinkled and +shone in their brightness. I could count a number of them as I stood +there. Father drove into a log, back of the fire place, two iron eyes on +which to hang a crane; they extended into the room about one foot. +Around, and at one side of these he built the back of the fireplace of +clear clay a foot thick at the bottom, but thinner when it got up to the +sticks; after the clay dried he hung the crane. It is seen that we had +no jambs to our fireplace. Father sometimes at night would get a backlog +in. I have seen those which he got green, and very large, which were +sometimes twenty inches through and five or six feet long. When he got +the log to the door, he would take a round stick as large as his arm, +lay it on the floor, so that his log would come crossways of it, and +then crowd the log. I have seen him crowd it with a handspike and the +stick would roll in opposite the fireplace. He would tell us children to +stand back and take the chairs out of the way. Then he would roll the +log into the fireplace, and very carefully so as not to break or crack +the clay hearth, for mother had all the care of that, and wished it kept +as nicely as possible. When he had the log on to suit him, he would say, +"There, I guess that will last awhile." Then he would bring in two green +sticks, six or eight inches through and about three feet long, and place +them on the hearth with the ends against the backlog. These he called +his Michigan andirons; said he was proud of them. He said they were wood +instead of iron, to be sure, but he could afford to have a new pair +whenever he wanted them. When he brought in a large fore-stick, and laid +it across his andirons, he had the foundation for a fire, for +twenty-four hours. + +On the crane hung two or three hooks, and on these, over the fire, mother +did most of her cooking. As we had no oven, mother had what we called a +bake kettle; this was a flat, low kettle, with a cast cover, the rim of +which turned up an inch or two, to hold coals. In this kettle, she baked +our bread. The way she did it; she would heat the lid, put her loaf of +bread in the kettle, take the shovel and pull out some coals on the +hearth, set the kettle on them, put the lid on and shovel some coals on +to it. Then she would watch it, turn it round a few times, and the bread +was done, and it came on the table steaming. When we all gathered around +the family board we did the bread good justice. We were favored with +what we called "Michigan appetites." Sometimes when we had finished our +meal there were but few fragments left, of anything except the loaf, +which was four or five inches through, a foot and a half across, and four +and a half feet in circumference. + +Later, mother bought her a tin baker, which she placed before the fire to +bake her bread, cake, pies, etc. This helped her very much in getting +along. It was something new, and we thought it quite an invention. Mother +had but one room, and father thought he would build an addition at the +west end of our house, as the chimney was on the east end. He built it +with a shed roof. The lower floor was made of boards, the upper floor of +shakes. These were gotten out long enough to reach from beam to beam and +they were lapped and nailed fast. + +This room had one window on the west, and a door on the east, which led +into the front room. In one corner stood a bed surrounded by curtains as +white as snow; this mother called her spare-day bed. Two chests and a few +chairs completed the furniture of this room; it was mother's sitting room +and parlor. I remember well how pleased she was when she got a rag-carpet +to cover the floor. + +Now I have in my mind's eye a view of my mother's front room. Ah! there +is the door on the south with its wooden latch and leather string. East +of the door is a window, and under it stands a wooden bench, with a water +pail on it; at the side of the window hangs the tin dipper. In the corner +beyond this stands the ladder, the top resting on one side of an opening +through which we entered the chamber. In the centre of the east end +burned the cheerful fire, at the left stood a kettle, pot and +bread-kettle, a frying pan (with its handle four feet long) and griddle +hung over them. Under the north window stood a table with its scantling +legs, crossed, and its whitewood board top, as white as hands and ashes +could scour it. Farther on, in the north-west corner stood mother's bed, +with a white sheet stretched on a frame made for that purpose, over it, +and another at the back and head. On the foot and front of the frame were +pinned calico curtains with roses and rosebuds and little birds, some +perched on a green vine that ran through the print, others on the wing, +flying to and from their straw colored nests. These curtains hung, oh, +how gracefully, around that bed! They were pinned back a little at the +front, revealing a blue and white coverlet, of rare workmanship. In the +next and last corner stood the family cupboard. The top shelves were +filled with dishes, which mother brought from the state of New York. They +were mostly blue and white, red and white and there were some on the top +shelf which the children called their "golden edged dishes." + +The bottom of the cupboard was inclosed; by opening two small doors I +could look in. I found not there the luxuries of every clime, but what +was found there was eaten with as much relish as the most costly viands +would be now. It was a place I visited often. In hooks attached to a beam +overhead hung two guns which were very frequently used. A splint broom +and five or six splint bottomed chairs constituted nearly all the +furniture of this room. Before that cheerful fire in one of those +chairs, often sat one making and mending garments, little and big. This +she did with her own hands, never having heard of a sewing machine, as +there were none in existence then. She had to make every stitch with her +fingers. We were not so fortunate as the favored people of ancient times; +our garments would wax old. + +Mother made a garment for father to work in which he called his frock. It +was made of linen cloth that she brought from the State of New York. It +was like a shirt only the sleeves were short. They reached half way to +his elbows. This he wore, in place of a shirt, when working hard in warm +weather. Southeast of the house father dug into the ground and made him +an out door cellar, in which we kept our potatoes through the winter +without freezing them. We found it very convenient. + +Father wanted a frame barn very much but that was out of his reach. We +needed some place to thrash, and to put our grain and hay, and where we +could work in wet weather, but to have it was out of the question, so we +did the next best thing, went at it and built a substitute. In the first +place we cut six large crotches, went about fourteen rods north of the +house, across the lane, dug six holes and set the two longest crotches in +the center east and west. Then put the four shorter ones, two on the +south and two on the north side so as to give the roof a slant. In the +crotches we laid three large poles and on these laid small poles and +rails, then covered the whole with buckwheat straw for a roof. We cut +down straight grained timber, split the logs open and hewed the face and +edges of them; we laid them back down on the ground, tight together and +made a floor under the straw roof. + +This building appeared from a distance something like a hay barrack. Now +we had a sort of thrashing-floor. Back of this we built a log stable. So +the north side was enclosed but the east and west ends and the south side +were open. We had to have good weather when we threshed with our flails, +as the snow or rain would blow right through it. It was a poor thing but +the best we had for several years, until father was able, then he built +him a good frame barn. It stands there on the old place yet (1875). I +often think of the old threshing floor. When I got a nice buck with large +horns I cut off the skull with the hide, so as to keep them in a natural +position, and nailed them on the corners of our threshing floor in front. +The cold and storms of winter did not affect them much. There they +remained, mute and silent, to guard the place, and let all passers by +know that a sort of a hunter lived there. Father had good courage and +worked hard. He bared his arms and brow to the adverse winds, storms, +disappointments, cares and labors of a life in the woods. He said, if he +had his health, some day we would be better off. In a few years his words +of encouragement proved true. He fought his way through manfully, like a +veteran pioneer, raised up from poverty to peace and plenty. This he +accomplished by hard labor, working days and sometimes nights. + +One time father wanted to clear off a piece of ground for buckwheat by +the first of July. He had not much time in which to do it. We had learned +that buckwheat would catch and grow very stout on new and stumpy ground. +Sometimes it filled very full and loaded heavy. It was easily gathered +and easily threshed, and helped us very much for our winter's bread. One +night after supper, father sat down and smoked his pipe; it was quite +dark when he got up, took his ax in his hand and went out. We all knew +where he had gone. It was to put up his log heaps, as he had some +burning. Mother said, "We will go and help pick up and burn." When we +started, looking towards the woods, we could see him dimly through the +darkness. As we neared him we could see his bare arms with the handspike +in his hands rolling up the logs. The fire took a new hold of them when +he rolled them together. The flames would shoot up bright, and his +countenance appeared to be a pale red, while thousands of sparks flew +above his head and disappeared in the air. In a minute there was an +awkward boy at his side with a handspike, taking hold and doing the best +he could to help, and there was mother by the light of the fires, who a +short time before in her native home, was an invalid and her life +despaired of, now, with some of her children, picking up chips and sticks +and burning them out of the way. + +We were well rewarded for our labor. The buckwheat came up and in a +little time it was all in bloom. It put on its snow white blossoms, and +the wind that caressed it, and caused it to wave, bore away on its wings +to the woods the fragrance of the buckwheat field. + +The little industrious bee came there with its comrades and extracted its +load of sweet, then flew back to its native home in the forest. There it +deposited its load, stored it away carefully against the time of need. +Nature taught the bee that a long, cold winter was coming and that it +was best to work and improve the time, and the little fellow has left us +a very bright example to follow. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +METHEGLIN OR THE DETECTED DRINK. + + +As will be remembered by the early settlers of Michigan, bee hunting and +wild honey constituted one of the comforts and luxuries of life. Father +being somewhat expert in finding bees found a number of trees, one of +which was a large whitewood and stood full a mile or more, from home. One +day he and I cut it down. It proved to be a very good tree, as far as +honey was concerned. We easily filled our buckets and returned home, +leaving a large quantity in the tree, which we intended to return and get +as soon as possible. When we returned we found to our surprise, that the +tree had caught fire and was burning quite lively where the honey was +secreted. The fire originated from the burning of some straw that father +had used in singeing the bees to prevent their ferocious attacks and +stinging. We found that the fire had melted some of the honey and that it +was running into a cavity in the tree which the bees had cleaned out. It +looked as nice as though it had dripped into a wooden bowl. Father said +there was a chance to save it, and we dipped out a pailful of nice clear +honey, except that it was tinged, somewhat, in color and made a little +bitter by the fire. + +This formed one of the ingredients used in making the metheglin. We also +secured some more very nice honey. Father said, judging from the amount +we got, he should think the tree contained at least a hundred pounds of +good honey, and I should think so too. And he said "This truly is a +goodly land; it flows with milk and honey." He also said, "I will make a +barrel of metheglin, which will be a very delicious drink for my family +and a kind of a substitute for the luxuries they left behind. It will +slake the thirst of the friendly pioneers, who may favor us with a call +in our new forest home; or those friends who come to talk over the +adventures of days now past, and the prospects of better days to come." + +But in order to make the metheglin, he must procure a barrel, and this he +had to bring some distance on his back, as we had no team. When he got +the barrel home, and ready to make his metheglin, he located it across +two sticks about three feet long and six inches through. These he placed +with the ends toward the chimney on the chamber floor, and on them next +to the chimney, he placed his barrel. He filled it with metheglin and +said that the heat of the fire below, and warmth of the chimney above, +would keep it from freezing. Being placed upon the sticks he could draw +from it at his convenience, which he was quite sure to do when any of the +neighbors called. Neighbors were not very plenty in those days and we +were always glad to see them. When they came father would take his mug, +go up the ladder and return with it filled with metheglin. Then he would +pour out a glass, hand it to the neighbor, who would usually say, "What +is it?" Father would say, "Try it and see." This they usually did. He +then told them: "This is my wine, it was taken from the woods and it is a +Michigan drink, the bees helped me to make it." It was generally called +nice. Of course he frequently, after a hard day's work, would go up in +the chamber, draw some and give us all a drink. It tasted very good to +all, and especially to me, as will be seen by what follows. It so +happened that the chamber where the barrel was kept, was the sleeping +apartment of myself and brother, John S. I played the more important part +in the "Detected drink;" at least I thought so. + +I found, by examining the barrel, that by removing a little block, which +was placed under the side, taking out the bung and putting my mouth in +its place I could roll the barrel a little, on the sticks, and by being +very careful, could get a drink with ease. Then replacing the bung and +rolling the barrel back to its place, very carefully so as not to make a +noise or arouse suspicion, I would put the block in its place thinking no +one was any wiser, but me, for the drink which I thought was very +palatable and delicious. Not like the three drinks I had taken from the +jug some time before. + +This continued for sometime very much to my comfort, as far as good drink +was concerned. It was usually indulged in at night, after I had undressed +my feet, and father and mother supposed I had retired. There was one +difficulty. I was liable to be exposed by my little brother, John S., who +slept with me; so I concluded to take him into my confidence. There were +two reasons for my doing so: first, I wished him to have something good; +and second, I wanted to have him implicated with myself, fearing that he +might reveal my proceedings. So we enjoyed it together for a few nights. +I would drink first, then hold the barrel for him while he drank. We +thought we were faring like nabobs. But alas for me! One evening brother +John S. and I retired as usual, leaving father and mother seated by the +fire, I suppose talking over the scenes of their early days or, more +probably, discussing the best way to get along and support their family +in this their new forest home. + +I thought, of course, we must have some of the good drink before we shut +our eyes for the night, and no sooner thought than we went for it. As +usual, I removed the block and out with the bung, then down with my mouth +to the bung hole and over with the barrel until the delightful liquid +reached my anxious lips. My thirst was soon slaked by a good drink, I +relished it first rate. + +Then came brother John S.' turn, and, some way, in attempting to get his +drink I let the barrel slip. He was small and I had to hold it for him, +but this time the barrel went. I grabbed for it, made some racket and +some of the metheglin came out, guggle, guggle, good, good, and down it +went to the chamber floor, which was made of loose boards. It ran through +the cracks and there was a shower below, where father and mother were +sitting. I was in a quandary. I knew I was doomed unless I could use some +stratagem to clear myself from the scrape in which I was so nicely +caught. When lo! the first thing I heard from below was father, +apparently very angry, shouting, "William! what in the world are you +doing with the metheglin barrel?" Then came my stratagem. I began to +retch and make a noise as if vomiting, and hallooed to him that I was +sick. Of course, I wanted to make him believe that it was the contents of +my stomach that was falling at his feet in place of the metheglin. He +said he knew better, it was too sudden an attack, and too much of a +shower of the metheglin falling at their feet. I found that I could not +make this ruse work. He started for me, his head appeared above the top +of the ladder, he had a candle and a gad in his hand. I had been glad to +see him often, before, and was afterward, but this time I saw nothing in +him to admire. I found I had entirely failed. I told him that I would not +do that again. "Oh honestly!" if he would only let me off, I would never +do that again. + +He would not hear one word I said, but seized hold of my arm and laid it +on. Then there might have been heard a noise outside, and for some +distance, like some striking against a boy about my size, if there had +been any one around to have heard it. He said he did not whip me so much +for the metheglin, as for lying and trying to deceive him. I do not think +I danced a horn but I did step around lively, maybe, a little on tip He +said, he thought he had cured me up, that the application he gave would +make me well. I crawled into bed very much pleased indeed to think the +mat was settled, as far as I was concerned. John S. had crawled into bed +while I was paying the penalty. Father excused him because he was so +young; he said I was the one to blame, and must stand it all. I thought +as all young Americans do that it was rather hard to get such a tanning +in Michigan, and I had begun to think myself quite a somebody. + +From that day, or night, I made up my mind that honesty was the best +policy, at all events, for me. When I went to bed, at night, after that I +gave the metheglin barrel a wide berth and a good letting alone, for I +had lost my relish for metheglin. The metheglin story is once in a while, +until this day, related by John S., especially when we all meet for a +family visit. It not unfrequently causes much laughter. I suppose the +laughter is caused as much by the manner in which he tells it (he trying +to imitate or mimic me) as its funniness. It sometimes causes a tear, +perhaps, from excessive laughter and may be, from recollections of the +past and its associations. It may once in a while cause me to give a dry +laugh, but never a sad tear since the night I spilt the metheglin. + +One way the bee-hunter took of finding bee trees was to go into the +woods, cut a sappling off, about four feet from the ground, square the +top of the stump and on this put a dish of honey in the comb. Then he +would take his ax, cut and clear away the brush around the place so that +he could see the bees fly and be able to get their course or line them. +This he called a bee stand. In the fall of the year, when there came a +warm, clear and sunny day, after the frost had killed the leaves and +flowers, and the trees were bare, was the best time to find bee trees. +Sometimes when father and I went bee-hunting he took some old honey comb, +put it on a piece of bark or on a log, set it on fire and dropped a few +drops of anise on it from a vial. If we were near a bee tree in a short +time a lone bee would come. When it came it would fly around a few times +and then light on the honey comb in the dish which it had scented. No +doubt, it had been out industriously hunting and now it had found just +what was desired. Very independently it would commence helping itself and +get as much as it could possibly carry off to its home. Then it went and, +no doubt, astonished some of its comrades with its large load of wealth. +It was obtained so quickly and easily and there was plenty more where it +came from. Then some of the other bees would accompany it back, all being +very anxious to help in securing the honey they had found ready made. In +a short time there were several bees in the dish and others were coming +and going; then it was necessary for us to watch them. It required sharp +strong eyes to get their line. They would rise and circle around, higher +and higher, until they made out their course and then start like a streak +straight for their colony. After we had staked or marked out the line the +next thing was to move the honey forty or fifty rods ahead. At this the +bees sometimes appeared a little suspicious. It was sometimes necessary +to make a few of them prisoners even while they were eating by slipping a +cover over them, and moving them ahead on the line. This made them a +little shy, however, but they soon forgot their imprisonment. They had +found too rich a store to be forsaken. After a little while they would +come flocking back and load themselves as heavily as before. If they flew +on in the same direction it was evident that the bee tree was still +ahead, and it was necessary to move the honey again. Then if the bees +flew crooked and high and zigzag it was plain to the bee-hunters that +they were in close proximity to the bee tree. When the hunters could get +sight of the bees going back or up towards the tree tops it was an easy +matter to find the bee tree, as that would be between the two stands or +right in the hunter's presence. + +The little bees had, by their unceasing industry and through their love +of gain, labored hard extracting their sweet and had laid it up +carefully. Now they pointed out their storehouse by going directly to it +when anxious eyes were watching them. The little aeronautic navigators +could be seen departing from and returning to their home. Sometimes they +went into a small hole in the side of the tree and at other times they +entered their homes by a small knot-hole in a limb near the top of the +tree. I saw that a swarm which father once found went into the tree top +more than eighty feet from the ground. At that distance they did not +appear larger than house-flies. + +The first thing that father did after finding a bee-tree was to mark it +by cutting the initials of his name on the bark with his pocket-knife. +This established his title to the bees. After that they had a legal +owner. The mark on the tree was one of the witnesses. I knew a man who +happened to find a bee tree, and said that he marked it close down to +the ground and covered the mark with leaves so that no one could find +it. That appeared more sly than wise, as it gave no notice to others, +who might find the tree, of his ownership, or of its having been +previously found. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +OUR ROAD AND HOW I WAS WOUNDED. + + +Father got our road laid out and districted for a mile and a half on the +north and south section line. One mile north of our place it struck the +Dearborn road. Father cut it out, cut all the timber on the road two rods +wide. After it was cut out I could get on the top of a stump in the road, +by the side of our place, and look north carefully among the stumps, for +a minute, and if there was any one coming, on the road, I could +distinguish them from the stumps by seeing them move. In fact we thought +we were almost getting out into the world. We could see the sand hill +where father finally bought and built his house. Father was path-master +for a number of years and he crosswayed the lowest spots and across the +black ash swales. He cut logs twelve feet long and laid them side by side +across the center of the road. Some of the logs, that he put into the +road on the lowest ground, were more than a foot through; of course +smaller poles answered where the ground was higher. We called this our +corduroy road. In doing our road work and others doing theirs, year +after year, in course of time we had the log way built across the +wettest parts of the road. When it was still I could hear a cart or +wagon, coming or going, rattling and pounding over the logs for nearly a +mile. But it was so much better than water and mud that we thought it +quite passable. We threw some clay and dirt on to the logs and it made +quite an improvement, especially in a dry time. But in a wet time it was +then, and is now, a very disagreeable road to travel, as the clay gathers +on the feet of the pedestrian, until it is a load for him to carry. This +gave it, in after times, the name of the "Hardscrabble Road." When it was +wet it was almost impossible to get through with a team and load. At such +times we had to cross Mr. Pardee's place and go around the ridge on a +road running near the old trail. Now the "Hardscrabble Road" is an old +road leading to the homes of hundreds. Sometimes there may be seen twelve +or fifteen teams at once on the last half mile of that road, besides +footmen, coming and going all in busy life. They little know the trouble +we once had there in making that road. + +Father had very hard work to get along. He had to pay Mrs. Phlihaven +twenty-seven dollars every year to satisfy her on the mortgage, as he was +not able to pay the principal. That took from us what we needed very +much. If we could have had it to get us clothes it would have helped us, +as we were all poorly clad. Some of the younger children went barefooted +all winter a number of times. I often saw their little barefooted tracks +in the snow. + +As we had no team we had to get along the best we could. Father changed +work with Mr. Pardee: he came with his oxen and plowed for us. Father +had to work two days for one, to pay him. In this way we got some plowing +done. There was a man by the name of Stockman who lived near +Dearbornville. He had a pair of young oxen. Being a carpenter, by trade, +he worked at Detroit some of the time. He would let father use his oxen +some of the time for their keeping, and that he might break them better, +as they were not thoroughly broken. They would have been some profit to +us it they had not crippled me. + +One day I was drawing logs with them. I had hitched the chain around a +log and they started. I hallooed, "Whoa!" but they wouldn't stop. They +swung the log against me, caught my leg between the log they were drawing +and the sharp end of another log and had me fast. It cut the calf of my +leg nearly in two, and tore the flesh from the bone, but did not break +it. I screamed and made an awful ado. Father and Mr. Purdy heard me and +came running as fast as they could, they took me up and carried me to the +house. It was over three long months before I could take another step +with that leg. This accident made it still harder for father. I know I +saved him a good many steps and some work. I am sure he was pleased when +I got over my lameness and so I could help him again. I took a great +interest in everything he did and helped him all I could. + +Finally father got a chance to work by the day, for the government, at +Dearbornville. He received six shillings a day in silver. He said he +would leave me, to do what I could on the place, and he would try working +for Uncle Sam a part of the time. In haying and harvesting he had to work +at home. He cut all the grass himself and it grew very stout. We found +our land was natural for timothy and white clover. The latter would come +up thick in the bottom, of itself, and make the grass very heavy. It was +my business to spread the hay and rake it up. In this way we soon got +through with our haying and harvesting. We had already seeded some land +down for pasture. We went to Dearbornville and got hayseed off of a barn +floor and scattered it on the ground, in this way we seeded our first +pasture. Father sometimes let a small piece of timothy stand until it got +ripe. Then took his cradle, cut it and I tied it up in small bundles and +then stood it up until it was dry. When dry it was thrashed out; in this +way we soon had plenty of grass seed of our own, without having to buy +it. We began to have quite a stock of cows and young cattle. We had +pasture for them a part of the time, but sometimes we had to let them run +in the woods. At night I would go after them. When I got in sight of them +I would count them, to see if they were all there. The old cow (which had +been no small part of our support and our stand-by through thick and +thin) would start and the rest followed her. When they were strung along +ahead of me and I was driving them I would think to myself: now we've got +quite a herd of cattle! From our first settlement mother wanted to, and +did, raise every calf. + +Father worked for the government what time he could spare. He had to go +two miles morning and night. He carried his dinner in a little tin pail +with a cover on it. When the days were short he had to start very early, +and when he returned it would be in the evening, I recollect very well +some things that he worked at. The arsenal and other buildings were up +when we came here. They built a large brick wall from building to +building, making the yard square. The top of the wall was about level. I +think this wall was built twelve or fifteen feet high, it incloses three +or four acres. There thousands of soldiers put on their uniforms and with +their bright muskets in their hands and knapsacks strapped upon their +backs drilled and marched to and fro. There they prepared themselves for +the service of the country and to die, if need be, in defending the old +flag of stars and stripes which waved there above their heads. Little +thought they that the ground under their feet, so beautiful and level +inside that yard was made ground, in some places for six or eight feet +deep, and that it was done at Uncle Sam's expense for the pleasure of his +boys in blue. It was their school yard in which to learn the science of +war. My father helped to grade this enclosure. They drew in sand from the +sand ridge back of the yard, from where the government barn now stands, +with one-horse carts. + +Father was very fond of Indian bread which he called "Johnny cake." When +mother had wheat bread for the rest of us she often baked a "Johnny cake" +for him. One day he took a little "Johnny cake," a cup of butter and some +venison, in his little tin pail, for his dinner. He left it as usual in +the workshop. At noon he partook of his humble repast. He said he left a +piece of his "Johnny cake" and some butter. He thought that would make +him a lunch at night, when his day's work was done and he started home. +He went for his pail and found that his lunch was gone, and in place of +it a beautiful pocket knife. + +He said there were two or three government officers viewing and +inspecting the arsenal and ground that day. He said they went into the +shop where he left his dinner pail and lunch. He was sure they were the +ones who took his lunch. He said they knew what was good, for they ate +all the "Johnny cake" and butter he had left. The knife was left open and +he thought they forgot and left it through mistake. But I think more +probably they knew something of father's history. + +He was one who would have been noticed in a crowd of workmen. I have no +doubt the boss told them that he was a splendid workman. That he had had +bad luck, that he lived on a new place, two or three miles back in the +woods, that he had a large family to support and came clear out there +every day to work. "Here is his dinner pail" one says, "let's look in it" +and what did they see but a piece of Indian bread and some butter? +Methinks, one of the officers might have said: "I have not eaten any of +that kind of bread since my mother baked it down in New England. Let's +try it." Then took out his knife, cut it in three or four pieces, spread +the butter on and they ate it. Then he said, "Here is my knife, worth +twelve shillings, I will leave it open; he shall have it. I will give it +him as an honorary present, for his being a working man, and to +compensate him for what we have eaten. It has reminded me of home." Now +if the view I have taken is correct, it shows that they were noble, +generous and manly; that they felt for the poor, in place of trifling +with their feelings. + +After father finished working there, he sold some young cattle and +managed in some way to buy another yoke of oxen. We had good hay for +them. Father went to the village and bought him a new wagon. It was a +very good iron axletree wagon, made in Dearbornville by William Halpin. +We were very much pleased to have a team again and delighted with our +new wagon. + +We had very good luck with these oxen and kept them until we got a horse +team, and in fact longer, for after I left my father's house (and I was +twenty-two years old when I left) he had them. Then he said his place was +cleared up, and the roots rotted enough so that he could get along and do +his work with horses. He sold his oxen to Mr. Purdy, and they were a good +team then. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +PROSPECT OF WAR--A.D. 1835. + + +The dark portentous cloud seemed to hang above our horizon. It looked +dark and threatening, (and more terrible because the disputants were +members of the same family). We thought it might break upon our heads at +any time. The seat of war being so near us, the country so new and +inhabitants so few, made it look still more alarming to me. I asked +father how many inhabitants we had in our territory and how many the +State of Ohio contained. He said there were as many as fifteen or twenty +to our one. I asked him if he thought the Michigan men would be able to +defend Toledo against so many. He said that Michigan was settled by the +bravest men. That almost every man owned a rifle and was a good shot for +a pigeon's head. He thought they would be able to keep them at bay until +the government would interfere and help us. He said, to, that Governor +Mason was a fearless, brave, courageous man. That he had called for +militia and volunteers and was going himself with General Brown, at the +head of his men, to defend the rights of Michigan. + +One day, about this time, I was at Dearbornville; they had a fife and +drum there and were beating up for militia and volunteers. A young man by +the name of William Ozee had volunteered. I was well acquainted with him; +he had been at our house frequently. Sometimes, in winter, he had chopped +for us and I had hunted with him. He had a good rifle and was certainly a +sharp shooter. I found that he beat me handily, but I made up my mind it +was because he had a better rifle and I was considerable younger than he. +I saw him at Dearbornville just before he went away. He told me to tell +my folks that he was a soldier and was going to the war to defend them; +that Governor Mason had called for troops and he was going with him. We +heard in a short time that he was at Toledo. We also learned that +Governor Lucas, of Ohio, with General Bell and staff, with an army of +volunteers, all equipped ready for war, had advanced as far as Fort +Miami. But Governor Mason was too quick for the Ohio Governor. He called +upon General Brown to raise the Michigan militia, and said that his bones +might bleach at Toledo before he would give up one foot of the territory +of Michigan; said he would accompany the soldiers himself, to the +disputed ground. He, with General Brown, soon raised a force of about a +thousand men and took possession of Toledo; while the Governor of Ohio, +with volunteers, was fooling away the time at Fort Miami. When we heard +that Governor Mason had arrived at Toledo, we wondered if we should hear +the roar of his cannon. Sometimes I listened. We thought if it was still +and the wind favorable, we might hear them, and we expected every day +there would be a battle. + +But when Governor Lucas learned how determined Governor Mason was, and +that he had at his back a thousand Michigan braves, and most of them +with their rifles in their hands, ready to receive him, he made up his +mind that he had better let them alone. We afterward learned that +Governor Lucas only had six or eight hundred men. The conclusion was, +that if they had attacked the Michigan boys at Toledo, they would have +gotten badly whipped, and those of them left alive would have made good +time running for the woods, and would have wished that they had never +heard of Michigan men. Perhaps the Ohio Governor thought that discretion +was the better part of valor. He employed his time for several days, +watching over the line. May be he employed some of his time thinking if +it could be possible that Governor Mason and General Brown were going to +subjugate Ohio, or at least a part of it, and annex it to the territory +of Michigan. + +Let this be as it may; while he seemed to be undecided, two commissioners +from Washington put in an appearance and remonstrated with him. They told +him what the fearful consequences, to him and his State, would be, if he +tried to follow out his plan to gain possession of the disputed +territory. These commissioners held several conferences with both +Governors. They submitted to them several propositions for their +consideration, and for the settlement of the important dispute. Their +proposition was this: that the inhabitants, residing on the disputed +ground, should be left to their own government. Obeying one or the other, +as they might prefer, without being disturbed by the authorities of +either Michigan or Ohio. They were to remain thus until the close of the +next session of Congress. Here we see the impossibility of man being +subjected to and serving two masters, for, "He will love the one and hate +the other, or hold to the one and despise the other." + +Governor Lucas was glad to get out of the scrape. He embraced the +proposition, disbanded his men and left the disputed ground. Governor +Mason considered himself master of the situation; Toledo and the disputed +territory were under his control. He would not compromise the rights of +his people, and he considered that it rightly belonged to Michigan. He +disbanded a part of his force and sent them home, but kept enough +organized so that he could act in case of emergency. He kept an eagle eye +upon the "Buckeyes" to see that our territorial laws were executed +promptly and they were executed vigorously. In doing it one Michigan man +was wounded, his would-be murderer ran away to Ohio and was protected by +Governor Lucas. The man who was wounded was a deputy-sheriff of Monroe +County. He was stabbed with a knife. His was the only blood spilled. Some +few surveyors and Ohio sympathizers were arrested and put into jail at +Monroe. But Uncle Sam put his foot down, to make peace in the family. He +said if we would submit, after awhile we might shine as a star in the +constellation of the Union. So we were promised a star in a prominent +place in the old flag and territory enough, north of us, for a State. To +be sure it is not quite so sunny a land as that near Toledo, and our +Governor and others did not like to acquiesce in the decision of the +government, yet they had to yield to Uncle Sam's superior authority. + +Then they did not imagine that the upper peninsula was so rich a mining +country. They little knew at that time that its very earth contained, in +its bosom and under its pure waters, precious metals, iron, copper and +silver enough to make a State rich. Finally our people consented and the +Territory of Michigan put on her glory as a State. Became a proud member +of the Union; her star was placed in the banner of the free. It has since +sparkled upon every sea and been seen in every port throughout the +civilized world, as the emblem of the State of Michigan. + +In the excitement of the Toledo war we looked upon the Ohio men +unfavorably. We were interested for ourselves, and might have been +somewhat selfish and conceited, and, maybe, jealous of our neighbors, and +thought them wrong in the fray. We had forgotten that there were then men +living in Ohio, in log houses and cabins, some of them as brave men as +ever walked the footstool; that they came to Michigan and rescued the +country from the invaders, the English and savages, long before some of +us knew that there was such a place as Michigan. When Michigan was almost +a trackless wilderness they crossed Lake Erie, landed at Malden, drove +the redcoats out of the fort and started them on the double quick. They +made for the Canadian woods, and the British and Indians, who held +Detroit, followed suit. They were followed by our brave William Henry +Harrison, accompanied by Ohio and Kentucky men to the Thames. There, at +one blow, the Americans subjected the most of Upper Canada and punished +the invaders of Michigan, who had the hardihood to set their hostile feet +upon her territory. It seems as though it must have been right that the +strip of country at Toledo was given to the brave men, some at least of +whom long years before, defended it with their lives and helped to raise +again the American flag at Detroit. + +In about five years from the time of the Toledo War, William Henry +Harrison, of Ohio, was nominated, by the Whig party, for President, and +John Tyler, of Virginia, for Vice President, of the United States. The +intelligence spread like wild-fire. It went from town to town and from +county to county, through the brand-new State of Michigan. General +Harrison appeared to be the coming man. The Whigs of Ohio and Michigan +met and shook hands, like brothers, over the difficulties of the past; +now they had a more patriotic undertaking before them. In union with the +rest of the Whig party of the United States, they were to elect the old +farmer of the West, the good man who loved his country. In its defence he +had won imperishable honors. After he laid down his armor he resided in a +log house and was often clad in the habiliments of a husbandman. Now he +was nominated for President of the United States. With such a candidate +for the presidency men's hearts leaped for joy in anticipation of a +victory at the ballot-box in the fall of 1840. + +The nomination of General Harrison raised quite an excitement throughout +the entire country. Even in Dearborn, what few Whigs there were in the +town united as one man, entered upon the campaign and banded themselves +together to work for the good of the Whig party. Alonzo T. Mather was one +who stood at the head of the party in Dearborn. He was a man noted for +his good religious principles, and was one of the most prominent and +influential citizens of the town. He was sent to the Legislature, at +Detroit, for Wayne county, one term and held other offices of trust and +honor. He was the chieftain of his party and one of the prime movers in +getting up a log cabin in Dearborn. This log cabin was built on large +truck wheels. When finished it appeared somewhat the shape of a log car. +It was thought necessary to have something on board to eat and drink. It +was desired to make all typical and commemorative of the veteran, +pioneer, farmer and general who had escaped the bullets of the savages at +Tippecanoe, although he was a special mark for them, without a scar and +the loss only of a lock of hair, which was clipped off by a bullet. This, +too, was the man who shared his own supplies with his soldiers when they +were reduced to the necessity of eating horse flesh. Now, in honor to +such a man, the Whig bakers of Dearborn made a "Johnny cake" at least ten +feet long and the width of it was in proportion to the length. They +patted it with care, smoothed it over nicely and baked it before the +fire. It was a good, plump cake, and nothing like it was ever seen in +Dearborn, before or since. Careful hands put it on board the log cabin, +also a barrel of hard cider was put on board. + +At this time, although the country was new, politics ran high in +Dearborn. A friendly invitation was sent around to the farmers to come, +at a certain time, with their ox-teams and help draw the log cabin to its +destination and accompany the Whig delegation with it to Detroit. I knew +one Democrat who, when invited, refused to go. He appeared to be rather +eccentric. He said, "I allow that my oxen are not broke to work on +either side, and they are too Democratic to pull on both sides of the +fence at one and the same time." He considered the excitement of the +people, their building log cabins and baking such "Johnny cakes" boyish +and foolish. He said, in fact, that those who were doing it were "on the +wrong side." Many of the Democratic frontier men admired General Harrison +for his great worth as a man and liked his having a national reputation +for bravery. They said he was an honor to America as an American citizen +and soldier, but that he was on the wrong side. + +At that time I was in my teens and looking anxiously forward for time to +help me to the elective franchise. Perhaps, I should state here that +father was a Democrat as long ago as I can remember. In York State he was +a strong Jackson man and coming into the woods of Michigan did not change +his political principles. He was an irrepressible Democrat and remained +one. Jackson was his ideal statesman. When he went to Dearbornville to +attend town meeting or election, he almost invariably carried a hickory +cane, with the bark on it as it grew, in honor of "Old Hickory." He was +always known by his townsmen as a staunch Democrat. It was natural for +his young family, to claim to be Democrats in principle, in their +isolated home. + +The first settlers in our neighborhood, on the Ecorse, were Democrats, +with one exception, and that one was Mr. Blare. He often visited at our +house, and to tease my little brother, then five or six years old, told +him that he must be a Whig, he would make a good one, that he was a Whig, +he appeared like one and so forth. Brother denied it stoutly and said +that he would not be a Whig for any one. This amused Mr. Blare very much +for some time. Finally, when he called one day, he said he was going to +have company, he could see plainly that J.S. was changing to a Whig very +fast. J.S. denied it as strongly as ever, but it was evident that the +idea of being a Whig troubled him greatly. One morning (a short time +after Mr. Blare had been talking to him) he was crying bitterly. Mother +said she thought it very strange that he should cry so and tried +sometimes, in vain, to persuade him to tell her what the trouble was. +Finally she threatened to punish him if he did not let her know what the +difficulty was. At last he said he was afraid he was turning to be a +Whig. Mother assured him that it was not so. She said there was no danger +of her little boy changing into a Whig, not in the least. J.S. has often +been reminded, since he became a man, of the time Mr. Blare came so near +making a Whig of him. + +But back to that cabin. There were plenty of men who volunteered and took +their teams. They hitched a long string of them, I think twenty-two yoke +of oxen, to the trucks. Quite a large crowd, for Dearborn, of old and +young, were on hand to witness the start. Most of them appeared very +enthusiastic. Each gave vent to some expression of admiration like the +following: "The General is the man for me;" or, "He is one of the people, +one with the people, one for the people, one with us and we are for him." +That's my sentiment, said one and another. After such exclamations and +the singing of a spirited campaign song, the order was given to start the +teams. The large wheels rolled and the log cabin began to move. Nearly +all appeared to be excited and there was some confusion of voices. Cheer +after cheer arose clear and high for the honest old farmer of North Bend. +I learned afterward that the march to Detroit was one continued ovation. + +As a matter of course, I didn't go with them. I was too busy, at that +time, taking lessons and studying my politics, and all that sort of thing +at home in the woods. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +FISHING AND BOATING. + + +In the spring of the year when the ice broke up, in the creek, the +(pike) or (pickerel) came up in great abundance from Detroit River, and +they were easily caught. At such times the water was high in the creek, +often overflowing its banks. Sometimes the Ecorse appeared like quite a +river. We made a canoe of a white-wood log and launched it on the +Ecorse. Sometimes we went fishing in the canoe. At such times it needed +two, as the pickerel were fond of lying in shallow water or where there +was old grass. By looking very carefully, on the surface of the water, I +could see small ripples that the fishes made with their fins while they +were sporting in their native element. By having a person in the back +end of the canoe, pole it carefully, toward the place where I saw the +ripples, we would get up in plain sight of them, and they could be +either speared or shot. + +I think the most successful way was shooting them, at least I preferred +it. If the fish lay near the surface of the water, I held the gun nearly +on it, and if it was six inches deep I held the gun six inches under it, +and fired. In this way, for the distance of two or three rods, I was +sure to kill them or stun them so that they turned belly up and lay till +they were easily picked up with a spear. In this way I frequently caught +a nice string. I have caught some that would weigh eight pounds apiece. +Sometimes I stood on a log that lay across the creek and watched for them +when they were running up. I recollect one cloudy afternoon I fished with +a spear and I caught as many as I wanted to carry to the house. Sometimes +they would be in a group of three, four or more together. I have seen +them, with a big fish below, and four or five smaller ones above him, +swimming along together as nicely as though they had been strung on an +invisible string, and drawn along quietly through the water. I could see +their wake as they were coming slowly up the creek keeping along one side +of it. When I first saw them in the water they looked dark, I saw it was +a group of fishes. It looked as though the smaller ones were guarding the +larger one, at least they were accompanying it. They appeared to be very +good friends, and well acquainted, and none of them afraid of being eaten +up, but any of them would have eagerly caught the smaller ones of another +species and swallowed them alive and whole. I do not know that they +devour and eat their own kind, I think not often, for nature has given +the pickerel, when young and small, the ability to move with such +swiftness that it would be impossible for a larger fish to catch them. +They will be perfectly still in the water, and if scared by anything they +will start away in any direction like a streak. They go as if it were no +effort and move with the rapidity of a dart. I have cut some of the large +pickerel open and found whole fish in them, five or six inches long. + +But I must finish describing that group of fishes! As they were swimming +up, the smaller ones kept right over the large one. I stood until they +got almost to me and I killed four of them at once and got them all. It +is known that it is not necessary to hit a fish with a bullet in order to +get it. It is the force of the bullet, or charge, striking the water that +shocks or stuns him, and causes him to turn up. + +These fish ran up two or three weeks every spring. Then those which were +not caught went back again into the Detroit River. Father made him what +he called a pike net which had two wings. By the time the fish were +running back, the water was settled into the bed of the creek. Then +father would set his net in the creek, stretch the wings across and stake +it fast. The mouth of the net opened up stream. This he called a funnel; +it was shaped like the top of a funnel. It was fastened with four hoops. +The first one was about as large around as the hoop of a flour barrel, +the next smaller, the third smaller still, and the last one was large +enough for the largest fish to go through. + +When the net was fastened around these hoops it formed a tunnel about +four feet long. Then we had a bag net eight or ten feet long. The mouth +of this was tied around the first or large hoop of the tunnel, so when +the fish came down and ran into that they could not find their way out. +Father said when the fish were running back to Detroit River, it was +right to catch them, but when they were going up everybody along the +creek ought to have a chance. I never knew him to put his net in, so +long as the fish were running up. When they got to going back, as they +most all run in the night, in the evening he would go and set his net, +and next morning he would have a beautiful lot of fish. In this way, some +springs, we caught more than we could use fresh, so salted some down for +summer use. They helped us very much, taking the place of other meat. For +years back there have hardly any fish made their appearance up the +Ecorse. Now it would be quite a curiosity to see one in the creek. I +suppose the reason they do not come up is that some persons put in gill +nets at the mouth of the Ecorse, on Detroit River, and catch them, or +stop them at least. It is known that fish will not run out of a big +water, and run up a small stream, at any time except in the night. + +These denizens of the deep have their own peculiar ways, and although man +can contrive to catch them, yet he cannot fathom the mysteries that +belong alone to them. Where they travel he cannot tell for they leave no +track behind. + +It is seen that I used a hunter's phrase in my description of holding the +gun while shooting fish. The hunter will readily understand it as given. +If he has seen a deer and it has escaped him, and you ask him why he +didn't shoot it; he almost invariably says, "I couldn't get my gun on it +before it jumped out of my sight." To such as do not understand that +phrase I will say, the expression is allowable, as the bullet or charge +of shot flies so swiftly (even in advance of the sharp report of the +gun). The distance of twenty rods or more is virtually annihilated: Hence +the expression, "I held the gun on it," (though it was rods away.) If he +sighted his gun straight toward the object he wished to hit whether it +was in the air, under water, or on the ground, he would claim that he +held his gun on it. + +I said that the bullet flew in advance of the report of the gun. That is +true, on the start, or until it struck an object. If the object was at a +reasonable distance, but if the distance proved too far, it of course +would fall behind the sound. The bullet is the bold--fearless--and often +cruel companion of the report of the gun, and loses in its velocity the +farther it flies, being impeded and resisted by the air, and at last is +left flattened and out of shape, a dead weight, while the report of the +gun passes on very swiftly, and dies away in the distance to be heard no +more. I have often heard the reports of guns very plainly that were fired +at ducks on Detroit River, six or seven miles away. With what velocity +their sounds approached me, I leave Dr. Derham to determine. According to +his calculation it must have been at the rate of eleven hundred and +forty-two feet per second. It has also been ascertained with what +velocity the ball leaves the gun and pierces the air. The following is +the practical result ascertained by the experiments of Mr. Robins, Count +Rumford, and Dr. Hutton: "A musket ball, discharged with a common charge +of powder, issues from the muzzle of the piece with a velocity between +sixteen and seventeen hundred feet in a second." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +HOW I GOT IN TROUBLE RIDING IN A CANOE. + + +I often rode in my canoe when I did not go fishing. I took one ride in it +that I shall always remember, at least the remembrance of it has forced +itself upon my mind a number of times, in the days gone by, and I expect +to think of it a few times more. Of course my oldest sister, Rachel, who +is now Mrs. Crandell, of Dearborn, became acquainted with the young +ladies of the neighborhood. One fine afternoon, in the spring of the year +when the water was high, two of her friends came to see her. They were +considered very fine young ladies. One was Miss Lucy Lord, the other I +will call nameless, but she is an old resident and lives near by. If at +any time this should meet her eye she will vouch for the truth of it. +They came to spend the afternoon with sister. + +Of course (as all young men do, I believe) I felt a little flattered, and +thought, no doubt, one object of their visit was to see me. Whether my +humble self was once in all their thoughts, when they were making their +toilet that day or not, I gave them the credit of it. I thought I had +never seen one of them, at least, look any better than she did that +afternoon. Her hair was arranged very nicely and she was very graceful. +Of course, when my sister told me they wished very much for a boat ride, +I could not very well to refuse to go with them. I hoped to let them see +with how much skill I could manage my canoe. But alas for my skill! The +flat was covered with water from our little ridge to the creek, a +distance of twenty rods. It looked like a large river. The canoe was +anchored near the ridge; the young ladies got in and we started from the +landing. I had to look out for the stumps and hummocks so as not to run +against them nor run my boat aground. I had my passengers aboard and I +stood in the hind end of the canoe, and with a hand pole I set it along +with greater rapidity than it could have been paddled. We glided over the +water, on the flat, amid the joyful acclamations and gleeful laughter of +my fair companions. One said, "I haven't had a boat ride before in +Michigan." Miss Lucy, who sat on the bow end of the boat, waved her +handkerchief and said, "Oh, bless me! isn't this pleasant, sailing on the +water!" Another said, "How nice we go!" Of course I propelled along with +considerable speed. I thought I had one of the nicest, prettiest and most +intelligent load of passengers that had ever been in my canoe or on that +water, and I would give them a nice ride. + +At last we got round as far as the creek. There the water ran more +swiftly than it did on the flat. I told the young ladies I thought we had +better not try to navigate that, but they all said, "Let us ride up the +creek!" I thought I was master of the situation and could manage the +canoe. I did not want to tell them that I was afraid, for fear they would +say I was fainthearted. I thought that would be very much against me, and +as I had such a brave crew, I made up my mind to go up the strong +current. I turned the bow of the boat up against the current, as much as +I could with one hold, but could not get it straight against the current. +It shot ahead its length or more, then I moved my hand pole to get a new +hold. Now we were over the creek and the water being four or five feet +deep, it was impossible for me to get my pole down to the bottom again in +time to save us. While I was trying to do that, the current being +stronger than I supposed, turned the boat sidewise. I saw that we were +gone for it. The girls sprang to one side of the boat and down we went, +at one plunge, all together into the water. My craft was foundered, +filled with water and went down, (stream at least). Miss Lucy Lord was +the heroine of the occasion; luckily, she saved herself by jumping, +though she got very wet. She got on to a little hummock on the bank and +was on terra-firma. + +As soon as I took in the situation, I exerted myself to save the rest of +the crew. The nameless girl's head came in sight about the same time my +own did. As soon as she could halloo she said, "Lord have mercy! Lord +help!" Miss Lucy held out her hand and said, "Come here and Lord will +help you." I helped her and my sister to the bank as quickly as possible. +I had to be very lively in securing the white pocket handkerchief that +had been our flag while sailing. + +After they got fairly out, they started like three deer, as three dears +they were, for the house, each one for herself. The way they made three +wakes through that water was something new to me. I had never seen the +like of that before. Miss Lucy went ahead full of life. They went through +the water from one to two feet deep all the way to the ridge. There were +father, mother and all the rest, to witness their safe arrival on the +shore, and join them in their merry, though I think sad laugh. I knew it +would all be laid to me. After I watched them to the house and knew they +were very jolly, I started for the canoe. It had gone down in the water +to a large log that lay across the creek and lodged against it. + +I was as wet as I could be, and I jumped in again, drew it from the log +and pulled it along full of water, up the creek, until I got where the +bank was a little higher. Then I drew the front end up and the water ran +over the back end. When it was so that I could tow it, I took it across +the flat in front of the house, and left it there in its place.. Then I +went in the house. They had coined a brand new title for me; they called +me "Captain." They said I had come near drowning my passengers. Mother +said it was not safe for young ladies to ride with me on the water. +Father said, he thought I was not much of a sailor, that I did not +understand navigation; and I made up my mind that he was correct, that I +was not much of a water-man. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +OUR CLEARING AND THE FIRST RAILROAD CARS IN 1838. + + +Our prospects began to brighten a little, and it is needless for me to +attempt to describe what our feelings were, when we got a strip of the +primeval forest cleared away. Our clearing now extended across the two +lots, being half a mile east and west. It was about eighty rods wide on +the west side, running this width to the east a little over half way, and +it was forty or fifty rods wide on the east line. It contained about +sixty acres mostly logged and cleared off, but a few logs remained lying +on some of it. + +We had burned the wood all up on the ground, as there was no market for +it, it was worthless. We burned up out of our way enough timber to have +made five thousand cords of cordwood. Father's big ax, which he brought +from the State of New York, and mine, by striking innumerable blows, had +been worn out long before this strip was cleared. The heavy, resounding +blows of those axes had been heard, and before them many trees had +fallen. They stood before the blows and trembled and swayed to and fro +and at last fell with a thundering crash, to the earth, to rise no more. +Some of their bodies broken, their limbs broken off, wounded and +bruised, and stripped of their beautiful foliage. The noise of their fall +and the force with which they struck the earth made the ground tremble +and shake, and let the neighbors know that father and I were chopping, +and that we were slaying the timber. + +The grand old forest was melting away. The sides of many a tree had +been cleft, and the chips bursted out, and they had disappeared all but +their stumps. The timber was tall, I cut one whitewood that was about a +foot through at the butt, and measured eighty-three feet to a limb. It +ran up as straight as a liberty pole. I think our large timber was +about one hundred feet high. It was, to me, a little singular that the +smaller timber should run up so tall, equally as high as the large +timber. All appeared anxious to look at the sun, bask their green tops +in his rays and nestle and wave, in ruffles of green, above the high +arching boughs of the trees. Once I saw them wave, arrayed in a +different coat. Beautiful workmanship of nature was displayed in the +growth of that timber. + +It is not always necessary to peer through glass slides in order to take +a panoramic view of the brilliant scenes dame nature presents, her +varying pictures and beautiful face. Her handiwork as exhibited by +herself is the most enchanting. Sometimes, the spectacle after a storm of +rain and sleet is grand and sublime, but the effect of such a storm is +not often seen as we view it now. + +Early one spring, after nature had covered her face with a mantle of +snow and appeared to repose, she aroused from her winter slumber, and +adorned herself in a silvery robe. It was formed by drops of cold rain +showered down upon the little snow that was left, upon the trees and, +in fact, upon everything not under cover. Every bush and little twig was +loaded and hung down its head. The bodies and limbs of the trees were +alike covered and the boughs bent down under the heavy load of icy +armor. Icicles, glistening like jewels, hung from the eaves of the +house, from the fence rails, and from the limbs of our little fruit +trees. The currant brush, the rose bushes, the briers and prickly ash +were all encased in ice. From the points and ends of all the boughs, +small and large, icicles formed and hung down like tapers. To the point +of each was hanging a silver-like gem which had been frozen fast while +in the act of dropping. + +Some of the trees were loaded so heavily that the limbs broke off and +went tearing down to the earth in a heterogeneous mass. The limbs broke +in pieces and their icy coat and icicles broke up like glass. + +The next morning the "Whirl-dance of the blinding storm" of sleet had +passed away, but it had left its impression behind. There was formed a +crust on the little snow left which gave it a shining coat, transparent +as crystal. It was most beautiful. The sun shone clear and bright and +cast his golden rays across the face of nature. The trees and tree-tops, +the bushes and shrubs shone and glistened like so many thousand diamonds +and the earth was dazzling to look upon. It appeared mystical as a +silvery land, everything aglow and sparkling with radiant hues. The trees +and earth seemed vying with each other in most charming beauty like many +of earth's pictures. + +It was a scene too bright and strange to last. A change was soon caused +by the warming rays of the sun. The icicles, which hung down like jewels, +melted, let go their hold and fell to the earth. The icy covering of the +trees began to melt and fall like tears. Very soon the snow and ice were +all gone and the ground left bare. Father said that he thought the trees +were more beautiful when clothed in green leaves than when covered with +ice though they were ever so bright. But to the clearing again. + +Now finally I thought we had quite a clearing. I could stand by our +house, and look to the west, and see Mr. Pardee's house and the smoke of +his chimney. I could see Mr. Pardee and his sons when they came out in +the morning and went to their work. I could look to the east and there, +joining ours, was the clearing and house of Mr. Asa Blare, and he could +be seen. Then it began to seem as if others were living in Michigan, for +we could see them. The light of civilization began to dawn upon us. We +had cleared up what was a few years before, the lair of the wolf and the +hunting ground of the red man. The Michigan bird of the night had no more +chance to make his nest in hollow trees or live there, but had to go back +to the woods. There we could hear him almost any evening hallooing. +"Whoo! whoo! whoo!" His nearest neighbor would answer him, "Whoo! whoo!" +then they would get together and have a great talk about something. +Whether they were talking about our chickens, or our clearing off their +woods and driving them away, or something else, I cannot say as I did not +understand what they said. + +Father said: "Now our best wood is worth something, as the road," which +is now the Michigan Central Railroad, "has got as far as Dearborn, and +they are building it farther west." He thought we could cut some of our +best timber into cord wood and sell it to the managers of the road, and +make something from it. We drew some of the first cord wood that they +used on the railroad, and continued to furnish a share of it for years. +We had learned what day the first steam car was expected out to Dearborn. +I went to see it, as it was to be there at a certain time of day. I was +in time and with others waited anxiously for its appearance. While we +were waiting I heard that there was to be a race from Mr. Conrad +TenEyck's, a distance of one mile, to Dearborn. William Cremer, a young +man who lived at TenEyck's, had made up his mind to have the race on his +own hook and let the people of Dearborn see him come in. He got his +sorrel, white-faced pony, had him saddled and bridled, and wailed in +readiness, so that when the iron horse came opposite he could try him a +race to Dearborn, and likewise try the speed of his pony. I don't suppose +the railroad men knew any thing about his arrangement. As the TenEyck +tavern, where he started, stood within twenty rods of the railroad, no +doubt some of the railroad men saw him when he started. Toward the +village the roads ran nearer and nearer together for about a hundred +rods, then came side by side for a short distance. As he had a little the +start, and came to the narrows first, he must have been in plain sight of +the men on the cars. It is easy to imagine how the puffs of the iron +horse scared the little sorrel and gave him, if possible, more speed. The +passengers who saw him might have thought it was another "train band +captain, John Gilpin," running after his wife. Nearly all the people of +Dearborn (who were but few at that time), had gathered in front of the +arsenal, in the Chicago road, at the side of the Dearborn House and were +anxiously waiting. From this point we could see half a mile down the +Chicago road east, and we could see the smoke of the engine beyond the +TenEyck place ... + +The time appointed was up and we were very impatient, waiting and +looking, for the least sign of the approach of the long-talked-of cars. +As we were waiting some one said the cars would stop for Mr. TenEyck, as +he was the richest and most influential man there was in the town, and +the road ran a long way through his farm. Some said, "of course they will +stop and take him on." At last we could hear a distant rumbling like the +sound of a thousand horses running away, and we saw the smoke. As they +came nearer we saw a long string of smoke disappearing in the air. The +cars were approaching us rapidly, and stopped for no one. When they got +opposite Mr. Thompson's tavern, sure enough, there on the Chicago road +came William Cremer, like a streak, with his hat off, waving it in his +hand, looking back over his shoulder at the cars, hallooing like a +trooper and his horse running for dear life. He had beat them for the +mile. Of course, before Cremer got up to us, we all started for the +railroad, which was about twenty-five rods to the south, to see the iron +horse come in. He came prancing and pawing upon the iron track, and he +disdained to touch the ground. His body was as round as a log. His bones +were made of iron, his veins were filled with heat, his sinews were of +brass, and "every time he breathed he snorted fire and smoke." He moved +proudly up to the station, little thinking that he had just been beaten +by a Dearborn horse. "With his iron reins" he was easily controlled and +held in subjection by his master. His groom pampered and petted him, +rubbed him down, oiled his iron joints and gave him water to drink. He +fed him upon the best of cord-wood, as he relished that very well, and +devoured it greedily. The contents of his iron stomach seemed to be +composed of fire. While he was waiting he seemed to be very impatient, +letting off and wasting his breath and seeming eager for a start. He was +sweating profusely. The sweat was falling in drops to the ground. When +all was ready, the cry was, "All aboard!" and away he went snorting at +every jump. + +[Illustration: FIRST RAILROAD CARS IN WAYNE COUNTY, MICH.---DETROIT TO +DEARBORN, 1837.] + +I went home and told the wonderful story of the sight I had seen. There +was but little talked about, at our house, except the cars, until the +whole family had been to see them. We thought, surely, a new era had +dawned upon us, and that Michigan was getting to be quite a country. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +TREES. + + +There were two stately trees which stood near the center of the place. In +view of their antiquity it seemed almost wrong to cut them. One was an +elm which stood on the flat of the Ecorse. The other was what we called a +swamp white oak. It stood in a little hollow at the west end of the ridge +(where we lived) about twenty rods north of the elm. They appeared as +though they were about the same age. They were nearly the same size. They +were five or six feet through at the butt. + +Father often said that the tree recorded within itself a true record of +its own age. After a tree was cut down, I have known him frequently to +count the grains or yearly rings and from them extract a register by +which he learned how many years old it was. + +How my mind reaches back forty years and views again that venerable old +oak and elm. Trees whose history and lives began before the first +settlement of America. How familiar still their appearance to me, as they +stood with their arms stretched out bidding me the most graceful +salutations. They seemed almost like friends, at least there was some +companionship about them, their forms were very familiar to me. + +On the west side of the elm, just above the ground and running up about +six feet, there was a huge knot which grew out of the side of the tree. +It was large enough to stand upon, when upon it, but there was not room +enough for us to stand upon it and chop. We had to build a scaffold +around the tree, up even with the top of the knot to stand upon. In that +way we were able to cut the great tree down. It was a hard job and was +attended with danger. When the tree started we had to get down very +quickly and run back to a place of safety, for the tree was very angry in +the last throes of its dissolution. It broke other trees down, tore other +trees to pieces, broke off their limbs, bent other small ones down with +it as it went, and held their tops to the earth. Other trees went nearly +down with it but were fortunate enough to break its hold and gained again +their equilibrium with such swiftness that their limbs which had been +nearly broken off, yet, which they retained until they straightened, then +their stopping so suddenly, the reaction caused the fractured and dry +limbs to break loose, and they flew back of where we had been chopping. +They flew like missiles of death through the air, and the scaffold upon +which we stood but a minute before was smashed into slivers. In the mean +time we were looking out for our own safety. + +No man, unless he has experienced it himself, can have an adequate idea +of the danger and labor of clearing a farm in heavy, timbered land. Then +he knows something of the anxieties and hardships of a life in the +woods: the walking, the chopping and sweating, the running and the +dodging like Indians behind trees. He trusts to their protection to save +him from falling trees and flying limbs, although he is often lacerated +and bruised, jambed and torn by them. I knew a man and a boy in our town +who were killed by falling limbs. Sometimes he is cut by the ax and is +obliged to go home, over logs, between stumps and through brush, leaving +a bloody trail behind him. + +Father's farm was rescued from the wilderness and consecrated to the plow +and husbandry through sweat and blood. We ofttimes encountered perils and +were weary from labor, often times hungry and thirsty, often suffered +from cold and heat, frequently destitute of comfortable apparel and +condemned to toil as the universal doom of humanity--thus earning our +bread by the sweat of our brows. + +Father and I labored some years in sight of the great elm stump. It +appeared like a giant, with a great hump on his back, overlooking the +surrounding stumps. It was about eight feet high. But it was doomed to +decay, and entirely disappeared long years ago. + +The oak tree was more fortunate and escaped the fatal ax, a number of +years after all the timber around it had been chopped and cleared away. +On account of its greatness, and its having so nice a body, father let it +stand as monarch of the clearing. But few came into our clearing without +seeing his majesty's presence. His roots were immense. They had been +centuries creeping and feeling their way along, extracting life from +mother earth to sustain their gigantic body. The acorn, from which that +oak grew, must have been planted long before, and the tree which grew +from it have been dressed many times in its summer robe of green, and it +was, doubtless, flourishing when the "Mayflower" left the English +Channel. When she was slowly making her way from billow to billow, +through the then almost unknown sea, bearing some of the most brave and +liberty-loving men and women the world, at that time, could produce; when +the hearts of the Pilgrim Fathers were beating high with hopes of liberty +and escape from tyranny, when their breath came low and short for fear of +what might await them; when they landed on the American shore--yes! when +that little band of pilgrims were kneeling on Plymouth Rock, and offering +up thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty, who had brought them safely +o'er the trackless deep, that oak was quietly standing, gathering +strength to make it what it was when we came to Michigan. There it had +stood, ever since the days of yore, spreading its boughs over the +generations of men who have long since passed away. Around it had been +the Indian's camping and hunting ground. When we came to plow and work +the ground near it I found some of their stone arrows which had been +worked out very beautifully. Their edges and points showed very plainly +where they had been chipped off in making. We also found stone hatchets, +the bits of which were about two and a half inches broad and worked to an +edge. They were about six inches long. The pole or head was round. From +their appearance they must have been held in the hand using the arm for a +helve. For an encounter with bruin or any other enemy, it is possible +they bound a withe around the pole and used that as a handle. Much +ingenuity and skill must have been required to work out their implements +when they had nothing better with which to do it than other stones. + +I often picked up the arrows and hatchets and saved them as relics of +past ages, knowing that they had been in other hands long years before. I +have some of them now (1875). The stones from which they were made must +have been brought from some distance as there were few other stones found +in this part of the country. + +If that oak could have talked, what a wild, wild story it might have +told, not only of lost arrows and hatchets, but also of their owners, +about whom the world has little knowledge. It might have told also of the +hundreds of years it had stood there and showered down its acorns upon +the earth, enough in one season to have planted a forest of its own kind; +how often its acorns had been gathered by the Indian youth, and devoured +by the wild beasts of the forest; how many times its leaves had been +changed by the autumn frosts from a green to a beautiful golden hue; how +the cold wind swept them off and they flew down in huddled races to the +ground, carpeted and cushioned the earth, protected the roots and +enriched the soil. How, after it had been shorn of its leaves, its life +current had been sent back through the pores of its body to its roots and +congealed by the cold freezing frosts of winter; how the wind sighed and +moaned through its branches while it cracked and snapped with the frost. +But there was to be an end to its existence. The remorseless ax was laid +at its roots and there is nothing left of it, unless it be a few old oak +rails. There are some moss-covered rails on the place yet that were made +at an early day. How my thoughts go back and linger round that oak whose +branches gave shelter to the deer, furnished them with food, protected +the Indian and his home--the place where I, so long afterward, advanced +to manhood. + +It is no wonder that Boston men are so careful in protecting their trees. +With their usual care and foresight they have guarded the celebrated elm +on Boston common. Thousands of the American people from every State in +the Union, even from the Pacific coast, visit the beautiful city of +Boston but are not satisfied until they visit the ancient elm, read its +history, as far as known, from the iron plate, and gaze with admiration +on the wonderful tree and the fence that surrounds it. + +The full history of that tree is not known, but it reaches back prior to +the settlement of Boston. It was a good sized tree in 1656. "A map of +Boston made in 1722 showed the tree as one of the principal objects." +That tree is a sacred relic of the past. Its branches waved over the +heads of honored colonial ancestors. + +Trees are our most beautiful and best antiquities. "It was a beautiful +thought," says Ruskin, "when God thought of making a tree and giving it a +life so long." Another says: "What vicissitudes mark its life, almost +tender with suggestion. Trees are the Methuselahs of nature. The famous +Etna chestnut is a thousand years old. There is a cypress tree in Mexico, +over forty feet in diameter, whose zones record nearly three thousand +years. The baobab trees of the Green Cape are fully four thousand years +old. The great dragon tree at Ortova, Teneriffe, (recently said to be +dying), is said to be five thousand years old--a life that runs parallel +to almost the entire period of human chronology." No doubt some of those +trees will last as long as time. Is it any wonder that I claim some +companionship to trees, since I passed so many years of my youth among +them? Trees often prevented sharp eyes from seeing me, secreted me and +helped me to luck, which was very gratifying to me. Trees, when it rained +and the wind was piercing, have often protected, sheltered and kept me +dry and comfortable for hours. + +I frequently when at some distance from home, hunting, and night coming +on, began traveling, as I supposed, toward home. I often came to tracks +in the snow which, at first, I thought were made by some one else, but, +upon a more particular examination, would find that they were my own +tracks. Then I would know that I had been circling round and round, that +the "wigwam was lost" and I had the gloomy prospect of remaining in the +woods all night--"out of humanity's reach." Then I would trust to the +trees, look at them, take their directions and start again in a new +course. This would seem wrong to me, but I always came out right. Trees +never deceived, but showed me the way home. + +When I have been in the woods, hungry, trees furnished me food. When +thirsty, they often supplied me with drink. When cold and almost +freezing, trees have warmed and made me comfortable. Trees furnished most +of the material for father's "bark-covered house," which sheltered us for +more than two years. + +If trees have done so much for one, surely all humanity have +derived great good from them. The earth itself is adorned and +beautified by trees. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +DRAWING CORD-WOOD--HOW THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT--THE STEAM WHISTLE. + + +Father commenced chopping cord-wood and he said I could draw it as fast +as he could chop it. I was so much engaged that, when the moon was in its +full, I often started with my load of wood a little before plain +daylight. Of course I felt cheerful, I thought we were doing some +business. Sometimes I walked by the side of the team and load and +sometimes behind them. Hallooing at my team, driving them, singing, +whistling and looking into the woods occasionally, occupied my time until +I got to Dearbornville. + +One morning I met William Ozee. I told him I had seen two or three deer +as I was coming along. Told him where they stood and looked at me and the +team, until we were out of sight, and that I thought they were there yet. +He said he would attend to them. He had his rifle on his shoulder, and he +said he would go for them. I saw him afterward and he said he had taught +them better than to stand and look at anybody so impudently as that. He +had killed some of them. + +I made up my mind that if I could get a good rifle, I could make as +much, or more, with it than father and I both could make cutting and +drawing wood. Father said I might have a new one made. Accordingly I went +to John W. Alexander and selected a rifle barrel, from a pack of new +barrels that he had. I tried to select as soft a one as I could, as I +considered those the best in frosty weather. I selected what I thought +was about the right calibre, and told him I wanted him to make it with a +raised sight so I could shoot any distance. I told him to make a buster +for me, one that couldn't be beat. He said he would try and do it for +twenty dollars. I told him I wanted him to make it as quickly as he +could; in a short time he had it done. I thought it was a beautiful +rifle. The name of the maker was inscribed on the barrel. I took it home +feeling very good. I tried it shooting at a mark; shooting the distance +of ten rods at a mark the size of a two shilling silver piece. With a +rest, when there was not much wind, I could hit it every time and did do +it five or six times in succession. Frequently when shooting the bullet +holes would break into one another, and sometimes two bullets would go +into the same hole. The only way I could tell where the last shot struck +was by plugging up the old holes. Often the little white paper would fly +away, the pin in the center having been shot away. + +I made up my mind I had a splendid rifle, one that it would be hard to +beat. That same rifle now stands in my bedroom. It was made over +thirty-five years ago, with the bright name of John W. Alexander on it. +He is now an old resident of Dearborn, a useful and ingenious man, and +fills a prominent place in society; if he were gone it would be +difficult to find a man capable of filling his place. + +But I must return to my drawing wood. The place where we heaped it was on +the north side of the railroad, about fifteen rods east of where the +postoffice is now kept. The woodyard, including the depot, I should +judge, was not more than one hundred feet square. Here we piled our wood, +sometimes ten feet high. We were to have seven shillings a cord for it +and if we chopped and hauled three cords a day we thought we did well. I +drew it as fast as I could, sometimes I got to Dearborn just as the old +Solar made his appearance in the east. The Lunar had already done her +work toward helping me, veiled her face and disappeared. When we had +drawn a lot of wood in father had it measured up and got his voucher for +the amount. One time when he went to Detroit to get his money I went with +him. We went on the cars. The depot and railroad office, where father did +his business, stood where the City Hall now stands. I thought the +railroad was a splendid thing. We went in so much nicer, easier and +quicker than we could have gone on foot, or with our ox-team. + +Now we were going to get some money of the railroad officers, I thought +we would have money to pay the interest on our mortgage and help us +along. Father got his pay in Michigan State scrip, a substitute for +money. It was good for its face to pay State taxes; but to turn it into +money father had to sell it for six shillings on a dollar. Here it will +be seen, that what we really received for our wood, was a little over +sixty-five cents per cord, and that when we drew in three cords a day +(which was as much as father could chop, and all that I and the team +could draw) we made a little over a dollar and ninety-five cents per day. + +What would some of the workingmen of the present day who get together and +form "Union Leagues," "Trade Unions," strike for higher wages and +conspire against their employers and their capital, doubtless thinking +such a course justifiable, think of such wages as that, and provisions +very dear, as they were at that time? I began to think myself rough and +ready and was able to grapple with almost anything and do a good days' +work. Father, I and the team all worked hard and with the wood thrown in +we all together did not make two dollars a day. + +As father had a small job in the building of the railroad and some of the +time I was with him, I will describe as well as I can, how the railroad +was built. They first graded the road-bed and made it level, then took +timbers as long as the trees would make them, hewed them on each side and +flattened them down to about a foot in thickness, then laid them on +blocks which were placed in the bed of the road. They were laid +lengthwise of the road, far enough apart so that they would be directly +under the wheels of the cars, and the ground graded up around them. In +this manner they continued until the road-bed was finished. + +The next thing was to get out the ties. These were made from logs nine +feet long, which were split open through the heart, then quartered and +split from the heart to the center of the back, until the pieces were +about six or seven inches through on the back. Then the backs of the ties +were hewed flat, making them about three square, when they were ready to +be used on the road. They were placed back down across the bed pieces and +spiked fast to them. They were laid about three feet apart the length of +the road. Over those sills, in the upper edge of the ties, they cut out +two gains. In those gains they laid two stringers running directly over +the sleepers. These stringers were sawed out about four by six inches +square. They were laid in the gains of the ties, spiked fast and wedged +with wooden wedges. Then the woodwork was finished and everything ready +for pulling on the iron. They used the strap rail iron. The bars were two +inches and a quarter wide and half an inch thick. These bars were laid +flat on top, and next to the in-edge, of the stringers and were spiked +fast to them. In this way our railroad was built. The cars running away +west on it, penetrating Michigan as the harbinger of civilization, opened +up a way for the resources of the country. + +The strap iron which they used first proved to be very poor iron. In +after years, if a spike came out or the bar cracked off at the spike +hole, the bar would turn up like a serpent's head and if not seen in time +it was liable to throw the train off the track and do damage. I was at +Dearborn at one time when an accident, of this kind, happened to a +freight train, a little west of the village. There was considerable +property destroyed, barrels broken in pieces and flour strewed over the +ground, but no lives were lost. + +Father said the railroad was a good thing for us and our country, and +that they would soon have one, and the cars running on it to the State of +New York. Then I reiterated my promise to mother. I said if the cars ran +through our native place, we could go back there without crossing Lake +Erie, the thought of which chilled me every time I spoke to mother about +going back to make a visit. Time sped on, days, months, and some years +had passed, since the first of the Michigan Central Railroad was built, +and the cars running east and west loaded with passengers and freight, +when one morning I heard a strange noise. It was terrible and +unaccountable to me, as much so as it would have been if I had heard +heavy thunder at mid-day, from a clear sky. I heard it from the direction +of Dearbornville; It appeared to originate there, or in the woods that +way. I heard it two or three times, several days in succession. + +If there had come a herald from Dearbornville and told me that the man of +the moon had stepped out of his old home, and down on to our earth, at +Dearborn, and that he had a great horn, twenty feet long, in his hand, +and that it was him, I had heard, tooting on his horn to let us know, and +the inhabitants of his own country, that he had arrived safe on the +earth, I might not have believed what he said in regard to the arrival of +the supernatural being and his visit to us; but I could have believed +almost anything wonderful in regard to the horn for I had heard its +thrilling blast myself. + +Father, mother and, in fact, none of us were able to think or imagine +what it could be. It came through the woods as swift as lightning and its +shrill and piercing voice was more startling than thunder. It echoed and +re-echoed across our clearing, from woods to woods and died swiftly away +in the distance. What on earth could it be? Could it be the voice of a +wild animal? That seemed impossible, it was too loud. I thought such an +animal would need lungs as large as a blacksmith's bellows, and a voice +as strong as a steamboat, to have raised such an unearthly yell. + +It was enough to scare all the bears and wolves to death, or at least, +enough to make them hide away from the voice and face of the dragon. But +there was a man, who lived one mile south of Dearbornville, by the name +of Alonzo Mather; he was a little more sensible and courageous. He +thought he knew what made the strange noise. When he came out of his +house one morning, all at once, the terrible sound broke upon his ear. He +had heard it two or three times before, about the same place in the +woods, toward Dearbornville. He said to his hired man, a Mr. Whitmore, +who was utterly astonished and seemed to be all in a fright, "Hear that! +I know what it is! It is a bear, and he lives right over there in the +woods. I have heard him two or three times in the same place. Don't say a +word to anyone; not let the hunters know anything about his being there +and I'll shoot him myself.'" He took down his rifle immediately, and +started on the double quick, followed by the hired man, who could help +him in case of trouble. + +He went through the woods looking carefully in every direction, scanning +the old logs and large hollow trees and searching from top to bottom to +see if he could find a hole large enough for a bear to crawl in. In this +way he looked all around, near the railroad, where he thought the noise +originated, but he could not find a track or sign of Mr. Bruin, for the +bear wasn't there, so, in disgust, he gave up the hunt. + +About the next day after Mr. Mather's hunt, he and all the rest of us +learned what had caused the excitement. It was a new invention, the steam +whistle of the cars; something we had never heard before. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +HOW I HUNTED AND WE PAID THE MORTGAGE. + + +The mortgage which had hung so long over us, like a dark cloud obscuring +our temporal horizon and chilling our hopes, was at last removed, May +first, 1841. After the mortgage was on the place it hardly seemed to me +as if it were ours. It was becoming more and more valuable all the time, +and I thought it was dangerous to let the mortgage run, as the old lady +might foreclose at any time and make us trouble and expense. The mortgage +was like a cancer eating up our substance, gnawing day and night as it +had for years. I made up my mind it must be paid. I knew it caused mother +much trouble and although, father said very little about it, I knew that +he would be over-joyed to have it settled up. I told him I thought I had +better hunt during one fall and winter and that I thought I could, in +that way, help him raise money to pay the mortgage. I was about twenty +years old at that time and thought I had a very good rifle and knew how +to use it. + +I went to my friend William Beal, and told him I had concluded to hunt +through the winter. I asked him if he didn't want to join with me and we +would hunt together, at least some of the time. He said he would. I +told him I thought we could make more money by hunting than we could in +any other way as deer were worth, on an average, from two and a half to +five dollars a piece at Detroit, and we could take them in very handily +on the cars. + +We found the deer very numerous in the town of Taylor, next south of the +town of Dearborn. Sometimes we went and stayed a week. We stopped nights +with an old gentleman whose name was Hodge. He always appeared very glad +to see us and gave us a hearty welcome. As he and his old lady (at that +time) lived alone, no doubt they were glad of our company. They must have +felt lonesome and they knew they would be well rewarded with venison and +money for the trouble we made them. Mrs. Hodge took as much pains for us +and used us as well as mother could have done. We carried our provisions +there on our backs, flour, potatoes, pork and whatever we needed. We +carried pork for the reason we relished it better a part of the time than +we did venison. Mrs. Hodge prepared our meals at any time we wanted them. +Sometimes we ate our breakfast before daylight and were a mile or two on +the runway of the deer when in became light. The woods and oak openings +abounded in deer and we had very good luck as a general thing. We made it +a rule to stay and not go home until we had killed a load, which was not +less than six. Then we went and got father's oxen and sled to go after +and bring them home. After we brought them home we took the hind +quarters, the hide, and sometimes whole deer, to Detroit and sold them. +In this way we got considerable money. In fact my pocket-book began to +pod out a little. Of course, we saved enough, of the fore-quarters for +our family use and for our old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Hodge. But we +couldn't afford to let them have the saddles; we wanted them to sell as +we were going in for making money. + +It would be impossible for me to delineate the occurrences incident to +my hunting days. The story told in full would fill a volume, but if it +were not in connection with my father's family and how we got along, +when I was at home with him, I should not mention it at all. As it is, I +will try to describe one day's hunt after deer, which might be called a +successful day, and another hunt after bears, which was not successful +and one or two deer fights. My comrade and I started from father's very +early one morning. A nice tracking snow, three or four inches deep, had +fallen during the fore part of the night. In the morning it was warm and +pleasant. When we came near the head of the windfall, we found the +tracks where three large bucks had been along. It is not common that +those large deer go together. They are generally scattering, one or two, +or with other deer, but in this case, it seemed, three old bucks had +agreed to go together. We followed them about half a mile to the west +until they crossed what is now the old telegraph road in the town of +Taylor, south of where Mr. Putnam lives. We thought the deer went into a +large thicket, that stands there yet. We made up our minds they were +lying in that thicket. William said he would go around and stand on the +ridge, beyond the thicket, in a good place to see them when they were +driven out. I told him I wanted him to be sure and down with one, so +that I could see how they looked. I stood where he left me about half +an hour, to give him plenty of time to get around, then I started along +slow on the tracks. + +I followed them about ten or fifteen rods when I found, that instead of +going into the thicket where we supposed, they had turned into a little +thicket, near a fence and clearing that had been made at an early day. I +little thought they were lying there, but sure enough, in a minute, they +jumped up and away they went, one after the other, toward the big +thicket. They seemed desirous of making all the sport of me they could; +as they were running across a little opening they showed me their white +flags. I shot very quickly at the middle one. I told him by the report of +my rifle, which rang out clear on the morning air, that I wanted him to +stop, and he struck his flag. + +They were running from me a little diagonally, and were about twenty-five +rods off, when my bullet struck his side, it being partly toward me. They +ran right into the big thicket where we first supposed they lay. I loaded +my rifle and went where they were running when I shot. I saw that the +blood flew in small particles on the snow and I was sure he was ours. He +ran for one breath, got out of my sight and fell dead, having made his +last tracks, being shot through the lights. + +I hurried across to my friend Beal and told him I had shot a noble buck. +That he was running away from me and that I would not allow him to do +so. The other two had gone out of the thicket, over the ridge, so far +east that he didn't see them at all. We hurried back to where the one we +had got lay, took out his entrails, climbed up a sapling, bent down the +top and fastened the gambrels of the old buck to it; then sprinkled +powder on his hair, so as to keep the ravens from picking him, let go +the sapling and it straightened up with him so that he was out of the +way of the dogs and wolves. Then we started as quickly as possible after +the other two. They went a south-west direction about eighty rods, then +turned south-east and went straight for the Indian hill, went over it +and took their course nearly east. They had ceased to run and were +walking. There was another large thicket east of us, which was about +half a mile through and we thought, possibly, they might stop in that +before they went through into the woods. It was agreed that I should go +around, that time, to the lower end of the thicket, and stand. He was to +try and drive them through if they were there. I went south to, what we +called, the south branch of the Reed creek. It was frozen over and there +were three or four inches of snow on the ice; I went on it without +making any noise. I ran down a little over half a mile very quickly; +when I was below the thicket I turned north, went through the brush that +grew on the bank of the creek, up to a little ridge where it was open +and stopped by the side of a tree, which was about twenty or thirty rods +from where I turned north. + +I didn't stand there but a very short time before I heard and saw some +partridges fly away, and I knew they had been disturbed by something in +the thicket. Then I saw the two deer coming just as straight toward me as +they could run, one right after the other. When they got within about +eight or ten rods of me I had my rifle ready. They saw me and, as they +went to jump side-wise, my rifle spoke to another one and the voice of it +forbade him going any farther. That was the second word my rifle had +spoken that morning. + +The deer turned and ran in a semi-circle half round me in plain sight, +then off, out of sight, over the ridge where Doctor Snow's farmhouse now +stands, in the town of Taylor. In a few moments out came my comrade; I +asked him, what the report of my rifle said, as it burst through the +thicket by him and echoed over the Indian hill. He said he thought it +spoke of luck. We followed the old buck a little ways over the ridge and +came to where he had made his last jump. He was a beautiful fellow, +equally as fine as the first one. + +Then we thought we had done well enough for one day, we had each of us +one. So we cut a wooden hook, put it into his under-jaw, both took hold +and drew him up where the other one hung. We put them together and +started slowly for home. We were following along an old trail and had +drawn both deer about half a mile together, when we came to where five or +six deer had just crossed. They were going south-east and we were going +north-east. While we were looking at the tracks two men came in sight. +One was Mr. Arvin Sheldon, the other Mr. Holdin. We knew them very well +and knew that they were good hunters. They looked at our deer and said +that we must hang them up, said they would help us. So we bent down two +saplings and hung the deer up, side by side, then we started with them. +It was early in the day, perhaps about ten o'clock. We followed the deer +beyond what is now Taylor Center, and into the west woods two miles from +there. Near Taylor Center, Holdin left us. He thought there were too many +of us together, and went off to try his luck alone and followed another +flock. We found that these deer were very shy and it seemed impossible +for us to get a shot at them. + +After we got into the west woods we were bound to stick to the same ones. +It was late in the afternoon and as we were getting so far from home, we +thought we had better use a little stratagem. We would go very slowly; it +was agreed that I should follow the tracks and that the other two should +be governed by my movements. One was to go to my right, and keep as far +off as he could and see me, through the woods; he was to keep a little +ahead of me. The other was to manage in the same way at my left. When we +started we were something in the shape of a letter V, only spread more. +If I went fast they were to go fast and if I went slowly they were to do +the same. They were to watch me and look out ahead for the deer. We +traveled some little distance in this way when I saw a deer standing +about thirty-five rods off. It was a long shot, but I drew up my rifle +and fired. Mr. Sheldon had two clogs with him and when I shot they broke +from him and ran after the deer we had been following. They went yelling +after them, out of hearing. It was always my practice, after I shot, to +stand in my tracks and load my rifle, keeping my eye on the place where +the deer were. When I shot, my comrades started for me and soon we three +friends were together. Sheldon remarked, that he guessed I hadn't hit +that one. I asked him why. He said the dogs had already gone out of +hearing and that if I had killed one, they would have stopped. I left the +tracks and walked along in the direction of where the deer had stood, +watching upon the snow and brush to see if I could see any signs where +the bullet had struck a bush or twig, until I came to the place where the +deer had stood. It proved to be, not one of those we had been following, +but an old buck that had just got up out of the bed where he had been +lying and was standing over it when I fired. I looked and saw some short +hair lying on the snow, and told Mr. Sheldon that that looked as if I had +made a square shot and that the dogs had gone after the well ones we had +been following, that this one was an old buck which we hadn't disturbed +before. I thought perhaps he had got up to see the flock that we were +following go by. We didn't follow him more than ten rods before we found +where he lay last. He was a very large buck, a full mate for either of +those we already had. + +A little ways back we had crossed a coon's track and we knew that he had +been along in the latter part of the night, as it snowed in the earlier +part of the night. We thought he hadn't gone far, so we agreed that +Sheldon should follow his tracks and find his tree, (at that time coon +skins were valuable) while we went back about a mile, to a lone +settler's, by the name of Plaster, (who lived on the openings) and +borrowed an ax. When we came back to the woods we were to halloo and he +was to answer us. We had to do what we did very quickly as it was getting +near night. When we had borrowed the ax and were nearly back to the woods +again, we heard the report of Sheldon's rifle, as it rang out of the +timber clear and sharp and died away in the oak openings. When we got +into the woods we hallooed for him, he answered and we went to him; he +had found the tree. We asked him what he had shot at, he said at a deer, +but missed him. We cut down the tree and were rewarded by getting four +coons. Afterward I sold the coon skins in Detroit for a dollar apiece. +That Mr. Arvin Sheldon is now an old resident of the town of Taylor and +lives about two miles south-west of me. + +After we got the tree cut down and the coons secure, it was between +sundown and dark. We were six or seven miles from home and then had to +take the ax home. Late that evening, when I got back under the old +paternal roof, there was one there who was very tired but the excitement +of the day helped him a little. By hunting (and it was hard work for me +as I made a business of it) I accumulated a considerable sum of money. +Father had earned and saved some money, so that with what I had, he made +out enough to pay off the mortgage to Mrs. Phlihaven and had it +cancelled. Then his farm was clear. If I had not felt anxious about it +myself, the joy expressed by the other members of the family, when they +knew that the mortgage was paid, would have been a sufficient reward for +all the labors I had performed, for all the weary walks, the running and +racing done, while upon the chase, both day and night. + +It is a little singular that an animal as mild and harmless as the deer +ordinarily is, should when cornered or wounded have such courage that he +will fight man or dog in his own defense, jumping upon them, striking +with his feet. As their hoofs are sharp they cut to the quick, at the +same time they are hooking with their horns. I will relate one or two +incidents. One of which came under my own observation: + +I was out hunting with R. Crandell. We were near the Reed creek when he +shot a buck. The deer fell. Crandell thought he was sure of him; handed +his rifle to me. I told him to stand still and load his gun, but he ran +like an Indian; he took long steps. When he got up near, the old buck had +gotten a little over the shock the bullet gave him and he got up, turned +upon Crandell, raised the hair upon his back so that it stood forward. +Then the scene changed; Crandell ran, and the deer ran after him. He came +very near catching Crandell and must have done so if he had not dodged +behind a tree, and around it he went and the deer after him. Crandell +said he called upon his legs to be true to his body then if ever; and I +thought, judging from the way those members of his organism were carrying +him around that tree, that they were exerting every nerve to save him. He +hallooed every minute for me to shoot the deer. But the race was so +amusing, I did not care to hurry having never seen such an exhibition of +Crandell's speed before. (Without doubt he did his level best). Soon, +however, I thought it necessary and I shot the deer. Crandell said I had +laughed enough to kill myself. He appeared to be displeased with me; said +I was too slow, and might have released him quicker. + +Some two or three years after this, Crandell had another hunt with a Mr. +Holden, of Dearbornville. The incidents of which are given in his own +words: "Being anxious for a hunt, Holden and myself started out for a +deer hunt on our southern hunting ground. After traveling about +three-fourths of a mile from Dearbornville, Holden, being a little way +from me, started a buck, he running directly south; I told Holden where +to go on a certain road, newly cut out, and stand and I would drive the +deer to him from the east. As expected, I soon started him and Holden's +dog followed the deer straight to him. In about three minutes whang went +Holden's gun; I ran with all my might. The dog had stopped barking and I +knew the deer was ours. But, when I got to the road, I heard Holden +hallooing loudly for help. The deer had jumped across the road into the +old tree tops and the dog caught him. Holden saw that the deer was +getting the better of the dog, laid down his gun, took out his knife and +went for the deer. When he got up to the deer the deer paid all his +attention to him instead of the dog. The deer had gotten Holden down +between two logs and stood on him, stamping and hooking him desperately. +Holden said: 'For God sake kill him or he will kill me.' + +"I was so much excited I was afraid to shoot for fear of killing Holden +or the dog, but I shot and the deer fell lengthwise on Holden, I rolled +him off and Holden got up, all covered with blood from head to foot, +with his clothes torn into shreds. He looked at himself and said +despondingly, 'What a spectacle I am!' I peeled some bark, tied his rags +round him, patched him up the best possible and we started for home +through the woods, got as near his home as we could and not be seen, +then I left him, went to his house and got him some clothes, took them +back to him and helped him put them on. When clothed he went home a +bruised and lacerated man." + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +BEAR HUNT OF 1842. + + +One day in winter my brother-in-law, Reuben Crandell, and myself started +to go hunting deer, as we supposed. We went south across the windfall, +started a flock of deer and were following them. We had a good tracking +snow and thought it was a good day for hunting. We followed the deer +south across Reed Creek and saw a little ahead of us quite a path. It +appeared as though a herd of ponies had passed along there. (Then there +were plenty of French ponies running in the woods.) When we came up to +the trail or path, that we saw they had made, in the snow we discovered +it was four bears which had made the path. They had passed along a little +time before for their tracks were fresh and new. There seemed to be a +grand chance for us and we started after them. We either walked very fast +or ran, sometimes as fast as we could stand it to run. + +In this way we had followed them several miles and expected to see them +every minute. We were going a little slower when I looked one side of us +and there was an Indian, on a trot, going in the same direction that we +were. I told Crandell that he had seen our tracks and knew that we were +after the bears and that he was trying to cut us off and get the bears +away from us. Just then I saw the bears and drew up my rifle and shot at +one, as he was standing on an old log. The Indian then turned and ran up +to the bear tracks to see, probably, if I had killed one. I told Crandell +to go on with him and not let him get the start of us and I would load my +rifle, as quickly as possible, and follow. + +Being in a hurry, I did not place my bullet right on the patch, in the +muzzle of the rifle and it bothered me in getting down. When it was +loaded, I broke for them. I could just see Crandell putting in the best +he could and trying to make two-forty time; but he was alone the Indian +had left him. Then there might have been seen some long steps and tall +running done by me, in those woods, (if any one had been there to +witness it) for about eighty rods. When I came up with Crandell I asked +him where the Indian was; he said, "Yonder he goes almost out of sight." +I asked him what he let him get ahead for; he said that he could not +keep up with him, and that he had told him, two or three times, to stop +and wait for me, but he would not pay the least attention to what he +said. I told him to keep on the tracks as fast as he could, and I would +try to stop the Indian. + +I saw that the four bears' tracks were all together yet, and Crandell +said I didn't hit one when I shot. I thought it was singular and that +perhaps my bullet had struck a bush or twig, glanced off and saved Mr. +Bruin's hide. Now it looked as though the Indian was going to get our +bears away from us, sure enough, and now for a chase that is more +excitable than is often seen in the woods. + +The Indian was on a good lope after the bears and I on a good run after +him. I had the advantage of the Indian, the bears would run crooked. +Sometimes they would run on a large log and follow it its whole length +right in another direction from the way they had been going. The Indian +had to follow their tracks; I followed him by sight and cut off the +crooks as much as I could. In this way I ran at least half a mile after +leaving Crandell and was cutting off and gaining on the Indian fast, and +had got near enough to have hallooed at him and told him to stop. But I +though that would do no good, that it was necessary for me to overtake +him, and I was bound to stop him. I had got up to within fifteen rods and +as good luck would have it, the bears turned from an easterly course +around to the northwest. The Indian turned also and I struck across the +elbow and came to the tracks ahead of him. I stood facing him when he +came up and informed him that the bears were ours. I told him that he +should not follow them another step, and to wait, right where he was, +until the other man came up. I am sure the Indian thought the white man +had outrun him and maybe he did not think how it was done. He stood there +perfectly still, and I guard over him. I thought he looked ugly and mad; +he would hardly say a word. In two or three minutes Crandell came up, +puffing-and blowing like a porpoise. The sweat was running off him in +profusion, and while wiping it from his brow with his hands, he said to +the Indian: "You would not stop when I told you to, if I had got a good +sight of you I would have shot you." Of course Crandell only said this +because he wanted to scare the Indian as he had no thought of shooting, +or hurting him in the least. + +We started slowly off on the bear tracks and left the Indian standing and +looking at us. I told Crandell I thought the Indian was scared and very +mad at us for his threatening to shoot him, and my stopping him; that if +he got us both in range, it might be possible he would shoot us. I told +him to walk at least a rod one side of me so as not to get both in range +of his rifle and I thought he would not dare to disturb us. As we walked +away I would once in a while turn an eye over my shoulder and look back +to see the Indian. He stood there like a statue until we were out of +sight and I never saw that Indian again. + +As soon as we were fairly out of sight of him we walked fast and finally +tried running, some of the time as long as we could stand it. One of the +bears was large, another about the common size and two were small; the +small ones followed behind. They were a fine sight passing through the +woods, but they led us a wild chase. Late in the afternoon they crossed +the Reed Creek going north, partly in the direction of father's home. +Crandell said, "Now I know where we are. I can follow up the creek until +I get to the Reed house and then take the path home. I am so tired I +cannot follow the bears another step." So he sat down to rest. I told him +to come on, it was necessary for us to have two or three of those bears +and I thought if we could kill one of the large ones the small ones would +be likely to hang around until we could shoot them. But I could not get +him to go another step. He said he was going home and I told him I was +going to follow the bears. I went after them as fast as it was possible, +and after awhile came in plain sight of them. The large one was standing +with his fore feet upon a log, broadside to me and looking back at me. I +thought Crandell would see how much he missed it leaving me. I drew up my +rifle and fired, "ping went the rifle ball" and it made the woods ring, +but away went the bears. I expected to see the bear drop, or at least +roll and tumble. I loaded my rifle and went up to where Mr. Bruin had +stood. I looked to see if I had not cut off some of his hair, but could +see no signs of having touched him with the bullet. I followed along a +little ways and made up my mind I had not hit him. I thought it strange; +it was a fair broadside shot, not more than twenty or twenty-five rods +off, and what the reason was I had missed him I could not tell. I +followed them on, very much discouraged and miserably tired, after a +little they were making almost straight for father's clearing. I followed +them into the windfall within half a mile of home. It was then about +sundown and as their tracks turned off I thought I would leave following +them until next morning, and would then start after them again. + +As I came in sight of our clearing I thought, as usual, I would fire off +my rifle at a mark, which was on the side of a tree, about ten rods off; +I drew it up and shot. My parents knew by the report and sharp song of my +rifle that I was coming; it was my parting salute to the forest. As the +sound of it penetrated the lonely gloom and died away in the darkness of +the woods I looked at the mark on the tree, to see where my bullet had +struck. I had shot nearly a foot right over it. Then I looked at the +sight of my rifle and found that the back sight had been raised clear up. +Strange to say, I had not noticed it before. No doubt it was done by one +of my little sisters or John S. They must have taken it down and been +fooling with it, on the sly. Then I knew the reason of my bad luck. I +think a more tired and discouraged hunter than I was, never crawled out +of the woods. With my, hitherto, trusty companion I had met with a signal +defeat. I had carried it hundreds of miles on my shoulder and was not +afraid, with it, to face anything in the woods, day or night; but this +time it failed me and the bears escaped. + +The report of my rifle, that evening, seemed changed as if the very sound +told of my bad luck. I made up my mind, as I went into the house, that +the next morning; we would raise as many men and as many dogs as there +were bears and try them again. Of course I was too tired to notify any +one that night myself, so John S. went down to Mr. Purdy's. I knew he had +a large dog, which he called Watch, that was not afraid to tackle +anything that ran in the woods, on four legs. I told J.S. to tell Mr. +Purdy that I had been following a pack of bears, and that I wanted him to +come early the next morning, and be sure and bring his dog to go with me +after them. We had a good dog, and I sent Crandell word to be ready with +his dog. James Wilson volunteered to go with us and take his dog; they +were to be on hand at daylight in the morning. After we got together +ready to start after the bears I told them that I thought the dogs would +at least tree the small bears. We all started for the bear tracks. We +took my back tracks; when we got to the tree I showed them the shot I +had made the night before, and told them the reason I was not able to +take one, or more, of those bears by the heels the day before, and then I +might have examined them at my leisure. + +We followed my tracks until we found where I left the bear tracks, then +we followed them. T supposed they were so tired they would lie down and +rest, probably in the windfall. But they were too badly scared for that. +They seemed to have traveled all night. We followed them across the north +part of the town of Taylor, through-the oak openings, into what we called +the west woods and into the town of Romulus. They had given us a wide +range before we came up to them, but here in a swamp or swale, between +two sand ridges, we found them. They saw us first and ran. As soon as we +saw we had started them we let the dogs go. They started with a rush. + +"And then the dogs the game espy; +An ill bred and uncivil pack; +And such a wild discordant cry! +Another fury on his back!" + +--_Bishop_. + +We could hear them yelp, yelp, yelp, while they were on the tracks and +heard them when they came up to the bears. Then there was a wonderful +confusion of voices. We could hear our dogs and they seemed to be +struggling hard for their lives. "Bow-wow, bow, bowwow, yelp, yelp, yelp, +tii, tii, tii." + +When the dogs got to the bears we were about half a mile from them. We +hurried through the brush and over the logs, as fast as possible, to help +our canine friends for we supposed that they were in a life and death +struggle. It is now my opinion that there never was such a noise and +conflict in those woods before, nor since, at least heard by white men. +When we were about half way to where the battle raged most furiously, it +was all at once still; we could not hear a sound from them any more. We +went a little farther and met old Watch, and some of the other dogs +crawling back. Watch, by his wounds, gave a good report of his courage +himself. He was bleeding; had been wounded and torn badly. He was hurt +the worst of any of the dogs. Before we reached the battle ground we met +the last one; he was not hurt at all, he had kept a proper distance. But +they were all badly whipped or scared. They had got enough of the bears. + +"Sir Bruin to his forest flew, + With heart as light as paws were fleet; +Nor further dare the curs pursue, + It was a 'masterly retreat.'" +--_Bishop._ + +When we got to the battle ground we could see where they had fought, +clenched and rolled over and over. The blood of the dogs was sprinkled +all around on the snow. We saw that it was the large bears which did the +fighting. They would not leave the small ones but fought for them. We saw +in one place, where the fight was the most severe, one bear had attempted +to climb a tree. He went up a piece on one side of it and down the other, +then jumped off, before we got in sight, and ran. We could see by the +marks of the claws, on the bark of the tree, and the tracks, where he +jumped oft, that he had climbed part way up. + +I have seen hundreds of times in the woods where bears had reached up as +high as they could around little trees and scratched them. It showed the +plainest on beech trees as their bark is smooth. It is easy to see the +size of the bear's paws and his length from the ground by these marks on +the trees. + +That day we saw where the bears had done some marking of dogs as well as +trees. We found that the dogs had separated the bears, some having gone +one way and some another. The grit had been taken out of us as well as +out of the dogs, and the bear hunt had lost its charms for us. We were a +long ways from home and we thought it best to get our wounded dogs back +there again, if we could. We gave up the chase and let those bears go. I +felt the effects of the previous day's chase and tired out more easily; I +wished I had let the Indian have the bears to do what he was a mind to +with, and that I had never seen them. + +I presume there are now many persons in Wayne County, who little think +that thirty-three years ago, 1842, there could have been four wild bears +followed, in different towns in that county, for two days; yet such was +the case. This was about the last of my hunting. My attention was called +to other business, of more importance which I thought it was necessary +for me to attend to, so I hung up my rifle and have not used it to hunt +with, in the woods, six full days since. That Indian, who wanted the +bears, was the last Indian I ever saw in the woods hunting for a living. +I don't think there is a wild deer in the town of Dearborn at this day +and but very few, if any, in Wayne County. I heard that there was one +bear killed by a man, near the mouth of the Ecorse, last fall, 1874. He +was a stranger and, no doubt, far from his native home. He was the first +one I have heard of being seen in this country for years. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +GRANDFATHER'S POWDER-HORN--WAR WITH PIRATES. + + +Time sped on. The earth had traveled its circuit many times since father +sold his little place in Putnam County, State of New York, and bade adieu +to all the dear scenes of his childhood and youth and came to battle, for +himself and family in the wilds of Michigan. And he did his part bravely. +He was a strong man; mentally and physically strong, and possessed just +enough of the love of a romantic and strange life, to help him battle +successfully with the incidents and privations common to such as settle +in a new country, with but little capital. He worked his way through. He +had a very retentive memory and possessed the faculty of pleasing his +visitors, to no common extent. + +Father at the close of the Tripoli war, 1805, was about the age that I +was when we started for Michigan. He often told me of the war with +Tripoli and trouble with Algiers. He gloried in the name of an American +and often related the prowess and bravery of our soldiers, in defending +their flag and the rights of American citizens, at home and abroad, on +the land and on the sea. + +Of course when the Fourth of July came round I went to celebrate the day. +As cannon were almost always fired at Dearbornville, on that day, I would +go out there to listen to the big guns and their tremendous roar, as they +were fired every minute for a national salute. The sound of their booming +died away beyond Detroit River, in Canada, and let the Canadians, and all +others in this part of the universe, know that we were holding the Fourth +of July in Dearbornville. When I went home at night I told father about +it, and what a good time I had enjoyed, and that they fired one big gun +in honor of Michigan. + +On such days his patriotic feelings were wrought up and he talked much of +wars, patriotism and so forth. On such an occasion he told me that his +father, William Nowlin, was a captain of militia, in the State of New +York, when he was a boy. That I was named for him and that, when he was +done with it, I should have my grandfather's ancient powder-horn. It is +red and carved out very nicely, covered with beautiful scrolls and +old-fashioned letters. The two first letters of my grandfather's name, W. +N., are on it, and toward the smaller end of the horn--my father's given +name, John. These were inscribed on it long since the horn was made. It +was made when Washington was about twenty-five years old, and, no doubt, +saw service in the French and Indian war, in the defence of the English +colonies of America. Its history, some of it, is shrouded in mystery. It +has passed down through the revolutionary war, and the war of 1812, +through four generations of men, and was given to me by my father as an +heir-loom, a relic of the past. + +Next to my father's given name is the inscription, E.b. Then follows +these old lines: + +"I, powder, with my brother ball, + A hero like, do conquer all." + +"'Tis best abroad with foreign foes to fight, + And not at home, to feel their hateful spite, + Where all our friends of every sex and age, + Will be expos'd unto their cruel rage." + +--Lieut. Abl Prindel's. Made at No. 4. June 30th, 1757. + +The letters are old fashioned, the "s" on it is made as an "f" is made +now. I presume it was a present from Lieut. Prindel to grandfather. This +horn is sixteen inches long, measures nine and one-half inches around the +butt and would hold fully four pounds of powder. + +Father said in the war with Tripoli, 1803, one of the Barbary States, +Captain Bainbridge sailed, in the Philadelphia, to Tripoli and chased one +of the pirate boats into the harbor. He ventured a little too far and ran +aground. The officers were made prisoners and the crew slaves, to the +Turks, and joined their countrymen who had preceded them. But, father +said, the Americans were too brave a people to be subjected to slavery. +Other Americans rescued them and it was proved that the United States +would protect their flag throughout all the world. He often told me of +Commodore Decatur and William Eaton. They were among his ideal American +heroes. He said that Decatur conceived the idea of retaking the +"Philadelphia" and destroying her. He sailed into the harbor of Tripoli +at night and up to the "Philadelphia," made his vessel, the "Intrepid," +fast to her side and sprang on board. There he had often walked before +under very different circumstances, in the light of other days, when +thousands of miles away and among his friends. Now how changed the scene! +The "Philadelphia" was in an enemy's hands, and her guns loaded, to turn +on her former owners at a moment's notice. Decatur was followed by +seventy or eighty men, as brave Americans as ever walked on deck. The +surprise was complete, and the astonished Turks now saw the decks +swarming with Americans, armed and with drawn swords in their hands. Some +of the Tripolitans lost their heads, some of them cried for quarters, +others tried to climb in the shrouds and rigging of the ship and some +jumped overboard. + +In ten minutes' time, Decatur and his crew were masters of the frigate. +Now what grieved him most was that the noble ship, which they had rescued +from the barbarous Arabs, had to be burned, it being impossible to remove +her from the sandbar where she lay. So they brought, on board the +"Philadelphia," combustible material, which they had with them on the +"Intrepid," and set her on fire. In a short time the flames were leaping +and dancing along the sides of the doomed ship. The devouring fire, +greedily burning, cracking and hissing, destroyed the timbers, leaped up +the spars, caught hold of the rigging and lighted up the whole place. It +could have been, and was, seen for miles. The spectacle was awfully grand +as well as sublime. Tripoli was lighted up and hundreds of people could +be seen in the streets, by the light of the burning ship. + +The land forts and corsairs were all in plain sight of the American +fleet. The light enabled the enemy to see the bold "Intrepid," with her +valiant crew, leaving the burning ship and sailing away toward the +American blockading fleet. The forts and some of the galleys opened fire +upon them; it was one continuous roar of cannon belching forth fire and +missiles of death. The balls and shot went singing over their heads and +around, some striking the water and raising a cloud of spray which flew +in all directions. But the victorious crew paid no attention and quietly +sailed away to join their country's defenders. They were soon beyond the +reach of the foe and out of danger. Then they had time to consider what +they had accomplished. They had entered the enemy's stronghold, +re-captured and burned the "Philadelphia" and put her Arab crew to the +sword, or driven them into the sea. All this they did without the loss of +a single man. Father said that the inhabitants of Tripoli were Turks who +exacted taxes and received tribute from all Christian nations; that they +had taken some of the American seamen and held them as slaves. The Bashaw +declared war with America, (a country about which he knew but very +little.) He put his American slaves in chain-gangs, in this way they were +obliged to labor for that government. There was no chance for them to +escape and they must remain in slavery unless rescued by their +countrymen. Father said that the Turks of Tripoli were a band of pirates, +in disguise, robbers upon the high seas. + +The war occurred during the administration of President Jefferson. +Congress sent Commodore Preble with a squadron of seven sail, and a +thousand men, armed with heavy cannon. They appeared before Tripoli; the +reigning Bashaw refused to treat for peace or give up his slaves, without +he received a large ransom. Then it was that the thunder of the American +cannon broke upon Tripoli and the bombardment of that city commenced, +1830. They were answered by hundreds of the enemy's guns. The earth +trembled, the sea shook, the wild waves danced and the white caps broke +as the cannon balls glanced on, plowed their way and plunged into the +water. The strong buildings of Tripoli trembled to their foundations and +hundreds of Arabs, who were out upon their roofs when the battle +commenced, to witness it, in five minutes' time were skedaddling for +their lives. The Bashaw's castle and the entire city felt severely the +heavy blows of the American cannon. The enemy's fleet took refuge under +the forts and away from the ships of North America. The "Constitution" +sunk one of their boats, run two aground and the rest got under shelter +the best they could. + +One of the last wonders of the wrath of the Americans was poured out upon +Tripoli in the shape of a fire ship. It contained one hundred barrels of +powder stored away below deck, in a room prepared expressly for its +reception. On the deck, over the powder, was placed hundreds of shells +and pieces of iron, which the powder, when it exploded, would hurl as +messengers of destruction among the enemy. The "Intrepid" was the ship +selected for the daring deed. She was Decatur's favorite; with her he +captured the "Philadelphia." There were twelve American braves who +volunteered to take the fire-ship into the enemy's squadron and, near the +fort, to fire it with a slow match. Then they were to try and escape back +to their countrymen, in a small boat. When it was night they hoisted +their sails and the ship quietly started through the darkness, but +before they had gone as far as they wished to get, among the enemy's +boats, they were discovered from the fort and an alarm raised. + +The great Decatur, with his comrades, stood gazing at the craft as it +receded from them and the sails disappeared in the distance and darkness +of the night. What must have been their feelings, as the noble ship +disappeared? They were, no doubt thinking of their comrades, so brave, +who might be going into the jaws of death. Could it be possible that they +would never return, that they would never meet any more? They looked and +listened, but they were gone, no sound of them could be heard. Awful +suspense--all at once the fort opened fire on the brave crew. The light +of their batteries brightened up the shore and the thunder of their +cannon shook sea and earth. But where were the twelve Americans? Brave +fellows, where were they? They had, no doubt, failed to get as far as +they wished to, before they were discovered, and risked their lives a +little too long. They applied the fire to the trail of powder and the +ship was blown up. Tripoli had never been shaken before, nor had she ever +witnessed such a sight. The flames shot up toward the sky; the whole city +was illuminated and the report and awful force caused by the blowing up +of the ship, made the enemy's vessels in the harbor heave to and fro, and +rock as though in a storm. Men's hearts failed them; they did not know +but that they were going to sink. The city itself was shaken to its +foundation, from center to circumference. Men stood trembling and gazed +with horror and astonishment. Not another cannon was fired, and the noise +they made was no more when compared with the noise of the explosion, +than the sound of a pop-gun compared to the sound of a cannon. In fact it +was no comparison at all. Thousands stood ghastly and pale not knowing +what the next moment might reveal. The proud Bashaw had been badly "shook +up" and disturbed in his dreams of conquering the Americans. He had heard +of the advance of William Eaton and he made up his mind that it was +dangerous, for him, to carry on a war with beings who fought more like +devils than men, so he concluded that he would go in for peace. The +twelve brave men, who went with the fireship, were never heard of again. +They returned to their comrades, to tell the thrilling story of their +last adventure, never, no never. They had sold their lives, for their +country, dearly. They were never to see their homes in North America, or +their loved ones again; they had met their fate bravely and sacrificed +their own lives for their country's glory. + +Father also related the adventures and hardships that were encountered +and overcome by William Eaton, who formed a union with Hamet, the elder +brother and rightful heir to reign at Tripoli. Hamet had been driven from +his country and family, wife and children, and was in hopes, by the aid +of Eaton and the American war, of being reinstated at Tripoli. He joined +with General Eaton, who had received his commission from the American +government, and assumed the title of General. In conjunction with Hamet, +he raised an army of twelve hundred men, adventurers of all nations, who +volunteered to fight under the American flag. They started from +Alexandria, in Egypt, and marched a thousand miles across the desert of +Barca. They bore in their advance the American flag, something that had +never been seen in that country before. After a tedious march they +arrived at Derne, a city on the Mediterranean, belonging to Tripoli. +General Eaton summoned the city to surrender. The Governor sent him this +reply, "My head or yours." Then the American general drew up his men and +rapidly advanced to attack the fort, which defended the city. He met with +a strong resistance, the enemy numbering about three thousand. A terrible +fire of musketry enveloped the combatants in fire and smoke. The voice of +General Eaton, though he was wounded, was heard, amid the din of battle, +encouraging his men. + +After a severe contest of about two hours they charged and carried, by +storm, the principal fort. They tore down the Tripolitan flag and ran up +the stripes and stars in its place. This was the first time it had ever +been raised over a fort on the Mediterranean Sea, or in fact the old +world. General Eaton was fortifying, making the place stronger, receiving +some volunteers, through the influence of Hamet, and preparing to march +upon Tripoli to help the American fleet. But he was in need of supplies +and every day was expecting to receive them. + +As the city and harbor were under his control, he had everything in +readiness for his march, excepting the supplies, when the American +Frigate, the "Constitution," appeared and announced that peace was +declared, 1805. The conditions were that Hamet should leave the country +and his wife and children should be sent to him. The American prisoners +were to be exchanged and the American seamen not to be compelled to pay +tribute any more. + +The Americans who had been enslaved by the government of Tripoli were to +be paid for the labor they had performed. It is evident that the reigning +Bashaw was alarmed for his own safety and was glad to compromise. + +Father said it always grieved him to think, that the Americans who had +been held as slaves at Tripoli never returned to their native home. They +were paid for their service during the time they had been enslaved, went +on board a ship, sailed for North America and were never heard of again. +They slept the sleep of death with the twelve most brave beneath the dark +cold waves, never more to see their families or friends. + +Father often repeated such stories in our wilderness home in regard to +this war, the revolutionary war and the war of 1812. I and the other +children always listened to these tales with much attention and interest. +It was the way I received most of my knowledge, in regard to such things, +in those days. As we lived in the woods of Michigan my means of acquiring +book-knowledge were very limited. Now, I believe, if I were to read the +sum and substance of the same thing every month in the year, for years; +the way he related those old stories would still be the accepted way to +my mind. Although they might be clothed in language more precise and far +more eloquent it would not appear so to me. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. + + +Father's farm improved with astonishing rapidity and became quite a +pleasant place. Some of the stumps rotted out, some we tore out and some +were burned up. In these ways many had disappeared and it began to look +like old land. It was rich and productive and, in truth, it looked as +level as a house floor. Some seasons it was rather wet, not being +ditched sufficiently to take the water off. Yet father raised large +crops of corn, potatoes, oats and wheat. Wheat grew very large but +sometimes ran too much to straw; some seasons, rust would strike it and +then the grain would shrink, but as that and gets older, and the more +the clay is worked up with the soil, the better wheat it raises. In my +opinion it will be as good wheat land as the oak openings or prairies of +the West for all time to come. + +Father built him a good frame barn and was getting along well. He bought +him a nice pair of black horses which proved to be very good and +serviceable. It began to seem like home to mother. She too possessed +very good conversational powers. Her conversation was always accompanied +with a style of frankness and goodness, peculiar to herself, which gained +many friends, who became warmly attached to her, enjoyed her hospitality, +witnessed her good cheer, as they gathered around her board and enjoyed +luxuries, which in some of the years past we had not been able to +procure. The learned and illiterate, the rich and the poor, shared alike +her hospitality. No one ever asked for bread, at her door, who was +refused, if she had it, even to the poor Indian. We had many comers and +goers, and I think there were but few in the town of Dearborn who had +more friends than father and mother. + +Several years after we planted the first thirteen apple trees, father set +out a little orchard of fifty trees, west of them. Some of these proved +to be very good fruit and supplied us with better apples, of our own +raising, (and in fact some earlier apples) than we had been used to +getting from along the Rouge. Then it could be said of us that we sat +under our own vine and apple tree and ate the fruit of our hands, without +any one to molest us or make us afraid. And, it could be said of father, +that he made the place, where the wilderness stood, to blossom as the +rose. Everything seemed to work together for our good and all nature +seemed more cheerful. + +The evening breeze that kissed the rose and made the morning glory (that +grew by our window) unfold its robe, so that it would be ready in the +morning to display its beauty, and caused the sunflower, aided by the +evening dew, to change its face so that it would be ready to look toward +the sun, bore away on its wings, over the fields, the fragrance of the +rose and the joyful songs of civilization. In the stillness of the +beautiful evenings the air, under the starry canopy of heaven was made +vocal with the songs and tunes of other days, which had been learned and +sung oftimes before in a native land nearly eight hundred miles away. + +Now the pioneer felt himself safe. He could retire to his bed, in his log +house, and quietly rest in sleep, without draining any more of the +redman's approach, or having by his own strong arm, to defend his family. +Now he need have no fear of Mr. Bruin entering his pig pen and carrying +off his pig, as he did ours one night some years before. He tore the hog +so badly that it died, although it was rescued by father and his dog. The +bear escaped to the woods. Now how changed the scene with us. We could +retire and sleep soundly; feeling as secure as if we had gone to bed way +down in the State of New York. We could leave the leather string of the +door latch hanging out for any one to enter, as nearly all the early +settlers were friends. The ax was now left stuck in the wood block on the +wood pile. The rifle hung in its hooks, not to be disturbed. In other +nights, of our first settlement, father did not feel safe; the string of +the door latch was taken in, the door was fastened and blockaded on the +inside, his ax and rifle were placed with care back of the curtains, at +the head of his bed. None of us knew what might happen before the light +of another morning, for we were in a wilderness land and neighbors were +far apart. How different a few years have made it! Now nature seems to +smile upon us and the evening, when it comes in its beauty, seems to +offer us quiet and repose, rest and security. Now when nature puts on her +sable habiliments of night, the blue canopy was covered with stars, that +glistened and shone in their glory, as they looked down upon us and +seemed to witness our prosperity. How they illumined our beautiful spring +nights! The beautiful feathered songsters, that had returned from the +south, warbled their songs in our ears anew and seemed to exert +themselves, to make their notes clear, and let us know they had come. The +little grey phebe-birds, the robins and the blue birds were the first +harbingers of spring. As night put on its shade their little notes were +hushed in the darkness, then the whip-poor-will took up the strain. He +would come, circle around and over our house and door yard and then light +down. He too came to visit us, he had found our place again. In fact, he +found us every spring after we settled in Michigan, and cut out a little +hole in the woods. At first his song seemed to be "whip-poor-will, +whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will;" then, by listening, it could be made out +to say, "good-will, good-will." In later years, by the aid of +imagination, his notes were interpreted, "peace and plenty, peace and +plenty." But, whatever we might imagine him to say, his song was always +the same. He was a welcome visitor and songster, and his appearance in +spring was always hailed with joy. + +Sometimes I would rise early in the morning and go out of the door just +at daylight. I could hear the notes of the little songsters, just waking, +singing their first songs of the morning. I would listen to see if I +could hear the gobbling of the wild turkeys. I hardly ever failed to hear +them, sometimes in different directions. I frequently could hear two or +three at once. The old gobblers commonly selected the largest trees, in +the thickest woods, with limbs high up, for their roosts and as soon as +it came daylight, in the east, they would be up strutting and gobbling. + +They could be heard, in a still morning, for a mile or two. The gobbling +of the turkey, the drumming of the partridge upon his log, the crowing of +our and the neighbors' roosters and the noise of woodpeckers pounding the +tops of old trees, were the principal sounds I could hear when I set out +with my rifle in hand. I made my way through the prickly ash brush, +sometimes getting my clothes torn and my hands and face scratched, when +going into the dark woods in the early morning. I went for the nearest +turkey that I heard, often wading through the water knee deep, the woods +being nearly always wet in the spring. + +If the turkey did not happen to be too far off and I got near it, before +it was light, and got my eye on it, before it saw me and flew away, I +would crawl up, and get behind some tree that came in range between me +and it so that it could not see me. I had lo be careful not to step on a +stick, as the breaking of a stick or any noise that I was liable to make +would scare the turkey away. If I had the good luck to get up to that +tree without his discovering me, I would sit or stand by it and look with +one eye at the old turkey as he gobbled, strutted, spread his wings then +drew them on the limb where he stood and turned himself around to listen +and see if there was anything new for him to gobble at. If he heard the +distant woodpecker, pounding away with his beak, on the old hollow top, +he would stretch up his neck and gobble again as cheerfully as before. +Then I would put my rifle up aside the tree to see if it was light +enough for me to see the sights on it. If it was not I would have to take +it down and wait a few minutes for it to get lighter. + +I felt very uneasy and impatient, while waiting, and wanted to take that +turkey, by the legs, and carry him home over my shoulder. When it was +light enough so I thought it was dangerous to wait, as the turkey might +discover me or fly off his perch then I would draw up my rifle, by the +side of the tree, and shoot at him. Sometimes the old turkey would retain +all his feathers, fly away and leave me, to wade back to the house, +thinking to myself I had had a hard job for nothing. The great trouble in +shooting wild turkeys on the roosts, in the spring of the year and in the +early morning, is in not being able to see the sights on the rifle plain +enough. Of course, I was sometimes rewarded, for my early rising and wet +feet, by a nice turkey to take home to father and mother for dinner. + +This style of hunting for the wild turkeys was known by the settlers in +an early day. Another way I had of capturing the turkeys by shooting +them, was by the use of a small instrument that I almost always carried +in my vest pocket when in the woods. It was made from the hollow bone of +a turkey's wing. I called it a turkey call. By holding the end of my hand +and sucking it right, it would make a noise, or squeak, very similar to +the turkey's voice. Sometimes, when I heard one gobbling in the woods, I +would go as near as I could, and not let him see me, and hide myself +behind an old log, or root, where a tree had been blown down, take the +hollow bone out of my pocket and call. I have seen them come up on the +run, sometimes one, at other times more. While lying in ambush once I +shot two, at the same time, with one rifle bullet and got them both. + +I have often shot at a flock, in the woods. They would scatter and fly in +all directions. I would run ahead, near where I thought they lighted, +hide and call. If a lone turkey heard the shrill note, he would answer +and was easily decoyed up to me. In this way I was very sure to get him. + +Father made one of the luckiest shots at wild turkeys of which I ever +knew. They had a notion of coming into his buckwheat field and filling +their crops with buckwheat, sometimes two or three times a day. Father +discovered them in the field; he went away round and approached them from +the woods, on the back side of the field, where they came in. The turkeys +discovered him through the brush and fence and huddled up, with their +heads together. He said they were just getting ready to fly. He shot +amongst them, with a shot gun, and killed four at once. There are at the +present time, 1875, scattering wild turkeys in the town of Dearborn, but +they have mostly disappeared. Tame turkeys, in abundance, have long since +taken their place. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +MAKING A BARGAIN. + + +When I was twenty-one we had a good young team, of our own, and father +made it a rule to go to Detroit once in two weeks, with butter and eggs. +When he had other farm products he went oftener. Every other Friday was +his market day, for butter and eggs. His butter was contracted at Detroit +by the season, for one shilling a pound, and father thought that did very +well. By starting early, he could go and do his marketing and return by +noon. How different from what it was when it took us two nights and a +day, and sometimes more, to go to Detroit and back. Father had to sell +his produce cheap; when we had commenced raising and had some to sell, +all appeared to have an abundance to sell. Detroit market then seemed +rather small not having its outlets for shipping, and everything we had +to sell was cheap. We also bought cheap; we got good tea for fifty cents +a pound, sugar was from six to ten cents per pound, and clothing much +cheaper than it was when we came to Michigan. + +We could buy brown sheeting for from six to eight cents per yard. Very +different from what it was, when everything we bought was so dear, and +when we had so little to buy with. One day father and I went to Detroit +with a large load of oats. We drove on to the market and offered them for +sale; eighteen cents a bushel was the highest offer we could get for them +and father sold them for that price. We fattened some pork, took it to +Detroit and sold it for twenty shillings per hundred. In days back, +father had often paid one shilling a pound for pork and brought it home +on his arm, in a basket over two miles. Now we were able to sell more +than we had to buy. The balance of trade was in our favor and, of course, +we were making some money; laying up some for a rainy day, or against the +time of need. + +I told father, as we had a good team, it would be handy if I got me a +buggy. I could take mother at her pleasure, and it would be very handy +for me to go around with, so I went and bought one. It was a double buggy +with two seats. After the buggy was bought, when mother and my sisters +wished to go to meeting or to visit friends, I would hitch up the team +and take them in, what I thought, pretty good style. We had, what I +called, a gay team and, in fact, a good rig for the woods of Michigan. I +took care of the team, and when I went out with them I tried to make +those horses shine. I trimmed their head stalls with red balls, as large +as hens' eggs, and from them hung scarlet ribbons six inches long. When I +came home in the evening between, sun down and dark, through the woods, +the little blacks made the evening breeze fan my passengers and we left +the little musical songsters in the shade. I now worked very hard and +helped father all I could in fixing up his farm. He had everything around +him that was necessary to make him and mother comfortable. + +About this time I formed a more intimate acquaintance with a young lady, +Miss Traviss, although her name was very familiar to me and sounded very +beautifully in my ear, some how or other I wished to have it changed. +After I made this acquaintance I thought I would go to Detroit and spend +the next "Fourth" and see what they were doing there and try city life a +little. As one of my sisters wanted to go I gave Miss Traviss an +invitation to go with us, which invitation she accepted. So when the +morning of the "Fourth" came, we started for town. We put up at the +"Eagle Tavern" on Woodbridge street and spent the day very patriotically. +We had what we thought a very splendid dinner. We had the first cherry +pie that some of us had eaten since we came to Michigan. We visited all +the sights we could hear of, and honored almost every display with our +presence. When the salute of the day was fired, of course, we were there; +they fired one big gun for Michigan. As the cannon thundered forth its +fire and smoke, it seemed to fairly sweep the street with its tremendous +force; it was terrible and grand. It seemed to bid defiance to all the +world. It was the salute of the cannon of American freemen. We thought we +would go over to Canada to see what was going on there. When we were +across, we observed that the people didn't seem to be paying any +attention to the "Fourth." But we felt very much like holding +Independence and thought we would take a walk, down toward Sandwich. Of +course, I was seeing all I could of Canada, but Miss Traviss took the +greater part of my attention. The more I enjoyed her company, the more I +thought, in view of future life, that it was necessary for me to make a +private bargain with her. + +After we had walked as far as we thought it was pleasant, we turned back +toward Windsor; when we were nearly there we met a colored man. I pointed +over the river toward Detroit, and asked him, saying, "What place is that +yonder?" "Why," said he, "dat am die United States ob 'Merica ober dar." +He answered me like a man, with frankness, supposing that I was a +stranger to Detroit, and accompanied by beautiful young ladies of Canada +he naturally supposed that I did not know the place. I left Canada +thinking that all of the North American Continent ought to belong to the +United States. + +We sailed back to Detroit, the beautiful "City of the Straits." We all +felt as though we were at home, in our own country and thanked our stars, +that we did not live in Canada; that we lived in the land of the free, +and that our flag, the old star-spangled banner, waved over "the home of +the brave." We went back to the "Eagle Tavern;" I told the hostler I +wanted my team. In a very few minutes he had it ready and we were on our +way home, enjoying our evening ride. I was very attentive and vigilant, +in the presence of my company. + +When we were home we told our parents all the incidents of the day. We +had had a good time and had enjoyed ourselves very much. Then I attended +to hard work and farming, and think it would have been difficult to find +a man, who would have performed more labor than I did until I was past +twenty-two years old. + +In the mean time, I was having an eye out and thinking of domestic +affairs and life. I will not tell what old folks would call it, but I +call it falling in love with Miss Traviss. I made a private bargain with +her and got the consent of her father and mother, which was a hard job +for me although they acquiesced willingly. It was also approved by my +parents. We had it ratified by a minister and afterward I heard her +called, by others, Mrs. William Nowlin. She had taken a new name upon +herself. I left my father's home to build up one for myself and another, +and never more to return to my father's house and call it my home. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +HOW I COMMENCED FOR MYSELF--FATHER'S OLD FARM IN 1843. + + +When I commenced for myself, father gave me a strip across the two lots +on the south end of his farm, south of the Ecorse, containing forty-two +acres and lying on the town line between Dearborn and Taylor. Thus +fulfilling (as far as I was concerned) what he had said long before; he +wanted land for his children. I supposed, at the time, I should build a +house, live there and make it my home. I had a chance to trade it off +even, for eighty acres of land lying half a mile west of it, subject to a +mortgage of one hundred and fifty dollars. I made the trade, paid the +mortgage and afterward built on the place, the house in which I now live. + +Father bought back the forty-two acres which he had given me, and he +easily paid for it--two hundred and fifty dollars. Then he had the old +farm together again, with money left, which he had saved by his frugality +and industry. He made up his mind that he would buy another place, which +was offered for sale, out one mile toward Dearbornville, beyond the clay +road. It had a good barn on it and a comfortable farm house. He moved +there in 1848 and lived on one of the most beautiful building places in +the town of Dearborn and on the corner where three roads met. + +About this time, my second sister became acquainted with a young man, by +the name of Michael Nowlin, and married him. She was more lucky than most +young ladies; she did not have to change her name, only from Miss to Mrs. +Nowlin. She went with her husband to live near Romeo, Macomb County, +Michigan. He was a farmer there. Father did not like to have one of his +children so far away. I told him it would be well for him to let my +brother-in-law and sister have ninety acres of the old farm, which would +make them a good home. So he offered it to them, and they came and +settled on it, and lived where I had lived so long before, with my father +and mother, brother and sisters, in the woods of Michigan. + +Father let them have it on easy terms, and gave Sarah what he considered +was her portion as far as he was able. My brother-in-law easily met the +payments, paid for his place and had a good farm. He, being a good +business man, soon had his farm clear and things comfortable around him. +But he was not entirety satisfied with the place, though it was the best +of land, and he was a man capable of knowing and appreciating it. He +thought he was laboring under some disadvantages. In the spring of the +year the clay road was very bad and he had hard work to get out and in. +School privileges were also poor, not such as he desired for his +children, and he made up his mind to sell has place. He sold it in two +parts, at a good advantage. The last piece for over a hundred dollars an +acre. He bought him a nice house and lot in the city of Ypsilanti, is +nicely situated there and has given his children a liberal education. So +ninety acres, of what was once my father's old farm, were disposed of. + +After I had left home, a few years passed and my brother, John Smith +Nowlin, was married and started out in life for himself. Father let him +have the west seventy acres of the old farm. He, being the youngest son, +father desired to see him settled comfortably in life near him. He gave +him the place so cheap and on such easy terms that he was able to pay for +it in a short time, right off of the place, with the exception of what +father gave him as his portion. Father said he gave him his part. He soon +had as nice a little farm as any one need wish to own in the State of +Michigan, and he had it clear from debt. After my brother-in-law moved +away my brother became lonesome, dissatisfied and was not contented with +so good a place. He sold it in two pieces and bought a farm out within +half a mile of Dearbornville, beyond father's. He moved on to it and +lives there now right in sight of the village. + +It is not my intention to delineate, at any length, the circumstances of +any of the family unless in connection, with my father and mother, or the +old place where we first settled in the wilderness, where I labored so +hard, in my young life, and took so much interest in my father's getting +along during his trying days in the woods of Michigan. + +I was along there, by what was father's old place, one day this winter, +1875. I looked at the barn and saw that it was getting old. I noticed the +two little orchards, some of the trees had disappeared and others looked +as if they were dying, with old age. I saw young orchards on the place, +which were set out by other hands, those who knew but little of us. I +thought things looked strange; that there was not one of the Nowlin name +who owned a foot of the old farm. I suppose to this day no part of it, +nor the whole of it, could be bought for less than one hundred dollars an +acre, probably not for that. + +I counted the dwelling houses that have been built on it, there are five +of them; three very good frame houses, well painted and built in good +style, the other two houses are not so nice. I noticed there were four +good frame barns on it. The old place is inhabited by an industrious race +of men. It is divided up into German farms. + +Men may cover mother earth with deeds and mortgages, call her their own +and live upon her bounty, little thinking of the hardships, toils and +privations, that were endured by those who preceded them. How they +labored, toiled and sweat, sometimes without enough to eat and not +knowing where the next meal was coming from. I know this was the case +with some of the first settlers. + +In view of the hardships and sufferings of the pioneer and his passing +away, I exclaim in the language of another, "This earth is but a great +inn, evacuated and replenished by troops of succeeding pilgrims." + +"One generation passeth away and another generation cometh, and man here +hath no continuing city." + +[NOTE.--Since this was written, I have learned that I made a slight +mistake in regard to the forty-two acres, of the old farm, which father +gave me, as it passed through other hands before my brother and +brother-in-law came in possession of it; but it was finally divided as I +have stated.] + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +THOUGHTS IN CONNECTION WITH FATHER AND EARLY PIONEER LIFE. + + +I follow father, in my mind, to his last farm which he bought in 1849, +where he lived out his days. It was not cleared up, as he wished to have +it, and he continued to labor as hard as ever before, trying to fix it up +to suit him and to get it in the right shape for his comfort and +convenience. The soil was as good as the place he left. He raised large +crops on it. One day I went to father's and inquired for him. Mother said +he was down in the field cutting corn. I went to him; he had a splendid +field of corn and was cutting it up. The sweat was running off from him. +I told him it was not necessary for him to work so hard and asked him to +let me take his corn-cutter, as though I was going to cut corn. He handed +it to me, then I said I am going to keep this corn-cutter: I want you to +hear to me. Let us go to the house and get some one else, to cut the +corn; so we went to the house together. + +But it was impossible for me or anybody else to keep him from hard +labor, although he had plenty. He had become so inured to hard work +that it seemed he could not stop. He finally got all of his farm cleared +that he wanted cleared. A few of the last years of his eventful life, he +let some of his land to be worked on shares and kept his meadow land and +pasture. He needed all of that, for he kept quite a stock of cattle, +sheep and horses and took care of them himself, most of the time, up to +his last sickness. + +He was a great lover of good books; and spent much of his leisure time +reading. He did not often refer to the hardships which he had endured in +Michigan; but often spoke of the privations and endurance of others. +Thus, in his latter days, not thinking of what he had done, he seemed to +feast on the idea, that America had produced such and such ones, who had +been benefactors and effectual workers for the good of our race. + +Most of those men who came here in the prime of life, about the time that +father came, are gone. The country shows what they have done, but few +consider it properly. Some know what it was then and what it is now and +know also, that it has arrived at the exalted position it now occupies +through the iron will, clear brain and the steady unflinching nerve of +others. Yet they pass on in their giddy whirl and the constant excitement +of the nineteenth century, when wealth is piled at their doors, and +hardly think of their silent benefactors. + +Who can think of what they have done and not feel their heart beat high +with gratitude, admiration and love to the Giver of all good, in that he +ever raised up Such glorious people as some of the Michigan pioneers +were? So enduring, so self-sacrificing, so noble--in fact, every element +necessary to make beings almost perfect seemed concentrated in them. I do +not say it would be right, for me to wish the pioneer to live forever +here, and labor and toil as is the common lot of man. He might be +surrounded by friends and loved ones and plenty of this world's goods, +and have time to look back upon his past life and see what he had been +through and accomplished. He had gone into the forest, built him a house, +cleared up a farm, and lived where a white man had never lived before. + +I would say to him as Daniel said, 2426 years ago, to King Darius, who +visited, very early in the morning, the cavern where he was confined. The +king asked him, in a mournful voice, if his God, whom he served, had been +able to deliver him. Daniel said, "O King, live forever!" It has been the +belief of good men, in all ages of the world, that they were going to +have a better and happier existence in the future after this life had +passed away. Darius had spent a restless and sleepless night fasting. No +instruments of music were brought into his presence, his mind was too +much troubled thinking of the prophet, who lay in the lions' den. +Thinking how his faithful servant had been divested of his scarlet robe, +golden chain and office, and might be devoured by the lions. In the early +gray of the morning the king hurried to the cavern and cried out in a +sorrowful voice to his friend and said, "Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the +living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver +thee from the lions?" Daniel answered the king and said, "O King, live +forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths." +Daniel was aware that the King wished him no evil, but had set his heart +on him to deliver him and that he had labored hard to save him. He knew, +that the king had been caught in a snare which was set for him by the +crafty princes. That he had been persuaded by them to sign a decree, +which according to law could not be changed. It was gotten up, through +jealousy and envy, for the purpose of taking Daniel's life. When Daniel +heard the doleful voice of the king, calling him, he answered, and with +an honest heart exclaimed; "O King, live forever!" + +This was not wishing, as some might suppose, that the king might live +forever, on the earth, in his natural or mortal state, or forever reign +over his kingdom in this world, but this acclamation was "Live forever." +As it was evident he could not live long in this world, Daniel wished him +a better existence in a future state. + +Man has not been able to find, in this world, the land of perpetual youth +or spring of life. Nearly all the veteran pioneers, who have fought with +the forests of Michigan, and labored for themselves and others, until +they grew old, and wrinkled and their heads were silvered o'er with gray, +have passed from the storms of life. + +They failed to find such a land as Ponce de Leon, looked for in Florida, +in the year 1512. He was so delighted with the variegated flowers, wild +roses, ever green and beautiful foliage, and the fragrance of the air, +that he thought that these woods must contain the fountain of life and +youth and that that must be the place upon the earth where men could live +and never grow old. + +When I was quite young, a few years after our settlement, I think in +1838, Mr. Elijah Lord came and settled about a mile and a half +north-west of father's. He came down with his oxen by father's place to +get small, hard-maple trees, out of the woods, that he wanted to take +home and set out on his place. He was then about a middle-aged man. He +set out the trees on both sides of the road, running through his place, +for about eighty rods, in front of his house. I asked him if he expected +to see them grow up; he said he did not set them out for himself, but for +the benefit of other people, for the good of the generations that would +follow him. + +Some years after that, I visited Mr. Lord in his last sickness. He looked +very much older than he did when he planted the trees. He looked careworn +and sad; his locks were gray and he was very feeble. He was fighting his +last battle of life and he soon went to that bourne, whence no traveler +returns. He was a good man, a deacon of the Presbyterian church at +Dearbornville at the time of his death. + +The hard maple trees, which he set out, are grown up to be large trees. +When leaved out, they have the most beautiful tops, with the most perfect +symmetry that could be imagined. They make splendid shade for the road. +In summer weather, when the rays of the sun were very hot, thousands have +enjoyed walking under their protecting boughs. The poor horses and cattle +that travel that road alike enjoy the benefit of those trees. The farmer +as he is going or coming from market and stops his team, to rest under +their shade, enjoys their cooling and refreshing influence. The +pedestrian, who sits down by the fence to rest his weary limbs, takes off +his hat and with his handkerchief, wipes the perspiration from his brow, +as he fans himself with his hat talks to his neighbor about the price of +things and the beautiful shade, that is around and over them. Neither of +them know anything about the benevolent man, who over thirty-five years +before set out the maple trees, whose shade they enjoy and which protects +them, from the scorching rays of the sun, and makes them so comfortable. + +Now, in looking at the shortness of human life, which is compared to a +hand's breadth or to the vapor, which appears in the morning is seen but +a little while and then vanishes away to be seen no more; and thinking +that the pioneers stopped but so short a time to enjoy the fruits of +their toil and the labor of their hands, I would exclaim again in +language similar to that of the good man of old, "O, pioneers, pioneers, +live forever!" + +O, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? +Like a swift fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, +A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, +Man passes from life to his rest in the grave. + +The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade, +Be scattered around and together be laid; +And the young and the old, and the low and the high, +Shall moulder to dust and together shall lie. + +So the multitude goes, like the flowers or the weed +That withers away to let others succeed; +So the multitude comes, even those we behold, +To report every tale that has often been told. + +For we are the same our fathers have been; +We see the same sights our fathers have seen; +We drink the same stream, and view the same sun, +And run the same course our fathers have run. + +The thoughts we are thinking our fathers would think; +From the death we are shrinking our fathers would shrink; +To the life we are clinging they also would cling; +But it speeds for us all like a bird on the wing. + +Yea! hope and despondency, pleasure and pain, +We mingle together in sunshine and rain; +And the smiles and the tears, the song and the dirge. +Still follow each other, like surge upon surge. + +'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath, +From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, +From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud, +O, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? + +--_Selected._ + +It appears to me that it will be interesting to men, who in the future +shall live along the Ecorce and enjoy their beautiful homes and farms, to +know who were the brave, sacrificing, benovolent men who first settled +the country, and were a few of the many who have made the State of +Michigan what it will be to them. + +I give together the names of some of those early worthies whom I have +mentioned before in this sketch. They were the first settlers of the +southeast part of the town of Dearborn. Their names are arranged +according to the time of their settlement along and near the Ecorce with +the years and seasons of their settlement in the wilderness. + +Joseph Pardee--Fall of 1833. + +John Nowlin--Spring of 1834. + +Asa Blare--Fall of 1834. + +Henry Traviss--Summer of 1835. + +George Purdy--Fall of 1835. + +Elijah Lord, about--1837 or 1838 + +Let these bright names be imperishable! Let them be indelibly written, in +letters of gold, on leaves as white as snow and live in the light. Let +them be handed down through future ages, in the archives and annals of +the country, until the end of time. + +Of the six, whom I have mentioned here, only one survives. That one +is Mr. George Purdy. He lives on the Ecorce yet and owns a good +farm. (1875.) + +Recently a wise man said to me: "We can engrave the names of our kindred +and the friends of humanity upon stately monuments of marble and they +will crumble to dust, be obliterated and rubbed out by the hand of time; +but, if inscribed upon the flat surface of a written page, their names +will live." + +Men of all ages have delighted to honor their heroes and to perpetuate +their names. It is right to give honor to whom honor is due. We cannot +tell how many of the names of the good and great of the earth's true +philanthropists were engraven upon tablets of dead stone, who have long +since been forgotten and the knowledge of them lost in the past. + +The blight--mildew--blackness and creeping moss of time have hidden their +names from earth. How few, in comparison to the many, have been handed +down to us in history. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +FATHER'S NEW HOUSE AND ITS SITUATION--HIS CHILDREN VISIT HIM. + + +I have said that I tried to persuade father to take life more easily and +not to labor so hard himself on the new place he had bought. It was a new +place to him; but in an early day it was the oldest place south of +Dearbornville. The first log house built south of Dearbornville, in the +town of Dearborn was built on it by John Blare in the year 1832 or 1833. +It was one mile south of Dearbornville. So there was a house standing +there when we were slowly making our way to Michigan. When we came, it +was the first house south of Dearbornville. Mr. Joseph Pardee, who +crossed Lake Erie, with his family, the fall before when father came +viewing, built his house a mile south of that. These two houses were the +first ones, south of the village of Dearborn, in the town of Dearborn. +When we came in and built, our bark covered house was the next. + +It was at this house of Mr. J. Blare that the Indian, John Williams, +threw his knife on the floor and commanded Asa Blare to pick it up. There +he sat in his chair, flourished his knife, looked at its frightful edge +and told what it had done. If the Indian told the truth, it had cleaved +the locks and taken off the scalps of six of the Anglo Saxon race--some +body's loved ones. It had been six times red with human gore, and was +going to be used again, to take off one more scalp, one of the few who +was then in the woods. + +This house of Mr. Blare's had long since been torn down and had +disappeared. I could now go within five rods, and I think less, of where +the house stood. When Mr. Mather bought the place he built him a frame +house across the road, beyond where Blaire's house stood. It was built on +a hill, on five acres of ground, that he owned there by itself as a +building spot. + +Mather sold these two places to Barnard and Windsor and father bought +the places of them, and moved into the Mather house. Father talked, from +an early day, that when he got able to build a house, he would like to +build it of brick or stone. He said if he had stone, he could build a +house for himself. I have no doubt that he would have built his house +himself, if he had had the stone, as old as he was, when he got the +money to do it with. + +He thought himself quite a stone mason, at least he thought he could lay +a stone wall as strong as any one. I stated that I had seen where he had +built stone walls. The walls I had reference to then were walls for +fence. I saw where he had built one large out door stone cellar and +arched it over with stone; I also saw where he had built a smaller one, +that opened into what was styled a cellar kitchen. He also built the +three walls of the kitchen, on the back side and two ends, of stone; the +front of the house being wood. + +[Image: HOUSE BUILT 1854.] + +The practice of laying stone, in his early life, made him want to build +him a stone house in Michigan. If he had settled in another part of +Michigan, he might have done it; but he found that stone were hard to get +here, being too far away. So he made up his mind, he would build him a +brick house. He said brick buildings were safer, in regard to fire, and +were more durable, that they did not require so much repairing, were +warmer in winter and cooler in summer than wooden buildings. + +So he went at it, and built him a good, substantial plain, brick +farm-house in 1854. Not so palatial as some might admire, but a good +substantial house; a brick basement under the whole of it, with two +stories above. He set it right facing the "Hard scrabble road" and right +in front of his door yard was the junction of three roads. He lived on +the corners and, by looking south, he could see to the place where he +first settled in Michigan, from his own door. He built across the front +side of his house a double stoop or piazza, running the whole length of +the front. There he could sit, in the cool of the day, and rest himself, +accompanied by some of his family. Two of my sisters yet lived at home; +the rest of the family had gone for themselves. While sitting there he +could see people passing and repassing, coming and going in every +direction. What a contrast it was to our early life in Michigan. Now he +could sit on his veranda in the twilight, when it was pleasant, and when +the shadows of evening were spread over the face of nature, he could peer +away into the distance to the south and southwest, for a mile and more, +and see lights in different places glistening and shining like stars +through the darkness. They were the lights of lamps and candles, burning +in his distant neighbors' dwellings and shining through their windows. He +could go to his north window and see lights all along, from his house to +Dearbornville, for he was in plain sight of the village. Now he lived in +what might be styled, if not an old country, a thickly inhabited part of +the country. + +A few years before, when father and I were out and could not get home +until after dark, we frequently walked through the woods a mile or two +without seeing a light. When we came to our clearing we could see one +light, and that was mother's lone light in the window waiting for us. It +was three or four years, after we settled in Michigan, before the light +of any neighbor's window could be seen, from our house. Father's +situation was very different when he was comfortably settled in his new +house. When he had it built he told me that he lacked a very little of +paying for it. I asked him how much he needed. He said, "Not more than a +hundred dollars." I told him I could let him have it as well as not. So I +gave it to him and he sat down and wrote me a note of a hundred dollars, +ten per cent interest per annum. I told him I didn't want any note. He +said I must take it if he took the money. So I took the note, looked at +it, saw that it was upon interest and told him that I would not take any +interest of him. But I took the note home and laid it away. I was pleased +to think that father had so good a house and was so well situated. He +built him a very strong house and located it upon a commanding eminence +overlooking the country in every direction. From its very solid +appearance shortly after it was built it was called "Nowlin Castle;" it +is now known to many by that name. + +Father and mother enjoyed their new home very much. They usually invited +their children, and their companions home all together once in a year or +two. They often got into their carriage and rode down to see me and I was +always glad to see them. I usually counseled and consulted with father +when I thought of transacting any business of importance. + +After a year or two father spoke to me about the hundred dollars; I told +him I didn't want it, that he could keep it just as long as he wanted +it, until he could pay it just as well as not and it wouldn't cost him +any interest. + +Time passed on until about five years were counted after father built, +when he came down one day, on foot, to see me. He brought in his hand a +little leather bag of silver money--mostly half dollars. He said he had +come down to pay me that note, that he didn't need the money at all and +wanted me to take it out of his way. I looked up the note, sat down by +the table, turned out the money and counted it. I saw there were just +fifty dollars; then I looked at the note and saw it had been given about +five years before. + +I told father that I had said I shouldn't take any interest of him, but +it had run so long, I didn't know but what it would be right, for me to +have the interest. I couldn't quite afford to give so much. The fifty +dollars was just enough to pay the interest and I could endorse it on the +back of the note. I turned a little in my chair, to look at father, as he +sat off at one side and said but little to me, to see what I could make +out in mind reading. I found that I failed; I could not make out, by +what he said nor by his silence, what he thought of me. Then I told him, +that I had a little job or two on hand, which I wanted him to help me +about. I asked him it he would help me. He said he would if I didn't +bother him too much. I told him I wanted him to have his stoop painted +over, it would preserve and make the wood last longer, and make it look +better. And I wanted him to go to Detroit for me, as soon as he could +conveniently, and get some oysters, and other good things, and bring home +with him. Then I wanted him to invite all of his children to come and +take dinner with him and mother and enjoy the day together. Besides, I +wanted him to take the fifty dollars, toward paying the expenses, and +also take that note out of my way, toward what I was owing him. + +In a few days after that I was invited up to the castle to spend the day. +We were all there, father, mother, brother, sister, and our companions. +We had a good dinner. The table was spread with the bounties of life. We +passed a very pleasant day, and listened to father's stories of wars, and +stories connected with his early life. He would relate them as nobody +else could. He told us stories that I had often heard him relate before. +Still there was a charm in his manner of telling them and they seemed to +be always good and new; his old stories were certainly as attractive, +interesting and pleasing as ever before. + +It would make almost any one laugh who listened to them, though he always +looked rather grave while repeating them. It pleased him to think that +they all enjoyed them so much; but what pleased him still more was that +his children were all alive at home. As they were most all singers, +sometimes, he would set them singing for him, songs new and old, as he +was no singer himself. + +Mother was a beautiful singer. He often got her to sing for him, and +sometimes asked her to sing his favorite song, which was styled "The Star +in The East." I have heard her sing it for him, at different times, ever +since as long ago as I can remember hearing her sing. It was a beautiful +piece, connected with the Messiah's advent, which happened over eighteen +hundred years before. One verse of it was this: + +"Cold on his cradle the dew drops were shining, + Low lies his head, with the beasts of the stall; + Angels adore him in slumber reclining, + Maker and Monarch and Savior of all." + +It is claimed by some, that the human voice is capable of producing more +different sounds and is more musical and pleasing to the ear than +anything else earthly; that it is but little below the seraphic strains. +"The Star in The East" referred back to the most glorious night, for the +human race, that earth ever knew. A multitude of the heavenly hosts came +down in the east of Judea; the darkness of night was driven away and the +place became more beautiful than day, for glory shone around them. They +announced to the wise men of the East, that the Savior of mankind was +upon the earth, and that he was at Bethlehem. They told them how and +where they would find him. The Heavenly visitors showed them a star or +meteor of exceeding brilliancy and told them it would conduct them to the +place where he was. They started with the star in advance; it lighted +their path and conducted them to the place. There was heard sung, that +night, one of the most heavenly, beautiful, thrilling and enchanting +songs that ever broke upon the ear of mortal men. It was sung by angels, +this was their song: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, +good will toward men." Then the bright messengers plumed their pinions, +spread out their snow white wings, filled up their shining train and in a +cloud of glory flew away to Heaven. + +Now as I have strayed a little in thinking of the subject of "The Star in +The East" I find myself back again in the presence of the one who sung +father's favorite song. + +I told mother she must get ready, and, in the fall, we would go back to +the state of New York. I asked father to go with us, and tried to get him +to say he would go. But he thought he would have to stay at home and take +care of things while we were gone. Mother concluded she would go and said +she would get ready for the journey and we would go and see the old +native places, and old friends and make the visit we had talked about so +long. The thought of Lake Erie had always been a dread to mother, +whenever we spoke of going back. But now we could go back very easily and +in a very short time with the cars on the "Great Western Railway" I told +her it would be as easy, for her, as though she were sitting in a parlor. +I encouraged her all I could, for she was getting quite old and feeble, +and it looked like a big undertaking to her. I said, to encourage her, +that she would be able to stand it first rate, and the trip, no doubt, +would do her good. I think the thought of going was pleasing to her. + +But we met not many more times at my father's house, under so favorable +and happy circumstances, nor gathered around his board with everything in +such good cheer, and prospects so bright. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +MY WATCH LOST AND VISIT TO CANADA. + + +Mother's maiden name was Melinda Light. Her mother died when she was +quite young. She and father were married when she was about nineteen +years old. She took one of her youngest brothers to live with her, and +she acted more the part of a mother than a sister to him. She sent him to +school and gave him a good education. His name was Allen Light and he was +thoroughly qualified to officiate in the capacity of a pedagogue. He +taught a number of terms, prudently saved his wages and bought father's +little farm, before we left the state of New York. He married a young +woman, who had some capital of her own, before we came away, and they +settled on father's old place, and lived there when we came to Michigan. +For this uncle I did some of my first working out, mostly picking up +stone; he gave me a shilling a day. I worked for him until I had, what I +thought was quite a purse of money and I brought some of it to Michigan. + +As father lived in a hired house I had my own time, during my vacations +when I was not going to school. One man was quite displeased with me, +because I refused to work for him for sixpence a day. Another man for +whom I did work in haying, and spread hay after two or three mowers and +raked after, never paid me anything. I supposed he would give me eighteen +cents or two shillings a day. I worked for him four days; he was a rich +man at that time. I wanted father to ask him for it for me, but he said +if the man wasn't a mind to pay it let him go. + +Thirty years afterward, when I was there, I met the same man, he was +riding a horse down a hill as we were going up. I asked my cousin who he +was and when he told me I remembered the work I had done for him. I +inquired, of my cousin, about his circumstances; he said that he used to +be a rich man, but that he had lost his property and was poor. I am sure, +I didn't feel much like sympathizing with him. + +Uncle Allen wrote to mother very often after she came to Michigan. He +told her how much he missed her, that she had been a mother to him. He +said the doors of the house, as he turned them on their hinges, seemed to +mourn her absence. It was this brother and his family that we wanted to +see the most. We heard from him often and learned that he had been +successful in business. He bought two farms, joining the one he bought of +father, and one about a mile off and paid for them, they were farms which +father and mother knew very well. We learned, from others, that he was a +wealthy, prominent and influential man, in that old country. Fickle +fortune had smiled on him and he had taken what she offered to give. In +the fall we were going to see them. The war of the rebellion had +commenced, 1861, when we got ready to go and see them. + +Some three or four years before this I hired three or four colored men, +who came from Canada, to work for me. The right name of one of them, I +think I never knew, it was necessary for him to keep it to himself. +Campbell and Obadiah were the names of the other two. + +The people of the United States, both North and South, were very much +excited, at that time, upon the subject of slavery. The Government had +passed a law, in favor of the South, thundering forth its penalties +against any one who should aid or harbor, feed or employ one who was a +fugitive slave. That law required northern men to turn out when notified, +leave their business, help to hunt and chase the fugitive down, capture +him and help to put on his fetters. So it was not for me to know the name +of the one, who had been recently a slave. + +Campbell had a considerable confidence in me and told me a little of the +history of the escaped slave, (some things I knew already); that when he +ran away, from the land of bondage, he was guided in his flight by the +north star. The slave had heard of Canada and knew if he could reach that +country he would own himself and be a free man. If he ever had a family +his wife and children would be his, and would not be owned by any one +else. They would belong to himself and not another. To gain his freedom +he traveled mostly nights. When he came to a creek or river, if he +couldn't find a bridge or boat, he either swam or waded across. While on +his journey he subsisted on fruit or grain, anything he could get hold +of. When he saw it was coming light, in the morning, he would select him +a place a little way from the road, if he happened to be in one, in a +swamp or woods, or any place that offered him a hiding spot, and there +spend the day sleeping or watching. When everything was quiet in the +evening he would come out of his hiding place, set his face toward the +north and hurry on. He was trying to leave his master as fast as +possible, and every night he was making the distance greater between +them. Sometimes, when he reached the road, he would stop and listen to +see if he could hear the sound of horses' hoofs, or men approaching him, +or the shrill yelp of the blood hounds, that might have discovered his +whereabouts or been on his tracks. If he heard nothing to alarm him he +hastened on. Sometimes he was bare-footed and bare-headed, with no one to +pity him, or know the anguish of his heart, but his Creator. + +When night had spread her mantle over him, and the innumerable stars +appeared, sprinkled over the vault of heaven, millions of miles away, all +joined together to shower down upon the poor fugitive slave their rays of +light. The faithful old north star, with its light beckoned him on to +freedom until he got among friends and was safely taken, by the +under-ground railroad, into Canada. + +So I knew these colored men, while working for me, had some fear that one +of them, at least, might be arrested and taken back into slavery. They +didn't feel safe in working so far from Canada. But I am sure if I had +heard of his master's approach, or his agent's, I should have conducted +him, or the three, six miles, through the woods, to Detroit River, +procured a boat and sent them across to Canada, regretting the existence +of the "Fugitive Slave Law," and obeying a higher law. + +As I have said I hired these three, from Canada, to help me through my +haying and harvesting. I also gave them some other jobs. I relate this +circumstance as it comes in connection with mother's visit to the East +and what I said to my uncle there. + +The names of two of these men were Campbell and Obadiah, as I have +already stated, and these were all the names I ever knew for them. +Campbell was an oldish man, and I found him to be very much of a man, +trusty, ingenious and faithful in everything he did for me. Obadiah was a +young man. He told me his parents died when he was young, that he had a +sister younger than himself and a brother still younger. He said that he +wanted to keep them together and provide them a home. This young woman +kept house for my three workmen. She frequently came down to our house +and helped Mrs. Nowlin. She seemed to be very nice and smart and had +access to our house. + +After I had finished my haying and harvesting they moved back to what, I +think, was styled the "Reservation" in Canada, near Windsor. A short time +after they were gone I missed my watch. It was kept hanging up in my +room. It had unaccountably disappeared and seemed to be gone. I made up +my mind, after all of my kindness to the colored people, that the girl +had taken my watch and given it to her brother, Obadiah, or that at least +he knew something about it, and that they had carried it to Canada. I +wanted my watch and hated to lose it; what made it seem worse was its +being taken from me under such circumstances. I made up my mind that I +could contrive to get it again. + +I went out to Dearborn, saw the Deputy-Sheriff of Wayne County, Daniel D. +Tompkins, told him the circumstances and what my suspicions were, and my +plan, and asked him if he would go with me to Canada. He said he would. I +told him that I would come out with my team, he and I would go to Canada +and decoy Obadiah across the river, have the papers ready and arrest him +in Detroit. I had made up my mind that he had the watch or knew its +whereabouts. I thought he would be glad to give it up in order to get out +of the scrape, and all I wanted was, somehow, to get my watch. + +Accordingly, in the morning I took my team and we started, went to +Detroit, drove down to the wharf and waited for the large ferry boat to +come to her wharf. Mr. Tompkins was a shrewd man. He thought that he +would cross on the little ferry boat, that was then in, and see what he +could learn on the other side, and got aboard and went over. While I was +waiting I spoke to a mulatto and asked him if he was acquainted in +Canada, and what they called the reservation back of Windsor, three or +four miles. I told him I wanted to find a man by the name of Campbell. (I +thought I should be able to find Campbell as he was the oldest man and he +would be able to tell me where Obadiah was.) The mulatto asked me what +his given name was. I told him I didn't know, I always called him +Campbell. He said there were two men by the name of Campbell there; they +were brothers and one of them was a preacher. I told him I thought one of +them was the man I wanted to see. He stepped back by the corner of a +saloon and commenced talking with another colored man privately; soon +another one joined them, and there were three. I noticed them, as they +cast sly glances at me, and I thought they were making some remarks about +me, or my rig. I had a large team hitched to a covered carriage, +double-seated. I led my horses on to the ferry boat, and when it started, +two of the colored men stepped aboard. We went across to Canada, I led my +horses on to the wharf and found my comrade there waiting for me. I asked +him if he had found out where they lived; he said not. We got into the +carriage and started for the reservation, being sure that no one knew +anything about our business but ourselves, however, I thought, from what +I had seen, that things appeared rather suspicious. + +We drove up the river road. There was another road running back farther +from the river, into the country, which also led to the reservation. We +drove along a pretty good jog for a mile or two, and who should we meet +but the old man Campbell! He seemed very glad to see me, and came right +up to shake hands with me. He wondered how I came to be in Canada, and +inquired very particularly about the health of my family. I asked him +where Obadiah was, told him I wanted to see him. He pointed across the +road and said, that he came down with him and stopped there to get an ax +helve. Said he would run in and tell him, that I had come, and in a +minute out they came; Obadiah laughing and looking wonderfully pleased +to see me. Of course I had to appear friendly, although I didn't feel +very well pleased. I supposed that I would have to wear two faces that +day; but I was spared the disagreeable task. I told Campbell and +Obadiah, that I had come over to see them, that I had a little job on +hand which I wanted to have done and that if they would go to Detroit +with me I would tell them about it. They said they would go and I told +them to get into the carriage. They said they could walk, they were +afraid of soiling it; I told them to tumble in and I would take them to +Windsor in a few minutes. + +While we were talking up came a colored man on horseback, his horse upon +the jump, breathing as if he had rode him fast. He spoke to Campbell and +took him one side and talked with him. Then Campbell stepped back to me +laughing and told me what the man said. He said: "Heaps of colored +people" thought I was a "Kentuckian;" they said, I looked like one and +that my team and carriage looked like a Kentucky rig. The man would not +believe but that I was one, and thought that I had come to get a colored +woman, who had been a slave in Kentucky; and he said, that there was a +great excitement among the colored people about it. + +I learned something of the circumstance; that woman had been a slave in +Kentucky. Her master thought a great deal of her, treated her with much +kindness, in fact made quite a lady of her and gave her liberties and +privileges, which thousands of other slaves never enjoyed. But she made +up her mind, that she wouldn't be the property of any one; her life +should be her own. She ran away to Canada to gain her liberty. When she +arrived there, she didn't find every thing as pleasant as she had +expected and expressed a willingness to return to her master and slavery, +in the land of bondage. Through a secret agent, her master had learned +where she was. He made a bargain with the preacher, Campbell, to get her +back. He was to have quite a sum of money if he succeeded in persuading +her to return to her master. + +The colored people had found it out and every man of them branded the +preacher Campbell, as a traitor and enemy to his race. They were watching +him and the colored woman, and were determined, that no one who had +gained their liberty should ever be subjected to slavery again, if they +could prevent it. + +Campbell and Obadiah got into the carriage. By this time we had +convinced the first trooper, that I actually was a Michigan man (for he +saw for himself, that I had no woman) and we started back toward +Windsor. We shortly after met another horseman following up; when he met +us he turned with us. They had alarmed all of the colored people on the +road and nearly every man had volunteered for duty. They told us that +some men had gone on the other road, on horse back, to cut us off in +case we turned that way. + +I began to make up my mind that, sure enough some how or other, we had +raised quite an excitement among the colored people. We were attended by +quite a cortege. They seemed to be paying a good deal of attention to a +couple of Michigan men. We had attendants on foot and on horse back, +before and behind, and we were quietly making our way toward Windsor. If +persons, who did not know us, and knew nothing of the affair or +circumstance, had stood in the main street in Windsor, opposite the +ferry, and seen us come in, attended by our retinue, they might have +thought, that I, a Michigan farmer, had the King of the Sandwich Islands +accompanied by some great Mogul, that I was their driver and that the +Deputy Sheriff, of Wayne County, Michigan, was their footman. + +When we came up opposite the ferry, the crowd of colored men was so +great, we had to stop and give an account of ourselves. They had raised +the alarm in Detroit and she had furnished her quota of colored men for +the emergency. The excitement had helped the ferry business a little. + +We found ourselves surrounded by a large concourse of people. I told +them, that I did not know anything about the woman nor of Kentucky. Some +of them wouldn't believe but what there was actually a woman in the +carriage and they had to step up and look in and examine it, in order to +satisfy themselves. Luckily, some of those who came across from Detroit +knew me and knew that I was no Southerner. + +Campbell was my main spokesman. He was a very sensible man and more than +an average talker. He said: "Why gemman, I know this man well; he libs in +Dearbu'n. I worked for him heaps of times, often been to his house. We're +goin to Detroit wid him to see 'bout a job." + +One colored man, more suspicious than the rest, crowded his way through +up to the carriage, opened the door, took Obadiah by the arm and told him +to get out, that he wouldn't let him go across; he said he was a young +man and it was dangerous for him to go over. Obadiah said that he knew +"Misser Nowlin fust rate," that he had worked for him and that he had +more work for him to do and he must go over. Other men, who knew me, +reasoned the case with them, and they finally concluded it was a false +alarm, closed the carriage door and we were permitted to drive on to the +ferry. We soon crossed back to Detroit; to what some of the colored +people considered so dangerous a place for their race. + +I had Campbell hold the horses while my friend, Mr. Tompkins, and I +consulted together concerning Obadiah. I told my friend, that I hadn't +been able to detect any guilt in Obadiah from the first to the last. I +thought if he had been guilty he would have been alarmed, and have +allowed himself to have been taken out of the carriage in Windsor, and +would not have crossed the river with us. Mr. Tompkins had made up his +mind to the same thing. T stepped back to them and said, that I had +consulted with my friend and changed my mind, that I wouldn't do anything +about the job then. I have no doubt, they thought the colored people had +raised such an excitement it had discouraged me and cheated them out of a +job. (It is seen that the job I wished done just then, was to get my +watch, and I had thought that Obadiah was the one who could help me +accomplish it.) I told them, some other time when I had work I would +employ them, and I did employ Campbell a number of times after that. I +gave them money to get them some dinner and to pay their passage back, as +I had paid it over. I left them feeling first rate; they never knew the +object of my visit. They must have thought that I treated them with a +great deal of respect. + +When I reached home at night my pocket book was a little lighter, my trip +had cost me something. I told my folks that if they had made out in +Canada, that I was a southern man and that I was after that woman, it +would have been doubtful about my ever getting home and that it would +have taken three hundred Michigan troops to have gotten us out of +Windsor, dead or alive. But I do say to exonerate those colored people +from all suspicion, in the affair, that, some time after, the watch was +found, nicely wrapped up in a piece of cloth and in a bureau drawer, +where it had been laid away carefully and forgotten. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. + +MOTHER'S VISIT TO THE EAST--1861. + + +I go with her, accompanied by my wife and brother John S. As the train we +wished to take did not stop at Dearborn I had a hired man, with my team, +take us to Detroit. Father went with us to Detroit and to the Michigan +Central Depot. We went aboard the railroad ferry boat and were soon +across the river and on the cars on the "Great Western Railway." We were +soon receding very fast from Michigan; going across lots and down through +the woods of Upper Canada. I tried to see as much as I could of the +country, while we were swiftly passing through it. I told mother we would +manage it so as to see the whole route, either going or coming, by +daylight. I didn't see anything in particular to admire in Canada until +we got down near London and beyond. Then I saw some good country and I +thought it would compare favorably with Michigan land. + +Just before sundown we got to the swinging bridge, which hangs over and +across Niagara River. We crossed it very carefully. Just as the sun was +about half hid beyond the Western horizon our car reached terra-firma in +the state of New York. I felt a little more secure and at home, than I +felt when leaving Canada, when we had reached our native state. + +In a little while we were aboard the cars of the "New York Central +Railroad" and making our way through the darkness rapidly, toward the +east. I told mother we must try and get a good rest, that night, on the +way to Albany. We located ourselves the best we could for the night. We +had only gone a little ways when, all at once, there was a terrible +rattling and jingling, made by the passing of another train. It made a +noise something like the shelf of a crockery store tumbling down and +breaking in pieces glass ware, earthen ware and all. This noise was +accompanied with a heavy rumbling sound which shook the ground and the +car we were in and caused them to tremble. The flash of the light of the +passing train, as it sped on its way, was so quick by us that it was +impossible to see whether it was a light or not. It appeared like the +ghost of a light or a spectre in its flight through the darkness, for a +moment and it was gone. It left no trace behind that I could see. There +had two or three of those trains of cars passed us before I was able to +make out what made the extra noise. Not having any knowledge that there +was a double track there, and never having rode where there was one +before, it took me a little while, to make up my mind in regard to it. + +Both trains going at full speed, in the night, the one we passed +vanishing so quickly, yet not taking the impression it made on us with +its whizzing, hissing, tearing sound, it seemed like some fierce demon +from Tartarus bent on an errand of annihilation. But it was only another +train, like unto the one we were enjoying, and, if as successful as the +officers of the "New York Central Railroad" wished, it would only seem to +annihilate time for its transient occupants. For the coal miner's +invention seemed to make as much discount on time as any wonder of the +last age except our American Morse' lightning talker. We found there was +but very little sleep or rest for us that night. I could look out of the +car window and peer into the darkness and see lights dotted along here +and there; every once in a while, they seemed low down and looked some +like the lights from the back windows of low log cabins. I made out that +they were lights on board of canal boats. I recollected having passed +along there about thirty years before, and that I jumped into the canal +and got terribly wet. Now we were traveling at a more rapid rate; yes, as +far in one hour as we did in all day then, with a large train of +passengers. It was impossible for mother to get any rest that night. Just +as it got nicely light, in the morning, we arrived at Albany. + +No doubt there were on that train, who rode through the night with us, +the churchman, the statesman, the officer and men who would quickly dress +themselves in blue and march, under the old flag to defend our country. +Farmers and mechanics, men and women of almost every station in life were +there. Some went one way and some another, each intent upon what they +thought concerned them most at the time. + +We went to a restaurant for breakfast and especially to get a good cup of +tea for mother. (It had been rather a tedious night for her.) Then we +went on board a ferry boat and crossed over the North River, then took +the "Harlem Railroad" for Pattison, where we arrived about noon. This +was within three miles of where mother was brought up and I was born. We +hired a livery team to take us to Uncle Allen Light's. In going we passed +by a school house where I learned my "A, B, Abs." + +Mother's heart beat high with emotions of joy as she neared her much +beloved brother's dwelling. She had always thought of him as the young +man she left thirty years before; but she found that the frosts of thirty +winters had changed his locks as well as hers. + +I asked the driver if Allen Light was much of a farmer; he said that he +was. I asked him if he kept a good many cattle; he said he did. I told +him when he got there to let the valises remain in the carriage, and to +cover them up, after we got out, with the robes so they would not be +seen, and that I wanted him to wait a little while, and I would try and +buy uncle's fat cattle. At least, I would sound him a little and see what +kind of mettle he was made of, and he would see the result. I made a +special bargain with mother and she promised to keep still and keep her +veil over her face until I introduced her. She told me afterward, she +never would make another such a bargain as that with me. She said, it was +too hard work for her, when she saw them to keep from speaking. + +Just before we made this visit, my brother and I went to see friends +west, and viewed some prairies of Illinois. We visited Chicago, the great +city of the West, went through it where we saw a great deal of it. We +went into the City Hall, or Court House, and up its winding stairs to a +height so great, that we could overlook most of the city. I saw that the +city covered a good deal of ground. From the elevated position we were +occupying, we looked down and saw men and women walking, in the street +below us, and they looked like a diminutive race. As I looked I thought +the ground was rather flat and level for a city, but we made up our minds +it was a, great place. Some of the merchandise of all the world was +there. We came home feeling very well satisfied with our own city, +Detroit. For the beauty of its scenery and the location of the city I +should give my preference to the "City of the Straits." + +Now I had gotten away down east. I had rode a little ways on the outside +of Cowper's wheel. We had all got out of the carriage, in front of +uncle's house, went up to the door and knocked and all went in. I asked +if Mr. Light lived there. Uncle said he was the man. Aunt brought chairs +for the ladies and they sat down. She asked them if they would take off +their things, they refused, as much as to say, they were not going to +stop but a few minutes. I asked uncle immediately, if he had some fat +cattle to sell. He said he had some oxen that he would sell, and we went +out to look at them. Of course I was more anxious to see how uncle +appeared than I was to see the cattle. They were in the barnyard near the +house. I tried to make uncle think, that I had cattle on the brain the +most of anything. I walked around them, viewed them, felt of them, +started them along, asked uncle how much they would weigh, &c. I kept a +sly eye on uncle, to see how much in earnest he was and how he looked. He +was a portly, splendid looking man. He appeared, to me, to be a good, +hale, healthy, honest farmer, well kept and one who enjoyed life. He +would sell his property if he got his price, not otherwise. He was rather +austere and independent about it. He asked me my name and where I was +from. (This is a trait of eastern men, down near Connecticut, to ask a +man his name and where he lives and, sometimes, where he is going.) I saw +that uncle was getting me in rather close quarters, but I talked away as +fast as possible, walking around and looking at the cattle. I asked him +what he would take for them, by the lump, I was trying to evade the +questions, that he had asked me. + +I told him that my home was wherever I happened to be, that I paid the +cash for every thing which I bought, that I had just come from Illinois, +where I had relatives, and down through Michigan. I told him that I was +very well acquainted in some parts of Michigan, that I had been in Canada +and that a great many people there called me a "Kentuckian;" and I didn't +know as it mattered what I was called so long as I was able to pay him +for his cattle. I wanted to know the least he would take for them; he +told me. Then I said, I would consider it, we would go to the house and +see how the ladies were getting along. + +Going along I made up my mind that uncle thought I was rather an +eccentric drover. He seemed to be interested in what I had said about +Michigan and wanted to know something about the country. When we went +into the house, I saw that mother was getting impatient and our livery +driver sat there yet, waiting to hear how it came out and to deliver +our satchels. + +Mr. Light, your name sounds very familiar to me, I have heard the name, +Light, often before. Have you any relatives living in the West? He said +he had two sisters living in Michigan, in the town of Dearborn. Why, said +I, I have been in the town often and am well acquainted there I know a +good many of the people. It is ten miles west of Detroit on the Chicago +road. I saw he began to take great interest in what I said. I asked if he +thought he would know one of his sisters if she were present. He said he +thought he would. I told him there was one there. + +Then they threw off all restraint and met as only loved ones can after so +long a separation. Uncle was overjoyed to see her again, upon earth, and +mother was delighted to see him and Aunt Betsey. The light of other days, +youth and happy associations of life flashed up before them in memory +clear and vivid, which touched the most sensitive chord of their hearts +and caused them to vibrate, in love for one another. They visited as only +two who love so well and have been separated so long can visit. Minds +less sensitive, than theirs, cannot imagine with what degree of intensity +of spirit and feeling, they told over to each other, first some of the +scenes of their youth, which they enjoyed together so many years before, +then the absence of loved ones dear to them both. A father, two brothers +and a sister had departed their life since mother moved to Michigan. Ah! +what changes thirty years had produced! Their voices, which mother had +heard so often there, she never would hear again and the smile of their +countenances would never greet her more. They were gone and their places +left vacant. A great many former acquaintances of mother had also +disappeared. They talked about the hardships they had endured while apart +and of some things they had enjoyed which were as bright spots, or +oases, in the desert of their separation. + +Now as I was there, I wished to visit the place where I had been in days +of yore, in my childhood. The places had changed some but I could go to +every place I remembered. The distance, from one place to another, didn't +seem more than half as far as I had it laid out in my mind. + +The country appeared very rough to me. What we used to call hills, looked +to me like small mountains. I supposed the reason was because I had been +living so long in a level country. The rocks and stones appeared larger +and the stones seemed to lie thicker on the ground than I had supposed. +The ledges and boulders appeared very strange to me I had been gone so +long. I found that the land was very natural for grass, where it wasn't +too stony. It produced excellent pasture upon the hillsides, good meadow +on the bottom and ridges, where it was smooth enough and not so stony but +that it could be mowed. + +I went to see our old spring. It was running yet. Uncle had plenty of +fruit. I looked for the apple trees that I used to know and they had +almost entirely disappeared. I saw where they had raised good corn and +potatoes on uncle's place. Oats, that season, had been a very poor crop. +Wheat, uncle said they couldn't raise, but they could raise good crops of +rye. I passed by another school house where I had attended school. The +same building where I got one pretty warm whipping for failing to get a +lesson. The school buildings which I saw there both looked old and +dilapidated. I thought they looked poor in comparison to our common +school houses in Michigan. I had a good many cousins, who lived there; +scattered around. I went to see as many of them as I could. I had one +cousin, who lived off about four or five miles. I wished very much to see +her for I remembered her quite well, we were young together. Uncle's +folks said she was married and lived on a ridge that they named. Cousin +Allen said he would go with me to see her, so we started. Before we got +there we had about a mile to go up hill. Cousin got along very well and +didn't seem to mind it, but it was up hill business for me to climb that +ridge. I wondered how teams could get up and down safely; they must have +understood ascending and descending better than our Michigan teams or, it +seemed to me, they would have got into trouble. We finally got on to the +top of what they called a ridge. I found some pretty nice table land up +there, for that country, and two or three farms. After we reached the +highest part of the ridge we stopped and I looked off at the scenery, it +appeared wild and strange. I could look north and see miles beyond where +uncle lived and see hills and ridges. I could look in every direction and +the same strange sights met my view. I think my cousin told me, that to +the southwest of us, we could see some of the mountains near the North +river. While I looked at the rugged face of the country, it didn't seem +hardly possible that that could be so old a country, and Michigan so new. + +West of us we could look down into a hollow or valley. The flat appeared +to be about eighty rods wide, on the bottom between the ridges. West of +the hollow there arose another great ridge, like unto the one on which we +stood. Along this hollow there was a creek and a road running lengthwise +with the hollow. I saw a man, with a lumber wagon and horses, driving +along the road; from where I stood, and looked at them, they didn't +appear larger than Tom Thumb and his Shetland ponies. + +We finally got to my cousin's, I found that she had changed from a little +girl to an elderly woman. She was very glad to see me and wanted me to +stay longer than I felt inclined to, for I wanted to be back to the old +home again, viewing the scenes of my childhood as, to me, there was a +sort of fascination about them. + +Up there I noticed a small lake, near the top of the ridge. I thought +it a strange place for a lake. I asked cousin if there were fish in it, +he said there were, that they caught them there sometimes. I asked if +the lake was deep; he said in some parts of it they could not find +bottom. I looked over it away down into the hollow beyond, and thought +there might be room enough below for it to be bottomless; it might head +in China for all I knew. As I gazed I thought, can it be possible that +this country appears so much rougher, to me, than it used to, and yet +be the same? As I stood and peered away from one mountain and hill to +another, at the gray and sunburnt rocks, jagged ledges, precipices and +the second growth of scrubby timber, that dotted here and there and +grew on the sides of hills, where it was too stony and steep for +cultivation, it astonished me. + +My friends appeared well pleased with their native hills and vales and I +have no doubt they thought, as they expressed it to me, that they lived +near the best market and that New York was ahead. But the place how +changed to me! If I could have seen some wigwams and their half nude +inhabitants, on the hill sides, in the room of the houses of white men, +and have witnessed the waving of the feathery plume of the red man, above +his long black hair, I should have thought, from the view and the face of +the land, that that old country was very new and wild and that Michigan, +where I lived at least, was the old country after all. + +Nature seemed to be reversing the two countries. It appeared to me like +the wild--wild--west Yosemite valley and mountains, or some other place. +How strange! Here I am standing upon my native soil. I used to think it +was the brightest spot upon this dim place men call earth. + +In coming down the hill, I had to be cautious how far I stepped, in order +to keep upright, as I was liable to move too fast, get up too much +motion, I had to hold back on myself and keep one knee at a time crooked. +In that way I got safely down. I was a little cautious, for I had on me +scars made by falling on stones and cutting myself, when near that place +long years before, when I was a little boy driving father's cows, to and +fro, night and morning, from the new place he bought, (the buying of +which was one great reason of our going to Michigan to find a new home +and live where white men had never lived before.) + +I went back to uncle's and told him, that I had made him a pretty good +visit. I tried to get him and some of the rest of my friends to promise +me to go west and see our country and judge of it for themselves. They +said we western men had to bring our produce, and whatever we had to +sell, down to the New York market, in order to dispose of it. I made up +my mind, if New York was the head and mouth of Uncle Sam, that his body +and heart were in the great central West, his hands upon the treasury at +Washington and his feet were of California, like unto polished gold, +washed by the surf of the Pacific Ocean. When Uncle Sam wished them wiped +he could easily place them on his snow topped foot-stool, the Rocky +mountains, and Miss Columbia, with a smile would wipe them with the +clouds and dry them in the winds of the Nevada, while she pillowed his +head softly on the great metropolis, New York, where the Atlantic breeze +fans his brow and lets him recline in his glory, the most rapidly risen +representation of a great nation that the world has ever seen. + +When Uncle Sam brings his hand from Washington it is full of green backs +and gold, which he scatters broadcast among his subjects. Here and there +across the continent it flies, like the leaves in autumn, so that it can +be gathered by persevering men, who till the soil or follow other +pursuits of industry. It is free for all who will get it honestly. + +A little east and north of the garden city, is Michigan, one of Uncle +Sam's gardens. I think it is a beautiful place, dotted here and there and +nearly surrounded by great fountains that sparkle, glimmer and shine, in +the sun, like the rays of the morning--beautiful garden. It is +interspersed, here and there, with groves of primeval evergreens and +crossed now and then by beautiful valleys and dotted by flowery walks and +pleasant homes of the gardeners. It abounds in picturesque scenery, has a +very productive soil and helps to furnish some of Uncle Sam's family, of +about forty millions, with many of the good things of life, even down in +"Gotham." So we get some of their money, from down there, if they are +ahead of us and the head of America. I am satisfied for one, to live in +one of the peninsula gardens of the West. + +As my wife wished to visit her native place on the Hudson River, we would +have to stop there a short time, and as my wife and brother wished to +visit the city of New York we bade good by to uncle and his family and +started. Took the "Harlem Railroad" and in a short time were in the city. +We put up at the "Lovejoy Hotel" opposite the City Hall. We had rooms and +everything comfortable. We visited the Washington market and some of the +ships that lay in the harbor. We went on board one ocean steamer, went +through it and examined it. We crossed the river to Brooklyn. Visited +Greenwood Cemetery and saw all the sights we could conveniently, on that +side of the river. One night we visited Barnum's American Museum, after +this we went to see the Central Park and other places. We made up our +minds that we had seen a good deal and that New York was an immense city. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. + +LEAVING NEW YORK CITY FOR HOME. + + +We thought it was about time we started for home. We began to want to get +back to Michigan, so we agreed to start. Brother J. S. was to take the +"Harlem Railroad," go to uncle's, stop and visit, get mother and meet us, +on a certain day at Albany. My wife and I took the "Hudson River +Railroad" and came as far as Peekskill. We visited together the place of +her nativity, where she lived until she was twelve years old. She found +many very warm friends there among her relatives. We passed through +Peekskill hollow to visit some of her friends. There I saw some beautiful +land. It looked nice enough for western land, if it had not been for the +rugged scenery around it. + +When the day came, that we were to meet mother at Albany, we took the +cars and started. When we passed Fishkill I knew the place well. I had +been there a number of times before, when I was a boy. Newburg, on the +opposite side of the river, appeared the most natural of any place I had +seen. Along the river it appeared beautiful, and the mountains grand. It +was the first time I had been there since we moved to Michigan. We soon +passed Poughkeepsie, the place where we took the night boat, so many +years before, bound for the territory of Michigan. + +As we approached the Catskill mountains, I should say ten or fifteen +miles away, they looked like a dark cloud stretched across the horizon; +and when we came nearer and nearer the highest one, and it was in plain +sight, it appeared majestic and grand. From the car window, we could see +the mountain house that stood upon its towering summit. We could see +small clouds, floating along by the top of the mountain. That was the +greatest mountain I had ever seen; yet it is small in comparison to some +in our own country. Not one third so high in the world as Fremont's peak, +where he unfurled the banner of our country, threw it to the breeze and +it proudly floated in the wind, higher than it had ever been before. + +We soon got to Albany, went to a hotel near the railroad depot, called +for a room and told the landlord that we would occupy it until the next +morning. As mother could not rest on the cars, I thought it would be +easier for her to stay there over night, and we would see some of the +western part of the state of New York the next day. + +After dinner we locked up our room and Mrs. Nowlin and I went out to take +a look at Albany. We went up to the state house, the capitol, and visited +the room, where the legislators of the "Empire state" meet to make laws +for her people. There we saw the statue of the extraordinary man, +Secretary of State and statesman, William H. Seward. He, who shortly +after, was attacked by an assassin, where he lay sick upon his bed, in +his room at Washington and was so severely wounded, that the nation +despaired of his life for some time. + +We went back to the hotel, and as the time was nearly up for the Harlem +train from New York City, I went back across the river to meet mother and +brother John Smith. The train shortly came in and they had come. Brother +had mother upon his arm. She was very glad to see me. I got hold of her +and she had two strong arms of her boys to lean upon. I told her we had a +room over in Albany and were keeping house; that we would stop there all +night and start again in the morning. It would make it more easy for her, +and we would not have those jingling, rattling cars passing in the night, +to keep us awake. We crossed over the river and went to our quarters. We +four were all together again and had some new things to tell each other +as we had been apart a few days. We passed the night very comfortably. + +Early the next morning a regiment of soldiers, from the west, came +hurrying on to the seat of war to defend the flag of our Country and the +glorious Union. It rained very hard, I stood one side and noticed the +"Boys in Blue" as they came pouring out of the depot. Their officers did +not seem to have them under very good control. Their discipline wasn't +very good yet; after they got out, there were several of them who seemed +to be inclined to go on their own hooks. The officers had about all they +could do to keep them along. One physically powerful, hardy looking man +passed near me. He said, he thought it was a little hard, early in the +morning, after a fellow had been jammed and bruised all night and it +rained that he couldn't be allowed to stop and take a drop. The officer +told him to keep in the ranks. I felt interested to know if they were +Michigan men, but was not able to learn where they were from. + +In a few minutes we were aboard of our train and started again for +Michigan. The prospect of getting home soon elated mother very much. She +had lost most of her attachment for her native place, and it was no +comparison, in her mind, to her Michigan. She said uncle offered to give +her a farm, if she would move back there and spend the remainder of her +days by him. But it was nothing in comparison to Michigan, it was an +inducement far too small for her to consider favorably. We were coming +home as fast as steam could bring us and it was raining all the time. I +told mother I thought we should run out from under the rain clouds before +night, but that was a mistake. It rained all day long and was dark when +we got to the suspension bridge. When we got off the cars, the runners +were a great annoyance to mother. I told her not to pay any attention to +them, we would find a good place. There was a gentleman standing near us, +who heard what I said. He told me that there was a good house, the "New +York Hotel," which stood close by. Said he was not interested for any, +but that that house was a good one. I told mother we would go there and +we started. I was helping mother along and told my wife and brother to +follow us. It was hard work for them to get away from the runners. They +hated very much to give them up, and they were making as much noise over +them as a flock of wild geese. But my wife and brother left them and +followed us. We got to the "New York House" and called for a room. We +found it to be a very good house. We wanted to stay over night there, as +it would be better for mother and we wished to go up and see the Falls +next day. The next morning after breakfast my wife, brother and I went up +to the Falls. As it was still raining mother stayed in her room, she +didn't wish to go. + +We went up on the American side and went down three hundred steps of +stairs to the foot of the Falls. After this we viewed Goat Island, went +across it to the stone tower, went up its rickety winding stairs to the +top and looked upon the majestic scenery of nature, which was spread out +before us there. I saw no place there where it appeared so terribly grand +to me as it did when I stood at the foot of the Falls. There we went out +on the rocks as far as we could, and not get too wet with the spray, and +viewed the water as it poured over the cataract and plunged into the +abyss below, beat itself into foam and spray, which settled together +again and formed the angry waves that went rolling and tumbling away to +the sea. There I heard the sound of many waters thundering in their fall +and I thought, while looking at that sublime and wonderful display of +nature, that the waters of the river and creeks of my own "Peninsula +State," after turning hundreds of mills, slaking thirst and giving life +to both man and beast, came there for an outlet. It plunges into Niagara +River and goes gliding away to the ocean; some of it to be picked up by +the wind and rays of the sun and rise in vapor. When formed into clouds +in the atmosphere it is borne back on the wings of the wind, condensed by +the cold air and falls in copious showers of rain upon the earth, to +purify the atmosphere, moisten and fertilize the fields and cause +vegetation to spring forth in its beauty. The rain falling upon the just +and the unjust makes the heart of the husbandman leap for joy, at the +prospect of a bountiful harvest, causes the foliage and the gardens to +put on a more beautiful green, the lilies of the valley and the rose in +the garden ("the transient stars of earth") to unfold themselves more +beautifully. Then the cloud passes away, bearing and sprinkling the +limpid fluid upon other lands, and the sun looks out upon the cool, +healthful, invigorating and refreshing scene. The beautiful rainbow, in +its splendor, seems to span the arch of heaven, placed there as a token +of remembrance, so long before. It lasts but a little while and then +disappears, the cloud also passes away. In this and similar ways the +rivers and creeks are kept supplied with water and the Falls of Niagara +kept continually roaring. + +We went back to the "New York House" and shortly after took the cars for +Dearborn. We arrived there about ten o'clock in the evening. Mother +walked home, to the "Castle," a mile, very spryly. She seemed to feel +first rate. She was pleased to get home. Father and the family had +retired for the night when we got there, but father soon had a light and +a fire and was ready to listen to our stories. We told him how near we +had come losing mother. That uncle had offered to give her a farm if she +would come back, live on it and spend her days by him. We told him what +farm it was; he knew the place as he was well acquainted in that country. +We told him if she went back they could go together and he could carry on +the farm. But the inducement was far too small for them to entertain the +thought of going, for a moment. Michigan was their home, had won their +affections and was their favorite place. + +I told father, that he must go and visit his native place, see how rough +it was and I would go with him. I thought it would appear rougher to him +than he expected or could imagine. He said he would like to go back +sometime and see the country once more. He kept putting it off from year +to year. It is said, "Procrastination is the thief of time." He never +went. He bought him eight acres more land joining his two places. He paid +for it seventy dollars an acre and had some money left. + +Part of the eight acres was a ridge covered with chestnut trees. Father +enjoyed himself there very much, a few of the last falls of his life, +picking up chestnuts. He was a man a little over six feet tall. He walked +straight and erect until the sickness, which terminated his existence in +time, at the age of seventy-six years, in the year 1869. He went the way +of all the earth. The rest of the family and I, missed him very much. Our +counselor and one of our best friends was gone. He had fought his last +battle and finished his course. + +Mother survived him. She gave each of the children a silver piece (they +were all old coins of different nations and times, each worth a dollar or +more) which father had saved in an early day. They were in mother's work +basket in the dark room at Buffalo, were brought in it, through the +fearful storm on Lake Erie, to Michigan and saved through all of our hard +times in the wilderness. I have my piece yet, as a keepsake, and I think +my brother and sisters have theirs. After father's death, mother still +lived at the "Castle" and my sister Bessie, who took all the care of her +in her old age that was possible, stayed with her. All the rest of the +children did every thing they could for her comfort. She felt lonesome +without father, with whom she had spent nearly fifty years of her life. +She lived a little over three years after he was gone and followed him. +She was seventy-one years old, in 1873, when her voice was hushed in +death and mother too was gone. + +We laid her by father's side in a place selected by himself for that +purpose. It is a beautiful place, about a mile and a half southwest of +where they lived and in plain sight of what was their home. + +Long before this there was a voice of one often heard in prayer in the +wilderness, where we first settled, and that voice was mother's. +Father and mother believed in one faith and mother from her youth. For +years they tried to walk hand in hand, in the straight and narrow path, +looking for and hastening to a better country than they had been able to +find on this mundane sphere. + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Bark Covered House, by William Nowlin + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BARK COVERED HOUSE *** + +***** This file should be named 9949.txt or 9949.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/9/9/4/9949/ + +Produced by Papeters, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg +Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Bark Covered House + +Author: William Nowlin + +Release Date: February, 2006 [EBook #9949] +[This file was first posted on November 3, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BARK COVERED HOUSE *** + + + + +E-text prepared by Papeters, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + + + +THE BARK COVERED HOUSE, + +OR + +or, BACK IN THE WOODS AGAIN; +BEING A GRAPHIC AND THRILLING DESCRIPTION OF REAL PIONEER LIFE IN THE +WILDERNESS OF MICHIGAN + +BY WILLIAM NOWLIN, ESQ. + +1876 + + + + +PREFATORY NOTE. + + +I little thought when I left my farm yards, horses and cattle in the care +of other men, and began to write, that I should spend nearly all the +winter of 1875 in writing; much less, that I should offer the product of +such labor to the public, in the Centennial Year. But I have been urged +to do so by many friends, both learned and unlearned, who have read the +manuscript, or listened to parts of it. They think the work, although +written by a farmer, should see the light and live for the information of +others. One of these is Levi Bishop, of Detroit, who was long a personal +friend of my father and his family, and has recently read the manuscript. +He is now President of the "Wayne County Pioneer Society," and is widely +known as a literary man, poet and author. + +W.N. + + + + + + +KEY. + + +Sketch of the lives of John and Melinda Nowlin; of their journeying and +settlement in Michigan. + +Thrilling scenes and incidents of pioneer life, of hopes and fears, of +ups and downs, of a life in the woods; continuing until the gloom and +darkness of the forest were chased away, by the light of civilization, +and the long battle for a home had been fought by the pioneer soldiers +and they had gained a signal victory over nature herself. + +Hope never forsook them in the darkest hours, but beckoned and cheered +them on to the conquest of the wilderness. When that was consummated hope +hovered and sat upon her pedestal of realization. For better days had +come for the pioneers in the country they had found. Then was heard the +joyful, enchanting "Harvest Home;" songs of "Peace and Plenty." + +Crowned with honor, prosperity and happiness--for a time. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +I have delineated the scenes of this narrative, from time to time, as +they took place. I thought at the time when they occurred that some of +them were against me. + +I do not place this volume before its readers that I may gain any +applause: I have sought to say no more of myself than was necessary. + +This is a labor of love, written to perpetuate the memory of some most +noble lives, among whom were my father and mother who sought a home in +the forests of Michigan at an early day. Being then quite young, I kept +no record of dates or occurrences, and this book is mostly sketched +from memory. + +It is a history of my parents' struggles and triumphs in the wilderness. +It ought to encourage all who read it, since not many begin life in a new +country with fewer advantages than they. + +It is said that "Truth is stranger than fiction." In this I have detailed +the walks of ordinary life in the woods. In these pictures there is +truth. All and more than I have said have been realized. My observations +have been drawn from my own knowledge, in the main, but I am indebted to +my sisters for some incidents related. Together, with our brother, we +often sat around the clay hearth and listened to father's stories, words +of encouragement and counsel. Together we shared and endured the fears, +trials and hardships of a pioneer life. + +This work cannot fail to be of deep interest to all persons of similar +experience; and to their descendants for ages to come who can never too +fully appreciate the blessings earned for them by their parents and +others amid hardships, privations and sufferings (in a new country) the +half of which can never be told. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAPTER. + + + I--TALKING OF MICHIGAN + II--DISAGREEABLE MUSIC + III--HOW WE GOT OUR SWEET, AND THE HISTORY OF MY FIRST PIG + IV--OUR SECOND HOUSE AND FIRST APPLE TREES + V--THE JUG OF WHISKY AND TEMPERANCE MEETING + VI--HOW WE FOUND OUR CATTLE + VII--TROUBLE CAME ON THE WING + VIII--HARD TIMES FOR US IN MICHIGAN + IX--A SUMMER HUNT + X--HOW WE GOT INTO TROUBLE ONE NIGHT AND I SCARED + XI--THE INDIANS VISIT US--THEIR STRANGE AND PECULIAR WAYS + XII--THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE--A PICTURE FROM MEMORY + XIII--METHEGLIN; OR, THE DETECTED DRINK + XIV--OUR ROAD--HOW I WAS WOUNDED + XV--PROSPECT OF WAR + XVI--FISHING AND BOAT RIDING, + XVII--HOW I GOT IN TROUBLE RIDING IN A CANOE + XVIII--OUR CLEARING AND THE FIRST RAILROAD CARS + XIX--TREES + XX--DRAWING CORD-WOOD--HOW THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT--THE STEAM WHISTLE + XXI--HOW I HUNTED AND WE PAID THE MORTGAGE + XXII--BEAR HUNT + XXIII--GRANDFATHER'S POWDER HORN--WAR WITH PIRATES + XXIV--LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN + XXV--MAKING A BARGAIN + XXVI--HOW I COMMENCED FOR MYSELF--FATHER'S OLD FARM + XXVII--THOUGHTS IN CONNECTION WITH FATHER AND EARLY PIONEER LIFE +XXVIII--FATHER'S NEW HOUSE AND ITS SITUATION--HIS CHILDREN VISIT HIM + XXIX--MY WATCH LOST AND VISIT TO CANADA + XXX--MOTHER'S VISIT TO THE EAST + XXXI--LEAVING NEW YORK CITY FOR HOME + + + + +ILLUSTRATIOINS. + + +"THE MICHIGAN" +THE BARK-COVERKD HOUSE +THE THOMPSON TAVERN +HOUSE BUILT IN 1836 +FIRST RAILWAY CARS +HOUSE BUILT IN 1854 + + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +TALKING OF MICHIGAN. + + +My father was born in 1793, and my mother in 1802, in Putnam County, +State of New York. Their names were John and Melinda Nowlin. Mother's +maiden name was Light. + +My father owned a small farm of twenty-five acres, in the town of Kent, +Putnam County, New York, about sixty miles from New York City. We had +plenty of fruit, apples, pears, quinces and so forth, also a never +failing spring. He bought another place about half a mile from that. It +was very stony, and father worked very hard. I remember well his building +stone wall. + +But hard work would not do it. He could not pay for the second +place. It involved him so that we were in danger of losing the place +where we lived. + +He said, it was impossible for a poor man to get along and support his +family; that he never could get any land for his children there, and he +would sell what he had and go to a better country, where land was cheap +and where he could get land for them. + +He talked much of the territory of Michigan. He went to one of the +neighbors and borrowed a geography. I recollect very well some things +that it stated. It was Morse's geography, and it said that the territory +of Michigan was a very fertile country, that it was nearly surrounded by +great lakes, and that wild grapes and other wild fruit grew in abundance. + +Father then talked continually of Michigan. Mother was very much opposed +to leaving her home. I was the eldest of five children, about ten or +eleven years of age, when the word Michigan grated upon my ear. I am not +able to give dates in full, but all of the incidents I relate are facts. +Some of them occurred over forty years ago, and are given mostly from +memory, without the aid of a diary. Nevertheless, most of them are now +more vivid and plain to my mind than some things which transpired within +the past year. I was very much opposed to going to Michigan, and did all +that a boy of my age could do to prevent it. The thought of Indians, +bears and wolves terrified me, and the thought of leaving my schoolmates +and native place was terrible. My parents sent me to school when in New +York, but I have not been to school a day since. My mother's health was +very poor. Her physician feared that consumption of the lungs was already +seated. Many of her friends said she would not live to get to Michigan if +she started. She thought she could not, and said, that if she did, +herself and family would be killed by the Indians, perish in the +wilderness, or starve to death. The thought too, of leaving her friends +and the members of the church, to which she was very much attached, was +terribly afflicting. She made one request of father, which was that when +she died he would take her back to New York, and lay her in the grave +yard by her ancestors. + +Father had made up his mind to go to Michigan, and nothing could change +him. He sold his place in 1832, hired a house for the summer, then went +down to York, as we called it, to get his outfit. Among his purchases +were a rifle for himself and a shot gun for me. He said when we went to +Michigan it should be mine. I admired his rifle very much. It was the +first one I had ever seen. After trying his rifle a few days, shooting at +a mark, he bade us good-by, and started "to view" in Michigan. + +I think he was gone six or eight weeks, when he returned and told us of +his adventures and the country. He said he had a very hard time going up +Lake Erie. A terrible storm caused the old boat, "Shelvin Thompson" to +heave, and its timber to creak in almost every joint. He thought it must +go down. He went to his friend, Mr. George Purdy, (who is now an old +resident of the town of Dearborn) said to him: "You had better get up; we +are going down! The Captain says 'every man on deck and look out for +himself.'" Mr. Purdy was too sick to get up. The good old steamer +weathered the storm and landed safely at Detroit. + +Father said that Michigan was a beautiful country, that the soil was as +rich as a barn-yard, as level as a house floor, and no stones in the way. +(I here state, that he did not go any farther west than where he bought +his land.) He also said he had bought eighty acres of land, in the town +of Dearborn, two and a half miles from a little village, and twelve +miles from the city of Detroit. Said he would buy eighty acres more, east +of it, after he moved in the spring, which would make it square, a +quarter section. He said it was as near Detroit as he could get +government land, and he thought Detroit would always be the best market +in the country. + +Father had a mother, three sisters, one brother and an uncle living in +Unadilla Country N.Y. He wished very much to see them, and, as they were +about one hundred and fifty miles on his way to Michigan, he concluded to +spend the winter with them. Before he was ready to start he wrote to his +uncle, Griffin Smith, to meet him, on a certain day, at Catskill, on the +Hudson river. I cannot give the exact date, but remember that it was in +the fall of 1833. + +The neighbor, of whom we borrowed the old geography, wished very much to +go West with us, but could not raise the means. When we started we passed +by his place; he was lying dead in his house. Thus were our hearts, +already sad, made sadder. + +We traveled twenty-five miles in a wagon, which brought us to +Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson river, then took a night boat for Catskill +where uncle was to meet us the next morning. Before we reached Catskill, +the captain said that he would not stop there. Father said he must. The +captain said he would not stop for a hundred dollars as his boat was +behind time. But he and father had a little private conversation, and +the result was he did stop. The captain told his men to be careful of +the things, and we were helped off in the best style possible. I do not +know what changed the captain's mind, perhaps he was a Mason. Uncle met +us, and our things were soon on his wagon. Now, our journey lay over a +rough, hilly country, and I remember it was very cold. I think we passed +over some of the smaller Catskill Mountains. My delicate mother, wrapt +as best she could be, with my little sister (not then a year old) in her +arms, also the other children, rode. Father and I walked some of the +way, as the snow was quite deep on the mountains. He carried his rifle, +and I my shot-gun on our shoulders. Our journey was a tedious one, for +we got along very slowly; but we finally arrived at Unadilla. There we +had many friends and passed a pleasant winter. I liked the country +better than the one we left, and we all tried to get father to buy +there, and give up the idea of going to Michigan. But a few years +satisfied us that he knew the best. + +Early in the spring of 1834 we left our friends weeping, for, as they +expressed it, they thought we were going "out of the world." Here I will +give some lines composed and presented to father and mother by father's +sister, N. Covey, which will give her idea of our undertaking better than +any words I can frame: + +"Dear Brother and Sister, we must bid you adieu, +We hope that the Lord will deal kindly with you, +Protect and defend you, wherever you go, +If Christ is your friend, sure you need fear no foe. + +"The distance doth seem great, to which you are bound, +But soon we must travel on far distant ground, +And if we prove faithful to God's grace and love, +If we ne'er meet before, we shall all meet above." + +About twenty years later this aunt, her husband and nine children +(they left one son) sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grand-children +visited us. Uncle had sold his nice farm in Unadilla and come to +settle his very intelligent family in Michigan. He settled as near us +as he could get government land sufficient for so large a family. With +most of this numerous family near him, he is at this day a sprightly +old man, respected (so far as I know) by all who know him, from +Unionville to Bay City. + +Now as I have digressed, I must go back and continue the story of our +journey from Unadilla to Michigan. As soon as navigation opened, in the +spring, we started again with uncle's team and wagon. In this manner we +traveled about fifty miles which brought us to Utica. There we embarked +on a canal boat and moved slowly night and day, to invade the forests of +Michigan. Sometimes when we came to a lock father got off and walked a +mile or two. On one of these occasions I accompanied him, and when we +came to a favorable place, father signaled to the steersman, and he +turned the boat up. Father jumped on to the side of the boat. I attempted +to follow him, did not jump far enough, missed my hold and went down, by +the side of the boat, into the water. However, father caught my hand and +lifted me out. They said that if he had not caught me, I must have been +crushed to death, as the boat struck the side the same minute. That, +certainly, would have been the end of my journey to Michigan. When it was +pleasant we spent part of the time on deck. One day mother left my little +brother, then four years old, in care of my oldest sister, Rachel. He +concluded to have a rock in an easy chair, rocked over and took a cold +bath in the canal. Mother and I were in the cabin. When we heard the cry +"Overboard!" we rushed on deck, and the first thing we saw was a man +swimming with something ahead of him. It proved to be my brother, held +by one strong arm of an English gentleman. He did not strangle much; some +said the Englishman might have waded out, in that case he would not have +strangled any, as he had on a full-cloth overcoat, which held him up +until the Englishman got to him. Be that as it may, the Englishman was +our ideal hero for many years, for by his bravery and skill, unparalleled +by anything we had seen, he had saved our brother from a watery grave. + +That brother is now the John Smith Nowlin, of Dearborn. + +Nothing more of importance occurred while we were on the canal. When we +arrived at Buffalo the steamer, "Michigan," then new, just ready for her +second trip, lay at her wharf ready to start the next morning. Thinking +we would get a better night's rest, at a public house, than on the +steamer father sought one, but made a poor choice. + +Father had four or five hundred dollars, which were mostly silver, he +thought this would be more secure and unsuspected in mother's willow +basket, which would be thought to contain only wearing apparel for the +child. We had just got nicely installed and father gone to make +preparations for our embarkation on the "Michigan," when the lady of +the house came by mother and, as if to move it a little, lifted her +basket. Then she said, "You must have plenty of money, your basket is +very heavy." + +When father came, and mother told him the liberty the lady had taken, he +did not like it much, and I am sure I felt anything but easy. + +But father called for a sleeping room with three beds, and we were shown +up three flights of stairs, into a dark, dismal room, with no window, +and but one door. Mother saw us children in bed, put the basket of silver +between my little brother and me, and then went down. The time seemed +long, but finally father and mother came up. I felt much safer then. Late +in the evening a man, with a candle in one hand, came into the room, +looked at each bed sufficiently to see who was in it. When he came to +father's bed, which proved to be the last, as he went round, father asked +him what he wanted there. He said he was looking for an umbrella. Father +said he would give him umbrella, caught him by the sleeve of his coat; +but he proved to be stronger than his coat for he fled leaving one sleeve +of a nice broadcloth coat in father's hand. Father then put his knife +over the door-latch. I began to breathe more freely, but there was no +sleep for father or mother, and but little for me, that night. + +Everything had been quiet about two hours when we heard steps, as of two +or three, coming very quietly, in their stocking feet. Father rose, armed +himself with a heavy chair and waited to receive them. + +Mother heard the door-latch, and fearing that father would kill, or be +killed, spoke, as if not wishing them to hear, and said: "John have the +pistols ready," (it will be remembered that we had pistols in place of +revolvers in those days) "and the moment they open the door shoot them." +This stratagem worked; they retired as still as possible. + +In about two or three hours more, they came again, and although father +told mother to keep still, she said again: "Be ready now and blow them +down the moment they burst open the door." + +Away they went again, but came once more just before daylight, stiller +if possible than ever; father was at his station, chair in hand, but +mother was determined all should live, if possible, so she said "They are +coming again, shoot the first one that enters!" &c., &c. + +They found that we were awake and, do doubt, thought that they would meet +with a little warmer reception than they wished. Father really had no +weapons with him except the chair and knife. I said, the room had no +window, consequently, it was as dark at daylight as at midnight. The only +way we could tell when it was daylight was by the noise on the street. + +When father went down, in the morning, he inquired for the landlord and +the man that came into his room; but the landlord and the man with one +sleeve were not to be found. Father complained to the landlady, of being +disturbed, and showed her the coatsleeve. She said it must have been an +old man, who usually slept in that room, looking for a bed. + +We went immediately to our boat. As father was poor and wished to +economize, he took steerage passage, as we had warm clothes and plenty of +bedding, he thought this the best that he could afford. Our headquarters +were on the lower deck. In a short time steam was up, and we bade +farewell to Buffalo, where we had spent a sleepless night, and with about +six-hundred passengers started on our course. + +The elements seemed to be against us. A fearful storm arose; the captain +thought it would be dangerous to proceed, and so put in below a little +island opposite Cleveland, and tied up to a pier which ran out from the +island. Here we lay for three weary days and nights, the storm +continually raging. + +Finally, the captain thought he must start out. He kept the boat as near +the shore as he could with safety, and we moved slowly until we were near +the head of the lake. Then the storm raged and the wind blew with +increased fury. It seemed as if the "Prince of the power of the air" had +let loose the wind upon us. The very air seemed freighted with woe. The +sky above and the waters below were greatly agitated. It was a dark +afternoon, the clouds looked black and angry and flew across the horizon +apparently in a strife to get away from the dreadful calamity that seemed +to be coming upon Lake Erie. + +We were violently tempest-tossed. Many of the passengers despaired of +getting through. Their lamentations were piteous and all had gloomy +forebodings of impending ruin. The dark, blue, cold waves, pressed hard +by the wind, rolled and tumbled our vessel frightfully, seeming to make +our fears their sport. What a dismal, heart-rending scene! After all our +efforts in trying to reach Michigan, now I expected we must be lost. Oh +how vain the expectation of reaching our new place, in the woods! I +thought we should never see it. It looked to me as though Lake Erie would +terminate our journey. + +It seemed as if we were being weighed in a great balance and that +wavering and swaying up and down; balanced about equally between hope and +fear, life and death. + +[Illustration: "THE MICHIGAN."--AFTER LEAVING THE ISLAND IN THE +SPRING OF 1834.] + +No one could tell which way it would turn with us. I made up my mind, and +promised if ever I reached terra-firma never to set foot on that lake +again; and I have kept my word inviolate. I was miserably sick, as were +nearly all the passengers. I tried to keep on my feet, as much as I +could; sometimes I would take hold of the railing and gaze upon the wild +terrific scene, or lean against whatever I could find, that was +stationary, near mother and the rest of the family. Mother was calm, but +I knew she had little hope that we would ever reach land. She said, her +children were all with her and we should not be parted in death; that we +should go together, and escape the dangers and tribulations of the +wilderness. + +I watched the movements of the boat as much as I could. It seemed as if +the steamer could not withstand the furious powers that were upon her. +The front part of the boat would seem to settle down--down--lower and +lower if possible than it had been before. It looked to me, often, as +though we were going to plunge headforemost--alive, boat and all into the +deep. After a while the boat would straighten herself again and hope +revive for a moment; then I thought that our staunch boat was nobly +contending with the adverse winds and waves, for the lives of her +numerous passengers. The hope of her being able to outride the storm was +all the hope I had of ever reaching shore. + +I saw the Captain on deck looking wishfully toward the land, while the +white-caps broke fearfully on our deck. The passengers were in a terrible +state of consternation. Some said we gained a little headway; others said +we did not. The most awful terror marked nearly every face. Some wept, +some prayed, some swore and a few looked calm and resigned. I was trying +to read my fate in other faces when an English lady, who came on the +canal boat with us, and who had remained in the cabin up to this, time, +rushed on deck, wringing her hands and crying at the top of her voice, +"We shall be lost! we shall be lost! oh! oh! oh! I have crossed the +Atlantic Ocean three times, and it never commenced with this! We shall be +lost! oh! oh! oh!" + +One horse that stood on the bow of the boat died from the effects of the +storm. Our clothes and bedding were all drenched, and to make our +condition still more perilous, the boat was discovered to be on fire. +This was kept as quiet as possible. I did not know that it was burning, +until after it was extinguished; but I saw father, with others, carrying +buckets of water. He said the boat had been on fire and they had put it +out. The staunch boat resisted the elements; ploughed her way through and +landed us safely at Detroit. + +Some years after our landing at Detroit, I saw the steamboat "Michigan" +and thought of the perilous time we had on her coming up Lake Erie. She +was then an old boat, and was laid up. I thought of the many thousand +hardy pioneers she had brought across the turbulent lake and landed +safely on the shore of the territory whose name she bore. + +But where, oh where "are the six hundred!" that came on her with us? Most +of them have bid adieu to earth, and all its storms. The rest of them are +now old and no doubt scattered throughout the United States. But time or +distance cannot erase from their memory or mine the storm we shared +together on Lake Erie. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +DISAGREEABLE MUSIC. + + +It was night, in the Spring of 1834, when we arrived at Detroit, and we +made our way to the "United States Hotel" which stood near where the old +post office was and where the "Mariner's Church" now stands, on +Woodbridge street. + +The next morning I was up early and went to view the city. I wished to +know if it was really a city. If it looked like Utica or Buffalo. + +I went up Jefferson Avenue; found some brick buildings, barber +poles, wooden clocks, or large watches, big hats and boots, a brass +ball, &c., &c. + +I returned to the Hotel, satisfied that Detroit was actually a city, for +the things I had seen were, in my mind, sufficient to make it one. After +I assured myself that there was a city, so far from New York, I was quite +contented and took my breakfast. Then, with our guns on our shoulders, +father and I started to see our brand-new farm at Dearborn. First we went +up Woodward Avenue to where the new City Hall now stands, it was then +only a common, dotted by small wooden buildings. + +Thence we took the Chicago road which brought us to Dearbornville. From +there the timber had been cut for a road one mile south. On this road +father did his first road work in Michigan and here afterwards I +helped to move the logs out. The road-master, Mr. Smith, was not +willing to allow full time, for my work; however I put in part time. +Little did I think that here, one mile from Dearbornville, father +would, afterwards, buy a farm, build a large brick house, and end his +days, in peace and plenty. + +From this point, one mile south of the little village, we were one mile +from father's chosen eighty, but had to follow an Indian trail two miles, +which led us to Mr. J. Pardee's. His place joined father's on the west. +We crossed Pardee's place, eighty rods, which brought us to ours. I dug +up some of the earth, found it black and rich, and sure enough no stones +in the way. Late in the afternoon I started back to mother, to tell her +that father had engaged a Mr. Thompson (who kept tavern in a log house, +half a mile east of Dearbornville) and team, and would come after her in +the morning. When I reached the Chicago road again, it seemed anything +but inviting. I could just see a streak ahead four or five miles, with +the trees standing thick and dark either side. + +If ever a boy put in good time I did then. However, it was evening when I +reached Detroit, and I had traveled more than twenty-six miles. Mother +was very glad to see me, and listened with interest, to her boy's first +story of Michigan. I told her that father was coming in the morning, as +he had said; that Mr. Joseph Pardee said, we could stay with him while we +were building. I told her I was glad we came, how nice the land was, what +a fine country it would be in a few years, and, with other comforting +words, said, if we lived, I would take her back in a few years, to visit +her old home. + +The next morning father and Mr. Thompson came, and we were soon all +aboard the wagon. When we reached Mr. Pardee's his family seemed very +much pleased to see us. He said: "Now we have 'Old Put' here, we'll +have company." + +Putnam county joined the county he came from, and he called father "Old +Put" because he came from Putnam county. + +Father immediately commenced cutting logs for a house. In one week he had +them ready, and men came from Dearbornville to help him raise them. He +then cut black ash trees, peeled off the bark to roof his house, and +after having passed two weeks under Mr. Pardee's hospitable roof, we +moved into a house of our own, had a farm of our own and owed no one. + +Father brought his axe from York State; it weighed seven pounds; he gave +me a smaller one. He laid the trees right and left until we could see the +sun from ten o'clock in the morning till between one and two in the +afternoon, when it mostly disappeared back of Mr. Pardee's woods. + +Father found it was necessary for him to have a team, so he went to +Detroit and bought a yoke of oxen; also, at the same time, a cow. He paid +eighty dollars for the oxen and twenty-five for the cow. These cattle +were driven in from Ohio. The cow proved to be a great help toward the +support of the family for a number of years. The oxen were the first +owned in the south part of the town of Dearborn. They helped to clear the +logs from the piece father had cut over, and we planted late corn, +potatoes and garden stuff. The corn grew very high but didn't ear well. +The land was indeed very rich, but shaded too much. + +The next thing, after planting some seeds, was clearing a road through a +black ash swale and flat lands on our west section line, running north +one mile, which let us out to the point mentioned, one mile south of +Dearbornville. We blazed the section line trees over, cleared out the old +logs and brush, then felled trees lengthwise towards each other, +sometimes two together, to walk on over the water; we called it our +log-way. We found the country was so very wet, at times, that it was +impossible to go with oxen and sled, which were our only means of +conveyance, summer or winter. When we could not go in this style we were +obliged to carry all that it was necessary to have taken, on our +shoulders, from Dearbornville. + +We had many annoyances, and mosquitoes were not the least, but they did +us some good. We had no fences to keep our cattle, and the mosquitoes +drove the oxen and cow up to the smoke which we kept near the house in +order to keep those little pests away. The cattle soon learned, as well +as we, that smoke was a very powerful repellant of those little warriors. +Many times, in walking those logs and going through the woods there would +be a perfect cloud of mosquitoes around me. Sometimes I would run to get +away from them, then stop and look behind me and there would be a great +flock for two rods back (beside those that were around me) all coming +toward me as fast as their wings could bring them, and seeming only +satisfied when they got to me. But they were cannibals and wanted to eat +me. All sang the same song in the same old tune. I was always glad when I +got out of their company into our own little clearing. + +[Illustration: THE BARK COVERED HOUSE--1834.] + +But Mr. Pardee was a little more brave; he said it was foolish to +notice such small things as mosquitoes. I have seen them light on his +face and run in their bills, probe in until they reached the fountain of +life, suck and gormandize until they got a full supply, then leisurely +fly away with their veins and bodies full of the best and most benevolent +blood, to live awhile, and die from the effects of indulging too freely +and taking too much of the life of another. Thus at different times I saw +him let them fill themselves and go away without his seeming to notice +them; whether he always treated them thus well or not, I cannot say, but +I do know they were the worst of pests. Myriads of them could be found +any where in the woods, that would eagerly light on man or beast and fill +themselves till four times their common size, if they could get a chance. +The woods were literally alive with them. No one can tell the wearisome +sleepless hours they caused us at night. I have lain listening and +waiting for them to light on my face or hands, and then trying to slap +them by guess in the dark, sometimes killing them, and sometimes they +would fly away, to come again in a few minutes. I could hear them as they +came singing back. Frequently when I awoke I found them as wakeful as +ever; they had been feasting while I slept. I would find bunches and +blotches on me, wherever they had had a chance to light, which caused a +disagreeable, burning and smarting sensation. + +Frequently some one of us would get up and make a smudge in the room to +quiet them; we did it by making a little fire of small chips and dirt, or +by burning some sugar on coals, but this would only keep them still for a +short time. These vexatious, gory-minded, musical-winged, bold denizens +of the shady forest, were more eager to hold their carniverous feasts at +twilight or in the night than any other time. In cloudy weather they were +very troublesome as all the first settlers know. We had them many years, +until the country was cleared and the land ditched; then, with the +forest, they nearly disappeared. + +As I have said our oxen were the first in our part of the town. Mr. +Pardee had no team. Father sold him half of our oxen. They used them +alternately, each one two weeks, during the summer. For some reason, Mr. +Pardee failed to pay the forty dollars and when winter came father had to +take the oxen back and winter them. The winter was very open, and much +pleasanter than any we had ever seen. The cattle lived on what we called +"French-bogs" which grew all through the woods on the low land and were +green all winter. + +We found wild animals and game very numerous. Sometimes the deer came +where father had cut down trees, and browsed the tops. Occasionally, in +the morning, after a little snow, their tracks would be as thick as +sheep-tracks in a yard, almost up to the house. The wolves also, were +very common; we could often hear them at night, first at one point, then +answers from another and another direction, until the woods rang with +their unearthly yells. + +One morning I saw a place by a log where a deer had lain, and noticed a +large quantity of hair all around on the snow; then I found tracks where +two wolves came from the west, jumped over the log, and caught the deer +in his bed. He got away, but he must have had bare spots on his back. + +One evening a Mr. Bruin called at our house and stood erect at our north +window. The children thought him one of us, as father, mother and I were +away, and they ran out to meet us, but discovered instead a large black +bear. When they ran out, Mr. Bruin, a little less dignified, dropped on +all fours, and walked leisurely off about ten rods; then raised again, +jumped over a brush fence, and disappeared in the woods. + +Next morning we looked for his tracks and, sure enough, there were the +tracks of a large bear within four feet of the window. He had apparently +stood and looked into the house. + +[Illustration:] + +The first Indian who troubled us was one by the name of John Williams. He +was a large, powerful man, and certainly, very ugly. He used to pass our +house and take our road to Dearbornville after fire-water, get a little +drunk, and on his way back stop at John Blare's. Mr. Blare then lived at +the end of our new road. Here the Indian would tell what great things he +had done. One day when he stopped, Mrs. Blare and her brother-in-law, +Asa, were there. He took a seat, took his knife from his belt, stuck it +into the floor, then told Asa to pick it up and hand it to him; he +repeated this action several times, and Asa obeyed him every time. He, +seeing that the white man was afraid, said: "I have taken off the scalps +of six damned Yankees with this knife and me take off one more." + +When father heard this, with other things he had said, he thought he was +the intended victim. We were all very much frightened. Whenever father +was out mother was uneasy until his return, and he feared that the +Indian, who always carried his rifle, might lay in ambush, and shoot him +when he was at work. + +One day he came along, as usual, from Dearbornville and passed our house. +Father saw him, came in, took his rifle down from the hooks and told +mother he believed he would shoot first. Mother would not hear a word to +it and after living a year or two longer, in mortal fear of him, he died +a natural death. We learned afterward that Joseph Pardee was the man he +had intended to kill. He said, "Pardee had cut a bee-tree that belonged +to Indian." + +According to his previous calculation, on our arrival, father bought, in +mother's name, eighty acres more, constituting the south-west quarter of +section thirty-four, town two, south of range ten, east; bounded on the +south by the south line of the town of Dearbon. A creek, we called the +north branch of the River Ecorse, ran through it, going east. It was +nearly parallel with, and forty-two rods from, the town line. When he +entered it he took a duplicate; later his deed came, and it was signed +by Andrew Jackson, a man whom father admired very much. Mother's deed +came still later, signed by Martin Van Buren. + +This land was very flat, and I thought, very beautiful. No waste land on +it, all clay bottom, except about two acres, a sand ridge, resembling the +side of a sugar loaf. This was near the centre of the place, and on it we +finally built, as we found it very unpleasant living on clayey land in +wet weather. This land was all heavy timbered--beech, hard maple, +basswood, oak, hickory and some white-wood--on both sides of the creek; +farther back, it was, mostly, ash and elm. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HOW WE GOT OUR SWEET, AND THE HISTORY OF MY FIRST PIG. + + +We made troughs, tapped hard maples on each side of the creek; took our +oxen, sled and two barrels (as the trees were scattered) to draw the sap +to the place we had prepared for boiling it. + +Now I had an employment entirely new to me: boiling down sap and making +sugar, in the woods of Michigan. This was quite a help to us in getting +along. We made our own "sweet" and vinegar, also some sugar and molasses +to sell. Some springs, we made three or four hundred pounds of sugar. +Sugar was not all the good things we had, for there was one added to my +father's family, a little sister, who was none the less lovely, in my +eye, because she was of Michigan, a native "Wolverine." + +Now father's family, all told, consisted of mother and six children. The +children grew to be men and women, and are all alive to this day, +January 26, 1875. + +After we came to Michigan mother's health constantly improved. She soon +began to like her new home and became more cheerful and happy. I told +her we had, what would be, a beautiful place; far better than the rocks +and hills we left, I often renewed my promise that if she and I lived and +I grew to be a man, we would go back, visit her friends and see again the +land of her nativity. + +To cheer her still more we received a letter from Mr. G. Purdy of York +State, telling us that he was coming to Michigan in the fall, with his +wife (mother's beloved sister, Abbie,) and her youngest sister, Sarah, +was coming with them. + +Asa Blare, the young man who picked up the Indian's knife, bought forty +acres of government land joining us on the east, built him a house, went +to Ohio, married and brought his wife back with him. + +Now we had neighbors on the east of us, and Mr. Henry Travis (a +brother-in-law of Mr. Pardee) came, bought land joining Mr. Pardee on +the west, built and settled with a large family. About the same time +many families from the East came and settled along the creek, for miles +west of us. + +Now we were on the border of civilization. Our next clearing of any +importance was the little ridge. Father commenced around the edge, cut +the brush and threw them from the ridge all around it to form a brush +fence; then all the trees that would fall into the line of the fence were +next felled, also, all that would fall over it, then those which would +reach the fence were felled toward it. Then we trimmed them, cut the logs +and piled the brush on the fence. I felt very much interested in clearing +this piece. When father took his ax and started for work I took mine and +was immediately at his side or a little behind him. In this manner we +returned and we soon had the two acres cut off and surrounded by an +immense log, tree-top and brush fence; at least, I thought it was a great +fence. Now came the logging and burning, father worked with his oxen and +handspike, I with my handspike. Some of the large logs near the fence he +swung round with the oxen and left them by it. Others we drew together +and when we piled them up, father took his handspike and rolled the log, +I held it with mine until he got a new hold. In that way I helped him +roll hundreds and thousands of logs. We soon had them all in heaps but +they were green and burned slowly, some of them would not burn at all +then. We scratched round them and put some seeds in every spot. We could +do but very little with a plow. Father made a drag out of the crotch of a +tree and put iron teeth in it; this did us some service as the land was +exceedingly rooty. + +In raising our summer crops we had to do most of the work with a hoe. +Sometimes where it was very rooty we planted corn with an ax. In order to +do this we struck the blade into the ground and roots about two inches, +then dropped the corn in and struck again two or three inches from the +first place which closed it and the hill of corn was planted. + +Now I must go back to the first season and tell how I got my first pig. +It was the first of the hog species we owned in Michigan. Father went to +the village and I with him. From there we went down to Mr. Thompson's +(the man who moved us out from Detroit). He wished father to see his +hogs. They went to the yard, and as was my habit, I followed along. Mr. +Thompson called the hogs up. I thought he had some very fine ones. Among +them was an old sow that had some beautiful pigs. She seemed to be very +cross, raised her bristles and growled at us, as much as to say, "Let my +pigs alone." + +[Illustration: "THE THOMPSON TAVERN"--1834.] + +I suppose Mr. Thompson thought he would have some sport with me, and +being generous, he said: "If the boy will catch one I will give it to +him." I selected one and started; I paid no attention to the old sow, but +kept my eye on the pig I wanted, and the way I went for it was a caution. +I caught it and ran for the fence, with the old sow after me. I got over +very quickly and was safe with my pig in my arms. I started home; it +kicked and squealed and tried to get away, but I held it tightly, patted +it and called it "piggy." I said to myself, '"Now I have a pig of my own, +it will soon grow up to be a hog, and we'll have pork." When I got home I +put it in a barrel, covered it up so it could not get out and then took +my ax, cut poles, and made it a new pen and put it on one place in Adam's +world where pig and pig-pen had never been before. Now, thought I, I've +got an ax, a pig and a gun. + +One morning, a day or two after this, I went out and the pig was gone. +Thinking it might have gone home, I went to Mr. Thompson's and enquired +if they had seen it. I looked in the yard but the pig was not there. I +made up my mind that it was lost, and started home. I followed the old +trail, and when within sixty rods of the place where I now live, I met my +pig. I was very glad to see it, but it turned from me and ran right into +the woods. Now followed a chase which was very exciting to me. The pig +seemed running for its life, I for my property, which was going off, +over logs and through the brush, as fast as its legs could carry it. It +was a hard chase, but I caught the pig and took it back. I made the pen +stronger, and put it in again, but it would not eat much and in a few +days after died, and away went all my imaginary pork. + +Mr. Pardee had bought a piece of land for a Mr. Clapp, of Peakskill, New +York, and was agent for the same. He said the south end of this land was +openings. It was about one mile from our place, and Mr. Pardee offered to +join with father and put corn on it, accordingly, we went to see it. +There was some brush, but it was mostly covered with what we called +"buffalo grass," which grew spontaneously. Cattle loved it very much in +the summer, but their grazing it seemed to destroy it. It soon died out +and mostly disappeared, scrub-oak and other brush coming up in its place. + +Mr. Pardee and father soon cleared five or six acres of this land, and +with the brush they cut made a light brush fence around it, then tore up +three or four acres and planted it with corn. The soil was light yellow +sand. When the corn came up it was small and yellow. They put in about +two acres of buckwheat. A young man by the name of William Beal worked +for Pardee. He helped to tend the corn. One morning, as they were going +up to hoe the corn, William Beal took his gun and started ahead; this he +frequently did very early. He said, when about half way to the corn, he +looked toward the creek and saw a black bear coming toward him. He stood +in the path, leading to the corn-field, which they had under-brushed. +The bear did not discover him until he was near enough, when he fired +and shot him dead. This raised quite an excitement among us. I went to +see the bear. It was the first wild one I saw in Michigan. They dressed +it, and so far as I know, the neighbors each had a piece; at all events, +we had some. + +They hoed the corn once or twice, and then made up their minds it was no +use, as it would not amount to much, the land being too poor. The whole +crop of corn, gathered there, green at that, nubbins and all, was put +into a half bushel handle basket, excepting what the squirrels took. + +The buckwheat didn't amount to much, either. Wild turkeys trampled it +down and ate the grain, in doing which, many of them lost their lives. I +began to consider myself quite a marksman. I had already, with father's +rifle, shot two deer, and had gotten some of the turkeys. + +Father never cropped it any more on the openings, and his experience +there made him much more pleased with his own farm. That land is near +me, and I have seen a great many crops growing on it, both grain and +other crops, but never one which I thought would pay the husbandman for +his labor. + +Father's partnership with Mr. Pardee was so unsuccessful on the openings, +and in having to take the oxen back, and buy hay for them when that +article was very high (their running out helped him some) that he +concluded to go into partnership with Mr. Pardee, no more. + +He sold half of his oxen to Asa Blare, who paid the money down, so their +partnership opened in a little better shape. This partnership, father +said, was necessary as our money had become very much reduced, and +everything we bought, (such as flour and pork) was extremely dear; +besides, we had no way to make a farthing except with our "maple-sweet" +or the hide of a deer. + +Father could not get work, for there were but few settlers, and none near +him, who were able to hire. So he economized to save his money as much as +possible, and worked at home. The clearing near the house grew larger and +larger, and now we could see the beautiful sun earlier. + +Father worked very hard, got three acres cleared and ready for wheat. +Then he went away and bought about four bushels of white wheat for seed. +This cost a snug sum in those days. About the last of August he sowed it +and dragged it in with his drag. He sowed about a bushel and a peck to +the acre. (I have for many years back, and to the present time, sowed two +bushels to the acre). + +His wheat came up and looked beautiful. The next spring and early summer +it was very nice. One day a neighbor's unruly ox broke into it. I went +through it to drive him out and it was knee high. Father said take the ox +home. I did so. The neighbor was eating dinner. I told him his ox had +been in our wheat and that father wished him to keep the ox away. He said +we must make the fence better and he would not get in. This was the first +unkind word I had received from a neighbor in Michigan. The wheat escaped +the rust, headed and filled well and was an excellent crop. It helped us +a great deal and was our manna in the wilderness. + +Father and I continued our chopping until we connected the two clearings. +Then we commenced to see the sun in the morning and we thought it shone +brighter here than it did in York State. Some of the neighbors said that +it really did, and that it might be on account of a reflection from the +water of the great lakes. Perhaps it was because the deep gloom of the +forest had shaded us so long and was now removed. Israel like, we looked +back and longed for the good things we had left, viz:--apples, pears and +the quince sauce. Even apples were luxuries we could not have and we +greatly missed them. We cleared new ground, sowed turnip seed, dragged it +in and raised some very large nice turnips. At this time there was not a +wagon in the neighborhood, but Mr. Traverse, being a mechanic and +ingenious, cut down a tree, sawed oft two short logs, used them for hubs +and made the wheels for a cart. These he took to Dearbornville and had +them ironed oft. He made the body himself and then had an ox-cart. This +was the only wheeled vehicle in the place for some years. As Mr. Traverse +was an obliging man the neighbors borrowed his cart. Sometimes it went to +Dearbornville to bring in provision, or other things, and sometimes it +went to mill. (There was a mill on the river Rouge, one mile north of +Dearbornville.) With this cart and oxen the neighbors carried some of +their first products, sugar, butter, eggs, &c., to Detroit. Some young +sightseers, who had not seen Detroit since they moved into the woods and +wished to see it, were on board. They had to start before midnight so it +would be cool traveling for the oxen. This was the first cart and oxen +ever seen in Detroit from our part of the town of Dearborn. + +They reached home the following night, at about ten o'clock, and told me +about the trip. + +We wanted apples, so father took his oxen, went and borrowed the cart, +loaded it with turnips, went down the river road half way to Detroit, +traded them with a Frenchman for apples and brought home a load which +were to us delicious fruit. In this way we got our apples for many years. +These apples were small, not so large and nice as those we had been used +to having; but they were Michigan apples and we appreciated them very +much. They lasted us through the winter and did us much good. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +OUR SECOND HOUSE AND FIRST APPLE TREES. + + +Father said he would get us some apple trees. He had heard there was a +small nursery below Dearbornville. One morning he and I started for the +village; from there, we went to Mr. McVay's, about two miles east, near +the Rouge. + +Of him father bought thirteen apple trees, did them up in two bundles, +his large, mine small. We took them on our shoulders and started home, +through the woods, thus saving two miles travel. On our way we explored +woods we had never seen before. + +We planted the apple trees on the west end of the little ridge. They are +now old trees. I passed them the other day and thought of the time we set +them. Now some of them look as if they were dying with old age. I counted +and found that some of them were gone. I thought there was no one but me, +who could tell how, or when, those trees were planted, as they are nearly +forty years old. + +East of those trees father built his second house in 1836. He made the +body of this house of large whitewood logs, split oak shakes with which +to cover it, and dug a well east of the house. Into this well he put the +shell of a large buttonwood log; we called it a "gum." It was said that +water would not taste of buttonwood; we had very good water there. + +Father borrowed Mr. Traverse's cart, loaded up our things and we were +glad to leave our Bark Covered house, clay door-yard and Mr. Pardee's +woods, to which we had lived so near, that we could see the sun only for +a short time in the afternoon. + +In the house we were leaving we had some unwelcome visitors, an Indian, +John Williams, and a snake. One day, towards evening, mother was getting +supper, and as the floor boards were lain down loosely they would shake +as she walked across the floor. Some member of the family heard a +strange noise (something rattling) which seemed to come from a chest +that stood in the back part of the room on legs about six inches high. +Every time mother stepped on the board upon which he was coiled up, his +snakeship felt insulted and he would rattle to let them know that he was +there and felt indignant at being disturbed. Mother said they all tried +to find out what it was; they finally looked under the chest and there, +to their astonishment, they saw a large black rattlesnake all curled up +watching their movements and ready, with his poisonous fangs, to strike +any one that came within his reach. He was an interloper, a little too +bold. He had, however, gotten in the wrong place and was killed in the +room. He had, no doubt, crawled up through a hole in the floor at the +end of a board. + +The children were very much alarmed and mother was frightened. She said +she thought it was a terrible place where poisonous reptiles would crawl +into the house. Near the house sometime after, brother John S. and sister +Sarah were out raking up some scattering hay. I suppose sister was out +for the sake of being out, or for her own amusement. While she was raking +she saw a large blue racer close by her with his head up nearly as high +as her own, looking at her and not seeming inclined to leave her. I never +heard of a blue racer hurting any one and this was the only one I ever +knew to make the attempt. Sister was greatly scared and hallooed and +screamed, as if struck with terror. Brother John S., then a little way +off ran to her as quickly as possible; while he was running the snake +circled around her but a few feet off and seemed determined to attack +her. Though brother was the younger of the two his courage was good. With +the handle of his pitchfork he struck the snake across the back, a little +below the head, and wounded him. Then he succeeded in sticking the tine +of the pitchfork through the snake's head; at that sister Sarah took +courage and tried with her rake to help brother in the combat. As she +held up the handle the snake wound himself around it so tightly that he +did not loosen his coils until he was dead. That snake measured between +six and seven feet in length. + +We knew nothing of this species of reptile until we came to Michigan. I +have killed a great many of them, but have found that if one gets a rod +or two the start, it is impossible to catch him. I well recollect having +run after them across our clearing (where we first settled). They would +go like a streak of blue, ahead. I make this statement of the reptiles, +so that the people of Wayne County, or Michigan, who have no knowledge +of such things may know something about the vexatious and fearful +annoyances we had to contend with after we settled in Michigan. + +We were all pleased when we got into the new house. We had a sand +door-yard, and lived near the centre of our place. East of this house, on +the little ridge, we raised our first patch of-water-melons, in Michigan. +Father said they raised good melons on Long Island, where it was sandy +soil, and he thought he could raise good ones there. He tried, and it +proved to be a success; the melons were excellent. When they were ripe +father borrowed the cart, picked a load of melons and (just before +sundown) started for Detroit. Mother and my little Michigan sister, +Abbie, went with us. I think it was the first time mother saw Detroit +after she left it, on the morning following her first arrival there. She +wished to do some trading, of course. Father and I walked. We took a +little hay to feed the oxen on the road. The next morning we reached +Detroit. The little market then stood near where the "Biddle House" now +stands, or between that and the river. + +Father sold his melons to a Frenchman for one shilling apiece. The market +men said this was the first full load of melons ever on Detroit market; +at all events, I know it was the first load of melons ever drawn from the +town of Dearborn. + +Mother's youngest sister lived in the city, and was at the store of Mr. +Cook, or "Cook & Burns," where we did some of our trading. Their store +was on Jefferson avenue. Mr. Cook was an eccentric man, and had his own +way of recommending his goods, and one which made much sport. Auntie +called for some calico. Mr. Cook took a piece off the shelf, threw it on +the counter, threw up both arms, put his hands higher than his head, then +picked it up again shook it and said: "There, who ever saw the like of +that in Michigan? Two shillings a yard! A yard wide, foot thick and the +colors as firm as the Allegheny Mountains!" + +But an old colored woman came in who rather beat the clerk. She inquired +for cheap calico; the clerk threw down some and told her the price. She +said, "Oh that is too much! I want some cheap." Then the clerk threw down +some that looked old and faded. With a broad grin, showing her teeth and +the white of her eyes not a little, she said: "Oh, ho! my goot Lo'd dat +war made when Jope war paby!" + +When father and mother had traded all they could afford, it was nearly +night, and we all got into the cart and started for home. We got upon the +Chicago road opposite where the Grand Trunk Junction now is, and stopped. +Mother thought she could not go any farther, and the oxen were tired. +Father went into a log house on the north side of the Chicago road and +asked them if they could keep us all night. They said they would, and we +turned in. They used us first-rate, and treated us with much respect. +Next morning after breakfast we went home. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE JUG OF WHISKY AND TEMPERANCE MEETING. + + +I have already said that, as money was getting short; father sold Asa +Blare half of his oxen. They thought they could winter the oxen on marsh +hay. They found some they thought very good on the creek bottom, about a +mile and a quarter from where we lived. They said they would go right at +work and cut it before some one else found it. As there was some water on +the ground, and they would have to mow in the wet, they thought they +would send and get a jug of whisky. + +In the morning we had an early breakfast, and they ground up their +scythes, then started, I with the jug, they with their scythes. We went +together as far as our new road. Father told me after I got the whisky, +to come back round the old trail to a certain place and call, when they +heard me they would come and get the jug. + +I went to Dearborn, got my jug filled, paid two shillings a gallon, or +there-abouts, and started back. When I had gone as far as the turn of the +road, where Dr. Snow now lives, out of sight, I thought to myself I'd +take a drink. I had heard that whisky made one feel good and strong and +as my jug was heavy, took what I called "a good horn;" I thought, +however, it did not taste very pleasant. After that I went on as fast as +I could, a little over a mile, till I got beyond where the road was cut +out and into the trail, when I made up my mind I was stouter and my jug +really seemed lighter. There I stopped again and took what I called "a +good lifter." It burnt a little but I went on again till I came to the +creek, then I called father who answered. + +I felt so wonderfully good that I thought I'd take one more drink +before he came in sight. So I took what I called "a good swig." When +father came he said they had found plenty of good grass and he wished +me to go and see it. I told him I didn't feel very well (I was afraid +he would discover what I had been doing, I began to feel queer) but I +followed along. + +The grass was as high as my head in places and very heavy. It was what we +call "blue-joint," mixed with a large coarse grass that grew three square +at the butt. I got to the scythes where they had been mowing, told father +I could mow that grass, took his scythe, cut a few clips and bent the +blade very badly. (He often told afterwards, how much stronger I was than +he, said he could mow the stoutest grass and not bend his scythe, but I +had almost spoiled it.) I lay down the scythe, everything seemed to be +bobbing up. I told father I was sick, he said I had better go home and I +started gladly and as quickly as possible. The ground didn't seem to me +to be entirely still, it wanted to raise up. I struck what I called a +"bee-line" for home. When I got there I told mother I was sick, threw +myself on her bed and kept as quiet as possible. When father came he +inquired how I was; I heard what he said. Mother told him I was very sick +but had got a little more quiet than I had been. He said they had better +not disturb me so I occupied their bed all night, the first time I had +ever had it all alone one night. The next morning I felt rather +crest-fallen but congratulated myself in that they did not know what the +trouble was, and they never knew (nor any of the rest of the family until +I state it now). But I knew at the time what the trouble was, and the +result was I had enough of whisky for many years, and took a decided +stand for temperance. + +Some years after that, there was a temperance meeting at a log +school-house two miles and a half west of us. I was there and the house +was full. After the opening speech, which pleased me very much, others +were invited to speak. Thinking I must have a hand in I found myself on +the floor. When I got there and commenced speaking, if it had been +reasonable, I would have said I was somebody else, I would have been glad +to have crawled out of some very small knot-hole, but I found it was I +and that there was no escaping, so I proceeded. + +Of course I did not relate my own experience, nor tell them that I had +been sick. I gave them a little of the experience of others that I had +heard. I had an old temperance song book from which I borrowed some +extracts and appropriated them as my own. I swung my arms a little and +with my finger pointed out the points. I stepped around a little and +tried to stamp to make them believe that what I said was true. As I +advanced and became more interested I spoke loud, to let them know it was +I, and that I was in earnest. I admonished them all to let whisky alone. +Told some of its pernicious effects; how much money it cost, how many +lives it had taken, how many tears it had caused to flow and how many +homes it had made desolate. + +When I came away I was pleased with myself, and thought I had made quite +a sensation. A few days afterward I met my friend, William Beal, and +asked him how the neighbors liked the temperance meeting. Of course, I +was anxious to know what they said about my speech. He told me the old +lady said I was "fluent and tonguey," that I was like a sort of a lawyer, +she named, who lived at Dearbornville. I knew this man well, and hadn't a +very good opinion of him. But what she said was not so much of a breaker +as what the old gentleman said, for I considered him in many respects a +very intelligent man. He came here from Westchester County, near +Peakskill. He owned the farm and lived on it (I have seen where he lived) +which was given to John Spaulding for the capture of Major Andre. His +occupation there was farming and droving. He drove cattle to New York +city in an early day, when that great metropolis was but a small city. I +have often heard him tell about stopping at Bullshead. He said that was +the drovers' headquarters. I know he was worth ten thousand dollars +there, at one time; how much more I cannot say, but somehow his thousands +dwindled to hundreds and he came here to seek a second fortune. + +Of course I thought a man of his experience was capable of forming a +pretty correct opinion of me. He said, "Who is he? His father brought him +here, and dropped him in the woods; he's been to mill once and to meeting +twice. What does he know?" + +When I heard this it amused me very much, although the decision seemed +to be against me. I made no more inquiries about temperance meeting, in +fact, I didn't care to hear any more about it. + +Writing my first temperance effort has blown all the wind out of my +sails, and if I were not relating actual occurrences I should certainly +be run ashore. As it is, sleep may invigorate and bring back my memory. +When relating facts it is not necessary to call on any muse, or fast, or +roam into a shady bower, where so many have found their thoughts. When +relating facts, fancy is hot required to soar untrodden heights where +thought has seldom reached; but too freely come back all the weary days, +the toils, fears and vexations of my early life in Michigan, if not +frightened away by the memory of the decision of the old lady and +gentleman, on my temperance speech. + +Perhaps I should say, in honor of that old gentleman, Mr. Joseph Pardee, +now deceased, that he was well advanced in years when he came to +Michigan, in the fall of 1833, stuck his stakes and built the first log +house on the Ecorse, west of the French settlement, at its mouth, on +Detroit River. He was a man of a strong-mind and an iron will. He cleared +up his land, made it a beautiful farm, rescued it from the wilderness, +acquired, in fact, a good fortune. When he died, at the good old age of +eighty-one years, he left his family in excellent circumstances. He died +in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +HOW WE FOUND OUR CATTLE. + + +The old cow always wore the bell. Early in the spring, when there were no +flies or mosquitoes to drive them up the cattle sometimes wandered off. +At such times, when we went to our chopping or work, we watched them, to +see which way they went, and listened to the bell after they were out of +sight in order that we might know which way to go after them if they +didn't return. Sometimes the bell went out of hearing but I was careful +to remember which way I heard it last. + +Before night I would start to look for them, going in the direction I +last heard them. I would go half a mile or so into the woods, then stop +and listen, to see if I could hear the faintest sound of the bell. If I +could not hear it I went farther in the same direction then stopped and +listened again. Then if I did not hear it I took another direction, went +a piece and stopped again, and if I heard the least sound of it I knew it +from all other bells because I had heard it so often before. + +That bell is laid up with care. I am now over fifty years old, but if +the least tinkling of that bell should reach my ear I should know the +sound as well as I did when I was a boy listening for it in the woods +of Michigan. + +When I found the cattle I would pick up a stick and throw it at them, +halloo very loudly and they would start straight for home. Sometimes, in +cloudy weather, I was lost and it looked to me as though they were going +the wrong way, but I followed them, through black-ash swales where the +water was knee-deep, sometimes nearly barefooted. + +I always carried a gun, sometimes father's rifle. The deer didn't seem to +be afraid of the cattle; they would stand and look at them as they passed +not seeming to notice me. I would walk carefully, get behind a tree, and +take pains to get a fair shot at one. When I had killed it I bent bushes +and broke them partly off, every few rods, until I knew I could find the +place again, then father and I would go and get the deer. + +Driving the cattle home in this way I traveled hundreds of miles. There +was some danger then, in going barefooted as there were some massassauga +all through the woods. As the country got cleared up they disappeared, +and as there are neither rocks, ledges nor logs, under which they can +hide, I have not seen one in many years. + +One time the cattle strayed off and went so far I could not find them. I +looked for them until nearly dark but had to return without them. I told +father where I had been and that I could not hear the bell. The next +morning father and I started to see if we could find them. We looked two +or three days but could not find or hear anything of them. We began to +think they were lost in the wilderness. However, we concluded to look one +more day, so we started and went four or five miles southeast until we +struck the Reed creek. (Always known as the Reed creek by us for the +reason, a man by the name of Reed came with his family from the State of +New York, built him a log house and lived there one summer. His family +got sick, he became discouraged, and in the fall moved back to the State +of New York. The place where he lived, the one summer, was about two +miles south of our house and this creek is really the middle branch of +the Ecorse). + +There was no settlement between us and the Detroit River, a distance of +six miles. We looked along the Reed creek to see if any cattle had +crossed it. + +While we were looking there we heard the report of a rifle close by us +and hurried up. It was an Indian who had just shot a duck in the head. +When we came to him father told him it was a lucky shot, a good shot to +shoot it in the head. He said, "Me allers shoot head not hurt body." He +took us to his wigwam, which was close by, showed us another duck with +the neck nearly shot off. Whether he told the truth, or whether these two +were lucky shots, I cannot tell, but one thing I do know, in regard to +him, if he told us the truth he was an extraordinary man and marksman. + +Around his wigwam hung from half a dozen to a dozen deer skins; they hung +on poles. His family seemed to consist of his squaw and a young squaw +almost grown up. Father told him we had lost our cattle, oxen and cow, +and asked him if he had seen them. We had hard work to make him +understand what we meant. Father said--cow--bell--strap round neck--he +tried to show him, shook his hand as if jingling a bell. Then father +said, oxen--spotted--white--black; he put his hand on his side and said: +black--cow--bell--noise, and then said, as nearly as we could understand, +"Me see them day before yesterday," and he pointed in the woods to tell +us which way. Father took a silver half-dollar out of his pocket, showed +it to the Indian, and told him he should have it if he would show us the +cattle. He wiped out his rifle, loaded it and said, "Me show." He took +his rifle and wiper and started with us; we went about half a mile and he +showed us where he had seen them. We looked and found large ox's tracks +and cow's tracks. I thought, from the size and shape of them, they were +our cattle's tracks. The Indian started upon the tracks, father followed +him, and I followed father. When we came to high ground, where I could +hardly see a track; the Indian had no trouble in following them, and he +went on a trot. I had hard work to keep up with him. I remember well how +he looked, with his bowing legs, it seemed as if he were on springs. He +moved like an antelope, with such ease and agility. He looked as if he +hardly touched the ground. + +The cattle, in feeding round, crossed their own tracks sometimes. The +Indian always knew which were the last tracks. He followed all their +crooks, we followed him by sight, which gave us a little the advantage, +and helped us to keep in sight. He led us, crooking about in this way, +for nearly two hours, when we came in hearing of the bell. I never had a +harder time in the woods but once, and it was when I was older, stronger, +and better able to stand a chase, that time I was following four bears, +and an Indian tried to get them away. I was pleased when we got to the +cattle. Father paid the Indian the half-dollar he had earned so well, and +thanked him most heartily, whether he understood it or not. Father asked +the Indian the way home, he said, "My house, my wigwam, which way my +home?" The Indian pointed with his wiper, and showed us the way. + +Father said afterward, it was strange that the Indian should know where +he lived, as he had never seen him before. I never saw that Indian +afterward. + +The cattle were feeding on cow-slips and leeks, which grew in abundance, +also on little French bogs that had just started up. We hallooed at them +very sharply and they started homeward, we followed them, and that night +found our cattle home again. Mother and all the children were happy to +see them come, for they were our main dependence. They were called many +dear names and told not to go off so far any more. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +TROUBLE CAME ON THE WING. + + +Among the annoyances common to man and beast in Michigan, of which we +knew nothing where we came from, were some enormous flies. There were two +kinds that were terrible pests to the cattle. They actually ate the hide +off, in spots. First we put turpentine, mixed with sufficient grease so +as not to take the hair off, on those spots. But we found that fish oil +was better, the flies would not bite where that was. + +What we called the ox-flies were the most troublesome. In hot weather and +in the sun, where the mosquitoes didn't trouble, they were most numerous. +They would light on the oxen in swarms, on their brisket, and between +their legs where they could not drive them off. I have frequently struck +these flies with my hand and by killing them got my hand red with the +blood of the ox. + +The other species of flies, we called Pontiacers. This is a Michigan +name, and originated I was told, from one being caught near Pontiac with +a paper tied or attached to it having the word Pontiac written upon it. + +These flies were not very numerous; sometimes there were three or four +around at once. When they were coming we could hear and see them for some +rods. Their fashion was to circle around the oxen before lighting on +them. I frequently slapped them to kill them, sometimes I caught them, in +that case they were apt to lose their heads, proboscis and all. These +flies were very large, some were black and some of the largest were +whitish on the front of the back. I have seen some of them nearly as +large as young humming birds. The Germans tell me they have this kind of +fly in Germany. But with the mosquitoes, these flies have nearly +disappeared. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +HARD TIMES FOR US IN MICHIGAN, 1836-7. + + +The oxen having worked hard and been used to good hay, which we bought +for them, grew poor when they were fed on marsh hay. Then Mr. Blare +wanted to sell his part to father; then the cattle would not have so much +to do. Father was not able to buy them, as his money was nearly gone. He +said he would mortgage his lot for one hundred dollars, buy them back, +buy another cow and have a little money to use. + +He said he could do his spring's work with the cattle, then turn them +off, fatten them, and sell them in the fall for enough to pay the +mortgage. Mother said all she could to prevent it, for she could not bear +the idea of having her home mortgaged. It seemed actually awful to me, +for I thought we should not be able to pay it, and in all probability we +should lose the place. I said all I could, but to no avail. The whole +family was alarmed; one of the small children asked mother what a +mortgage was, she replied that it was something that would take our home +away from us, if not paid. + +Father went to Dearbornville and mortgaged his lot to Mrs. Phlihaven, a +widow woman, for one hundred dollars, said to be at seven per cent., as +that was lawful interest then. We supposed, at the time, he got a hundred +dollars, but he got only eighty. Probably the reason he did not let us +know the hard conditions of the mortgage, was because we opposed it so. +Mrs. Phlihaven said as long as he would pay the twenty dollars shave +money, and the seven dollars interest annually, she would let it run. And +it did run until the shave money and interest more than ate up the +principal. + +Father bought the oxen back for the old price, forty dollars, and bought +another cow, of Mr. McVay, for which he paid eighteen dollars, leaving +him twenty-two dollars of the hired money. + +It was now spring, the oxen became very poor, one of them was taken sick +and got down. Father said he had the hollow horn and doctored him for +that; but I think to day, if the oxen had had a little corn meal, and +good hay through the winter, they would have been all right. + +After the ox got down, and we could not get him up he still ate and +seemed to have a good appetite. I went to Dearbornville, bought hay at +the tavern and paid at the rate of a dollar a hundred. I tied it up in a +rope, carried it home on my back and fed it to him. Then I went into the +woods, with some of the other children, and gathered small brakes that +lay flat on the ground. They grew on beech and maple land, and kept green +all winter. The ox ate some of them, but he died; our new cow, also, died +in less than two weeks after father bought her. Then we had one ox, our +old cow, and two young cattle we had raised from her, that we kept +through the spring. In the summer the other ox had the bloody murrain +and he died. + +Then we had no team, no money to get a team with, and our place was +mortgaged. Now when father got anything for the family he had to bring it +home himself. We got out of potatoes, these he bought at Dearbornville, +paid a dollar a bushel for them, and brought them home on his back. He +sent me to the village for meal. I called for it and the grocerman +measured it to me in a quart measure which was little at the top, such as +liquors are measured with. I carried the meal home. In this way we had to +pack home everything we bought. + +When potatoes got ripe we had plenty of the best. On father's first visit +to Michigan he was told that the soil of Michigan would not produce good +potatoes. We soon found that this was a mistake for we had raised some +good ones before, but not enough to last through the summer. + +We still had wheat but sometimes had to almost do without groceries. We +always had something to eat but sometimes our living was very poor. +Sometimes we had potatoes and milk and sometimes thickened milk. This was +made by dampening flour, rolling it into fine lumps and putting them into +boiling milk with a little salt, and stirring it until it boiled again. +This was much more palatable than potatoes and milk. + +One afternoon two neighbors' girls came to visit us. They stayed late. +After they went away I asked mother why she didn't give them some tea; +she said she had no tea to give them, and that if she had given them the +best she had they would have gone away and told how poor we were. + +Mother had been used to better days and to treating her guests well, and +her early life in Michigan did not take all of her spirit away. She was a +little proud as well as I, but I have learned that pride, hard times and +poverty are very poor companions. It was no consolation to think that the +neighbors, most of them, were as bad off as we were. This made the thing +still worse. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +A SUMMER HUNT. + + +Father and I went hunting one day. I took my shot-gun, loaded with half a +charge of shot and three rifle bullets, which just chambered in the +barrel, so I thought I was ready to shoot at anything. Father went ahead +and I followed him; we walked very carefully in the woods looking for +deer; went upon a sand ridge where father saw a deer and shot at it. I +recollect well how it looked; it was a beautiful deer, almost as red as a +cherry. After he shot, it stood still. I asked father, in a whisper, if I +might not shoot. He said, "Keep still!" (I had very hard word to do so, +and think if he had let me shot, I should have given it a very loud call, +at least, I think I should have killed it.) Father loaded his rifle and +shot again. The last time he shot, the deer ran away. We went to the +place where it had stood. He had hit it for we found a little blood; but +it got away. + +It is said "the leopard cannot change his spots nor the Ethiopian his +skin," but the deer, assisted by nature, can change both his color and +his hide. In summer the deer is red, and the young deer are covered with +beautiful spots which disappear by fall. The hair of the deer is short in +summer and his hide is thick. At this time the hide is most valuable by +the pound. His horns grow and form their prongs, when growing we call +them in their velvet; feel of them and they are soft, through the summer +and fall, and they keep growing until they form a perfect horn, hard as a +bone. By the prongs we are able to tell the number of years old they are. + +In the fall of the year when an old buck has his horns fully grown to see +him running in his native forest is a beautiful sight. At that season his +color has changed to a bluish grey. When the weather gets cold and it +freezes hard his horns drop off, and he has to go bareheaded until +spring. Then his hair is very long and grey. Deer are commonly poor in +the spring, and at this season their hide is very thin and not worth +much. So we see the deer is a very singular animal. As I have been going +through the woods I have often picked up their horns and carried them +home for curiosities. They were valuable for knife-handles. + +When the old buck is started from his bed and is frightened how he +clears the ground. You can mark him from twenty to thirty feet at every +jump. (I have measured some of his jumps, by pacing, and found them to +be very long, sometimes two rods.) How plump he is, how symmetrically +his body is formed, and how beautiful the appearance of his towering, +branching antlers! As he carries them on his lofty head they appear like +a rocking chair. As he sails through the air, with his flag hoisted, he +sometimes gives two or three of his whistling snorts and bids defiance +to all pursuers in the flight. He is able to run away from any of his +enemies, in a fair foot race, but not always able to escape from flying +missiles of death. + +Before the fawn is a year old, if frightened and startled from its bed, +it runs very differently from the old deer. Its jump is long and high. +It appears as though it were going to jump up among the small tree tops. +The next jump is short and sometimes sidewise, then another long jump +and so on. It acts as though it did not know its own springs, or were +cutting up its antics, and yet it always manages to keep up with the +rest of the deer. + +[Illustration] + +Father had killed some deer. He shot one of the largest red bucks I had +seen killed. After this we wanted meat. Father said we'll go hunting and +see if we can get a deer. He said I might take his rifle and he would +take my gun. (For some reason or other he had promoted me, may be he +thought I was luckier than he.) We started out into the woods south of +our house, I went ahead. There was snow on the ground, it was cold and +the wind blew very hard. We crossed the windfall. This was a strip of +land about eighty rods wide. It must have been a revolving whirlwind that +past there, for it had taken down pretty much all the timber and laid it +every way. Nothing was left standing except some large trees that had +little tops, these were scattered here and there through the strip. It +struck the southeast corner of what was afterward our place. Here we had +about three acres of saplings, brush and old logs that were windfalls. + +I think this streak of wind must have passed about ten years before we +came to the country. It came from the openings in the town of Taylor, +went a northeast course until it struck the Rouge (after that I have no +knowledge of it.) In this windfall had grown up a second growth of +timber, saplings and brush, so thick that it was hard work to get through +or see a deer any distance. We got south of the windfall and scared up a +drove of deer, some four or five. + +The woods were cracking and snapping all around us; we thought it was +dangerous and were afraid to be in the woods. Still we thought we would +run the risk and follow the deer. They ran but a little ways, stopped and +waited until we came in sight, then ran a little ways again. They seemed +afraid to run ahead and huddled up together, the terrible noise in the +timber seemed to frighten them. The last time I got sight of them they +were in a small opening standing by some large old logs. I remember well +to this day just how the place looked. I drew up the rifle and shot. +Father was right behind me; I told him they didn't run. He took the rifle +and handed me my gun, saying, "Shoot this." I shot again, this gun was +heavily loaded and must have made a loud report, but could not have been +heard at any great distance on account of the roaring wind in the +tree-tops. The deer were still in sight, I took the rifle, loaded it, and +shot again; then we loaded both guns but by this time the deer had +disappeared. We went up to where they had stood and there lay a beautiful +deer. Then we looked at the tracks where the others had run off, and +found that one went alone and left a bloody trail, but we thought best to +leave it and take home the one we had killed. When we got home we showed +our folks what a fat heavy deer we had and they were very much pleased, +as this was to be our meat in the wilderness. + +A man by the name of Wilson was at our house and in the afternoon he +volunteered to go with us after the other deer. We took our dog and +started taking our back tracks to where we left; we followed the deer but +a very little ways before we came across the other one we had hit; it had +died, and we took it home, thinking we had been very fortunate. Here I +learned that deer could be approached in a windy time better than in any +other. I also learned that the Almighty, in His wisdom, provided for his +creatures, and caused the elements, wind and snow, to work together for +their good. + +Now we were supplied with meat for a month, with good fat venison, not +with quails, as God supplied his ancient people over three thousand years +before, in the wilderness of Sinai, or at the Tabernacle, where six +hundred thousand men wept for flesh, and there went forth a wind and +brought quails from the Red Sea. No doubt they were fat and delicious, +and the wind let them fall by the camp, and around about the camp, for +some distance. They were easily caught by hungry men. Thus was the wind +freighted with flesh to feed that peculiar people a whole month and more. + +When the terrific wind, that helped us to capture the deer, raged through +the tree-tops it sounded like distant thunder. It bent the tall trees, in +unison, all one way, as if they agreed to bow together before the power +that was upon them. When they straightened up they shook their tops as +though angry at one another, broke off some of the limbs which they had +borne for years, and sent them crashing to the ground. + +Some of the trees were blown up by the roots, and if allowed to remain +would in time form such little mounds as we children took to be Indian +graves when we first came into the woods. Those little mounds are +monuments, which mark the places where some of those ancient members of +the forest stood centuries ago, and they will remain through future ages +unless obliterated by the hand of man. + +We thought that the wind blew harder here than in York State, where we +came from. We supposed the reason was that the mountains and hills of New +York broke the wind off, and this being a flat country with nothing to +break the force of the wind, except the woods, we felt it more severely. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +HOW WE GOT INTO TROUBLE ONE NIGHT, AND I SCARED. + + +One warm day in winter father and I went hunting. I had the rifle that +day. We went south, crossed the windfall and Reed creek, and went into +what we called the "big woods." We followed deer, but seemed to be very +unlucky, for I couldn't shoot them. We travelled in the woods all day and +hunted the best we could. + +Just at sundown, deer that have been followed all day are apt to stop and +browse a little. Then if the wind is favorable and blowing from them to +you, it is possible to get a shot at them; but if the wind is blowing +from you to them, you can't get within gunshot of them. They will scent +you. They happened to be on the windward side, as we called it. I got a +shot at one and killed it. It was late and, carelessly, I didn't load the +rifle. It being near night, I thought I should not have a chance to shoot +anything more. + +It was my custom to load the rifle after shooting, and if I didn't have +any use for it before, when I got near home, I shot at a mark on a tree +or something. In that way I practiced shooting and let the folks know I +was coming. In this way I also kept the rifle from rusting, as sometimes +it was wet; when I got into the house I cleaned it off and wiped it out. + +In a few minutes we had skinned the two fore quarters out. Then we +wrapped the fore part of the hide around the hind quarters, and each took +a half and started. It was now dark, and we did not like to undertake +going home straight through the woods, so took our way to the Reed house, +from which there was a dim path through to Pardee's, and we could find +our way home. + +We were tired and hungry, and our feet were wet from travelling through +the soft snow. As Mr. Reed had moved away there was no one in the house, +and we went in and kindled a fire in the fireplace. The way we did it, I +took some "punk" wood out of my pocket, held flint stone over it, struck +the flint with my knife, and the punk soon took fire. We put a few +whitlings on it, then some sticks we had gathered in the way near by the +house. We soon had a good fire and were warming and drying our feet. + +This "punk" I got from soft maple trees. When I wanted some I went into +the woods and looked for an oldish tree, looked up, and if I could see +black knots on the body of the tree, toward the top, I knew there was +"punk" wood in it and would cut it down, then cut half way through the +log, above and below the black knot, and split it off. In the center of +the log I was sure to find "punk" wood. Sometimes, in this way, I got +enough to last a year or two from one tree. It was of a brown color and +was found in layers, which were attached and adhered together. When I +chopped a tree I took out all I could find, carried it home, laid it up +in a place where it would get drier, and it was always ready for use. + +We had to use the utmost precaution not to get out of this material. +Sometimes I have known my little Michigan sister, Abbie, to go more than +a quarter of a mile, to the Blare place, to borrow fire; on such +occasions we had to wait for breakfast until she returned. I do not know +that the fire was ever paid back, but I do know that we had callers +frequently when the errand was to borrow fire. + +When I went hunting I was careful to take a piece of this with me. I +broke or tore it off (it was something like tearing old cloth). With +this, a flint and a jackknife I could make a fire in case night overtook +me in the woods and I could not get out. Fire was our greatest protection +from wild animals and cold in the night. This was the way we kindled our +fire in the Reed house, before "Lucifer matches" or "Telegraph matches" +were heard of by us, although they were invented as early as 1833. After +we got a little comfortable and rested, and the wood burned down to coals +we cut some slices of venison, laid them on the coals and roasted them. +Although we had no salt, the meat tasted very good. + +Late in the evening we took our venison and started again. It was hard +work to follow the path in the thick woods, and we had to feel the way +with our feet mostly as it was quite dark. We had got about eighty rods +from the house when, as unexpected as thunder in the winter, broke upon +our startled ears the dismal yells and awful howls of wolves. No doubt +they had smelled our venison and come down from the west, came down +almost upon us and broke out with their hideous yells. The woods seemed +to be alive with them. Father said: "Load the rifle quick!" I dropped my +venison, and if ever I loaded a gun quick, in the dark, it was then. I +threw in the powder, ran down a ball without a patch, and, strange to +say, before I got the cap on the wolves were gone, or at least they were +still, we didn't even hear them run or trot. What it was that frightened +them we never knew; whether it was our stopping so boldly or the smell +of the powder, or what, I cannot say; but we did refuse to let them have +our venison. We got away with it as quickly as possible and carried it +safety home. + +Another wolf adventure worth relating: I had been deer hunting; I had +been off beyond what we called the Indian hill and was returning home. I +was southwest of this hill, and on the north side of a little ridge which +ran to the hill, when two wolves came from the south. They ran over the +little ridge, crossing right in front of me, to go into a big thicket +north. I had my rifle on them. They did halt, but in shooting very +quickly I did not get a very good sight, however, I knocked one down and +thought I had killed him. (They were just about of a size, and when I +shot, the other went back like a flash the way he came from.) I loaded +the rifle, but before I had it loaded the one I had shot got up and +looked at me. I saw what I had done. I had cut off his lower jaw, close +up, and it hung down. Another shot finished him quickly. He measured six +feet from the end of his nose to the point of his tail. + +I have seen many wolves, I have seen them in shows, but never saw any +that compared in size with these Michigan wolves. It takes a very +large, long dog to measure five feet. There was a bounty on wolves. I +went down through the woods to Squire Goodel's, who lived near the +Detroit river, got him to make out my papers and got the bounty. These +pests were more shy in the day-time. They were harder to get a shot at +than the deer. There were many of them in the woods, and we heard them +so often nights that we became familiar with them. When the "Michigan +Central Railroad" was built, and the cars ran through Dearborn, there +was something about the iron track, or the noise of the cars which +drove them from the country. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE INDIANS VISIT US--THEIR STRANGE AND PECULIAR WAYS. + + +Some three or four years after we came to the country there came a +tribe, or part of a tribe, of Indians and camped a little over a mile +southwest of our house, in the timber, near the head of the windfall +next to the openings. They somewhat alarmed us, but father said, "Use +them well, be kind to them and they will not harm us." I suppose they +came to hunt. It was in the summer time and the first we knew of them, +my little brother and two sisters had been on the openings picking +huckleberries not thinking of Indians. When they started home and got +into the edge of the woods they were in plain sight of Indians, and they +said it appeared as if the woods were full of them. They stood for a +minute and saw that the Indians were peeling bark and making wigwams: +they had some trees already peeled. + +They said they saw one Indian who had on a sort of crown, or wreath, with +feathers in it that waved a foot above his head. They saw him mount a +sorrel pony. As he did so the other Indians whooped and hooted, I +suppose to cheer the chief. Childlike they were scared and thought that +he was coming after them on horseback. They left the path and ran right +into the brush and woods, from home. When they thought they were out of +sight of the Indian they turned toward home. After they came in sight of +home, to encourage his sisters, my little brother told them, he wouldn't +be afraid of any one Indian but, he said, there were so many there it was +enough to scare anybody. When they got within twenty rods of the house +they saw some one coming beyond the house with a gun on his shoulder. One +said it was William Beal, another said it was an Indian. They looked +again and all agreed that it was an Indian. If they had come straight +down the lane, they would have just about met him at the bars, opposite +the house, (where we went through). There was no way for them to get to +the house and shun him; except to climb the fence and run across the +field. The dreaded Indian seemed to meet them everywhere, and if possible +they were more scared now than before. Brother and sister Sarah were over +the fence very quickly. Bessie had run so hard to get home and was so +scared that in attempting to climb the fence she got part way up and fell +back, but up and tried again. Sister Sarah would not leave her but helped +her over. But John S. left them and ran for his life to the house; as +soon as they could get started they ran too. Mother said Smith ran into +the house looking very scared, and went for the gun. She asked him what +was the matter, and what he wanted of the gun; he said there was an +Indian coming to kill them and he wanted to shoot him. Mother told him +to let the gun alone, the Indian would not hurt them; by this time my +sisters had got in. In a minute or two afterward the Indian came in, +little thinking how near he had come being shot by a youthful hero. + +Poor Indian wanted to borrow a large brass kettle that mother had and +leave his rifle as security for it. Mother lent him the kettle and he +went away. In a few days he brought the kettle home. + +A short time after this a number of them had been out to Dearbornville +and got some whisky. All but one had imbibed rather too freely of +"Whiteman's fire water to make Indian feel good." They came down as far +as our house and, as we had no stick standing across the door, they +walked in very quietly, without knocking. The practice or law among the +Indians is, when one goes away from his wigwam, if he puts a stick across +the entrance all are forbidden to enter there; and, as it is the only +protection of his wigwam, no Indian honorably violates it. There were ten +of these Indians. Mother was washing. She said the children were very +much afraid, not having gotten over their fright. They got around behind +her and the washtub, as though she could protect them. The Indians asked +for bread and milk; mother gave them all she had. They got upon the +floor, took hold of hands and formed a ring. The sober one sat in the +middle; the others seemed to hear to what he said as much as though he +had been an officer. He would not drink a drop of the whisky, but kept +perfectly sober. They seemed to have a very joyful time, they danced and +sang their wild songs of the forest. Then asked mother for more bread and +milk; she told them she had no more; then they asked for buttermilk and +she gave them what she had of that. As mother was afraid, she gave them +anything she had, that they called for. They asked her for whisky; she +said she hadn't got it. They said, "Maybe you lie." Then they pointed +toward Mr. Pardee's and said, "Neighbor got whisky?" She told them she +didn't know. They said again, "Maybe you lie." + +When they were ready the sober one said, "Indian go!" He had them all +start in single file. In that way they went out of sight. Mother was +overjoyed and much relieved when they were gone. They had eaten up all +her bread and used up all her milk, but I suppose they thought they had +had a good time. + +Not more than two or three weeks after this the Indians moved away, and +these children of the forest wandered to other hunting grounds. We were +very much pleased, as well as the other neighbors, when they were gone. + +Father had a good opinion of the Indians, though he had been frightened +by the first one, John Williams, and was afraid of losing his life by +him. He considered him an exception, a wicked, ugly Indian. Thought, +perhaps, he had been driven away from his own tribe, and was like Cain, a +vagabond upon the face of the earth. He was different from other Indians, +as some of them had the most sensitive emotions of humanity. If you did +them a kindness they would never forget it, and they never would betray a +friend; but if you offended them or did them an injury, they would never +forget that either. These two traits of character run parallel with their +lives and only terminate with their existence. + +I recollect father's relating a circumstance that happened in the +State of New York, about the time of the Revolutionary War. He said an +Indian went into a tavern and asked the landlord if he would give him +something to eat. The landlord repulsed him with scorn, told him he +wouldn't give him anything and to get out of the house, for he didn't +want a dirty Indian around. There was a gentleman sitting in the room +who saw the Indian come in and heard what was said. The Indian started +to go; the gentleman stepped up and said: "Call him back, give him what +he wants, and I'll pay for it." The Indian went back, had a good meal +and was well used; then he went on his way and the gentleman saw him no +more, at that time. + +Shortly after this the gentleman emigrated to the West, and was one of +the advanced guards of civilization. He went into the woods, built him a +house and cleared a piece of land. About this time there was a war in the +country. He was taken captive and carried away a long distance, to an +Indian settlement. He was tried, by them, for his life, condemned to +death and was to be executed the next morning. He was securely bound and +fastened. The chief detailed an Indian who, he thought, knew something of +the whites and their tricks and would be capable of guarding the captive +safely, and he was set as a watch to keep him secure until morning. I +have forgotten what father said was to have been the manner of his +execution; whether he was to be tomahawked or burned, at all events he +was to meet his fate in the morning. Late in the night, after the +warriors were fast asleep and, perhaps, dreaming of their spoils, when +everything was still in the camp, the Indian untied and loosed the +captive, told him to be careful, still, and follow him. After they were +outside the camp, out of hearing, the Indian told the white man that he +was going to save his life and show him the way home. They traveled until +morning and all that day, and the night following, the next morning they +came out in sight of a clearing and the Indian showed him a house and +asked him if he knew the place; he said he did. Then the Indian asked him +if he knew him; he told him that he did not. Then he referred him to the +tavern and asked if he remembered giving an Indian something to eat. He +said he did. "I am the one," said the Indian, "and I dare not go back to +my own tribe, they would kill me." Here the friends par Led to meet no +more. One went home to friends and civilization; the other went an exile +without friends to whom he dared go, with no home, a fugitive in the +wilderness. + +There was a man by the name of H. Moody who often visited at father's +house he told me that when he was young he was among the Mohawk Indians +in Canada. This tribe formerly lived in what is now the State of New +York. They took up on the side of the English, were driven away to Canada +and there settled on the Grand River. Mr. Moody was well acquainted with +the sons of the great chief, Brant, and knew the laws and customs of the +tribe. He said when they considered one of their tribe very bad they set +him aside and would have nothing to do with him. + +If one murdered another of the same tribe he was taken up and tried by a +council, and if it was found to be wilful murder, without any cause, he +was condemned and put to death; but if there were any extenuating +circumstances which showed that he had some reason for it, he was +condemned and sentenced, by the chief, to sit on the grave of his victim +for a certain length of time. That was his only hope and his "City of +refuge." If any of the relatives of the deceased wanted to kill him +there they had a right (according to their law) to do so. If he remained +and lived his time out, on the horrible place, he was received back +again to the fellowship of his tribe. This must have been a terrible +punishment. It showed, however, the Indian's love of his tribe and +country, to sit there and think of the danger of being shot or +tomahawked, and of the terrible deed he had committed. He had taken away +what he could never give. How different was his case from the one who +left tribe, friends and home, and ran away to save the life of a white +man who had given him bread. + +About two and a half miles southwest of our house there was a large sand +hill. Huckleberries grew there in abundance. I went there and picked some +myself. On the top of that hill we found Indian graves, where some had +been recently buried. There were pens built of old logs and poles around +them, and we called it the "Indian Hill." It is known by that name to +this day. The old telegraph road runs right round under the brow of this +hill. This hill is in the town of Taylor. I don't suppose there are many +in that town who do not know the hill or have heard of it, and but few in +the town of Dearborn. I don't suppose there are six persons living who +know the reason it is called the "Indian Hill" for we named it in a very +early day. + +Some twelve or fifteen years after this a man by the name of Clark had +the job of grading down a sand hill nearly a mile south of Taylor Center. +In grading he had to cut down the bank six or seven feet and draw it off +on to the road. He hired me with my team to go and help him. I went. He +had been at work there before and he showed me some Indian bones that he +had dug up and laid in a heap. He said that two persons were buried +there. From the bones, one must have been very large, and the other +smaller. He had been very careful to gather them up. He said he thought +they were buried in a sitting or reclining posture, as he came to the +skulls first. The skulls, arm and thigh bones were in the best state of +preservation, and in fact, the most that was left of them. + +I took one thigh bone that was whole, sat down on the bank and we +compared it with my own. As I was six feet, an inch and a half, we tried +to measure the best we could to learn the size of the Indian. We made up +our minds that he was at least seven, or seven and a half, feet tall. I +think it likely it was his squaw who sat by his side. They must have been +buried a very long time. We dug a hole on the north side of a little +black oak tree that stood on the hill west of the road, and there we +deposited all that remained of those ancient people. I was along there +the other day (1875) and as I passed I noticed the oak. It is now quite a +large tree; I thought there was no one living in this country, but me, +who knew what was beneath its roots. No doubt that Indian was a hunter +and a warrior in his day. He might have heard, and been alarmed, that the +white man had come in big canoes over the great waters and that they were +stopping to live beyond the mountains. But little did he think that in a +few moons, or "skeezicks" as they called it, he should pass to the happy +hunting ground, and his bones be dug up by the white man, and hundreds +and thousands pass over the place, not knowing that once a native +American and his squaw were buried there. That Indian might have sung +this sentiment: + +"And when this life shall end, + When calls the great So-wan-na, +Southwestern shall I wend, + To roam the great Savannah." + +--_Bishop_, + +No doubt he was an observer of nature. In his day he had listened to the +voice of Gitche Manito, or the Great Spirit, in the thunder and witnessed +the display of his power in the lightning, as it destroyed the monster +oak and tore it in slivers from top to bottom, and the voice of the wind, +all told him that there was a Great Spirit. It told him if Indian was +good he would go to a better place, where game would be plenty, and, no +one would drive him away. No doubt he had made preparation for his +departure and wanted his bow, arrow, and maybe other things, buried with +him. If this was so they had disappeared as we found nothing of the kind. +It is known to be the belief of the Indian in his wild state, that he +will need his bow and arrow, or his gun and powder horn, or whatever he +has to hunt with here, to use after lie has passed over to the happy +hunting ground. + +About the time that Clark dug up the bones, I became acquainted with +something that I never could account for and it has always been a +mystery to me. An Englishman was digging a ditch on the creek bottom, to +drain the creek, a little over three-quarters of a mile west of +father's house. He was digging it six feet wide and two feet deep, where +brush called grey willows stood so thick that it was impossible for a +man to walk through them. He cut the brush and had dug eight or ten +inches when he came to red earth. Some day there had been a great fire +at this place. The streak of red ground was about an inch thick, and in +it he found what all called human bones. I went to see it myself and the +bones we gathered up were mostly small pieces, no whole ones; but we saw +enough to convince us that they were human bones. The ground that was +burned over might have been, from the appearance, twelve feet square. It +must have been done a great many years before, for the ground to make, +and the brush to grow over it. + +This creek, the Ecorse, not being fed by any rivulets or springs from +hills or mountains, is supplied entirely by surface water. It is +sometimes quite a large stream, but during dry weather in the summer time +it is entirely dry. The Englishman was digging it deeper to take off the +surface water when it came. + +It is possible that, sometime, Indians had burned their captives there. +In fact there is no doubt of it. It must have been the work of Indians. +We may go back in our imaginations to the time, when the place where the +city of Detroit now stands was an Indian town or village, and ask its +inhabitants if they knew who were burned twelve miles west of there on a +creek, they might not be able to tell. We might ask the giant Indian of +the sand hill, if he knew, and he might say, "I had a hand in that; it +was in my day." But we have no medium, through which we can find out the +dark mysteries of the past. They will have to remain until the light of +eternity dawns, and all the dead who have ever lived are called to be +again, and to come forth. Then the dark mysteries of the past which have +been locked up for centuries will be revealed. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE--A PICTURE FROM MEMORY. + + +As I have been led away, for some years, following poor Indian in his +belief, life and death, and in doing so have wandered from my story, I +will now return to the second or third year of our settlement. I +described how the body of our second house was made, and the roof put on. +I now look at its interior. The lower floor was made of whitewood boards, +in their rough state, nailed down. The upper floor was laid with the same +kind of boards, though they were not nailed When they shrunk they could +be driven together, to close the cracks. The chimney was what we called a +"stick" or "Dutch chimney." The way it was built; two crooked sticks, six +inches wide and four inches thick, were taken for arms; the foot of these +sticks were placed on the inner edge or top of the second log of the +house, and the upper ends laid against the front beam of the chamber +floor. These sticks or arms were about six feet apart at the mouth of the +chimney. Father cut a green black oak and sawed off some bolts, took a +froe, that he brought from York State, and rived out shakes three inches +wide and about an inch thick. Of these and clay he laid up the chimney. +It started from the arms and the chamber beam. After it got up a little +it was like laying up a pen. He spread on some clay, then laid on four +sticks and pressed them into the clay, then spread on clay again, +covering the sticks entirely. In this way our chimney was built, and its +size, at the top, was about two by four feet. It proved to be quite a +good and safe chimney. + +[Illustration: "THE HOUSE BUILT 1836."] + +The last thing before retiring for the night, after the fire had burned +low and the big coals were covered with ashes, was to look up chimney and +see if it had taken fire. If it had, and was smoking on the inside, +father would take a ladder, set it up in the chimney, take a little water +and go up and put it out. This was seldom necessary, as it never took +fire unless the clay cracked in places, or the weather wore it off. + +When there was a small fire in the evening, I could stand on the clay +hearth and look through the chimney at the stars as they twinkled and +shone in their brightness. I could count a number of them as I stood +there. Father drove into a log, back of the fire place, two iron eyes on +which to hang a crane; they extended into the room about one foot. +Around, and at one side of these he built the back of the fireplace of +clear clay a foot thick at the bottom, but thinner when it got up to the +sticks; after the clay dried he hung the crane. It is seen that we had +no jambs to our fireplace. Father sometimes at night would get a backlog +in. I have seen those which he got green, and very large, which were +sometimes twenty inches through and five or six feet long. When he got +the log to the door, he would take a round stick as large as his arm, +lay it on the floor, so that his log would come crossways of it, and +then crowd the log. I have seen him crowd it with a handspike and the +stick would roll in opposite the fireplace. He would tell us children to +stand back and take the chairs out of the way. Then he would roll the +log into the fireplace, and very carefully so as not to break or crack +the clay hearth, for mother had all the care of that, and wished it kept +as nicely as possible. When he had the log on to suit him, he would say, +"There, I guess that will last awhile." Then he would bring in two green +sticks, six or eight inches through and about three feet long, and place +them on the hearth with the ends against the backlog. These he called +his Michigan andirons; said he was proud of them. He said they were wood +instead of iron, to be sure, but he could afford to have a new pair +whenever he wanted them. When he brought in a large fore-stick, and laid +it across his andirons, he had the foundation for a fire, for +twenty-four hours. + +On the crane hung two or three hooks, and on these, over the fire, mother +did most of her cooking. As we had no oven, mother had what we called a +bake kettle; this was a flat, low kettle, with a cast cover, the rim of +which turned up an inch or two, to hold coals. In this kettle, she baked +our bread. The way she did it; she would heat the lid, put her loaf of +bread in the kettle, take the shovel and pull out some coals on the +hearth, set the kettle on them, put the lid on and shovel some coals on +to it. Then she would watch it, turn it round a few times, and the bread +was done, and it came on the table steaming. When we all gathered around +the family board we did the bread good justice. We were favored with +what we called "Michigan appetites." Sometimes when we had finished our +meal there were but few fragments left, of anything except the loaf, +which was four or five inches through, a foot and a half across, and four +and a half feet in circumference. + +Later, mother bought her a tin baker, which she placed before the fire to +bake her bread, cake, pies, etc. This helped her very much in getting +along. It was something new, and we thought it quite an invention. Mother +had but one room, and father thought he would build an addition at the +west end of our house, as the chimney was on the east end. He built it +with a shed roof. The lower floor was made of boards, the upper floor of +shakes. These were gotten out long enough to reach from beam to beam and +they were lapped and nailed fast. + +This room had one window on the west, and a door on the east, which led +into the front room. In one corner stood a bed surrounded by curtains as +white as snow; this mother called her spare-day bed. Two chests and a few +chairs completed the furniture of this room; it was mother's sitting room +and parlor. I remember well how pleased she was when she got a rag-carpet +to cover the floor. + +Now I have in my mind's eye a view of my mother's front room. Ah! there +is the door on the south with its wooden latch and leather string. East +of the door is a window, and under it stands a wooden bench, with a water +pail on it; at the side of the window hangs the tin dipper. In the corner +beyond this stands the ladder, the top resting on one side of an opening +through which we entered the chamber. In the centre of the east end +burned the cheerful fire, at the left stood a kettle, pot and +bread-kettle, a frying pan (with its handle four feet long) and griddle +hung over them. Under the north window stood a table with its scantling +legs, crossed, and its whitewood board top, as white as hands and ashes +could scour it. Farther on, in the north-west corner stood mother's bed, +with a white sheet stretched on a frame made for that purpose, over it, +and another at the back and head. On the foot and front of the frame were +pinned calico curtains with roses and rosebuds and little birds, some +perched on a green vine that ran through the print, others on the wing, +flying to and from their straw colored nests. These curtains hung, oh, +how gracefully, around that bed! They were pinned back a little at the +front, revealing a blue and white coverlet, of rare workmanship. In the +next and last corner stood the family cupboard. The top shelves were +filled with dishes, which mother brought from the state of New York. They +were mostly blue and white, red and white and there were some on the top +shelf which the children called their "golden edged dishes." + +The bottom of the cupboard was inclosed; by opening two small doors I +could look in. I found not there the luxuries of every clime, but what +was found there was eaten with as much relish as the most costly viands +would be now. It was a place I visited often. In hooks attached to a beam +overhead hung two guns which were very frequently used. A splint broom +and five or six splint bottomed chairs constituted nearly all the +furniture of this room. Before that cheerful fire in one of those +chairs, often sat one making and mending garments, little and big. This +she did with her own hands, never having heard of a sewing machine, as +there were none in existence then. She had to make every stitch with her +fingers. We were not so fortunate as the favored people of ancient times; +our garments would wax old. + +Mother made a garment for father to work in which he called his frock. It +was made of linen cloth that she brought from the State of New York. It +was like a shirt only the sleeves were short. They reached half way to +his elbows. This he wore, in place of a shirt, when working hard in warm +weather. Southeast of the house father dug into the ground and made him +an out door cellar, in which we kept our potatoes through the winter +without freezing them. We found it very convenient. + +Father wanted a frame barn very much but that was out of his reach. We +needed some place to thrash, and to put our grain and hay, and where we +could work in wet weather, but to have it was out of the question, so we +did the next best thing, went at it and built a substitute. In the first +place we cut six large crotches, went about fourteen rods north of the +house, across the lane, dug six holes and set the two longest crotches in +the center east and west. Then put the four shorter ones, two on the +south and two on the north side so as to give the roof a slant. In the +crotches we laid three large poles and on these laid small poles and +rails, then covered the whole with buckwheat straw for a roof. We cut +down straight grained timber, split the logs open and hewed the face and +edges of them; we laid them back down on the ground, tight together and +made a floor under the straw roof. + +This building appeared from a distance something like a hay barrack. Now +we had a sort of thrashing-floor. Back of this we built a log stable. So +the north side was enclosed but the east and west ends and the south side +were open. We had to have good weather when we threshed with our flails, +as the snow or rain would blow right through it. It was a poor thing but +the best we had for several years, until father was able, then he built +him a good frame barn. It stands there on the old place yet (1875). I +often think of the old threshing floor. When I got a nice buck with large +horns I cut off the skull with the hide, so as to keep them in a natural +position, and nailed them on the corners of our threshing floor in front. +The cold and storms of winter did not affect them much. There they +remained, mute and silent, to guard the place, and let all passers by +know that a sort of a hunter lived there. Father had good courage and +worked hard. He bared his arms and brow to the adverse winds, storms, +disappointments, cares and labors of a life in the woods. He said, if he +had his health, some day we would be better off. In a few years his words +of encouragement proved true. He fought his way through manfully, like a +veteran pioneer, raised up from poverty to peace and plenty. This he +accomplished by hard labor, working days and sometimes nights. + +One time father wanted to clear off a piece of ground for buckwheat by +the first of July. He had not much time in which to do it. We had learned +that buckwheat would catch and grow very stout on new and stumpy ground. +Sometimes it filled very full and loaded heavy. It was easily gathered +and easily threshed, and helped us very much for our winter's bread. One +night after supper, father sat down and smoked his pipe; it was quite +dark when he got up, took his ax in his hand and went out. We all knew +where he had gone. It was to put up his log heaps, as he had some +burning. Mother said, "We will go and help pick up and burn." When we +started, looking towards the woods, we could see him dimly through the +darkness. As we neared him we could see his bare arms with the handspike +in his hands rolling up the logs. The fire took a new hold of them when +he rolled them together. The flames would shoot up bright, and his +countenance appeared to be a pale red, while thousands of sparks flew +above his head and disappeared in the air. In a minute there was an +awkward boy at his side with a handspike, taking hold and doing the best +he could to help, and there was mother by the light of the fires, who a +short time before in her native home, was an invalid and her life +despaired of, now, with some of her children, picking up chips and sticks +and burning them out of the way. + +We were well rewarded for our labor. The buckwheat came up and in a +little time it was all in bloom. It put on its snow white blossoms, and +the wind that caressed it, and caused it to wave, bore away on its wings +to the woods the fragrance of the buckwheat field. + +The little industrious bee came there with its comrades and extracted its +load of sweet, then flew back to its native home in the forest. There it +deposited its load, stored it away carefully against the time of need. +Nature taught the bee that a long, cold winter was coming and that it +was best to work and improve the time, and the little fellow has left us +a very bright example to follow. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +METHEGLIN OR THE DETECTED DRINK. + + +As will be remembered by the early settlers of Michigan, bee hunting and +wild honey constituted one of the comforts and luxuries of life. Father +being somewhat expert in finding bees found a number of trees, one of +which was a large whitewood and stood full a mile or more, from home. One +day he and I cut it down. It proved to be a very good tree, as far as +honey was concerned. We easily filled our buckets and returned home, +leaving a large quantity in the tree, which we intended to return and get +as soon as possible. When we returned we found to our surprise, that the +tree had caught fire and was burning quite lively where the honey was +secreted. The fire originated from the burning of some straw that father +had used in singeing the bees to prevent their ferocious attacks and +stinging. We found that the fire had melted some of the honey and that it +was running into a cavity in the tree which the bees had cleaned out. It +looked as nice as though it had dripped into a wooden bowl. Father said +there was a chance to save it, and we dipped out a pailful of nice clear +honey, except that it was tinged, somewhat, in color and made a little +bitter by the fire. + +This formed one of the ingredients used in making the metheglin. We also +secured some more very nice honey. Father said, judging from the amount +we got, he should think the tree contained at least a hundred pounds of +good honey, and I should think so too. And he said "This truly is a +goodly land; it flows with milk and honey." He also said, "I will make a +barrel of metheglin, which will be a very delicious drink for my family +and a kind of a substitute for the luxuries they left behind. It will +slake the thirst of the friendly pioneers, who may favor us with a call +in our new forest home; or those friends who come to talk over the +adventures of days now past, and the prospects of better days to come." + +But in order to make the metheglin, he must procure a barrel, and this he +had to bring some distance on his back, as we had no team. When he got +the barrel home, and ready to make his metheglin, he located it across +two sticks about three feet long and six inches through. These he placed +with the ends toward the chimney on the chamber floor, and on them next +to the chimney, he placed his barrel. He filled it with metheglin and +said that the heat of the fire below, and warmth of the chimney above, +would keep it from freezing. Being placed upon the sticks he could draw +from it at his convenience, which he was quite sure to do when any of the +neighbors called. Neighbors were not very plenty in those days and we +were always glad to see them. When they came father would take his mug, +go up the ladder and return with it filled with metheglin. Then he would +pour out a glass, hand it to the neighbor, who would usually say, "What +is it?" Father would say, "Try it and see." This they usually did. He +then told them: "This is my wine, it was taken from the woods and it is a +Michigan drink, the bees helped me to make it." It was generally called +nice. Of course he frequently, after a hard day's work, would go up in +the chamber, draw some and give us all a drink. It tasted very good to +all, and especially to me, as will be seen by what follows. It so +happened that the chamber where the barrel was kept, was the sleeping +apartment of myself and brother, John S. I played the more important part +in the "Detected drink;" at least I thought so. + +I found, by examining the barrel, that by removing a little block, which +was placed under the side, taking out the bung and putting my mouth in +its place I could roll the barrel a little, on the sticks, and by being +very careful, could get a drink with ease. Then replacing the bung and +rolling the barrel back to its place, very carefully so as not to make a +noise or arouse suspicion, I would put the block in its place thinking no +one was any wiser, but me, for the drink which I thought was very +palatable and delicious. Not like the three drinks I had taken from the +jug some time before. + +This continued for sometime very much to my comfort, as far as good drink +was concerned. It was usually indulged in at night, after I had undressed +my feet, and father and mother supposed I had retired. There was one +difficulty. I was liable to be exposed by my little brother, John S., who +slept with me; so I concluded to take him into my confidence. There were +two reasons for my doing so: first, I wished him to have something good; +and second, I wanted to have him implicated with myself, fearing that he +might reveal my proceedings. So we enjoyed it together for a few nights. +I would drink first, then hold the barrel for him while he drank. We +thought we were faring like nabobs. But alas for me! One evening brother +John S. and I retired as usual, leaving father and mother seated by the +fire, I suppose talking over the scenes of their early days or, more +probably, discussing the best way to get along and support their family +in this their new forest home. + +I thought, of course, we must have some of the good drink before we shut +our eyes for the night, and no sooner thought than we went for it. As +usual, I removed the block and out with the bung, then down with my mouth +to the bung hole and over with the barrel until the delightful liquid +reached my anxious lips. My thirst was soon slaked by a good drink, I +relished it first rate. + +Then came brother John S.' turn, and, some way, in attempting to get his +drink I let the barrel slip. He was small and I had to hold it for him, +but this time the barrel went. I grabbed for it, made some racket and +some of the metheglin came out, guggle, guggle, good, good, and down it +went to the chamber floor, which was made of loose boards. It ran through +the cracks and there was a shower below, where father and mother were +sitting. I was in a quandary. I knew I was doomed unless I could use some +stratagem to clear myself from the scrape in which I was so nicely +caught. When lo! the first thing I heard from below was father, +apparently very angry, shouting, "William! what in the world are you +doing with the metheglin barrel?" Then came my stratagem. I began to +retch and make a noise as if vomiting, and hallooed to him that I was +sick. Of course, I wanted to make him believe that it was the contents of +my stomach that was falling at his feet in place of the metheglin. He +said he knew better, it was too sudden an attack, and too much of a +shower of the metheglin falling at their feet. I found that I could not +make this ruse work. He started for me, his head appeared above the top +of the ladder, he had a candle and a gad in his hand. I had been glad to +see him often, before, and was afterward, but this time I saw nothing in +him to admire. I found I had entirely failed. I told him that I would not +do that again. "Oh honestly!" if he would only let me off, I would never +do that again. + +He would not hear one word I said, but seized hold of my arm and laid it +on. Then there might have been heard a noise outside, and for some +distance, like some striking against a boy about my size, if there had +been any one around to have heard it. He said he did not whip me so much +for the metheglin, as for lying and trying to deceive him. I do not think +I danced a horn but I did step around lively, maybe, a little on tip He +said, he thought he had cured me up, that the application he gave would +make me well. I crawled into bed very much pleased indeed to think the +mat was settled, as far as I was concerned. John S. had crawled into bed +while I was paying the penalty. Father excused him because he was so +young; he said I was the one to blame, and must stand it all. I thought +as all young Americans do that it was rather hard to get such a tanning +in Michigan, and I had begun to think myself quite a somebody. + +From that day, or night, I made up my mind that honesty was the best +policy, at all events, for me. When I went to bed, at night, after that I +gave the metheglin barrel a wide berth and a good letting alone, for I +had lost my relish for metheglin. The metheglin story is once in a while, +until this day, related by John S., especially when we all meet for a +family visit. It not unfrequently causes much laughter. I suppose the +laughter is caused as much by the manner in which he tells it (he trying +to imitate or mimic me) as its funniness. It sometimes causes a tear, +perhaps, from excessive laughter and may be, from recollections of the +past and its associations. It may once in a while cause me to give a dry +laugh, but never a sad tear since the night I spilt the metheglin. + +One way the bee-hunter took of finding bee trees was to go into the +woods, cut a sappling off, about four feet from the ground, square the +top of the stump and on this put a dish of honey in the comb. Then he +would take his ax, cut and clear away the brush around the place so that +he could see the bees fly and be able to get their course or line them. +This he called a bee stand. In the fall of the year, when there came a +warm, clear and sunny day, after the frost had killed the leaves and +flowers, and the trees were bare, was the best time to find bee trees. +Sometimes when father and I went bee-hunting he took some old honey comb, +put it on a piece of bark or on a log, set it on fire and dropped a few +drops of anise on it from a vial. If we were near a bee tree in a short +time a lone bee would come. When it came it would fly around a few times +and then light on the honey comb in the dish which it had scented. No +doubt, it had been out industriously hunting and now it had found just +what was desired. Very independently it would commence helping itself and +get as much as it could possibly carry off to its home. Then it went and, +no doubt, astonished some of its comrades with its large load of wealth. +It was obtained so quickly and easily and there was plenty more where it +came from. Then some of the other bees would accompany it back, all being +very anxious to help in securing the honey they had found ready made. In +a short time there were several bees in the dish and others were coming +and going; then it was necessary for us to watch them. It required sharp +strong eyes to get their line. They would rise and circle around, higher +and higher, until they made out their course and then start like a streak +straight for their colony. After we had staked or marked out the line the +next thing was to move the honey forty or fifty rods ahead. At this the +bees sometimes appeared a little suspicious. It was sometimes necessary +to make a few of them prisoners even while they were eating by slipping a +cover over them, and moving them ahead on the line. This made them a +little shy, however, but they soon forgot their imprisonment. They had +found too rich a store to be forsaken. After a little while they would +come flocking back and load themselves as heavily as before. If they flew +on in the same direction it was evident that the bee tree was still +ahead, and it was necessary to move the honey again. Then if the bees +flew crooked and high and zigzag it was plain to the bee-hunters that +they were in close proximity to the bee tree. When the hunters could get +sight of the bees going back or up towards the tree tops it was an easy +matter to find the bee tree, as that would be between the two stands or +right in the hunter's presence. + +The little bees had, by their unceasing industry and through their love +of gain, labored hard extracting their sweet and had laid it up +carefully. Now they pointed out their storehouse by going directly to it +when anxious eyes were watching them. The little aeronautic navigators +could be seen departing from and returning to their home. Sometimes they +went into a small hole in the side of the tree and at other times they +entered their homes by a small knot-hole in a limb near the top of the +tree. I saw that a swarm which father once found went into the tree top +more than eighty feet from the ground. At that distance they did not +appear larger than house-flies. + +The first thing that father did after finding a bee-tree was to mark it +by cutting the initials of his name on the bark with his pocket-knife. +This established his title to the bees. After that they had a legal +owner. The mark on the tree was one of the witnesses. I knew a man who +happened to find a bee tree, and said that he marked it close down to +the ground and covered the mark with leaves so that no one could find +it. That appeared more sly than wise, as it gave no notice to others, +who might find the tree, of his ownership, or of its having been +previously found. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +OUR ROAD AND HOW I WAS WOUNDED. + + +Father got our road laid out and districted for a mile and a half on the +north and south section line. One mile north of our place it struck the +Dearborn road. Father cut it out, cut all the timber on the road two rods +wide. After it was cut out I could get on the top of a stump in the road, +by the side of our place, and look north carefully among the stumps, for +a minute, and if there was any one coming, on the road, I could +distinguish them from the stumps by seeing them move. In fact we thought +we were almost getting out into the world. We could see the sand hill +where father finally bought and built his house. Father was path-master +for a number of years and he crosswayed the lowest spots and across the +black ash swales. He cut logs twelve feet long and laid them side by side +across the center of the road. Some of the logs, that he put into the +road on the lowest ground, were more than a foot through; of course +smaller poles answered where the ground was higher. We called this our +corduroy road. In doing our road work and others doing theirs, year +after year, in course of time we had the log way built across the +wettest parts of the road. When it was still I could hear a cart or +wagon, coming or going, rattling and pounding over the logs for nearly a +mile. But it was so much better than water and mud that we thought it +quite passable. We threw some clay and dirt on to the logs and it made +quite an improvement, especially in a dry time. But in a wet time it was +then, and is now, a very disagreeable road to travel, as the clay gathers +on the feet of the pedestrian, until it is a load for him to carry. This +gave it, in after times, the name of the "Hardscrabble Road." When it was +wet it was almost impossible to get through with a team and load. At such +times we had to cross Mr. Pardee's place and go around the ridge on a +road running near the old trail. Now the "Hardscrabble Road" is an old +road leading to the homes of hundreds. Sometimes there may be seen twelve +or fifteen teams at once on the last half mile of that road, besides +footmen, coming and going all in busy life. They little know the trouble +we once had there in making that road. + +Father had very hard work to get along. He had to pay Mrs. Phlihaven +twenty-seven dollars every year to satisfy her on the mortgage, as he was +not able to pay the principal. That took from us what we needed very +much. If we could have had it to get us clothes it would have helped us, +as we were all poorly clad. Some of the younger children went barefooted +all winter a number of times. I often saw their little barefooted tracks +in the snow. + +As we had no team we had to get along the best we could. Father changed +work with Mr. Pardee: he came with his oxen and plowed for us. Father +had to work two days for one, to pay him. In this way we got some plowing +done. There was a man by the name of Stockman who lived near +Dearbornville. He had a pair of young oxen. Being a carpenter, by trade, +he worked at Detroit some of the time. He would let father use his oxen +some of the time for their keeping, and that he might break them better, +as they were not thoroughly broken. They would have been some profit to +us it they had not crippled me. + +One day I was drawing logs with them. I had hitched the chain around a +log and they started. I hallooed, "Whoa!" but they wouldn't stop. They +swung the log against me, caught my leg between the log they were drawing +and the sharp end of another log and had me fast. It cut the calf of my +leg nearly in two, and tore the flesh from the bone, but did not break +it. I screamed and made an awful ado. Father and Mr. Purdy heard me and +came running as fast as they could, they took me up and carried me to the +house. It was over three long months before I could take another step +with that leg. This accident made it still harder for father. I know I +saved him a good many steps and some work. I am sure he was pleased when +I got over my lameness and so I could help him again. I took a great +interest in everything he did and helped him all I could. + +Finally father got a chance to work by the day, for the government, at +Dearbornville. He received six shillings a day in silver. He said he +would leave me, to do what I could on the place, and he would try working +for Uncle Sam a part of the time. In haying and harvesting he had to work +at home. He cut all the grass himself and it grew very stout. We found +our land was natural for timothy and white clover. The latter would come +up thick in the bottom, of itself, and make the grass very heavy. It was +my business to spread the hay and rake it up. In this way we soon got +through with our haying and harvesting. We had already seeded some land +down for pasture. We went to Dearbornville and got hayseed off of a barn +floor and scattered it on the ground, in this way we seeded our first +pasture. Father sometimes let a small piece of timothy stand until it got +ripe. Then took his cradle, cut it and I tied it up in small bundles and +then stood it up until it was dry. When dry it was thrashed out; in this +way we soon had plenty of grass seed of our own, without having to buy +it. We began to have quite a stock of cows and young cattle. We had +pasture for them a part of the time, but sometimes we had to let them run +in the woods. At night I would go after them. When I got in sight of them +I would count them, to see if they were all there. The old cow (which had +been no small part of our support and our stand-by through thick and +thin) would start and the rest followed her. When they were strung along +ahead of me and I was driving them I would think to myself: now we've got +quite a herd of cattle! From our first settlement mother wanted to, and +did, raise every calf. + +Father worked for the government what time he could spare. He had to go +two miles morning and night. He carried his dinner in a little tin pail +with a cover on it. When the days were short he had to start very early, +and when he returned it would be in the evening, I recollect very well +some things that he worked at. The arsenal and other buildings were up +when we came here. They built a large brick wall from building to +building, making the yard square. The top of the wall was about level. I +think this wall was built twelve or fifteen feet high, it incloses three +or four acres. There thousands of soldiers put on their uniforms and with +their bright muskets in their hands and knapsacks strapped upon their +backs drilled and marched to and fro. There they prepared themselves for +the service of the country and to die, if need be, in defending the old +flag of stars and stripes which waved there above their heads. Little +thought they that the ground under their feet, so beautiful and level +inside that yard was made ground, in some places for six or eight feet +deep, and that it was done at Uncle Sam's expense for the pleasure of his +boys in blue. It was their school yard in which to learn the science of +war. My father helped to grade this enclosure. They drew in sand from the +sand ridge back of the yard, from where the government barn now stands, +with one-horse carts. + +Father was very fond of Indian bread which he called "Johnny cake." When +mother had wheat bread for the rest of us she often baked a "Johnny cake" +for him. One day he took a little "Johnny cake," a cup of butter and some +venison, in his little tin pail, for his dinner. He left it as usual in +the workshop. At noon he partook of his humble repast. He said he left a +piece of his "Johnny cake" and some butter. He thought that would make +him a lunch at night, when his day's work was done and he started home. +He went for his pail and found that his lunch was gone, and in place of +it a beautiful pocket knife. + +He said there were two or three government officers viewing and +inspecting the arsenal and ground that day. He said they went into the +shop where he left his dinner pail and lunch. He was sure they were the +ones who took his lunch. He said they knew what was good, for they ate +all the "Johnny cake" and butter he had left. The knife was left open and +he thought they forgot and left it through mistake. But I think more +probably they knew something of father's history. + +He was one who would have been noticed in a crowd of workmen. I have no +doubt the boss told them that he was a splendid workman. That he had had +bad luck, that he lived on a new place, two or three miles back in the +woods, that he had a large family to support and came clear out there +every day to work. "Here is his dinner pail" one says, "let's look in it" +and what did they see but a piece of Indian bread and some butter? +Methinks, one of the officers might have said: "I have not eaten any of +that kind of bread since my mother baked it down in New England. Let's +try it." Then took out his knife, cut it in three or four pieces, spread +the butter on and they ate it. Then he said, "Here is my knife, worth +twelve shillings, I will leave it open; he shall have it. I will give it +him as an honorary present, for his being a working man, and to +compensate him for what we have eaten. It has reminded me of home." Now +if the view I have taken is correct, it shows that they were noble, +generous and manly; that they felt for the poor, in place of trifling +with their feelings. + +After father finished working there, he sold some young cattle and +managed in some way to buy another yoke of oxen. We had good hay for +them. Father went to the village and bought him a new wagon. It was a +very good iron axletree wagon, made in Dearbornville by William Halpin. +We were very much pleased to have a team again and delighted with our +new wagon. + +We had very good luck with these oxen and kept them until we got a horse +team, and in fact longer, for after I left my father's house (and I was +twenty-two years old when I left) he had them. Then he said his place was +cleared up, and the roots rotted enough so that he could get along and do +his work with horses. He sold his oxen to Mr. Purdy, and they were a good +team then. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +PROSPECT OF WAR--A.D. 1835. + + +The dark portentous cloud seemed to hang above our horizon. It looked +dark and threatening, (and more terrible because the disputants were +members of the same family). We thought it might break upon our heads at +any time. The seat of war being so near us, the country so new and +inhabitants so few, made it look still more alarming to me. I asked +father how many inhabitants we had in our territory and how many the +State of Ohio contained. He said there were as many as fifteen or twenty +to our one. I asked him if he thought the Michigan men would be able to +defend Toledo against so many. He said that Michigan was settled by the +bravest men. That almost every man owned a rifle and was a good shot for +a pigeon's head. He thought they would be able to keep them at bay until +the government would interfere and help us. He said, to, that Governor +Mason was a fearless, brave, courageous man. That he had called for +militia and volunteers and was going himself with General Brown, at the +head of his men, to defend the rights of Michigan. + +One day, about this time, I was at Dearbornville; they had a fife and +drum there and were beating up for militia and volunteers. A young man by +the name of William Ozee had volunteered. I was well acquainted with him; +he had been at our house frequently. Sometimes, in winter, he had chopped +for us and I had hunted with him. He had a good rifle and was certainly a +sharp shooter. I found that he beat me handily, but I made up my mind it +was because he had a better rifle and I was considerable younger than he. +I saw him at Dearbornville just before he went away. He told me to tell +my folks that he was a soldier and was going to the war to defend them; +that Governor Mason had called for troops and he was going with him. We +heard in a short time that he was at Toledo. We also learned that +Governor Lucas, of Ohio, with General Bell and staff, with an army of +volunteers, all equipped ready for war, had advanced as far as Fort +Miami. But Governor Mason was too quick for the Ohio Governor. He called +upon General Brown to raise the Michigan militia, and said that his bones +might bleach at Toledo before he would give up one foot of the territory +of Michigan; said he would accompany the soldiers himself, to the +disputed ground. He, with General Brown, soon raised a force of about a +thousand men and took possession of Toledo; while the Governor of Ohio, +with volunteers, was fooling away the time at Fort Miami. When we heard +that Governor Mason had arrived at Toledo, we wondered if we should hear +the roar of his cannon. Sometimes I listened. We thought if it was still +and the wind favorable, we might hear them, and we expected every day +there would be a battle. + +But when Governor Lucas learned how determined Governor Mason was, and +that he had at his back a thousand Michigan braves, and most of them +with their rifles in their hands, ready to receive him, he made up his +mind that he had better let them alone. We afterward learned that +Governor Lucas only had six or eight hundred men. The conclusion was, +that if they had attacked the Michigan boys at Toledo, they would have +gotten badly whipped, and those of them left alive would have made good +time running for the woods, and would have wished that they had never +heard of Michigan men. Perhaps the Ohio Governor thought that discretion +was the better part of valor. He employed his time for several days, +watching over the line. May be he employed some of his time thinking if +it could be possible that Governor Mason and General Brown were going to +subjugate Ohio, or at least a part of it, and annex it to the territory +of Michigan. + +Let this be as it may; while he seemed to be undecided, two commissioners +from Washington put in an appearance and remonstrated with him. They told +him what the fearful consequences, to him and his State, would be, if he +tried to follow out his plan to gain possession of the disputed +territory. These commissioners held several conferences with both +Governors. They submitted to them several propositions for their +consideration, and for the settlement of the important dispute. Their +proposition was this: that the inhabitants, residing on the disputed +ground, should be left to their own government. Obeying one or the other, +as they might prefer, without being disturbed by the authorities of +either Michigan or Ohio. They were to remain thus until the close of the +next session of Congress. Here we see the impossibility of man being +subjected to and serving two masters, for, "He will love the one and hate +the other, or hold to the one and despise the other." + +Governor Lucas was glad to get out of the scrape. He embraced the +proposition, disbanded his men and left the disputed ground. Governor +Mason considered himself master of the situation; Toledo and the disputed +territory were under his control. He would not compromise the rights of +his people, and he considered that it rightly belonged to Michigan. He +disbanded a part of his force and sent them home, but kept enough +organized so that he could act in case of emergency. He kept an eagle eye +upon the "Buckeyes" to see that our territorial laws were executed +promptly and they were executed vigorously. In doing it one Michigan man +was wounded, his would-be murderer ran away to Ohio and was protected by +Governor Lucas. The man who was wounded was a deputy-sheriff of Monroe +County. He was stabbed with a knife. His was the only blood spilled. Some +few surveyors and Ohio sympathizers were arrested and put into jail at +Monroe. But Uncle Sam put his foot down, to make peace in the family. He +said if we would submit, after awhile we might shine as a star in the +constellation of the Union. So we were promised a star in a prominent +place in the old flag and territory enough, north of us, for a State. To +be sure it is not quite so sunny a land as that near Toledo, and our +Governor and others did not like to acquiesce in the decision of the +government, yet they had to yield to Uncle Sam's superior authority. + +Then they did not imagine that the upper peninsula was so rich a mining +country. They little knew at that time that its very earth contained, in +its bosom and under its pure waters, precious metals, iron, copper and +silver enough to make a State rich. Finally our people consented and the +Territory of Michigan put on her glory as a State. Became a proud member +of the Union; her star was placed in the banner of the free. It has since +sparkled upon every sea and been seen in every port throughout the +civilized world, as the emblem of the State of Michigan. + +In the excitement of the Toledo war we looked upon the Ohio men +unfavorably. We were interested for ourselves, and might have been +somewhat selfish and conceited, and, maybe, jealous of our neighbors, and +thought them wrong in the fray. We had forgotten that there were then men +living in Ohio, in log houses and cabins, some of them as brave men as +ever walked the footstool; that they came to Michigan and rescued the +country from the invaders, the English and savages, long before some of +us knew that there was such a place as Michigan. When Michigan was almost +a trackless wilderness they crossed Lake Erie, landed at Malden, drove +the redcoats out of the fort and started them on the double quick. They +made for the Canadian woods, and the British and Indians, who held +Detroit, followed suit. They were followed by our brave William Henry +Harrison, accompanied by Ohio and Kentucky men to the Thames. There, at +one blow, the Americans subjected the most of Upper Canada and punished +the invaders of Michigan, who had the hardihood to set their hostile feet +upon her territory. It seems as though it must have been right that the +strip of country at Toledo was given to the brave men, some at least of +whom long years before, defended it with their lives and helped to raise +again the American flag at Detroit. + +In about five years from the time of the Toledo War, William Henry +Harrison, of Ohio, was nominated, by the Whig party, for President, and +John Tyler, of Virginia, for Vice President, of the United States. The +intelligence spread like wild-fire. It went from town to town and from +county to county, through the brand-new State of Michigan. General +Harrison appeared to be the coming man. The Whigs of Ohio and Michigan +met and shook hands, like brothers, over the difficulties of the past; +now they had a more patriotic undertaking before them. In union with the +rest of the Whig party of the United States, they were to elect the old +farmer of the West, the good man who loved his country. In its defence he +had won imperishable honors. After he laid down his armor he resided in a +log house and was often clad in the habiliments of a husbandman. Now he +was nominated for President of the United States. With such a candidate +for the presidency men's hearts leaped for joy in anticipation of a +victory at the ballot-box in the fall of 1840. + +The nomination of General Harrison raised quite an excitement throughout +the entire country. Even in Dearborn, what few Whigs there were in the +town united as one man, entered upon the campaign and banded themselves +together to work for the good of the Whig party. Alonzo T. Mather was one +who stood at the head of the party in Dearborn. He was a man noted for +his good religious principles, and was one of the most prominent and +influential citizens of the town. He was sent to the Legislature, at +Detroit, for Wayne county, one term and held other offices of trust and +honor. He was the chieftain of his party and one of the prime movers in +getting up a log cabin in Dearborn. This log cabin was built on large +truck wheels. When finished it appeared somewhat the shape of a log car. +It was thought necessary to have something on board to eat and drink. It +was desired to make all typical and commemorative of the veteran, +pioneer, farmer and general who had escaped the bullets of the savages at +Tippecanoe, although he was a special mark for them, without a scar and +the loss only of a lock of hair, which was clipped off by a bullet. This, +too, was the man who shared his own supplies with his soldiers when they +were reduced to the necessity of eating horse flesh. Now, in honor to +such a man, the Whig bakers of Dearborn made a "Johnny cake" at least ten +feet long and the width of it was in proportion to the length. They +patted it with care, smoothed it over nicely and baked it before the +fire. It was a good, plump cake, and nothing like it was ever seen in +Dearborn, before or since. Careful hands put it on board the log cabin, +also a barrel of hard cider was put on board. + +At this time, although the country was new, politics ran high in +Dearborn. A friendly invitation was sent around to the farmers to come, +at a certain time, with their ox-teams and help draw the log cabin to its +destination and accompany the Whig delegation with it to Detroit. I knew +one Democrat who, when invited, refused to go. He appeared to be rather +eccentric. He said, "I allow that my oxen are not broke to work on +either side, and they are too Democratic to pull on both sides of the +fence at one and the same time." He considered the excitement of the +people, their building log cabins and baking such "Johnny cakes" boyish +and foolish. He said, in fact, that those who were doing it were "on the +wrong side." Many of the Democratic frontier men admired General Harrison +for his great worth as a man and liked his having a national reputation +for bravery. They said he was an honor to America as an American citizen +and soldier, but that he was on the wrong side. + +At that time I was in my teens and looking anxiously forward for time to +help me to the elective franchise. Perhaps, I should state here that +father was a Democrat as long ago as I can remember. In York State he was +a strong Jackson man and coming into the woods of Michigan did not change +his political principles. He was an irrepressible Democrat and remained +one. Jackson was his ideal statesman. When he went to Dearbornville to +attend town meeting or election, he almost invariably carried a hickory +cane, with the bark on it as it grew, in honor of "Old Hickory." He was +always known by his townsmen as a staunch Democrat. It was natural for +his young family, to claim to be Democrats in principle, in their +isolated home. + +The first settlers in our neighborhood, on the Ecorse, were Democrats, +with one exception, and that one was Mr. Blare. He often visited at our +house, and to tease my little brother, then five or six years old, told +him that he must be a Whig, he would make a good one, that he was a Whig, +he appeared like one and so forth. Brother denied it stoutly and said +that he would not be a Whig for any one. This amused Mr. Blare very much +for some time. Finally, when he called one day, he said he was going to +have company, he could see plainly that J.S. was changing to a Whig very +fast. J.S. denied it as strongly as ever, but it was evident that the +idea of being a Whig troubled him greatly. One morning (a short time +after Mr. Blare had been talking to him) he was crying bitterly. Mother +said she thought it very strange that he should cry so and tried +sometimes, in vain, to persuade him to tell her what the trouble was. +Finally she threatened to punish him if he did not let her know what the +difficulty was. At last he said he was afraid he was turning to be a +Whig. Mother assured him that it was not so. She said there was no danger +of her little boy changing into a Whig, not in the least. J.S. has often +been reminded, since he became a man, of the time Mr. Blare came so near +making a Whig of him. + +But back to that cabin. There were plenty of men who volunteered and took +their teams. They hitched a long string of them, I think twenty-two yoke +of oxen, to the trucks. Quite a large crowd, for Dearborn, of old and +young, were on hand to witness the start. Most of them appeared very +enthusiastic. Each gave vent to some expression of admiration like the +following: "The General is the man for me;" or, "He is one of the people, +one with the people, one for the people, one with us and we are for him." +That's my sentiment, said one and another. After such exclamations and +the singing of a spirited campaign song, the order was given to start the +teams. The large wheels rolled and the log cabin began to move. Nearly +all appeared to be excited and there was some confusion of voices. Cheer +after cheer arose clear and high for the honest old farmer of North Bend. +I learned afterward that the march to Detroit was one continued ovation. + +As a matter of course, I didn't go with them. I was too busy, at that +time, taking lessons and studying my politics, and all that sort of thing +at home in the woods. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +FISHING AND BOATING. + + +In the spring of the year when the ice broke up, in the creek, the +(pike) or (pickerel) came up in great abundance from Detroit River, and +they were easily caught. At such times the water was high in the creek, +often overflowing its banks. Sometimes the Ecorse appeared like quite a +river. We made a canoe of a white-wood log and launched it on the +Ecorse. Sometimes we went fishing in the canoe. At such times it needed +two, as the pickerel were fond of lying in shallow water or where there +was old grass. By looking very carefully, on the surface of the water, I +could see small ripples that the fishes made with their fins while they +were sporting in their native element. By having a person in the back +end of the canoe, pole it carefully, toward the place where I saw the +ripples, we would get up in plain sight of them, and they could be +either speared or shot. + +I think the most successful way was shooting them, at least I preferred +it. If the fish lay near the surface of the water, I held the gun nearly +on it, and if it was six inches deep I held the gun six inches under it, +and fired. In this way, for the distance of two or three rods, I was +sure to kill them or stun them so that they turned belly up and lay till +they were easily picked up with a spear. In this way I frequently caught +a nice string. I have caught some that would weigh eight pounds apiece. +Sometimes I stood on a log that lay across the creek and watched for them +when they were running up. I recollect one cloudy afternoon I fished with +a spear and I caught as many as I wanted to carry to the house. Sometimes +they would be in a group of three, four or more together. I have seen +them, with a big fish below, and four or five smaller ones above him, +swimming along together as nicely as though they had been strung on an +invisible string, and drawn along quietly through the water. I could see +their wake as they were coming slowly up the creek keeping along one side +of it. When I first saw them in the water they looked dark, I saw it was +a group of fishes. It looked as though the smaller ones were guarding the +larger one, at least they were accompanying it. They appeared to be very +good friends, and well acquainted, and none of them afraid of being eaten +up, but any of them would have eagerly caught the smaller ones of another +species and swallowed them alive and whole. I do not know that they +devour and eat their own kind, I think not often, for nature has given +the pickerel, when young and small, the ability to move with such +swiftness that it would be impossible for a larger fish to catch them. +They will be perfectly still in the water, and if scared by anything they +will start away in any direction like a streak. They go as if it were no +effort and move with the rapidity of a dart. I have cut some of the large +pickerel open and found whole fish in them, five or six inches long. + +But I must finish describing that group of fishes! As they were swimming +up, the smaller ones kept right over the large one. I stood until they +got almost to me and I killed four of them at once and got them all. It +is known that it is not necessary to hit a fish with a bullet in order to +get it. It is the force of the bullet, or charge, striking the water that +shocks or stuns him, and causes him to turn up. + +These fish ran up two or three weeks every spring. Then those which were +not caught went back again into the Detroit River. Father made him what +he called a pike net which had two wings. By the time the fish were +running back, the water was settled into the bed of the creek. Then +father would set his net in the creek, stretch the wings across and stake +it fast. The mouth of the net opened up stream. This he called a funnel; +it was shaped like the top of a funnel. It was fastened with four hoops. +The first one was about as large around as the hoop of a flour barrel, +the next smaller, the third smaller still, and the last one was large +enough for the largest fish to go through. + +When the net was fastened around these hoops it formed a tunnel about +four feet long. Then we had a bag net eight or ten feet long. The mouth +of this was tied around the first or large hoop of the tunnel, so when +the fish came down and ran into that they could not find their way out. +Father said when the fish were running back to Detroit River, it was +right to catch them, but when they were going up everybody along the +creek ought to have a chance. I never knew him to put his net in, so +long as the fish were running up. When they got to going back, as they +most all run in the night, in the evening he would go and set his net, +and next morning he would have a beautiful lot of fish. In this way, some +springs, we caught more than we could use fresh, so salted some down for +summer use. They helped us very much, taking the place of other meat. For +years back there have hardly any fish made their appearance up the +Ecorse. Now it would be quite a curiosity to see one in the creek. I +suppose the reason they do not come up is that some persons put in gill +nets at the mouth of the Ecorse, on Detroit River, and catch them, or +stop them at least. It is known that fish will not run out of a big +water, and run up a small stream, at any time except in the night. + +These denizens of the deep have their own peculiar ways, and although man +can contrive to catch them, yet he cannot fathom the mysteries that +belong alone to them. Where they travel he cannot tell for they leave no +track behind. + +It is seen that I used a hunter's phrase in my description of holding the +gun while shooting fish. The hunter will readily understand it as given. +If he has seen a deer and it has escaped him, and you ask him why he +didn't shoot it; he almost invariably says, "I couldn't get my gun on it +before it jumped out of my sight." To such as do not understand that +phrase I will say, the expression is allowable, as the bullet or charge +of shot flies so swiftly (even in advance of the sharp report of the +gun). The distance of twenty rods or more is virtually annihilated: Hence +the expression, "I held the gun on it," (though it was rods away.) If he +sighted his gun straight toward the object he wished to hit whether it +was in the air, under water, or on the ground, he would claim that he +held his gun on it. + +I said that the bullet flew in advance of the report of the gun. That is +true, on the start, or until it struck an object. If the object was at a +reasonable distance, but if the distance proved too far, it of course +would fall behind the sound. The bullet is the bold--fearless--and often +cruel companion of the report of the gun, and loses in its velocity the +farther it flies, being impeded and resisted by the air, and at last is +left flattened and out of shape, a dead weight, while the report of the +gun passes on very swiftly, and dies away in the distance to be heard no +more. I have often heard the reports of guns very plainly that were fired +at ducks on Detroit River, six or seven miles away. With what velocity +their sounds approached me, I leave Dr. Derham to determine. According to +his calculation it must have been at the rate of eleven hundred and +forty-two feet per second. It has also been ascertained with what +velocity the ball leaves the gun and pierces the air. The following is +the practical result ascertained by the experiments of Mr. Robins, Count +Rumford, and Dr. Hutton: "A musket ball, discharged with a common charge +of powder, issues from the muzzle of the piece with a velocity between +sixteen and seventeen hundred feet in a second." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +HOW I GOT IN TROUBLE RIDING IN A CANOE. + + +I often rode in my canoe when I did not go fishing. I took one ride in it +that I shall always remember, at least the remembrance of it has forced +itself upon my mind a number of times, in the days gone by, and I expect +to think of it a few times more. Of course my oldest sister, Rachel, who +is now Mrs. Crandell, of Dearborn, became acquainted with the young +ladies of the neighborhood. One fine afternoon, in the spring of the year +when the water was high, two of her friends came to see her. They were +considered very fine young ladies. One was Miss Lucy Lord, the other I +will call nameless, but she is an old resident and lives near by. If at +any time this should meet her eye she will vouch for the truth of it. +They came to spend the afternoon with sister. + +Of course (as all young men do, I believe) I felt a little flattered, and +thought, no doubt, one object of their visit was to see me. Whether my +humble self was once in all their thoughts, when they were making their +toilet that day or not, I gave them the credit of it. I thought I had +never seen one of them, at least, look any better than she did that +afternoon. Her hair was arranged very nicely and she was very graceful. +Of course, when my sister told me they wished very much for a boat ride, +I could not very well to refuse to go with them. I hoped to let them see +with how much skill I could manage my canoe. But alas for my skill! The +flat was covered with water from our little ridge to the creek, a +distance of twenty rods. It looked like a large river. The canoe was +anchored near the ridge; the young ladies got in and we started from the +landing. I had to look out for the stumps and hummocks so as not to run +against them nor run my boat aground. I had my passengers aboard and I +stood in the hind end of the canoe, and with a hand pole I set it along +with greater rapidity than it could have been paddled. We glided over the +water, on the flat, amid the joyful acclamations and gleeful laughter of +my fair companions. One said, "I haven't had a boat ride before in +Michigan." Miss Lucy, who sat on the bow end of the boat, waved her +handkerchief and said, "Oh, bless me! isn't this pleasant, sailing on the +water!" Another said, "How nice we go!" Of course I propelled along with +considerable speed. I thought I had one of the nicest, prettiest and most +intelligent load of passengers that had ever been in my canoe or on that +water, and I would give them a nice ride. + +At last we got round as far as the creek. There the water ran more +swiftly than it did on the flat. I told the young ladies I thought we had +better not try to navigate that, but they all said, "Let us ride up the +creek!" I thought I was master of the situation and could manage the +canoe. I did not want to tell them that I was afraid, for fear they would +say I was fainthearted. I thought that would be very much against me, and +as I had such a brave crew, I made up my mind to go up the strong +current. I turned the bow of the boat up against the current, as much as +I could with one hold, but could not get it straight against the current. +It shot ahead its length or more, then I moved my hand pole to get a new +hold. Now we were over the creek and the water being four or five feet +deep, it was impossible for me to get my pole down to the bottom again in +time to save us. While I was trying to do that, the current being +stronger than I supposed, turned the boat sidewise. I saw that we were +gone for it. The girls sprang to one side of the boat and down we went, +at one plunge, all together into the water. My craft was foundered, +filled with water and went down, (stream at least). Miss Lucy Lord was +the heroine of the occasion; luckily, she saved herself by jumping, +though she got very wet. She got on to a little hummock on the bank and +was on terra-firma. + +As soon as I took in the situation, I exerted myself to save the rest of +the crew. The nameless girl's head came in sight about the same time my +own did. As soon as she could halloo she said, "Lord have mercy! Lord +help!" Miss Lucy held out her hand and said, "Come here and Lord will +help you." I helped her and my sister to the bank as quickly as possible. +I had to be very lively in securing the white pocket handkerchief that +had been our flag while sailing. + +After they got fairly out, they started like three deer, as three dears +they were, for the house, each one for herself. The way they made three +wakes through that water was something new to me. I had never seen the +like of that before. Miss Lucy went ahead full of life. They went through +the water from one to two feet deep all the way to the ridge. There were +father, mother and all the rest, to witness their safe arrival on the +shore, and join them in their merry, though I think sad laugh. I knew it +would all be laid to me. After I watched them to the house and knew they +were very jolly, I started for the canoe. It had gone down in the water +to a large log that lay across the creek and lodged against it. + +I was as wet as I could be, and I jumped in again, drew it from the log +and pulled it along full of water, up the creek, until I got where the +bank was a little higher. Then I drew the front end up and the water ran +over the back end. When it was so that I could tow it, I took it across +the flat in front of the house, and left it there in its place.. Then I +went in the house. They had coined a brand new title for me; they called +me "Captain." They said I had come near drowning my passengers. Mother +said it was not safe for young ladies to ride with me on the water. +Father said, he thought I was not much of a sailor, that I did not +understand navigation; and I made up my mind that he was correct, that I +was not much of a water-man. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +OUR CLEARING AND THE FIRST RAILROAD CARS IN 1838. + + +Our prospects began to brighten a little, and it is needless for me to +attempt to describe what our feelings were, when we got a strip of the +primeval forest cleared away. Our clearing now extended across the two +lots, being half a mile east and west. It was about eighty rods wide on +the west side, running this width to the east a little over half way, and +it was forty or fifty rods wide on the east line. It contained about +sixty acres mostly logged and cleared off, but a few logs remained lying +on some of it. + +We had burned the wood all up on the ground, as there was no market for +it, it was worthless. We burned up out of our way enough timber to have +made five thousand cords of cordwood. Father's big ax, which he brought +from the State of New York, and mine, by striking innumerable blows, had +been worn out long before this strip was cleared. The heavy, resounding +blows of those axes had been heard, and before them many trees had +fallen. They stood before the blows and trembled and swayed to and fro +and at last fell with a thundering crash, to the earth, to rise no more. +Some of their bodies broken, their limbs broken off, wounded and +bruised, and stripped of their beautiful foliage. The noise of their fall +and the force with which they struck the earth made the ground tremble +and shake, and let the neighbors know that father and I were chopping, +and that we were slaying the timber. + +The grand old forest was melting away. The sides of many a tree had +been cleft, and the chips bursted out, and they had disappeared all but +their stumps. The timber was tall, I cut one whitewood that was about a +foot through at the butt, and measured eighty-three feet to a limb. It +ran up as straight as a liberty pole. I think our large timber was +about one hundred feet high. It was, to me, a little singular that the +smaller timber should run up so tall, equally as high as the large +timber. All appeared anxious to look at the sun, bask their green tops +in his rays and nestle and wave, in ruffles of green, above the high +arching boughs of the trees. Once I saw them wave, arrayed in a +different coat. Beautiful workmanship of nature was displayed in the +growth of that timber. + +It is not always necessary to peer through glass slides in order to take +a panoramic view of the brilliant scenes dame nature presents, her +varying pictures and beautiful face. Her handiwork as exhibited by +herself is the most enchanting. Sometimes, the spectacle after a storm of +rain and sleet is grand and sublime, but the effect of such a storm is +not often seen as we view it now. + +Early one spring, after nature had covered her face with a mantle of +snow and appeared to repose, she aroused from her winter slumber, and +adorned herself in a silvery robe. It was formed by drops of cold rain +showered down upon the little snow that was left, upon the trees and, +in fact, upon everything not under cover. Every bush and little twig was +loaded and hung down its head. The bodies and limbs of the trees were +alike covered and the boughs bent down under the heavy load of icy +armor. Icicles, glistening like jewels, hung from the eaves of the +house, from the fence rails, and from the limbs of our little fruit +trees. The currant brush, the rose bushes, the briers and prickly ash +were all encased in ice. From the points and ends of all the boughs, +small and large, icicles formed and hung down like tapers. To the point +of each was hanging a silver-like gem which had been frozen fast while +in the act of dropping. + +Some of the trees were loaded so heavily that the limbs broke off and +went tearing down to the earth in a heterogeneous mass. The limbs broke +in pieces and their icy coat and icicles broke up like glass. + +The next morning the "Whirl-dance of the blinding storm" of sleet had +passed away, but it had left its impression behind. There was formed a +crust on the little snow left which gave it a shining coat, transparent +as crystal. It was most beautiful. The sun shone clear and bright and +cast his golden rays across the face of nature. The trees and tree-tops, +the bushes and shrubs shone and glistened like so many thousand diamonds +and the earth was dazzling to look upon. It appeared mystical as a +silvery land, everything aglow and sparkling with radiant hues. The trees +and earth seemed vying with each other in most charming beauty like many +of earth's pictures. + +It was a scene too bright and strange to last. A change was soon caused +by the warming rays of the sun. The icicles, which hung down like jewels, +melted, let go their hold and fell to the earth. The icy covering of the +trees began to melt and fall like tears. Very soon the snow and ice were +all gone and the ground left bare. Father said that he thought the trees +were more beautiful when clothed in green leaves than when covered with +ice though they were ever so bright. But to the clearing again. + +Now finally I thought we had quite a clearing. I could stand by our +house, and look to the west, and see Mr. Pardee's house and the smoke of +his chimney. I could see Mr. Pardee and his sons when they came out in +the morning and went to their work. I could look to the east and there, +joining ours, was the clearing and house of Mr. Asa Blare, and he could +be seen. Then it began to seem as if others were living in Michigan, for +we could see them. The light of civilization began to dawn upon us. We +had cleared up what was a few years before, the lair of the wolf and the +hunting ground of the red man. The Michigan bird of the night had no more +chance to make his nest in hollow trees or live there, but had to go back +to the woods. There we could hear him almost any evening hallooing. +"Whoo! whoo! whoo!" His nearest neighbor would answer him, "Whoo! whoo!" +then they would get together and have a great talk about something. +Whether they were talking about our chickens, or our clearing off their +woods and driving them away, or something else, I cannot say as I did not +understand what they said. + +Father said: "Now our best wood is worth something, as the road," which +is now the Michigan Central Railroad, "has got as far as Dearborn, and +they are building it farther west." He thought we could cut some of our +best timber into cord wood and sell it to the managers of the road, and +make something from it. We drew some of the first cord wood that they +used on the railroad, and continued to furnish a share of it for years. +We had learned what day the first steam car was expected out to Dearborn. +I went to see it, as it was to be there at a certain time of day. I was +in time and with others waited anxiously for its appearance. While we +were waiting I heard that there was to be a race from Mr. Conrad +TenEyck's, a distance of one mile, to Dearborn. William Cremer, a young +man who lived at TenEyck's, had made up his mind to have the race on his +own hook and let the people of Dearborn see him come in. He got his +sorrel, white-faced pony, had him saddled and bridled, and wailed in +readiness, so that when the iron horse came opposite he could try him a +race to Dearborn, and likewise try the speed of his pony. I don't suppose +the railroad men knew any thing about his arrangement. As the TenEyck +tavern, where he started, stood within twenty rods of the railroad, no +doubt some of the railroad men saw him when he started. Toward the +village the roads ran nearer and nearer together for about a hundred +rods, then came side by side for a short distance. As he had a little the +start, and came to the narrows first, he must have been in plain sight of +the men on the cars. It is easy to imagine how the puffs of the iron +horse scared the little sorrel and gave him, if possible, more speed. The +passengers who saw him might have thought it was another "train band +captain, John Gilpin," running after his wife. Nearly all the people of +Dearborn (who were but few at that time), had gathered in front of the +arsenal, in the Chicago road, at the side of the Dearborn House and were +anxiously waiting. From this point we could see half a mile down the +Chicago road east, and we could see the smoke of the engine beyond the +TenEyck place ... + +The time appointed was up and we were very impatient, waiting and +looking, for the least sign of the approach of the long-talked-of cars. +As we were waiting some one said the cars would stop for Mr. TenEyck, as +he was the richest and most influential man there was in the town, and +the road ran a long way through his farm. Some said, "of course they will +stop and take him on." At last we could hear a distant rumbling like the +sound of a thousand horses running away, and we saw the smoke. As they +came nearer we saw a long string of smoke disappearing in the air. The +cars were approaching us rapidly, and stopped for no one. When they got +opposite Mr. Thompson's tavern, sure enough, there on the Chicago road +came William Cremer, like a streak, with his hat off, waving it in his +hand, looking back over his shoulder at the cars, hallooing like a +trooper and his horse running for dear life. He had beat them for the +mile. Of course, before Cremer got up to us, we all started for the +railroad, which was about twenty-five rods to the south, to see the iron +horse come in. He came prancing and pawing upon the iron track, and he +disdained to touch the ground. His body was as round as a log. His bones +were made of iron, his veins were filled with heat, his sinews were of +brass, and "every time he breathed he snorted fire and smoke." He moved +proudly up to the station, little thinking that he had just been beaten +by a Dearborn horse. "With his iron reins" he was easily controlled and +held in subjection by his master. His groom pampered and petted him, +rubbed him down, oiled his iron joints and gave him water to drink. He +fed him upon the best of cord-wood, as he relished that very well, and +devoured it greedily. The contents of his iron stomach seemed to be +composed of fire. While he was waiting he seemed to be very impatient, +letting off and wasting his breath and seeming eager for a start. He was +sweating profusely. The sweat was falling in drops to the ground. When +all was ready, the cry was, "All aboard!" and away he went snorting at +every jump. + +[Illustration: FIRST RAILROAD CARS IN WAYNE COUNTY, MICH.---DETROIT TO +DEARBORN, 1837.] + +I went home and told the wonderful story of the sight I had seen. There +was but little talked about, at our house, except the cars, until the +whole family had been to see them. We thought, surely, a new era had +dawned upon us, and that Michigan was getting to be quite a country. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +TREES. + + +There were two stately trees which stood near the center of the place. In +view of their antiquity it seemed almost wrong to cut them. One was an +elm which stood on the flat of the Ecorse. The other was what we called a +swamp white oak. It stood in a little hollow at the west end of the ridge +(where we lived) about twenty rods north of the elm. They appeared as +though they were about the same age. They were nearly the same size. They +were five or six feet through at the butt. + +Father often said that the tree recorded within itself a true record of +its own age. After a tree was cut down, I have known him frequently to +count the grains or yearly rings and from them extract a register by +which he learned how many years old it was. + +How my mind reaches back forty years and views again that venerable old +oak and elm. Trees whose history and lives began before the first +settlement of America. How familiar still their appearance to me, as they +stood with their arms stretched out bidding me the most graceful +salutations. They seemed almost like friends, at least there was some +companionship about them, their forms were very familiar to me. + +On the west side of the elm, just above the ground and running up about +six feet, there was a huge knot which grew out of the side of the tree. +It was large enough to stand upon, when upon it, but there was not room +enough for us to stand upon it and chop. We had to build a scaffold +around the tree, up even with the top of the knot to stand upon. In that +way we were able to cut the great tree down. It was a hard job and was +attended with danger. When the tree started we had to get down very +quickly and run back to a place of safety, for the tree was very angry in +the last throes of its dissolution. It broke other trees down, tore other +trees to pieces, broke off their limbs, bent other small ones down with +it as it went, and held their tops to the earth. Other trees went nearly +down with it but were fortunate enough to break its hold and gained again +their equilibrium with such swiftness that their limbs which had been +nearly broken off, yet, which they retained until they straightened, then +their stopping so suddenly, the reaction caused the fractured and dry +limbs to break loose, and they flew back of where we had been chopping. +They flew like missiles of death through the air, and the scaffold upon +which we stood but a minute before was smashed into slivers. In the mean +time we were looking out for our own safety. + +No man, unless he has experienced it himself, can have an adequate idea +of the danger and labor of clearing a farm in heavy, timbered land. Then +he knows something of the anxieties and hardships of a life in the +woods: the walking, the chopping and sweating, the running and the +dodging like Indians behind trees. He trusts to their protection to save +him from falling trees and flying limbs, although he is often lacerated +and bruised, jambed and torn by them. I knew a man and a boy in our town +who were killed by falling limbs. Sometimes he is cut by the ax and is +obliged to go home, over logs, between stumps and through brush, leaving +a bloody trail behind him. + +Father's farm was rescued from the wilderness and consecrated to the plow +and husbandry through sweat and blood. We ofttimes encountered perils and +were weary from labor, often times hungry and thirsty, often suffered +from cold and heat, frequently destitute of comfortable apparel and +condemned to toil as the universal doom of humanity--thus earning our +bread by the sweat of our brows. + +Father and I labored some years in sight of the great elm stump. It +appeared like a giant, with a great hump on his back, overlooking the +surrounding stumps. It was about eight feet high. But it was doomed to +decay, and entirely disappeared long years ago. + +The oak tree was more fortunate and escaped the fatal ax, a number of +years after all the timber around it had been chopped and cleared away. +On account of its greatness, and its having so nice a body, father let it +stand as monarch of the clearing. But few came into our clearing without +seeing his majesty's presence. His roots were immense. They had been +centuries creeping and feeling their way along, extracting life from +mother earth to sustain their gigantic body. The acorn, from which that +oak grew, must have been planted long before, and the tree which grew +from it have been dressed many times in its summer robe of green, and it +was, doubtless, flourishing when the "Mayflower" left the English +Channel. When she was slowly making her way from billow to billow, +through the then almost unknown sea, bearing some of the most brave and +liberty-loving men and women the world, at that time, could produce; when +the hearts of the Pilgrim Fathers were beating high with hopes of liberty +and escape from tyranny, when their breath came low and short for fear of +what might await them; when they landed on the American shore--yes! when +that little band of pilgrims were kneeling on Plymouth Rock, and offering +up thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty, who had brought them safely +o'er the trackless deep, that oak was quietly standing, gathering +strength to make it what it was when we came to Michigan. There it had +stood, ever since the days of yore, spreading its boughs over the +generations of men who have long since passed away. Around it had been +the Indian's camping and hunting ground. When we came to plow and work +the ground near it I found some of their stone arrows which had been +worked out very beautifully. Their edges and points showed very plainly +where they had been chipped off in making. We also found stone hatchets, +the bits of which were about two and a half inches broad and worked to an +edge. They were about six inches long. The pole or head was round. From +their appearance they must have been held in the hand using the arm for a +helve. For an encounter with bruin or any other enemy, it is possible +they bound a withe around the pole and used that as a handle. Much +ingenuity and skill must have been required to work out their implements +when they had nothing better with which to do it than other stones. + +I often picked up the arrows and hatchets and saved them as relics of +past ages, knowing that they had been in other hands long years before. I +have some of them now (1875). The stones from which they were made must +have been brought from some distance as there were few other stones found +in this part of the country. + +If that oak could have talked, what a wild, wild story it might have +told, not only of lost arrows and hatchets, but also of their owners, +about whom the world has little knowledge. It might have told also of the +hundreds of years it had stood there and showered down its acorns upon +the earth, enough in one season to have planted a forest of its own kind; +how often its acorns had been gathered by the Indian youth, and devoured +by the wild beasts of the forest; how many times its leaves had been +changed by the autumn frosts from a green to a beautiful golden hue; how +the cold wind swept them off and they flew down in huddled races to the +ground, carpeted and cushioned the earth, protected the roots and +enriched the soil. How, after it had been shorn of its leaves, its life +current had been sent back through the pores of its body to its roots and +congealed by the cold freezing frosts of winter; how the wind sighed and +moaned through its branches while it cracked and snapped with the frost. +But there was to be an end to its existence. The remorseless ax was laid +at its roots and there is nothing left of it, unless it be a few old oak +rails. There are some moss-covered rails on the place yet that were made +at an early day. How my thoughts go back and linger round that oak whose +branches gave shelter to the deer, furnished them with food, protected +the Indian and his home--the place where I, so long afterward, advanced +to manhood. + +It is no wonder that Boston men are so careful in protecting their trees. +With their usual care and foresight they have guarded the celebrated elm +on Boston common. Thousands of the American people from every State in +the Union, even from the Pacific coast, visit the beautiful city of +Boston but are not satisfied until they visit the ancient elm, read its +history, as far as known, from the iron plate, and gaze with admiration +on the wonderful tree and the fence that surrounds it. + +The full history of that tree is not known, but it reaches back prior to +the settlement of Boston. It was a good sized tree in 1656. "A map of +Boston made in 1722 showed the tree as one of the principal objects." +That tree is a sacred relic of the past. Its branches waved over the +heads of honored colonial ancestors. + +Trees are our most beautiful and best antiquities. "It was a beautiful +thought," says Ruskin, "when God thought of making a tree and giving it a +life so long." Another says: "What vicissitudes mark its life, almost +tender with suggestion. Trees are the Methuselahs of nature. The famous +Etna chestnut is a thousand years old. There is a cypress tree in Mexico, +over forty feet in diameter, whose zones record nearly three thousand +years. The baobab trees of the Green Cape are fully four thousand years +old. The great dragon tree at Ortova, Teneriffe, (recently said to be +dying), is said to be five thousand years old--a life that runs parallel +to almost the entire period of human chronology." No doubt some of those +trees will last as long as time. Is it any wonder that I claim some +companionship to trees, since I passed so many years of my youth among +them? Trees often prevented sharp eyes from seeing me, secreted me and +helped me to luck, which was very gratifying to me. Trees, when it rained +and the wind was piercing, have often protected, sheltered and kept me +dry and comfortable for hours. + +I frequently when at some distance from home, hunting, and night coming +on, began traveling, as I supposed, toward home. I often came to tracks +in the snow which, at first, I thought were made by some one else, but, +upon a more particular examination, would find that they were my own +tracks. Then I would know that I had been circling round and round, that +the "wigwam was lost" and I had the gloomy prospect of remaining in the +woods all night--"out of humanity's reach." Then I would trust to the +trees, look at them, take their directions and start again in a new +course. This would seem wrong to me, but I always came out right. Trees +never deceived, but showed me the way home. + +When I have been in the woods, hungry, trees furnished me food. When +thirsty, they often supplied me with drink. When cold and almost +freezing, trees have warmed and made me comfortable. Trees furnished most +of the material for father's "bark-covered house," which sheltered us for +more than two years. + +If trees have done so much for one, surely all humanity have +derived great good from them. The earth itself is adorned and +beautified by trees. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +DRAWING CORD-WOOD--HOW THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT--THE STEAM WHISTLE. + + +Father commenced chopping cord-wood and he said I could draw it as fast +as he could chop it. I was so much engaged that, when the moon was in its +full, I often started with my load of wood a little before plain +daylight. Of course I felt cheerful, I thought we were doing some +business. Sometimes I walked by the side of the team and load and +sometimes behind them. Hallooing at my team, driving them, singing, +whistling and looking into the woods occasionally, occupied my time until +I got to Dearbornville. + +One morning I met William Ozee. I told him I had seen two or three deer +as I was coming along. Told him where they stood and looked at me and the +team, until we were out of sight, and that I thought they were there yet. +He said he would attend to them. He had his rifle on his shoulder, and he +said he would go for them. I saw him afterward and he said he had taught +them better than to stand and look at anybody so impudently as that. He +had killed some of them. + +I made up my mind that if I could get a good rifle, I could make as +much, or more, with it than father and I both could make cutting and +drawing wood. Father said I might have a new one made. Accordingly I went +to John W. Alexander and selected a rifle barrel, from a pack of new +barrels that he had. I tried to select as soft a one as I could, as I +considered those the best in frosty weather. I selected what I thought +was about the right calibre, and told him I wanted him to make it with a +raised sight so I could shoot any distance. I told him to make a buster +for me, one that couldn't be beat. He said he would try and do it for +twenty dollars. I told him I wanted him to make it as quickly as he +could; in a short time he had it done. I thought it was a beautiful +rifle. The name of the maker was inscribed on the barrel. I took it home +feeling very good. I tried it shooting at a mark; shooting the distance +of ten rods at a mark the size of a two shilling silver piece. With a +rest, when there was not much wind, I could hit it every time and did do +it five or six times in succession. Frequently when shooting the bullet +holes would break into one another, and sometimes two bullets would go +into the same hole. The only way I could tell where the last shot struck +was by plugging up the old holes. Often the little white paper would fly +away, the pin in the center having been shot away. + +I made up my mind I had a splendid rifle, one that it would be hard to +beat. That same rifle now stands in my bedroom. It was made over +thirty-five years ago, with the bright name of John W. Alexander on it. +He is now an old resident of Dearborn, a useful and ingenious man, and +fills a prominent place in society; if he were gone it would be +difficult to find a man capable of filling his place. + +But I must return to my drawing wood. The place where we heaped it was on +the north side of the railroad, about fifteen rods east of where the +postoffice is now kept. The woodyard, including the depot, I should +judge, was not more than one hundred feet square. Here we piled our wood, +sometimes ten feet high. We were to have seven shillings a cord for it +and if we chopped and hauled three cords a day we thought we did well. I +drew it as fast as I could, sometimes I got to Dearborn just as the old +Solar made his appearance in the east. The Lunar had already done her +work toward helping me, veiled her face and disappeared. When we had +drawn a lot of wood in father had it measured up and got his voucher for +the amount. One time when he went to Detroit to get his money I went with +him. We went on the cars. The depot and railroad office, where father did +his business, stood where the City Hall now stands. I thought the +railroad was a splendid thing. We went in so much nicer, easier and +quicker than we could have gone on foot, or with our ox-team. + +Now we were going to get some money of the railroad officers, I thought +we would have money to pay the interest on our mortgage and help us +along. Father got his pay in Michigan State scrip, a substitute for +money. It was good for its face to pay State taxes; but to turn it into +money father had to sell it for six shillings on a dollar. Here it will +be seen, that what we really received for our wood, was a little over +sixty-five cents per cord, and that when we drew in three cords a day +(which was as much as father could chop, and all that I and the team +could draw) we made a little over a dollar and ninety-five cents per day. + +What would some of the workingmen of the present day who get together and +form "Union Leagues," "Trade Unions," strike for higher wages and +conspire against their employers and their capital, doubtless thinking +such a course justifiable, think of such wages as that, and provisions +very dear, as they were at that time? I began to think myself rough and +ready and was able to grapple with almost anything and do a good days' +work. Father, I and the team all worked hard and with the wood thrown in +we all together did not make two dollars a day. + +As father had a small job in the building of the railroad and some of the +time I was with him, I will describe as well as I can, how the railroad +was built. They first graded the road-bed and made it level, then took +timbers as long as the trees would make them, hewed them on each side and +flattened them down to about a foot in thickness, then laid them on +blocks which were placed in the bed of the road. They were laid +lengthwise of the road, far enough apart so that they would be directly +under the wheels of the cars, and the ground graded up around them. In +this manner they continued until the road-bed was finished. + +The next thing was to get out the ties. These were made from logs nine +feet long, which were split open through the heart, then quartered and +split from the heart to the center of the back, until the pieces were +about six or seven inches through on the back. Then the backs of the ties +were hewed flat, making them about three square, when they were ready to +be used on the road. They were placed back down across the bed pieces and +spiked fast to them. They were laid about three feet apart the length of +the road. Over those sills, in the upper edge of the ties, they cut out +two gains. In those gains they laid two stringers running directly over +the sleepers. These stringers were sawed out about four by six inches +square. They were laid in the gains of the ties, spiked fast and wedged +with wooden wedges. Then the woodwork was finished and everything ready +for pulling on the iron. They used the strap rail iron. The bars were two +inches and a quarter wide and half an inch thick. These bars were laid +flat on top, and next to the in-edge, of the stringers and were spiked +fast to them. In this way our railroad was built. The cars running away +west on it, penetrating Michigan as the harbinger of civilization, opened +up a way for the resources of the country. + +The strap iron which they used first proved to be very poor iron. In +after years, if a spike came out or the bar cracked off at the spike +hole, the bar would turn up like a serpent's head and if not seen in time +it was liable to throw the train off the track and do damage. I was at +Dearborn at one time when an accident, of this kind, happened to a +freight train, a little west of the village. There was considerable +property destroyed, barrels broken in pieces and flour strewed over the +ground, but no lives were lost. + +Father said the railroad was a good thing for us and our country, and +that they would soon have one, and the cars running on it to the State of +New York. Then I reiterated my promise to mother. I said if the cars ran +through our native place, we could go back there without crossing Lake +Erie, the thought of which chilled me every time I spoke to mother about +going back to make a visit. Time sped on, days, months, and some years +had passed, since the first of the Michigan Central Railroad was built, +and the cars running east and west loaded with passengers and freight, +when one morning I heard a strange noise. It was terrible and +unaccountable to me, as much so as it would have been if I had heard +heavy thunder at mid-day, from a clear sky. I heard it from the direction +of Dearbornville; It appeared to originate there, or in the woods that +way. I heard it two or three times, several days in succession. + +If there had come a herald from Dearbornville and told me that the man of +the moon had stepped out of his old home, and down on to our earth, at +Dearborn, and that he had a great horn, twenty feet long, in his hand, +and that it was him, I had heard, tooting on his horn to let us know, and +the inhabitants of his own country, that he had arrived safe on the +earth, I might not have believed what he said in regard to the arrival of +the supernatural being and his visit to us; but I could have believed +almost anything wonderful in regard to the horn for I had heard its +thrilling blast myself. + +Father, mother and, in fact, none of us were able to think or imagine +what it could be. It came through the woods as swift as lightning and its +shrill and piercing voice was more startling than thunder. It echoed and +re-echoed across our clearing, from woods to woods and died swiftly away +in the distance. What on earth could it be? Could it be the voice of a +wild animal? That seemed impossible, it was too loud. I thought such an +animal would need lungs as large as a blacksmith's bellows, and a voice +as strong as a steamboat, to have raised such an unearthly yell. + +It was enough to scare all the bears and wolves to death, or at least, +enough to make them hide away from the voice and face of the dragon. But +there was a man, who lived one mile south of Dearbornville, by the name +of Alonzo Mather; he was a little more sensible and courageous. He +thought he knew what made the strange noise. When he came out of his +house one morning, all at once, the terrible sound broke upon his ear. He +had heard it two or three times before, about the same place in the +woods, toward Dearbornville. He said to his hired man, a Mr. Whitmore, +who was utterly astonished and seemed to be all in a fright, "Hear that! +I know what it is! It is a bear, and he lives right over there in the +woods. I have heard him two or three times in the same place. Don't say a +word to anyone; not let the hunters know anything about his being there +and I'll shoot him myself.'" He took down his rifle immediately, and +started on the double quick, followed by the hired man, who could help +him in case of trouble. + +He went through the woods looking carefully in every direction, scanning +the old logs and large hollow trees and searching from top to bottom to +see if he could find a hole large enough for a bear to crawl in. In this +way he looked all around, near the railroad, where he thought the noise +originated, but he could not find a track or sign of Mr. Bruin, for the +bear wasn't there, so, in disgust, he gave up the hunt. + +About the next day after Mr. Mather's hunt, he and all the rest of us +learned what had caused the excitement. It was a new invention, the steam +whistle of the cars; something we had never heard before. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +HOW I HUNTED AND WE PAID THE MORTGAGE. + + +The mortgage which had hung so long over us, like a dark cloud obscuring +our temporal horizon and chilling our hopes, was at last removed, May +first, 1841. After the mortgage was on the place it hardly seemed to me +as if it were ours. It was becoming more and more valuable all the time, +and I thought it was dangerous to let the mortgage run, as the old lady +might foreclose at any time and make us trouble and expense. The mortgage +was like a cancer eating up our substance, gnawing day and night as it +had for years. I made up my mind it must be paid. I knew it caused mother +much trouble and although, father said very little about it, I knew that +he would be over-joyed to have it settled up. I told him I thought I had +better hunt during one fall and winter and that I thought I could, in +that way, help him raise money to pay the mortgage. I was about twenty +years old at that time and thought I had a very good rifle and knew how +to use it. + +I went to my friend William Beal, and told him I had concluded to hunt +through the winter. I asked him if he didn't want to join with me and we +would hunt together, at least some of the time. He said he would. I +told him I thought we could make more money by hunting than we could in +any other way as deer were worth, on an average, from two and a half to +five dollars a piece at Detroit, and we could take them in very handily +on the cars. + +We found the deer very numerous in the town of Taylor, next south of the +town of Dearborn. Sometimes we went and stayed a week. We stopped nights +with an old gentleman whose name was Hodge. He always appeared very glad +to see us and gave us a hearty welcome. As he and his old lady (at that +time) lived alone, no doubt they were glad of our company. They must have +felt lonesome and they knew they would be well rewarded with venison and +money for the trouble we made them. Mrs. Hodge took as much pains for us +and used us as well as mother could have done. We carried our provisions +there on our backs, flour, potatoes, pork and whatever we needed. We +carried pork for the reason we relished it better a part of the time than +we did venison. Mrs. Hodge prepared our meals at any time we wanted them. +Sometimes we ate our breakfast before daylight and were a mile or two on +the runway of the deer when in became light. The woods and oak openings +abounded in deer and we had very good luck as a general thing. We made it +a rule to stay and not go home until we had killed a load, which was not +less than six. Then we went and got father's oxen and sled to go after +and bring them home. After we brought them home we took the hind +quarters, the hide, and sometimes whole deer, to Detroit and sold them. +In this way we got considerable money. In fact my pocket-book began to +pod out a little. Of course, we saved enough, of the fore-quarters for +our family use and for our old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Hodge. But we +couldn't afford to let them have the saddles; we wanted them to sell as +we were going in for making money. + +It would be impossible for me to delineate the occurrences incident to +my hunting days. The story told in full would fill a volume, but if it +were not in connection with my father's family and how we got along, +when I was at home with him, I should not mention it at all. As it is, I +will try to describe one day's hunt after deer, which might be called a +successful day, and another hunt after bears, which was not successful +and one or two deer fights. My comrade and I started from father's very +early one morning. A nice tracking snow, three or four inches deep, had +fallen during the fore part of the night. In the morning it was warm and +pleasant. When we came near the head of the windfall, we found the +tracks where three large bucks had been along. It is not common that +those large deer go together. They are generally scattering, one or two, +or with other deer, but in this case, it seemed, three old bucks had +agreed to go together. We followed them about half a mile to the west +until they crossed what is now the old telegraph road in the town of +Taylor, south of where Mr. Putnam lives. We thought the deer went into a +large thicket, that stands there yet. We made up our minds they were +lying in that thicket. William said he would go around and stand on the +ridge, beyond the thicket, in a good place to see them when they were +driven out. I told him I wanted him to be sure and down with one, so +that I could see how they looked. I stood where he left me about half +an hour, to give him plenty of time to get around, then I started along +slow on the tracks. + +I followed them about ten or fifteen rods when I found, that instead of +going into the thicket where we supposed, they had turned into a little +thicket, near a fence and clearing that had been made at an early day. I +little thought they were lying there, but sure enough, in a minute, they +jumped up and away they went, one after the other, toward the big +thicket. They seemed desirous of making all the sport of me they could; +as they were running across a little opening they showed me their white +flags. I shot very quickly at the middle one. I told him by the report of +my rifle, which rang out clear on the morning air, that I wanted him to +stop, and he struck his flag. + +They were running from me a little diagonally, and were about twenty-five +rods off, when my bullet struck his side, it being partly toward me. They +ran right into the big thicket where we first supposed they lay. I loaded +my rifle and went where they were running when I shot. I saw that the +blood flew in small particles on the snow and I was sure he was ours. He +ran for one breath, got out of my sight and fell dead, having made his +last tracks, being shot through the lights. + +I hurried across to my friend Beal and told him I had shot a noble buck. +That he was running away from me and that I would not allow him to do +so. The other two had gone out of the thicket, over the ridge, so far +east that he didn't see them at all. We hurried back to where the one we +had got lay, took out his entrails, climbed up a sapling, bent down the +top and fastened the gambrels of the old buck to it; then sprinkled +powder on his hair, so as to keep the ravens from picking him, let go +the sapling and it straightened up with him so that he was out of the +way of the dogs and wolves. Then we started as quickly as possible after +the other two. They went a south-west direction about eighty rods, then +turned south-east and went straight for the Indian hill, went over it +and took their course nearly east. They had ceased to run and were +walking. There was another large thicket east of us, which was about +half a mile through and we thought, possibly, they might stop in that +before they went through into the woods. It was agreed that I should go +around, that time, to the lower end of the thicket, and stand. He was to +try and drive them through if they were there. I went south to, what we +called, the south branch of the Reed creek. It was frozen over and there +were three or four inches of snow on the ice; I went on it without +making any noise. I ran down a little over half a mile very quickly; +when I was below the thicket I turned north, went through the brush that +grew on the bank of the creek, up to a little ridge where it was open +and stopped by the side of a tree, which was about twenty or thirty rods +from where I turned north. + +I didn't stand there but a very short time before I heard and saw some +partridges fly away, and I knew they had been disturbed by something in +the thicket. Then I saw the two deer coming just as straight toward me as +they could run, one right after the other. When they got within about +eight or ten rods of me I had my rifle ready. They saw me and, as they +went to jump side-wise, my rifle spoke to another one and the voice of it +forbade him going any farther. That was the second word my rifle had +spoken that morning. + +The deer turned and ran in a semi-circle half round me in plain sight, +then off, out of sight, over the ridge where Doctor Snow's farmhouse now +stands, in the town of Taylor. In a few moments out came my comrade; I +asked him, what the report of my rifle said, as it burst through the +thicket by him and echoed over the Indian hill. He said he thought it +spoke of luck. We followed the old buck a little ways over the ridge and +came to where he had made his last jump. He was a beautiful fellow, +equally as fine as the first one. + +Then we thought we had done well enough for one day, we had each of us +one. So we cut a wooden hook, put it into his under-jaw, both took hold +and drew him up where the other one hung. We put them together and +started slowly for home. We were following along an old trail and had +drawn both deer about half a mile together, when we came to where five or +six deer had just crossed. They were going south-east and we were going +north-east. While we were looking at the tracks two men came in sight. +One was Mr. Arvin Sheldon, the other Mr. Holdin. We knew them very well +and knew that they were good hunters. They looked at our deer and said +that we must hang them up, said they would help us. So we bent down two +saplings and hung the deer up, side by side, then we started with them. +It was early in the day, perhaps about ten o'clock. We followed the deer +beyond what is now Taylor Center, and into the west woods two miles from +there. Near Taylor Center, Holdin left us. He thought there were too many +of us together, and went off to try his luck alone and followed another +flock. We found that these deer were very shy and it seemed impossible +for us to get a shot at them. + +After we got into the west woods we were bound to stick to the same ones. +It was late in the afternoon and as we were getting so far from home, we +thought we had better use a little stratagem. We would go very slowly; it +was agreed that I should follow the tracks and that the other two should +be governed by my movements. One was to go to my right, and keep as far +off as he could and see me, through the woods; he was to keep a little +ahead of me. The other was to manage in the same way at my left. When we +started we were something in the shape of a letter V, only spread more. +If I went fast they were to go fast and if I went slowly they were to do +the same. They were to watch me and look out ahead for the deer. We +traveled some little distance in this way when I saw a deer standing +about thirty-five rods off. It was a long shot, but I drew up my rifle +and fired. Mr. Sheldon had two clogs with him and when I shot they broke +from him and ran after the deer we had been following. They went yelling +after them, out of hearing. It was always my practice, after I shot, to +stand in my tracks and load my rifle, keeping my eye on the place where +the deer were. When I shot, my comrades started for me and soon we three +friends were together. Sheldon remarked, that he guessed I hadn't hit +that one. I asked him why. He said the dogs had already gone out of +hearing and that if I had killed one, they would have stopped. I left the +tracks and walked along in the direction of where the deer had stood, +watching upon the snow and brush to see if I could see any signs where +the bullet had struck a bush or twig, until I came to the place where the +deer had stood. It proved to be, not one of those we had been following, +but an old buck that had just got up out of the bed where he had been +lying and was standing over it when I fired. I looked and saw some short +hair lying on the snow, and told Mr. Sheldon that that looked as if I had +made a square shot and that the dogs had gone after the well ones we had +been following, that this one was an old buck which we hadn't disturbed +before. I thought perhaps he had got up to see the flock that we were +following go by. We didn't follow him more than ten rods before we found +where he lay last. He was a very large buck, a full mate for either of +those we already had. + +A little ways back we had crossed a coon's track and we knew that he had +been along in the latter part of the night, as it snowed in the earlier +part of the night. We thought he hadn't gone far, so we agreed that +Sheldon should follow his tracks and find his tree, (at that time coon +skins were valuable) while we went back about a mile, to a lone +settler's, by the name of Plaster, (who lived on the openings) and +borrowed an ax. When we came back to the woods we were to halloo and he +was to answer us. We had to do what we did very quickly as it was getting +near night. When we had borrowed the ax and were nearly back to the woods +again, we heard the report of Sheldon's rifle, as it rang out of the +timber clear and sharp and died away in the oak openings. When we got +into the woods we hallooed for him, he answered and we went to him; he +had found the tree. We asked him what he had shot at, he said at a deer, +but missed him. We cut down the tree and were rewarded by getting four +coons. Afterward I sold the coon skins in Detroit for a dollar apiece. +That Mr. Arvin Sheldon is now an old resident of the town of Taylor and +lives about two miles south-west of me. + +After we got the tree cut down and the coons secure, it was between +sundown and dark. We were six or seven miles from home and then had to +take the ax home. Late that evening, when I got back under the old +paternal roof, there was one there who was very tired but the excitement +of the day helped him a little. By hunting (and it was hard work for me +as I made a business of it) I accumulated a considerable sum of money. +Father had earned and saved some money, so that with what I had, he made +out enough to pay off the mortgage to Mrs. Phlihaven and had it +cancelled. Then his farm was clear. If I had not felt anxious about it +myself, the joy expressed by the other members of the family, when they +knew that the mortgage was paid, would have been a sufficient reward for +all the labors I had performed, for all the weary walks, the running and +racing done, while upon the chase, both day and night. + +It is a little singular that an animal as mild and harmless as the deer +ordinarily is, should when cornered or wounded have such courage that he +will fight man or dog in his own defense, jumping upon them, striking +with his feet. As their hoofs are sharp they cut to the quick, at the +same time they are hooking with their horns. I will relate one or two +incidents. One of which came under my own observation: + +I was out hunting with R. Crandell. We were near the Reed creek when he +shot a buck. The deer fell. Crandell thought he was sure of him; handed +his rifle to me. I told him to stand still and load his gun, but he ran +like an Indian; he took long steps. When he got up near, the old buck had +gotten a little over the shock the bullet gave him and he got up, turned +upon Crandell, raised the hair upon his back so that it stood forward. +Then the scene changed; Crandell ran, and the deer ran after him. He came +very near catching Crandell and must have done so if he had not dodged +behind a tree, and around it he went and the deer after him. Crandell +said he called upon his legs to be true to his body then if ever; and I +thought, judging from the way those members of his organism were carrying +him around that tree, that they were exerting every nerve to save him. He +hallooed every minute for me to shoot the deer. But the race was so +amusing, I did not care to hurry having never seen such an exhibition of +Crandell's speed before. (Without doubt he did his level best). Soon, +however, I thought it necessary and I shot the deer. Crandell said I had +laughed enough to kill myself. He appeared to be displeased with me; said +I was too slow, and might have released him quicker. + +Some two or three years after this, Crandell had another hunt with a Mr. +Holden, of Dearbornville. The incidents of which are given in his own +words: "Being anxious for a hunt, Holden and myself started out for a +deer hunt on our southern hunting ground. After traveling about +three-fourths of a mile from Dearbornville, Holden, being a little way +from me, started a buck, he running directly south; I told Holden where +to go on a certain road, newly cut out, and stand and I would drive the +deer to him from the east. As expected, I soon started him and Holden's +dog followed the deer straight to him. In about three minutes whang went +Holden's gun; I ran with all my might. The dog had stopped barking and I +knew the deer was ours. But, when I got to the road, I heard Holden +hallooing loudly for help. The deer had jumped across the road into the +old tree tops and the dog caught him. Holden saw that the deer was +getting the better of the dog, laid down his gun, took out his knife and +went for the deer. When he got up to the deer the deer paid all his +attention to him instead of the dog. The deer had gotten Holden down +between two logs and stood on him, stamping and hooking him desperately. +Holden said: 'For God sake kill him or he will kill me.' + +"I was so much excited I was afraid to shoot for fear of killing Holden +or the dog, but I shot and the deer fell lengthwise on Holden, I rolled +him off and Holden got up, all covered with blood from head to foot, +with his clothes torn into shreds. He looked at himself and said +despondingly, 'What a spectacle I am!' I peeled some bark, tied his rags +round him, patched him up the best possible and we started for home +through the woods, got as near his home as we could and not be seen, +then I left him, went to his house and got him some clothes, took them +back to him and helped him put them on. When clothed he went home a +bruised and lacerated man." + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +BEAR HUNT OF 1842. + + +One day in winter my brother-in-law, Reuben Crandell, and myself started +to go hunting deer, as we supposed. We went south across the windfall, +started a flock of deer and were following them. We had a good tracking +snow and thought it was a good day for hunting. We followed the deer +south across Reed Creek and saw a little ahead of us quite a path. It +appeared as though a herd of ponies had passed along there. (Then there +were plenty of French ponies running in the woods.) When we came up to +the trail or path, that we saw they had made, in the snow we discovered +it was four bears which had made the path. They had passed along a little +time before for their tracks were fresh and new. There seemed to be a +grand chance for us and we started after them. We either walked very fast +or ran, sometimes as fast as we could stand it to run. + +In this way we had followed them several miles and expected to see them +every minute. We were going a little slower when I looked one side of us +and there was an Indian, on a trot, going in the same direction that we +were. I told Crandell that he had seen our tracks and knew that we were +after the bears and that he was trying to cut us off and get the bears +away from us. Just then I saw the bears and drew up my rifle and shot at +one, as he was standing on an old log. The Indian then turned and ran up +to the bear tracks to see, probably, if I had killed one. I told Crandell +to go on with him and not let him get the start of us and I would load my +rifle, as quickly as possible, and follow. + +Being in a hurry, I did not place my bullet right on the patch, in the +muzzle of the rifle and it bothered me in getting down. When it was +loaded, I broke for them. I could just see Crandell putting in the best +he could and trying to make two-forty time; but he was alone the Indian +had left him. Then there might have been seen some long steps and tall +running done by me, in those woods, (if any one had been there to +witness it) for about eighty rods. When I came up with Crandell I asked +him where the Indian was; he said, "Yonder he goes almost out of sight." +I asked him what he let him get ahead for; he said that he could not +keep up with him, and that he had told him, two or three times, to stop +and wait for me, but he would not pay the least attention to what he +said. I told him to keep on the tracks as fast as he could, and I would +try to stop the Indian. + +I saw that the four bears' tracks were all together yet, and Crandell +said I didn't hit one when I shot. I thought it was singular and that +perhaps my bullet had struck a bush or twig, glanced off and saved Mr. +Bruin's hide. Now it looked as though the Indian was going to get our +bears away from us, sure enough, and now for a chase that is more +excitable than is often seen in the woods. + +The Indian was on a good lope after the bears and I on a good run after +him. I had the advantage of the Indian, the bears would run crooked. +Sometimes they would run on a large log and follow it its whole length +right in another direction from the way they had been going. The Indian +had to follow their tracks; I followed him by sight and cut off the +crooks as much as I could. In this way I ran at least half a mile after +leaving Crandell and was cutting off and gaining on the Indian fast, and +had got near enough to have hallooed at him and told him to stop. But I +though that would do no good, that it was necessary for me to overtake +him, and I was bound to stop him. I had got up to within fifteen rods and +as good luck would have it, the bears turned from an easterly course +around to the northwest. The Indian turned also and I struck across the +elbow and came to the tracks ahead of him. I stood facing him when he +came up and informed him that the bears were ours. I told him that he +should not follow them another step, and to wait, right where he was, +until the other man came up. I am sure the Indian thought the white man +had outrun him and maybe he did not think how it was done. He stood there +perfectly still, and I guard over him. I thought he looked ugly and mad; +he would hardly say a word. In two or three minutes Crandell came up, +puffing-and blowing like a porpoise. The sweat was running off him in +profusion, and while wiping it from his brow with his hands, he said to +the Indian: "You would not stop when I told you to, if I had got a good +sight of you I would have shot you." Of course Crandell only said this +because he wanted to scare the Indian as he had no thought of shooting, +or hurting him in the least. + +We started slowly off on the bear tracks and left the Indian standing and +looking at us. I told Crandell I thought the Indian was scared and very +mad at us for his threatening to shoot him, and my stopping him; that if +he got us both in range, it might be possible he would shoot us. I told +him to walk at least a rod one side of me so as not to get both in range +of his rifle and I thought he would not dare to disturb us. As we walked +away I would once in a while turn an eye over my shoulder and look back +to see the Indian. He stood there like a statue until we were out of +sight and I never saw that Indian again. + +As soon as we were fairly out of sight of him we walked fast and finally +tried running, some of the time as long as we could stand it. One of the +bears was large, another about the common size and two were small; the +small ones followed behind. They were a fine sight passing through the +woods, but they led us a wild chase. Late in the afternoon they crossed +the Reed Creek going north, partly in the direction of father's home. +Crandell said, "Now I know where we are. I can follow up the creek until +I get to the Reed house and then take the path home. I am so tired I +cannot follow the bears another step." So he sat down to rest. I told him +to come on, it was necessary for us to have two or three of those bears +and I thought if we could kill one of the large ones the small ones would +be likely to hang around until we could shoot them. But I could not get +him to go another step. He said he was going home and I told him I was +going to follow the bears. I went after them as fast as it was possible, +and after awhile came in plain sight of them. The large one was standing +with his fore feet upon a log, broadside to me and looking back at me. I +thought Crandell would see how much he missed it leaving me. I drew up my +rifle and fired, "ping went the rifle ball" and it made the woods ring, +but away went the bears. I expected to see the bear drop, or at least +roll and tumble. I loaded my rifle and went up to where Mr. Bruin had +stood. I looked to see if I had not cut off some of his hair, but could +see no signs of having touched him with the bullet. I followed along a +little ways and made up my mind I had not hit him. I thought it strange; +it was a fair broadside shot, not more than twenty or twenty-five rods +off, and what the reason was I had missed him I could not tell. I +followed them on, very much discouraged and miserably tired, after a +little they were making almost straight for father's clearing. I followed +them into the windfall within half a mile of home. It was then about +sundown and as their tracks turned off I thought I would leave following +them until next morning, and would then start after them again. + +As I came in sight of our clearing I thought, as usual, I would fire off +my rifle at a mark, which was on the side of a tree, about ten rods off; +I drew it up and shot. My parents knew by the report and sharp song of my +rifle that I was coming; it was my parting salute to the forest. As the +sound of it penetrated the lonely gloom and died away in the darkness of +the woods I looked at the mark on the tree, to see where my bullet had +struck. I had shot nearly a foot right over it. Then I looked at the +sight of my rifle and found that the back sight had been raised clear up. +Strange to say, I had not noticed it before. No doubt it was done by one +of my little sisters or John S. They must have taken it down and been +fooling with it, on the sly. Then I knew the reason of my bad luck. I +think a more tired and discouraged hunter than I was, never crawled out +of the woods. With my, hitherto, trusty companion I had met with a signal +defeat. I had carried it hundreds of miles on my shoulder and was not +afraid, with it, to face anything in the woods, day or night; but this +time it failed me and the bears escaped. + +The report of my rifle, that evening, seemed changed as if the very sound +told of my bad luck. I made up my mind, as I went into the house, that +the next morning; we would raise as many men and as many dogs as there +were bears and try them again. Of course I was too tired to notify any +one that night myself, so John S. went down to Mr. Purdy's. I knew he had +a large dog, which he called Watch, that was not afraid to tackle +anything that ran in the woods, on four legs. I told J.S. to tell Mr. +Purdy that I had been following a pack of bears, and that I wanted him to +come early the next morning, and be sure and bring his dog to go with me +after them. We had a good dog, and I sent Crandell word to be ready with +his dog. James Wilson volunteered to go with us and take his dog; they +were to be on hand at daylight in the morning. After we got together +ready to start after the bears I told them that I thought the dogs would +at least tree the small bears. We all started for the bear tracks. We +took my back tracks; when we got to the tree I showed them the shot I +had made the night before, and told them the reason I was not able to +take one, or more, of those bears by the heels the day before, and then I +might have examined them at my leisure. + +We followed my tracks until we found where I left the bear tracks, then +we followed them. T supposed they were so tired they would lie down and +rest, probably in the windfall. But they were too badly scared for that. +They seemed to have traveled all night. We followed them across the north +part of the town of Taylor, through-the oak openings, into what we called +the west woods and into the town of Romulus. They had given us a wide +range before we came up to them, but here in a swamp or swale, between +two sand ridges, we found them. They saw us first and ran. As soon as we +saw we had started them we let the dogs go. They started with a rush. + +"And then the dogs the game espy; +An ill bred and uncivil pack; +And such a wild discordant cry! +Another fury on his back!" + +--_Bishop_. + +We could hear them yelp, yelp, yelp, while they were on the tracks and +heard them when they came up to the bears. Then there was a wonderful +confusion of voices. We could hear our dogs and they seemed to be +struggling hard for their lives. "Bow-wow, bow, bowwow, yelp, yelp, yelp, +tii, tii, tii." + +When the dogs got to the bears we were about half a mile from them. We +hurried through the brush and over the logs, as fast as possible, to help +our canine friends for we supposed that they were in a life and death +struggle. It is now my opinion that there never was such a noise and +conflict in those woods before, nor since, at least heard by white men. +When we were about half way to where the battle raged most furiously, it +was all at once still; we could not hear a sound from them any more. We +went a little farther and met old Watch, and some of the other dogs +crawling back. Watch, by his wounds, gave a good report of his courage +himself. He was bleeding; had been wounded and torn badly. He was hurt +the worst of any of the dogs. Before we reached the battle ground we met +the last one; he was not hurt at all, he had kept a proper distance. But +they were all badly whipped or scared. They had got enough of the bears. + +"Sir Bruin to his forest flew, + With heart as light as paws were fleet; +Nor further dare the curs pursue, + It was a 'masterly retreat.'" +--_Bishop._ + +When we got to the battle ground we could see where they had fought, +clenched and rolled over and over. The blood of the dogs was sprinkled +all around on the snow. We saw that it was the large bears which did the +fighting. They would not leave the small ones but fought for them. We saw +in one place, where the fight was the most severe, one bear had attempted +to climb a tree. He went up a piece on one side of it and down the other, +then jumped off, before we got in sight, and ran. We could see by the +marks of the claws, on the bark of the tree, and the tracks, where he +jumped oft, that he had climbed part way up. + +I have seen hundreds of times in the woods where bears had reached up as +high as they could around little trees and scratched them. It showed the +plainest on beech trees as their bark is smooth. It is easy to see the +size of the bear's paws and his length from the ground by these marks on +the trees. + +That day we saw where the bears had done some marking of dogs as well as +trees. We found that the dogs had separated the bears, some having gone +one way and some another. The grit had been taken out of us as well as +out of the dogs, and the bear hunt had lost its charms for us. We were a +long ways from home and we thought it best to get our wounded dogs back +there again, if we could. We gave up the chase and let those bears go. I +felt the effects of the previous day's chase and tired out more easily; I +wished I had let the Indian have the bears to do what he was a mind to +with, and that I had never seen them. + +I presume there are now many persons in Wayne County, who little think +that thirty-three years ago, 1842, there could have been four wild bears +followed, in different towns in that county, for two days; yet such was +the case. This was about the last of my hunting. My attention was called +to other business, of more importance which I thought it was necessary +for me to attend to, so I hung up my rifle and have not used it to hunt +with, in the woods, six full days since. That Indian, who wanted the +bears, was the last Indian I ever saw in the woods hunting for a living. +I don't think there is a wild deer in the town of Dearborn at this day +and but very few, if any, in Wayne County. I heard that there was one +bear killed by a man, near the mouth of the Ecorse, last fall, 1874. He +was a stranger and, no doubt, far from his native home. He was the first +one I have heard of being seen in this country for years. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +GRANDFATHER'S POWDER-HORN--WAR WITH PIRATES. + + +Time sped on. The earth had traveled its circuit many times since father +sold his little place in Putnam County, State of New York, and bade adieu +to all the dear scenes of his childhood and youth and came to battle, for +himself and family in the wilds of Michigan. And he did his part bravely. +He was a strong man; mentally and physically strong, and possessed just +enough of the love of a romantic and strange life, to help him battle +successfully with the incidents and privations common to such as settle +in a new country, with but little capital. He worked his way through. He +had a very retentive memory and possessed the faculty of pleasing his +visitors, to no common extent. + +Father at the close of the Tripoli war, 1805, was about the age that I +was when we started for Michigan. He often told me of the war with +Tripoli and trouble with Algiers. He gloried in the name of an American +and often related the prowess and bravery of our soldiers, in defending +their flag and the rights of American citizens, at home and abroad, on +the land and on the sea. + +Of course when the Fourth of July came round I went to celebrate the day. +As cannon were almost always fired at Dearbornville, on that day, I would +go out there to listen to the big guns and their tremendous roar, as they +were fired every minute for a national salute. The sound of their booming +died away beyond Detroit River, in Canada, and let the Canadians, and all +others in this part of the universe, know that we were holding the Fourth +of July in Dearbornville. When I went home at night I told father about +it, and what a good time I had enjoyed, and that they fired one big gun +in honor of Michigan. + +On such days his patriotic feelings were wrought up and he talked much of +wars, patriotism and so forth. On such an occasion he told me that his +father, William Nowlin, was a captain of militia, in the State of New +York, when he was a boy. That I was named for him and that, when he was +done with it, I should have my grandfather's ancient powder-horn. It is +red and carved out very nicely, covered with beautiful scrolls and +old-fashioned letters. The two first letters of my grandfather's name, W. +N., are on it, and toward the smaller end of the horn--my father's given +name, John. These were inscribed on it long since the horn was made. It +was made when Washington was about twenty-five years old, and, no doubt, +saw service in the French and Indian war, in the defence of the English +colonies of America. Its history, some of it, is shrouded in mystery. It +has passed down through the revolutionary war, and the war of 1812, +through four generations of men, and was given to me by my father as an +heir-loom, a relic of the past. + +Next to my father's given name is the inscription, E.b. Then follows +these old lines: + +"I, powder, with my brother ball, + A hero like, do conquer all." + +"'Tis best abroad with foreign foes to fight, + And not at home, to feel their hateful spite, + Where all our friends of every sex and age, + Will be expos'd unto their cruel rage." + +--Lieut. Abl Prindel's. Made at No. 4. June 30th, 1757. + +The letters are old fashioned, the "s" on it is made as an "f" is made +now. I presume it was a present from Lieut. Prindel to grandfather. This +horn is sixteen inches long, measures nine and one-half inches around the +butt and would hold fully four pounds of powder. + +Father said in the war with Tripoli, 1803, one of the Barbary States, +Captain Bainbridge sailed, in the Philadelphia, to Tripoli and chased one +of the pirate boats into the harbor. He ventured a little too far and ran +aground. The officers were made prisoners and the crew slaves, to the +Turks, and joined their countrymen who had preceded them. But, father +said, the Americans were too brave a people to be subjected to slavery. +Other Americans rescued them and it was proved that the United States +would protect their flag throughout all the world. He often told me of +Commodore Decatur and William Eaton. They were among his ideal American +heroes. He said that Decatur conceived the idea of retaking the +"Philadelphia" and destroying her. He sailed into the harbor of Tripoli +at night and up to the "Philadelphia," made his vessel, the "Intrepid," +fast to her side and sprang on board. There he had often walked before +under very different circumstances, in the light of other days, when +thousands of miles away and among his friends. Now how changed the scene! +The "Philadelphia" was in an enemy's hands, and her guns loaded, to turn +on her former owners at a moment's notice. Decatur was followed by +seventy or eighty men, as brave Americans as ever walked on deck. The +surprise was complete, and the astonished Turks now saw the decks +swarming with Americans, armed and with drawn swords in their hands. Some +of the Tripolitans lost their heads, some of them cried for quarters, +others tried to climb in the shrouds and rigging of the ship and some +jumped overboard. + +In ten minutes' time, Decatur and his crew were masters of the frigate. +Now what grieved him most was that the noble ship, which they had rescued +from the barbarous Arabs, had to be burned, it being impossible to remove +her from the sandbar where she lay. So they brought, on board the +"Philadelphia," combustible material, which they had with them on the +"Intrepid," and set her on fire. In a short time the flames were leaping +and dancing along the sides of the doomed ship. The devouring fire, +greedily burning, cracking and hissing, destroyed the timbers, leaped up +the spars, caught hold of the rigging and lighted up the whole place. It +could have been, and was, seen for miles. The spectacle was awfully grand +as well as sublime. Tripoli was lighted up and hundreds of people could +be seen in the streets, by the light of the burning ship. + +The land forts and corsairs were all in plain sight of the American +fleet. The light enabled the enemy to see the bold "Intrepid," with her +valiant crew, leaving the burning ship and sailing away toward the +American blockading fleet. The forts and some of the galleys opened fire +upon them; it was one continuous roar of cannon belching forth fire and +missiles of death. The balls and shot went singing over their heads and +around, some striking the water and raising a cloud of spray which flew +in all directions. But the victorious crew paid no attention and quietly +sailed away to join their country's defenders. They were soon beyond the +reach of the foe and out of danger. Then they had time to consider what +they had accomplished. They had entered the enemy's stronghold, +re-captured and burned the "Philadelphia" and put her Arab crew to the +sword, or driven them into the sea. All this they did without the loss of +a single man. Father said that the inhabitants of Tripoli were Turks who +exacted taxes and received tribute from all Christian nations; that they +had taken some of the American seamen and held them as slaves. The Bashaw +declared war with America, (a country about which he knew but very +little.) He put his American slaves in chain-gangs, in this way they were +obliged to labor for that government. There was no chance for them to +escape and they must remain in slavery unless rescued by their +countrymen. Father said that the Turks of Tripoli were a band of pirates, +in disguise, robbers upon the high seas. + +The war occurred during the administration of President Jefferson. +Congress sent Commodore Preble with a squadron of seven sail, and a +thousand men, armed with heavy cannon. They appeared before Tripoli; the +reigning Bashaw refused to treat for peace or give up his slaves, without +he received a large ransom. Then it was that the thunder of the American +cannon broke upon Tripoli and the bombardment of that city commenced, +1830. They were answered by hundreds of the enemy's guns. The earth +trembled, the sea shook, the wild waves danced and the white caps broke +as the cannon balls glanced on, plowed their way and plunged into the +water. The strong buildings of Tripoli trembled to their foundations and +hundreds of Arabs, who were out upon their roofs when the battle +commenced, to witness it, in five minutes' time were skedaddling for +their lives. The Bashaw's castle and the entire city felt severely the +heavy blows of the American cannon. The enemy's fleet took refuge under +the forts and away from the ships of North America. The "Constitution" +sunk one of their boats, run two aground and the rest got under shelter +the best they could. + +One of the last wonders of the wrath of the Americans was poured out upon +Tripoli in the shape of a fire ship. It contained one hundred barrels of +powder stored away below deck, in a room prepared expressly for its +reception. On the deck, over the powder, was placed hundreds of shells +and pieces of iron, which the powder, when it exploded, would hurl as +messengers of destruction among the enemy. The "Intrepid" was the ship +selected for the daring deed. She was Decatur's favorite; with her he +captured the "Philadelphia." There were twelve American braves who +volunteered to take the fire-ship into the enemy's squadron and, near the +fort, to fire it with a slow match. Then they were to try and escape back +to their countrymen, in a small boat. When it was night they hoisted +their sails and the ship quietly started through the darkness, but +before they had gone as far as they wished to get, among the enemy's +boats, they were discovered from the fort and an alarm raised. + +The great Decatur, with his comrades, stood gazing at the craft as it +receded from them and the sails disappeared in the distance and darkness +of the night. What must have been their feelings, as the noble ship +disappeared? They were, no doubt thinking of their comrades, so brave, +who might be going into the jaws of death. Could it be possible that they +would never return, that they would never meet any more? They looked and +listened, but they were gone, no sound of them could be heard. Awful +suspense--all at once the fort opened fire on the brave crew. The light +of their batteries brightened up the shore and the thunder of their +cannon shook sea and earth. But where were the twelve Americans? Brave +fellows, where were they? They had, no doubt, failed to get as far as +they wished to, before they were discovered, and risked their lives a +little too long. They applied the fire to the trail of powder and the +ship was blown up. Tripoli had never been shaken before, nor had she ever +witnessed such a sight. The flames shot up toward the sky; the whole city +was illuminated and the report and awful force caused by the blowing up +of the ship, made the enemy's vessels in the harbor heave to and fro, and +rock as though in a storm. Men's hearts failed them; they did not know +but that they were going to sink. The city itself was shaken to its +foundation, from center to circumference. Men stood trembling and gazed +with horror and astonishment. Not another cannon was fired, and the noise +they made was no more when compared with the noise of the explosion, +than the sound of a pop-gun compared to the sound of a cannon. In fact it +was no comparison at all. Thousands stood ghastly and pale not knowing +what the next moment might reveal. The proud Bashaw had been badly "shook +up" and disturbed in his dreams of conquering the Americans. He had heard +of the advance of William Eaton and he made up his mind that it was +dangerous, for him, to carry on a war with beings who fought more like +devils than men, so he concluded that he would go in for peace. The +twelve brave men, who went with the fireship, were never heard of again. +They returned to their comrades, to tell the thrilling story of their +last adventure, never, no never. They had sold their lives, for their +country, dearly. They were never to see their homes in North America, or +their loved ones again; they had met their fate bravely and sacrificed +their own lives for their country's glory. + +Father also related the adventures and hardships that were encountered +and overcome by William Eaton, who formed a union with Hamet, the elder +brother and rightful heir to reign at Tripoli. Hamet had been driven from +his country and family, wife and children, and was in hopes, by the aid +of Eaton and the American war, of being reinstated at Tripoli. He joined +with General Eaton, who had received his commission from the American +government, and assumed the title of General. In conjunction with Hamet, +he raised an army of twelve hundred men, adventurers of all nations, who +volunteered to fight under the American flag. They started from +Alexandria, in Egypt, and marched a thousand miles across the desert of +Barca. They bore in their advance the American flag, something that had +never been seen in that country before. After a tedious march they +arrived at Derne, a city on the Mediterranean, belonging to Tripoli. +General Eaton summoned the city to surrender. The Governor sent him this +reply, "My head or yours." Then the American general drew up his men and +rapidly advanced to attack the fort, which defended the city. He met with +a strong resistance, the enemy numbering about three thousand. A terrible +fire of musketry enveloped the combatants in fire and smoke. The voice of +General Eaton, though he was wounded, was heard, amid the din of battle, +encouraging his men. + +After a severe contest of about two hours they charged and carried, by +storm, the principal fort. They tore down the Tripolitan flag and ran up +the stripes and stars in its place. This was the first time it had ever +been raised over a fort on the Mediterranean Sea, or in fact the old +world. General Eaton was fortifying, making the place stronger, receiving +some volunteers, through the influence of Hamet, and preparing to march +upon Tripoli to help the American fleet. But he was in need of supplies +and every day was expecting to receive them. + +As the city and harbor were under his control, he had everything in +readiness for his march, excepting the supplies, when the American +Frigate, the "Constitution," appeared and announced that peace was +declared, 1805. The conditions were that Hamet should leave the country +and his wife and children should be sent to him. The American prisoners +were to be exchanged and the American seamen not to be compelled to pay +tribute any more. + +The Americans who had been enslaved by the government of Tripoli were to +be paid for the labor they had performed. It is evident that the reigning +Bashaw was alarmed for his own safety and was glad to compromise. + +Father said it always grieved him to think, that the Americans who had +been held as slaves at Tripoli never returned to their native home. They +were paid for their service during the time they had been enslaved, went +on board a ship, sailed for North America and were never heard of again. +They slept the sleep of death with the twelve most brave beneath the dark +cold waves, never more to see their families or friends. + +Father often repeated such stories in our wilderness home in regard to +this war, the revolutionary war and the war of 1812. I and the other +children always listened to these tales with much attention and interest. +It was the way I received most of my knowledge, in regard to such things, +in those days. As we lived in the woods of Michigan my means of acquiring +book-knowledge were very limited. Now, I believe, if I were to read the +sum and substance of the same thing every month in the year, for years; +the way he related those old stories would still be the accepted way to +my mind. Although they might be clothed in language more precise and far +more eloquent it would not appear so to me. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +LIGHT BEGINS TO DAWN. + + +Father's farm improved with astonishing rapidity and became quite a +pleasant place. Some of the stumps rotted out, some we tore out and some +were burned up. In these ways many had disappeared and it began to look +like old land. It was rich and productive and, in truth, it looked as +level as a house floor. Some seasons it was rather wet, not being +ditched sufficiently to take the water off. Yet father raised large +crops of corn, potatoes, oats and wheat. Wheat grew very large but +sometimes ran too much to straw; some seasons, rust would strike it and +then the grain would shrink, but as that and gets older, and the more +the clay is worked up with the soil, the better wheat it raises. In my +opinion it will be as good wheat land as the oak openings or prairies of +the West for all time to come. + +Father built him a good frame barn and was getting along well. He bought +him a nice pair of black horses which proved to be very good and +serviceable. It began to seem like home to mother. She too possessed +very good conversational powers. Her conversation was always accompanied +with a style of frankness and goodness, peculiar to herself, which gained +many friends, who became warmly attached to her, enjoyed her hospitality, +witnessed her good cheer, as they gathered around her board and enjoyed +luxuries, which in some of the years past we had not been able to +procure. The learned and illiterate, the rich and the poor, shared alike +her hospitality. No one ever asked for bread, at her door, who was +refused, if she had it, even to the poor Indian. We had many comers and +goers, and I think there were but few in the town of Dearborn who had +more friends than father and mother. + +Several years after we planted the first thirteen apple trees, father set +out a little orchard of fifty trees, west of them. Some of these proved +to be very good fruit and supplied us with better apples, of our own +raising, (and in fact some earlier apples) than we had been used to +getting from along the Rouge. Then it could be said of us that we sat +under our own vine and apple tree and ate the fruit of our hands, without +any one to molest us or make us afraid. And, it could be said of father, +that he made the place, where the wilderness stood, to blossom as the +rose. Everything seemed to work together for our good and all nature +seemed more cheerful. + +The evening breeze that kissed the rose and made the morning glory (that +grew by our window) unfold its robe, so that it would be ready in the +morning to display its beauty, and caused the sunflower, aided by the +evening dew, to change its face so that it would be ready to look toward +the sun, bore away on its wings, over the fields, the fragrance of the +rose and the joyful songs of civilization. In the stillness of the +beautiful evenings the air, under the starry canopy of heaven was made +vocal with the songs and tunes of other days, which had been learned and +sung oftimes before in a native land nearly eight hundred miles away. + +Now the pioneer felt himself safe. He could retire to his bed, in his log +house, and quietly rest in sleep, without draining any more of the +redman's approach, or having by his own strong arm, to defend his family. +Now he need have no fear of Mr. Bruin entering his pig pen and carrying +off his pig, as he did ours one night some years before. He tore the hog +so badly that it died, although it was rescued by father and his dog. The +bear escaped to the woods. Now how changed the scene with us. We could +retire and sleep soundly; feeling as secure as if we had gone to bed way +down in the State of New York. We could leave the leather string of the +door latch hanging out for any one to enter, as nearly all the early +settlers were friends. The ax was now left stuck in the wood block on the +wood pile. The rifle hung in its hooks, not to be disturbed. In other +nights, of our first settlement, father did not feel safe; the string of +the door latch was taken in, the door was fastened and blockaded on the +inside, his ax and rifle were placed with care back of the curtains, at +the head of his bed. None of us knew what might happen before the light +of another morning, for we were in a wilderness land and neighbors were +far apart. How different a few years have made it! Now nature seems to +smile upon us and the evening, when it comes in its beauty, seems to +offer us quiet and repose, rest and security. Now when nature puts on her +sable habiliments of night, the blue canopy was covered with stars, that +glistened and shone in their glory, as they looked down upon us and +seemed to witness our prosperity. How they illumined our beautiful spring +nights! The beautiful feathered songsters, that had returned from the +south, warbled their songs in our ears anew and seemed to exert +themselves, to make their notes clear, and let us know they had come. The +little grey phebe-birds, the robins and the blue birds were the first +harbingers of spring. As night put on its shade their little notes were +hushed in the darkness, then the whip-poor-will took up the strain. He +would come, circle around and over our house and door yard and then light +down. He too came to visit us, he had found our place again. In fact, he +found us every spring after we settled in Michigan, and cut out a little +hole in the woods. At first his song seemed to be "whip-poor-will, +whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will;" then, by listening, it could be made out +to say, "good-will, good-will." In later years, by the aid of +imagination, his notes were interpreted, "peace and plenty, peace and +plenty." But, whatever we might imagine him to say, his song was always +the same. He was a welcome visitor and songster, and his appearance in +spring was always hailed with joy. + +Sometimes I would rise early in the morning and go out of the door just +at daylight. I could hear the notes of the little songsters, just waking, +singing their first songs of the morning. I would listen to see if I +could hear the gobbling of the wild turkeys. I hardly ever failed to hear +them, sometimes in different directions. I frequently could hear two or +three at once. The old gobblers commonly selected the largest trees, in +the thickest woods, with limbs high up, for their roosts and as soon as +it came daylight, in the east, they would be up strutting and gobbling. + +They could be heard, in a still morning, for a mile or two. The gobbling +of the turkey, the drumming of the partridge upon his log, the crowing of +our and the neighbors' roosters and the noise of woodpeckers pounding the +tops of old trees, were the principal sounds I could hear when I set out +with my rifle in hand. I made my way through the prickly ash brush, +sometimes getting my clothes torn and my hands and face scratched, when +going into the dark woods in the early morning. I went for the nearest +turkey that I heard, often wading through the water knee deep, the woods +being nearly always wet in the spring. + +If the turkey did not happen to be too far off and I got near it, before +it was light, and got my eye on it, before it saw me and flew away, I +would crawl up, and get behind some tree that came in range between me +and it so that it could not see me. I had lo be careful not to step on a +stick, as the breaking of a stick or any noise that I was liable to make +would scare the turkey away. If I had the good luck to get up to that +tree without his discovering me, I would sit or stand by it and look with +one eye at the old turkey as he gobbled, strutted, spread his wings then +drew them on the limb where he stood and turned himself around to listen +and see if there was anything new for him to gobble at. If he heard the +distant woodpecker, pounding away with his beak, on the old hollow top, +he would stretch up his neck and gobble again as cheerfully as before. +Then I would put my rifle up aside the tree to see if it was light +enough for me to see the sights on it. If it was not I would have to take +it down and wait a few minutes for it to get lighter. + +I felt very uneasy and impatient, while waiting, and wanted to take that +turkey, by the legs, and carry him home over my shoulder. When it was +light enough so I thought it was dangerous to wait, as the turkey might +discover me or fly off his perch then I would draw up my rifle, by the +side of the tree, and shoot at him. Sometimes the old turkey would retain +all his feathers, fly away and leave me, to wade back to the house, +thinking to myself I had had a hard job for nothing. The great trouble in +shooting wild turkeys on the roosts, in the spring of the year and in the +early morning, is in not being able to see the sights on the rifle plain +enough. Of course, I was sometimes rewarded, for my early rising and wet +feet, by a nice turkey to take home to father and mother for dinner. + +This style of hunting for the wild turkeys was known by the settlers in +an early day. Another way I had of capturing the turkeys by shooting +them, was by the use of a small instrument that I almost always carried +in my vest pocket when in the woods. It was made from the hollow bone of +a turkey's wing. I called it a turkey call. By holding the end of my hand +and sucking it right, it would make a noise, or squeak, very similar to +the turkey's voice. Sometimes, when I heard one gobbling in the woods, I +would go as near as I could, and not let him see me, and hide myself +behind an old log, or root, where a tree had been blown down, take the +hollow bone out of my pocket and call. I have seen them come up on the +run, sometimes one, at other times more. While lying in ambush once I +shot two, at the same time, with one rifle bullet and got them both. + +I have often shot at a flock, in the woods. They would scatter and fly in +all directions. I would run ahead, near where I thought they lighted, +hide and call. If a lone turkey heard the shrill note, he would answer +and was easily decoyed up to me. In this way I was very sure to get him. + +Father made one of the luckiest shots at wild turkeys of which I ever +knew. They had a notion of coming into his buckwheat field and filling +their crops with buckwheat, sometimes two or three times a day. Father +discovered them in the field; he went away round and approached them from +the woods, on the back side of the field, where they came in. The turkeys +discovered him through the brush and fence and huddled up, with their +heads together. He said they were just getting ready to fly. He shot +amongst them, with a shot gun, and killed four at once. There are at the +present time, 1875, scattering wild turkeys in the town of Dearborn, but +they have mostly disappeared. Tame turkeys, in abundance, have long since +taken their place. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +MAKING A BARGAIN. + + +When I was twenty-one we had a good young team, of our own, and father +made it a rule to go to Detroit once in two weeks, with butter and eggs. +When he had other farm products he went oftener. Every other Friday was +his market day, for butter and eggs. His butter was contracted at Detroit +by the season, for one shilling a pound, and father thought that did very +well. By starting early, he could go and do his marketing and return by +noon. How different from what it was when it took us two nights and a +day, and sometimes more, to go to Detroit and back. Father had to sell +his produce cheap; when we had commenced raising and had some to sell, +all appeared to have an abundance to sell. Detroit market then seemed +rather small not having its outlets for shipping, and everything we had +to sell was cheap. We also bought cheap; we got good tea for fifty cents +a pound, sugar was from six to ten cents per pound, and clothing much +cheaper than it was when we came to Michigan. + +We could buy brown sheeting for from six to eight cents per yard. Very +different from what it was, when everything we bought was so dear, and +when we had so little to buy with. One day father and I went to Detroit +with a large load of oats. We drove on to the market and offered them for +sale; eighteen cents a bushel was the highest offer we could get for them +and father sold them for that price. We fattened some pork, took it to +Detroit and sold it for twenty shillings per hundred. In days back, +father had often paid one shilling a pound for pork and brought it home +on his arm, in a basket over two miles. Now we were able to sell more +than we had to buy. The balance of trade was in our favor and, of course, +we were making some money; laying up some for a rainy day, or against the +time of need. + +I told father, as we had a good team, it would be handy if I got me a +buggy. I could take mother at her pleasure, and it would be very handy +for me to go around with, so I went and bought one. It was a double buggy +with two seats. After the buggy was bought, when mother and my sisters +wished to go to meeting or to visit friends, I would hitch up the team +and take them in, what I thought, pretty good style. We had, what I +called, a gay team and, in fact, a good rig for the woods of Michigan. I +took care of the team, and when I went out with them I tried to make +those horses shine. I trimmed their head stalls with red balls, as large +as hens' eggs, and from them hung scarlet ribbons six inches long. When I +came home in the evening between, sun down and dark, through the woods, +the little blacks made the evening breeze fan my passengers and we left +the little musical songsters in the shade. I now worked very hard and +helped father all I could in fixing up his farm. He had everything around +him that was necessary to make him and mother comfortable. + +About this time I formed a more intimate acquaintance with a young lady, +Miss Traviss, although her name was very familiar to me and sounded very +beautifully in my ear, some how or other I wished to have it changed. +After I made this acquaintance I thought I would go to Detroit and spend +the next "Fourth" and see what they were doing there and try city life a +little. As one of my sisters wanted to go I gave Miss Traviss an +invitation to go with us, which invitation she accepted. So when the +morning of the "Fourth" came, we started for town. We put up at the +"Eagle Tavern" on Woodbridge street and spent the day very patriotically. +We had what we thought a very splendid dinner. We had the first cherry +pie that some of us had eaten since we came to Michigan. We visited all +the sights we could hear of, and honored almost every display with our +presence. When the salute of the day was fired, of course, we were there; +they fired one big gun for Michigan. As the cannon thundered forth its +fire and smoke, it seemed to fairly sweep the street with its tremendous +force; it was terrible and grand. It seemed to bid defiance to all the +world. It was the salute of the cannon of American freemen. We thought we +would go over to Canada to see what was going on there. When we were +across, we observed that the people didn't seem to be paying any +attention to the "Fourth." But we felt very much like holding +Independence and thought we would take a walk, down toward Sandwich. Of +course, I was seeing all I could of Canada, but Miss Traviss took the +greater part of my attention. The more I enjoyed her company, the more I +thought, in view of future life, that it was necessary for me to make a +private bargain with her. + +After we had walked as far as we thought it was pleasant, we turned back +toward Windsor; when we were nearly there we met a colored man. I pointed +over the river toward Detroit, and asked him, saying, "What place is that +yonder?" "Why," said he, "dat am die United States ob 'Merica ober dar." +He answered me like a man, with frankness, supposing that I was a +stranger to Detroit, and accompanied by beautiful young ladies of Canada +he naturally supposed that I did not know the place. I left Canada +thinking that all of the North American Continent ought to belong to the +United States. + +We sailed back to Detroit, the beautiful "City of the Straits." We all +felt as though we were at home, in our own country and thanked our stars, +that we did not live in Canada; that we lived in the land of the free, +and that our flag, the old star-spangled banner, waved over "the home of +the brave." We went back to the "Eagle Tavern;" I told the hostler I +wanted my team. In a very few minutes he had it ready and we were on our +way home, enjoying our evening ride. I was very attentive and vigilant, +in the presence of my company. + +When we were home we told our parents all the incidents of the day. We +had had a good time and had enjoyed ourselves very much. Then I attended +to hard work and farming, and think it would have been difficult to find +a man, who would have performed more labor than I did until I was past +twenty-two years old. + +In the mean time, I was having an eye out and thinking of domestic +affairs and life. I will not tell what old folks would call it, but I +call it falling in love with Miss Traviss. I made a private bargain with +her and got the consent of her father and mother, which was a hard job +for me although they acquiesced willingly. It was also approved by my +parents. We had it ratified by a minister and afterward I heard her +called, by others, Mrs. William Nowlin. She had taken a new name upon +herself. I left my father's home to build up one for myself and another, +and never more to return to my father's house and call it my home. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +HOW I COMMENCED FOR MYSELF--FATHER'S OLD FARM IN 1843. + + +When I commenced for myself, father gave me a strip across the two lots +on the south end of his farm, south of the Ecorse, containing forty-two +acres and lying on the town line between Dearborn and Taylor. Thus +fulfilling (as far as I was concerned) what he had said long before; he +wanted land for his children. I supposed, at the time, I should build a +house, live there and make it my home. I had a chance to trade it off +even, for eighty acres of land lying half a mile west of it, subject to a +mortgage of one hundred and fifty dollars. I made the trade, paid the +mortgage and afterward built on the place, the house in which I now live. + +Father bought back the forty-two acres which he had given me, and he +easily paid for it--two hundred and fifty dollars. Then he had the old +farm together again, with money left, which he had saved by his frugality +and industry. He made up his mind that he would buy another place, which +was offered for sale, out one mile toward Dearbornville, beyond the clay +road. It had a good barn on it and a comfortable farm house. He moved +there in 1848 and lived on one of the most beautiful building places in +the town of Dearborn and on the corner where three roads met. + +About this time, my second sister became acquainted with a young man, by +the name of Michael Nowlin, and married him. She was more lucky than most +young ladies; she did not have to change her name, only from Miss to Mrs. +Nowlin. She went with her husband to live near Romeo, Macomb County, +Michigan. He was a farmer there. Father did not like to have one of his +children so far away. I told him it would be well for him to let my +brother-in-law and sister have ninety acres of the old farm, which would +make them a good home. So he offered it to them, and they came and +settled on it, and lived where I had lived so long before, with my father +and mother, brother and sisters, in the woods of Michigan. + +Father let them have it on easy terms, and gave Sarah what he considered +was her portion as far as he was able. My brother-in-law easily met the +payments, paid for his place and had a good farm. He, being a good +business man, soon had his farm clear and things comfortable around him. +But he was not entirety satisfied with the place, though it was the best +of land, and he was a man capable of knowing and appreciating it. He +thought he was laboring under some disadvantages. In the spring of the +year the clay road was very bad and he had hard work to get out and in. +School privileges were also poor, not such as he desired for his +children, and he made up his mind to sell has place. He sold it in two +parts, at a good advantage. The last piece for over a hundred dollars an +acre. He bought him a nice house and lot in the city of Ypsilanti, is +nicely situated there and has given his children a liberal education. So +ninety acres, of what was once my father's old farm, were disposed of. + +After I had left home, a few years passed and my brother, John Smith +Nowlin, was married and started out in life for himself. Father let him +have the west seventy acres of the old farm. He, being the youngest son, +father desired to see him settled comfortably in life near him. He gave +him the place so cheap and on such easy terms that he was able to pay for +it in a short time, right off of the place, with the exception of what +father gave him as his portion. Father said he gave him his part. He soon +had as nice a little farm as any one need wish to own in the State of +Michigan, and he had it clear from debt. After my brother-in-law moved +away my brother became lonesome, dissatisfied and was not contented with +so good a place. He sold it in two pieces and bought a farm out within +half a mile of Dearbornville, beyond father's. He moved on to it and +lives there now right in sight of the village. + +It is not my intention to delineate, at any length, the circumstances of +any of the family unless in connection, with my father and mother, or the +old place where we first settled in the wilderness, where I labored so +hard, in my young life, and took so much interest in my father's getting +along during his trying days in the woods of Michigan. + +I was along there, by what was father's old place, one day this winter, +1875. I looked at the barn and saw that it was getting old. I noticed the +two little orchards, some of the trees had disappeared and others looked +as if they were dying, with old age. I saw young orchards on the place, +which were set out by other hands, those who knew but little of us. I +thought things looked strange; that there was not one of the Nowlin name +who owned a foot of the old farm. I suppose to this day no part of it, +nor the whole of it, could be bought for less than one hundred dollars an +acre, probably not for that. + +I counted the dwelling houses that have been built on it, there are five +of them; three very good frame houses, well painted and built in good +style, the other two houses are not so nice. I noticed there were four +good frame barns on it. The old place is inhabited by an industrious race +of men. It is divided up into German farms. + +Men may cover mother earth with deeds and mortgages, call her their own +and live upon her bounty, little thinking of the hardships, toils and +privations, that were endured by those who preceded them. How they +labored, toiled and sweat, sometimes without enough to eat and not +knowing where the next meal was coming from. I know this was the case +with some of the first settlers. + +In view of the hardships and sufferings of the pioneer and his passing +away, I exclaim in the language of another, "This earth is but a great +inn, evacuated and replenished by troops of succeeding pilgrims." + +"One generation passeth away and another generation cometh, and man here +hath no continuing city." + +[NOTE.--Since this was written, I have learned that I made a slight +mistake in regard to the forty-two acres, of the old farm, which father +gave me, as it passed through other hands before my brother and +brother-in-law came in possession of it; but it was finally divided as I +have stated.] + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +THOUGHTS IN CONNECTION WITH FATHER AND EARLY PIONEER LIFE. + + +I follow father, in my mind, to his last farm which he bought in 1849, +where he lived out his days. It was not cleared up, as he wished to have +it, and he continued to labor as hard as ever before, trying to fix it up +to suit him and to get it in the right shape for his comfort and +convenience. The soil was as good as the place he left. He raised large +crops on it. One day I went to father's and inquired for him. Mother said +he was down in the field cutting corn. I went to him; he had a splendid +field of corn and was cutting it up. The sweat was running off from him. +I told him it was not necessary for him to work so hard and asked him to +let me take his corn-cutter, as though I was going to cut corn. He handed +it to me, then I said I am going to keep this corn-cutter: I want you to +hear to me. Let us go to the house and get some one else, to cut the +corn; so we went to the house together. + +But it was impossible for me or anybody else to keep him from hard +labor, although he had plenty. He had become so inured to hard work +that it seemed he could not stop. He finally got all of his farm cleared +that he wanted cleared. A few of the last years of his eventful life, he +let some of his land to be worked on shares and kept his meadow land and +pasture. He needed all of that, for he kept quite a stock of cattle, +sheep and horses and took care of them himself, most of the time, up to +his last sickness. + +He was a great lover of good books; and spent much of his leisure time +reading. He did not often refer to the hardships which he had endured in +Michigan; but often spoke of the privations and endurance of others. +Thus, in his latter days, not thinking of what he had done, he seemed to +feast on the idea, that America had produced such and such ones, who had +been benefactors and effectual workers for the good of our race. + +Most of those men who came here in the prime of life, about the time that +father came, are gone. The country shows what they have done, but few +consider it properly. Some know what it was then and what it is now and +know also, that it has arrived at the exalted position it now occupies +through the iron will, clear brain and the steady unflinching nerve of +others. Yet they pass on in their giddy whirl and the constant excitement +of the nineteenth century, when wealth is piled at their doors, and +hardly think of their silent benefactors. + +Who can think of what they have done and not feel their heart beat high +with gratitude, admiration and love to the Giver of all good, in that he +ever raised up Such glorious people as some of the Michigan pioneers +were? So enduring, so self-sacrificing, so noble--in fact, every element +necessary to make beings almost perfect seemed concentrated in them. I do +not say it would be right, for me to wish the pioneer to live forever +here, and labor and toil as is the common lot of man. He might be +surrounded by friends and loved ones and plenty of this world's goods, +and have time to look back upon his past life and see what he had been +through and accomplished. He had gone into the forest, built him a house, +cleared up a farm, and lived where a white man had never lived before. + +I would say to him as Daniel said, 2426 years ago, to King Darius, who +visited, very early in the morning, the cavern where he was confined. The +king asked him, in a mournful voice, if his God, whom he served, had been +able to deliver him. Daniel said, "O King, live forever!" It has been the +belief of good men, in all ages of the world, that they were going to +have a better and happier existence in the future after this life had +passed away. Darius had spent a restless and sleepless night fasting. No +instruments of music were brought into his presence, his mind was too +much troubled thinking of the prophet, who lay in the lions' den. +Thinking how his faithful servant had been divested of his scarlet robe, +golden chain and office, and might be devoured by the lions. In the early +gray of the morning the king hurried to the cavern and cried out in a +sorrowful voice to his friend and said, "Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the +living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver +thee from the lions?" Daniel answered the king and said, "O King, live +forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths." +Daniel was aware that the King wished him no evil, but had set his heart +on him to deliver him and that he had labored hard to save him. He knew, +that the king had been caught in a snare which was set for him by the +crafty princes. That he had been persuaded by them to sign a decree, +which according to law could not be changed. It was gotten up, through +jealousy and envy, for the purpose of taking Daniel's life. When Daniel +heard the doleful voice of the king, calling him, he answered, and with +an honest heart exclaimed; "O King, live forever!" + +This was not wishing, as some might suppose, that the king might live +forever, on the earth, in his natural or mortal state, or forever reign +over his kingdom in this world, but this acclamation was "Live forever." +As it was evident he could not live long in this world, Daniel wished him +a better existence in a future state. + +Man has not been able to find, in this world, the land of perpetual youth +or spring of life. Nearly all the veteran pioneers, who have fought with +the forests of Michigan, and labored for themselves and others, until +they grew old, and wrinkled and their heads were silvered o'er with gray, +have passed from the storms of life. + +They failed to find such a land as Ponce de Leon, looked for in Florida, +in the year 1512. He was so delighted with the variegated flowers, wild +roses, ever green and beautiful foliage, and the fragrance of the air, +that he thought that these woods must contain the fountain of life and +youth and that that must be the place upon the earth where men could live +and never grow old. + +When I was quite young, a few years after our settlement, I think in +1838, Mr. Elijah Lord came and settled about a mile and a half +north-west of father's. He came down with his oxen by father's place to +get small, hard-maple trees, out of the woods, that he wanted to take +home and set out on his place. He was then about a middle-aged man. He +set out the trees on both sides of the road, running through his place, +for about eighty rods, in front of his house. I asked him if he expected +to see them grow up; he said he did not set them out for himself, but for +the benefit of other people, for the good of the generations that would +follow him. + +Some years after that, I visited Mr. Lord in his last sickness. He looked +very much older than he did when he planted the trees. He looked careworn +and sad; his locks were gray and he was very feeble. He was fighting his +last battle of life and he soon went to that bourne, whence no traveler +returns. He was a good man, a deacon of the Presbyterian church at +Dearbornville at the time of his death. + +The hard maple trees, which he set out, are grown up to be large trees. +When leaved out, they have the most beautiful tops, with the most perfect +symmetry that could be imagined. They make splendid shade for the road. +In summer weather, when the rays of the sun were very hot, thousands have +enjoyed walking under their protecting boughs. The poor horses and cattle +that travel that road alike enjoy the benefit of those trees. The farmer +as he is going or coming from market and stops his team, to rest under +their shade, enjoys their cooling and refreshing influence. The +pedestrian, who sits down by the fence to rest his weary limbs, takes off +his hat and with his handkerchief, wipes the perspiration from his brow, +as he fans himself with his hat talks to his neighbor about the price of +things and the beautiful shade, that is around and over them. Neither of +them know anything about the benevolent man, who over thirty-five years +before set out the maple trees, whose shade they enjoy and which protects +them, from the scorching rays of the sun, and makes them so comfortable. + +Now, in looking at the shortness of human life, which is compared to a +hand's breadth or to the vapor, which appears in the morning is seen but +a little while and then vanishes away to be seen no more; and thinking +that the pioneers stopped but so short a time to enjoy the fruits of +their toil and the labor of their hands, I would exclaim again in +language similar to that of the good man of old, "O, pioneers, pioneers, +live forever!" + +O, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? +Like a swift fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, +A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, +Man passes from life to his rest in the grave. + +The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade, +Be scattered around and together be laid; +And the young and the old, and the low and the high, +Shall moulder to dust and together shall lie. + +So the multitude goes, like the flowers or the weed +That withers away to let others succeed; +So the multitude comes, even those we behold, +To report every tale that has often been told. + +For we are the same our fathers have been; +We see the same sights our fathers have seen; +We drink the same stream, and view the same sun, +And run the same course our fathers have run. + +The thoughts we are thinking our fathers would think; +From the death we are shrinking our fathers would shrink; +To the life we are clinging they also would cling; +But it speeds for us all like a bird on the wing. + +Yea! hope and despondency, pleasure and pain, +We mingle together in sunshine and rain; +And the smiles and the tears, the song and the dirge. +Still follow each other, like surge upon surge. + +'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath, +From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, +From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud, +O, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? + +--_Selected._ + +It appears to me that it will be interesting to men, who in the future +shall live along the Ecorce and enjoy their beautiful homes and farms, to +know who were the brave, sacrificing, benovolent men who first settled +the country, and were a few of the many who have made the State of +Michigan what it will be to them. + +I give together the names of some of those early worthies whom I have +mentioned before in this sketch. They were the first settlers of the +southeast part of the town of Dearborn. Their names are arranged +according to the time of their settlement along and near the Ecorce with +the years and seasons of their settlement in the wilderness. + +Joseph Pardee--Fall of 1833. + +John Nowlin--Spring of 1834. + +Asa Blare--Fall of 1834. + +Henry Traviss--Summer of 1835. + +George Purdy--Fall of 1835. + +Elijah Lord, about--1837 or 1838 + +Let these bright names be imperishable! Let them be indelibly written, in +letters of gold, on leaves as white as snow and live in the light. Let +them be handed down through future ages, in the archives and annals of +the country, until the end of time. + +Of the six, whom I have mentioned here, only one survives. That one +is Mr. George Purdy. He lives on the Ecorce yet and owns a good +farm. (1875.) + +Recently a wise man said to me: "We can engrave the names of our kindred +and the friends of humanity upon stately monuments of marble and they +will crumble to dust, be obliterated and rubbed out by the hand of time; +but, if inscribed upon the flat surface of a written page, their names +will live." + +Men of all ages have delighted to honor their heroes and to perpetuate +their names. It is right to give honor to whom honor is due. We cannot +tell how many of the names of the good and great of the earth's true +philanthropists were engraven upon tablets of dead stone, who have long +since been forgotten and the knowledge of them lost in the past. + +The blight--mildew--blackness and creeping moss of time have hidden their +names from earth. How few, in comparison to the many, have been handed +down to us in history. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + +FATHER'S NEW HOUSE AND ITS SITUATION--HIS CHILDREN VISIT HIM. + + +I have said that I tried to persuade father to take life more easily and +not to labor so hard himself on the new place he had bought. It was a new +place to him; but in an early day it was the oldest place south of +Dearbornville. The first log house built south of Dearbornville, in the +town of Dearborn was built on it by John Blare in the year 1832 or 1833. +It was one mile south of Dearbornville. So there was a house standing +there when we were slowly making our way to Michigan. When we came, it +was the first house south of Dearbornville. Mr. Joseph Pardee, who +crossed Lake Erie, with his family, the fall before when father came +viewing, built his house a mile south of that. These two houses were the +first ones, south of the village of Dearborn, in the town of Dearborn. +When we came in and built, our bark covered house was the next. + +It was at this house of Mr. J. Blare that the Indian, John Williams, +threw his knife on the floor and commanded Asa Blare to pick it up. There +he sat in his chair, flourished his knife, looked at its frightful edge +and told what it had done. If the Indian told the truth, it had cleaved +the locks and taken off the scalps of six of the Anglo Saxon race--some +body's loved ones. It had been six times red with human gore, and was +going to be used again, to take off one more scalp, one of the few who +was then in the woods. + +This house of Mr. Blare's had long since been torn down and had +disappeared. I could now go within five rods, and I think less, of where +the house stood. When Mr. Mather bought the place he built him a frame +house across the road, beyond where Blaire's house stood. It was built on +a hill, on five acres of ground, that he owned there by itself as a +building spot. + +Mather sold these two places to Barnard and Windsor and father bought +the places of them, and moved into the Mather house. Father talked, from +an early day, that when he got able to build a house, he would like to +build it of brick or stone. He said if he had stone, he could build a +house for himself. I have no doubt that he would have built his house +himself, if he had had the stone, as old as he was, when he got the +money to do it with. + +He thought himself quite a stone mason, at least he thought he could lay +a stone wall as strong as any one. I stated that I had seen where he had +built stone walls. The walls I had reference to then were walls for +fence. I saw where he had built one large out door stone cellar and +arched it over with stone; I also saw where he had built a smaller one, +that opened into what was styled a cellar kitchen. He also built the +three walls of the kitchen, on the back side and two ends, of stone; the +front of the house being wood. + +[Image: HOUSE BUILT 1854.] + +The practice of laying stone, in his early life, made him want to build +him a stone house in Michigan. If he had settled in another part of +Michigan, he might have done it; but he found that stone were hard to get +here, being too far away. So he made up his mind, he would build him a +brick house. He said brick buildings were safer, in regard to fire, and +were more durable, that they did not require so much repairing, were +warmer in winter and cooler in summer than wooden buildings. + +So he went at it, and built him a good, substantial plain, brick +farm-house in 1854. Not so palatial as some might admire, but a good +substantial house; a brick basement under the whole of it, with two +stories above. He set it right facing the "Hard scrabble road" and right +in front of his door yard was the junction of three roads. He lived on +the corners and, by looking south, he could see to the place where he +first settled in Michigan, from his own door. He built across the front +side of his house a double stoop or piazza, running the whole length of +the front. There he could sit, in the cool of the day, and rest himself, +accompanied by some of his family. Two of my sisters yet lived at home; +the rest of the family had gone for themselves. While sitting there he +could see people passing and repassing, coming and going in every +direction. What a contrast it was to our early life in Michigan. Now he +could sit on his veranda in the twilight, when it was pleasant, and when +the shadows of evening were spread over the face of nature, he could peer +away into the distance to the south and southwest, for a mile and more, +and see lights in different places glistening and shining like stars +through the darkness. They were the lights of lamps and candles, burning +in his distant neighbors' dwellings and shining through their windows. He +could go to his north window and see lights all along, from his house to +Dearbornville, for he was in plain sight of the village. Now he lived in +what might be styled, if not an old country, a thickly inhabited part of +the country. + +A few years before, when father and I were out and could not get home +until after dark, we frequently walked through the woods a mile or two +without seeing a light. When we came to our clearing we could see one +light, and that was mother's lone light in the window waiting for us. It +was three or four years, after we settled in Michigan, before the light +of any neighbor's window could be seen, from our house. Father's +situation was very different when he was comfortably settled in his new +house. When he had it built he told me that he lacked a very little of +paying for it. I asked him how much he needed. He said, "Not more than a +hundred dollars." I told him I could let him have it as well as not. So I +gave it to him and he sat down and wrote me a note of a hundred dollars, +ten per cent interest per annum. I told him I didn't want any note. He +said I must take it if he took the money. So I took the note, looked at +it, saw that it was upon interest and told him that I would not take any +interest of him. But I took the note home and laid it away. I was pleased +to think that father had so good a house and was so well situated. He +built him a very strong house and located it upon a commanding eminence +overlooking the country in every direction. From its very solid +appearance shortly after it was built it was called "Nowlin Castle;" it +is now known to many by that name. + +Father and mother enjoyed their new home very much. They usually invited +their children, and their companions home all together once in a year or +two. They often got into their carriage and rode down to see me and I was +always glad to see them. I usually counseled and consulted with father +when I thought of transacting any business of importance. + +After a year or two father spoke to me about the hundred dollars; I told +him I didn't want it, that he could keep it just as long as he wanted +it, until he could pay it just as well as not and it wouldn't cost him +any interest. + +Time passed on until about five years were counted after father built, +when he came down one day, on foot, to see me. He brought in his hand a +little leather bag of silver money--mostly half dollars. He said he had +come down to pay me that note, that he didn't need the money at all and +wanted me to take it out of his way. I looked up the note, sat down by +the table, turned out the money and counted it. I saw there were just +fifty dollars; then I looked at the note and saw it had been given about +five years before. + +I told father that I had said I shouldn't take any interest of him, but +it had run so long, I didn't know but what it would be right, for me to +have the interest. I couldn't quite afford to give so much. The fifty +dollars was just enough to pay the interest and I could endorse it on the +back of the note. I turned a little in my chair, to look at father, as he +sat off at one side and said but little to me, to see what I could make +out in mind reading. I found that I failed; I could not make out, by +what he said nor by his silence, what he thought of me. Then I told him, +that I had a little job or two on hand, which I wanted him to help me +about. I asked him it he would help me. He said he would if I didn't +bother him too much. I told him I wanted him to have his stoop painted +over, it would preserve and make the wood last longer, and make it look +better. And I wanted him to go to Detroit for me, as soon as he could +conveniently, and get some oysters, and other good things, and bring home +with him. Then I wanted him to invite all of his children to come and +take dinner with him and mother and enjoy the day together. Besides, I +wanted him to take the fifty dollars, toward paying the expenses, and +also take that note out of my way, toward what I was owing him. + +In a few days after that I was invited up to the castle to spend the day. +We were all there, father, mother, brother, sister, and our companions. +We had a good dinner. The table was spread with the bounties of life. We +passed a very pleasant day, and listened to father's stories of wars, and +stories connected with his early life. He would relate them as nobody +else could. He told us stories that I had often heard him relate before. +Still there was a charm in his manner of telling them and they seemed to +be always good and new; his old stories were certainly as attractive, +interesting and pleasing as ever before. + +It would make almost any one laugh who listened to them, though he always +looked rather grave while repeating them. It pleased him to think that +they all enjoyed them so much; but what pleased him still more was that +his children were all alive at home. As they were most all singers, +sometimes, he would set them singing for him, songs new and old, as he +was no singer himself. + +Mother was a beautiful singer. He often got her to sing for him, and +sometimes asked her to sing his favorite song, which was styled "The Star +in The East." I have heard her sing it for him, at different times, ever +since as long ago as I can remember hearing her sing. It was a beautiful +piece, connected with the Messiah's advent, which happened over eighteen +hundred years before. One verse of it was this: + +"Cold on his cradle the dew drops were shining, + Low lies his head, with the beasts of the stall; + Angels adore him in slumber reclining, + Maker and Monarch and Savior of all." + +It is claimed by some, that the human voice is capable of producing more +different sounds and is more musical and pleasing to the ear than +anything else earthly; that it is but little below the seraphic strains. +"The Star in The East" referred back to the most glorious night, for the +human race, that earth ever knew. A multitude of the heavenly hosts came +down in the east of Judea; the darkness of night was driven away and the +place became more beautiful than day, for glory shone around them. They +announced to the wise men of the East, that the Savior of mankind was +upon the earth, and that he was at Bethlehem. They told them how and +where they would find him. The Heavenly visitors showed them a star or +meteor of exceeding brilliancy and told them it would conduct them to the +place where he was. They started with the star in advance; it lighted +their path and conducted them to the place. There was heard sung, that +night, one of the most heavenly, beautiful, thrilling and enchanting +songs that ever broke upon the ear of mortal men. It was sung by angels, +this was their song: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, +good will toward men." Then the bright messengers plumed their pinions, +spread out their snow white wings, filled up their shining train and in a +cloud of glory flew away to Heaven. + +Now as I have strayed a little in thinking of the subject of "The Star in +The East" I find myself back again in the presence of the one who sung +father's favorite song. + +I told mother she must get ready, and, in the fall, we would go back to +the state of New York. I asked father to go with us, and tried to get him +to say he would go. But he thought he would have to stay at home and take +care of things while we were gone. Mother concluded she would go and said +she would get ready for the journey and we would go and see the old +native places, and old friends and make the visit we had talked about so +long. The thought of Lake Erie had always been a dread to mother, +whenever we spoke of going back. But now we could go back very easily and +in a very short time with the cars on the "Great Western Railway" I told +her it would be as easy, for her, as though she were sitting in a parlor. +I encouraged her all I could, for she was getting quite old and feeble, +and it looked like a big undertaking to her. I said, to encourage her, +that she would be able to stand it first rate, and the trip, no doubt, +would do her good. I think the thought of going was pleasing to her. + +But we met not many more times at my father's house, under so favorable +and happy circumstances, nor gathered around his board with everything in +such good cheer, and prospects so bright. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + +MY WATCH LOST AND VISIT TO CANADA. + + +Mother's maiden name was Melinda Light. Her mother died when she was +quite young. She and father were married when she was about nineteen +years old. She took one of her youngest brothers to live with her, and +she acted more the part of a mother than a sister to him. She sent him to +school and gave him a good education. His name was Allen Light and he was +thoroughly qualified to officiate in the capacity of a pedagogue. He +taught a number of terms, prudently saved his wages and bought father's +little farm, before we left the state of New York. He married a young +woman, who had some capital of her own, before we came away, and they +settled on father's old place, and lived there when we came to Michigan. +For this uncle I did some of my first working out, mostly picking up +stone; he gave me a shilling a day. I worked for him until I had, what I +thought was quite a purse of money and I brought some of it to Michigan. + +As father lived in a hired house I had my own time, during my vacations +when I was not going to school. One man was quite displeased with me, +because I refused to work for him for sixpence a day. Another man for +whom I did work in haying, and spread hay after two or three mowers and +raked after, never paid me anything. I supposed he would give me eighteen +cents or two shillings a day. I worked for him four days; he was a rich +man at that time. I wanted father to ask him for it for me, but he said +if the man wasn't a mind to pay it let him go. + +Thirty years afterward, when I was there, I met the same man, he was +riding a horse down a hill as we were going up. I asked my cousin who he +was and when he told me I remembered the work I had done for him. I +inquired, of my cousin, about his circumstances; he said that he used to +be a rich man, but that he had lost his property and was poor. I am sure, +I didn't feel much like sympathizing with him. + +Uncle Allen wrote to mother very often after she came to Michigan. He +told her how much he missed her, that she had been a mother to him. He +said the doors of the house, as he turned them on their hinges, seemed to +mourn her absence. It was this brother and his family that we wanted to +see the most. We heard from him often and learned that he had been +successful in business. He bought two farms, joining the one he bought of +father, and one about a mile off and paid for them, they were farms which +father and mother knew very well. We learned, from others, that he was a +wealthy, prominent and influential man, in that old country. Fickle +fortune had smiled on him and he had taken what she offered to give. In +the fall we were going to see them. The war of the rebellion had +commenced, 1861, when we got ready to go and see them. + +Some three or four years before this I hired three or four colored men, +who came from Canada, to work for me. The right name of one of them, I +think I never knew, it was necessary for him to keep it to himself. +Campbell and Obadiah were the names of the other two. + +The people of the United States, both North and South, were very much +excited, at that time, upon the subject of slavery. The Government had +passed a law, in favor of the South, thundering forth its penalties +against any one who should aid or harbor, feed or employ one who was a +fugitive slave. That law required northern men to turn out when notified, +leave their business, help to hunt and chase the fugitive down, capture +him and help to put on his fetters. So it was not for me to know the name +of the one, who had been recently a slave. + +Campbell had a considerable confidence in me and told me a little of the +history of the escaped slave, (some things I knew already); that when he +ran away, from the land of bondage, he was guided in his flight by the +north star. The slave had heard of Canada and knew if he could reach that +country he would own himself and be a free man. If he ever had a family +his wife and children would be his, and would not be owned by any one +else. They would belong to himself and not another. To gain his freedom +he traveled mostly nights. When he came to a creek or river, if he +couldn't find a bridge or boat, he either swam or waded across. While on +his journey he subsisted on fruit or grain, anything he could get hold +of. When he saw it was coming light, in the morning, he would select him +a place a little way from the road, if he happened to be in one, in a +swamp or woods, or any place that offered him a hiding spot, and there +spend the day sleeping or watching. When everything was quiet in the +evening he would come out of his hiding place, set his face toward the +north and hurry on. He was trying to leave his master as fast as +possible, and every night he was making the distance greater between +them. Sometimes, when he reached the road, he would stop and listen to +see if he could hear the sound of horses' hoofs, or men approaching him, +or the shrill yelp of the blood hounds, that might have discovered his +whereabouts or been on his tracks. If he heard nothing to alarm him he +hastened on. Sometimes he was bare-footed and bare-headed, with no one to +pity him, or know the anguish of his heart, but his Creator. + +When night had spread her mantle over him, and the innumerable stars +appeared, sprinkled over the vault of heaven, millions of miles away, all +joined together to shower down upon the poor fugitive slave their rays of +light. The faithful old north star, with its light beckoned him on to +freedom until he got among friends and was safely taken, by the +under-ground railroad, into Canada. + +So I knew these colored men, while working for me, had some fear that one +of them, at least, might be arrested and taken back into slavery. They +didn't feel safe in working so far from Canada. But I am sure if I had +heard of his master's approach, or his agent's, I should have conducted +him, or the three, six miles, through the woods, to Detroit River, +procured a boat and sent them across to Canada, regretting the existence +of the "Fugitive Slave Law," and obeying a higher law. + +As I have said I hired these three, from Canada, to help me through my +haying and harvesting. I also gave them some other jobs. I relate this +circumstance as it comes in connection with mother's visit to the East +and what I said to my uncle there. + +The names of two of these men were Campbell and Obadiah, as I have +already stated, and these were all the names I ever knew for them. +Campbell was an oldish man, and I found him to be very much of a man, +trusty, ingenious and faithful in everything he did for me. Obadiah was a +young man. He told me his parents died when he was young, that he had a +sister younger than himself and a brother still younger. He said that he +wanted to keep them together and provide them a home. This young woman +kept house for my three workmen. She frequently came down to our house +and helped Mrs. Nowlin. She seemed to be very nice and smart and had +access to our house. + +After I had finished my haying and harvesting they moved back to what, I +think, was styled the "Reservation" in Canada, near Windsor. A short time +after they were gone I missed my watch. It was kept hanging up in my +room. It had unaccountably disappeared and seemed to be gone. I made up +my mind, after all of my kindness to the colored people, that the girl +had taken my watch and given it to her brother, Obadiah, or that at least +he knew something about it, and that they had carried it to Canada. I +wanted my watch and hated to lose it; what made it seem worse was its +being taken from me under such circumstances. I made up my mind that I +could contrive to get it again. + +I went out to Dearborn, saw the Deputy-Sheriff of Wayne County, Daniel D. +Tompkins, told him the circumstances and what my suspicions were, and my +plan, and asked him if he would go with me to Canada. He said he would. I +told him that I would come out with my team, he and I would go to Canada +and decoy Obadiah across the river, have the papers ready and arrest him +in Detroit. I had made up my mind that he had the watch or knew its +whereabouts. I thought he would be glad to give it up in order to get out +of the scrape, and all I wanted was, somehow, to get my watch. + +Accordingly, in the morning I took my team and we started, went to +Detroit, drove down to the wharf and waited for the large ferry boat to +come to her wharf. Mr. Tompkins was a shrewd man. He thought that he +would cross on the little ferry boat, that was then in, and see what he +could learn on the other side, and got aboard and went over. While I was +waiting I spoke to a mulatto and asked him if he was acquainted in +Canada, and what they called the reservation back of Windsor, three or +four miles. I told him I wanted to find a man by the name of Campbell. (I +thought I should be able to find Campbell as he was the oldest man and he +would be able to tell me where Obadiah was.) The mulatto asked me what +his given name was. I told him I didn't know, I always called him +Campbell. He said there were two men by the name of Campbell there; they +were brothers and one of them was a preacher. I told him I thought one of +them was the man I wanted to see. He stepped back by the corner of a +saloon and commenced talking with another colored man privately; soon +another one joined them, and there were three. I noticed them, as they +cast sly glances at me, and I thought they were making some remarks about +me, or my rig. I had a large team hitched to a covered carriage, +double-seated. I led my horses on to the ferry boat, and when it started, +two of the colored men stepped aboard. We went across to Canada, I led my +horses on to the wharf and found my comrade there waiting for me. I asked +him if he had found out where they lived; he said not. We got into the +carriage and started for the reservation, being sure that no one knew +anything about our business but ourselves, however, I thought, from what +I had seen, that things appeared rather suspicious. + +We drove up the river road. There was another road running back farther +from the river, into the country, which also led to the reservation. We +drove along a pretty good jog for a mile or two, and who should we meet +but the old man Campbell! He seemed very glad to see me, and came right +up to shake hands with me. He wondered how I came to be in Canada, and +inquired very particularly about the health of my family. I asked him +where Obadiah was, told him I wanted to see him. He pointed across the +road and said, that he came down with him and stopped there to get an ax +helve. Said he would run in and tell him, that I had come, and in a +minute out they came; Obadiah laughing and looking wonderfully pleased +to see me. Of course I had to appear friendly, although I didn't feel +very well pleased. I supposed that I would have to wear two faces that +day; but I was spared the disagreeable task. I told Campbell and +Obadiah, that I had come over to see them, that I had a little job on +hand which I wanted to have done and that if they would go to Detroit +with me I would tell them about it. They said they would go and I told +them to get into the carriage. They said they could walk, they were +afraid of soiling it; I told them to tumble in and I would take them to +Windsor in a few minutes. + +While we were talking up came a colored man on horseback, his horse upon +the jump, breathing as if he had rode him fast. He spoke to Campbell and +took him one side and talked with him. Then Campbell stepped back to me +laughing and told me what the man said. He said: "Heaps of colored +people" thought I was a "Kentuckian;" they said, I looked like one and +that my team and carriage looked like a Kentucky rig. The man would not +believe but that I was one, and thought that I had come to get a colored +woman, who had been a slave in Kentucky; and he said, that there was a +great excitement among the colored people about it. + +I learned something of the circumstance; that woman had been a slave in +Kentucky. Her master thought a great deal of her, treated her with much +kindness, in fact made quite a lady of her and gave her liberties and +privileges, which thousands of other slaves never enjoyed. But she made +up her mind, that she wouldn't be the property of any one; her life +should be her own. She ran away to Canada to gain her liberty. When she +arrived there, she didn't find every thing as pleasant as she had +expected and expressed a willingness to return to her master and slavery, +in the land of bondage. Through a secret agent, her master had learned +where she was. He made a bargain with the preacher, Campbell, to get her +back. He was to have quite a sum of money if he succeeded in persuading +her to return to her master. + +The colored people had found it out and every man of them branded the +preacher Campbell, as a traitor and enemy to his race. They were watching +him and the colored woman, and were determined, that no one who had +gained their liberty should ever be subjected to slavery again, if they +could prevent it. + +Campbell and Obadiah got into the carriage. By this time we had +convinced the first trooper, that I actually was a Michigan man (for he +saw for himself, that I had no woman) and we started back toward +Windsor. We shortly after met another horseman following up; when he met +us he turned with us. They had alarmed all of the colored people on the +road and nearly every man had volunteered for duty. They told us that +some men had gone on the other road, on horse back, to cut us off in +case we turned that way. + +I began to make up my mind that, sure enough some how or other, we had +raised quite an excitement among the colored people. We were attended by +quite a cortege. They seemed to be paying a good deal of attention to a +couple of Michigan men. We had attendants on foot and on horse back, +before and behind, and we were quietly making our way toward Windsor. If +persons, who did not know us, and knew nothing of the affair or +circumstance, had stood in the main street in Windsor, opposite the +ferry, and seen us come in, attended by our retinue, they might have +thought, that I, a Michigan farmer, had the King of the Sandwich Islands +accompanied by some great Mogul, that I was their driver and that the +Deputy Sheriff, of Wayne County, Michigan, was their footman. + +When we came up opposite the ferry, the crowd of colored men was so +great, we had to stop and give an account of ourselves. They had raised +the alarm in Detroit and she had furnished her quota of colored men for +the emergency. The excitement had helped the ferry business a little. + +We found ourselves surrounded by a large concourse of people. I told +them, that I did not know anything about the woman nor of Kentucky. Some +of them wouldn't believe but what there was actually a woman in the +carriage and they had to step up and look in and examine it, in order to +satisfy themselves. Luckily, some of those who came across from Detroit +knew me and knew that I was no Southerner. + +Campbell was my main spokesman. He was a very sensible man and more than +an average talker. He said: "Why gemman, I know this man well; he libs in +Dearbu'n. I worked for him heaps of times, often been to his house. We're +goin to Detroit wid him to see 'bout a job." + +One colored man, more suspicious than the rest, crowded his way through +up to the carriage, opened the door, took Obadiah by the arm and told him +to get out, that he wouldn't let him go across; he said he was a young +man and it was dangerous for him to go over. Obadiah said that he knew +"Misser Nowlin fust rate," that he had worked for him and that he had +more work for him to do and he must go over. Other men, who knew me, +reasoned the case with them, and they finally concluded it was a false +alarm, closed the carriage door and we were permitted to drive on to the +ferry. We soon crossed back to Detroit; to what some of the colored +people considered so dangerous a place for their race. + +I had Campbell hold the horses while my friend, Mr. Tompkins, and I +consulted together concerning Obadiah. I told my friend, that I hadn't +been able to detect any guilt in Obadiah from the first to the last. I +thought if he had been guilty he would have been alarmed, and have +allowed himself to have been taken out of the carriage in Windsor, and +would not have crossed the river with us. Mr. Tompkins had made up his +mind to the same thing. T stepped back to them and said, that I had +consulted with my friend and changed my mind, that I wouldn't do anything +about the job then. I have no doubt, they thought the colored people had +raised such an excitement it had discouraged me and cheated them out of a +job. (It is seen that the job I wished done just then, was to get my +watch, and I had thought that Obadiah was the one who could help me +accomplish it.) I told them, some other time when I had work I would +employ them, and I did employ Campbell a number of times after that. I +gave them money to get them some dinner and to pay their passage back, as +I had paid it over. I left them feeling first rate; they never knew the +object of my visit. They must have thought that I treated them with a +great deal of respect. + +When I reached home at night my pocket book was a little lighter, my trip +had cost me something. I told my folks that if they had made out in +Canada, that I was a southern man and that I was after that woman, it +would have been doubtful about my ever getting home and that it would +have taken three hundred Michigan troops to have gotten us out of +Windsor, dead or alive. But I do say to exonerate those colored people +from all suspicion, in the affair, that, some time after, the watch was +found, nicely wrapped up in a piece of cloth and in a bureau drawer, +where it had been laid away carefully and forgotten. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. + +MOTHER'S VISIT TO THE EAST--1861. + + +I go with her, accompanied by my wife and brother John S. As the train we +wished to take did not stop at Dearborn I had a hired man, with my team, +take us to Detroit. Father went with us to Detroit and to the Michigan +Central Depot. We went aboard the railroad ferry boat and were soon +across the river and on the cars on the "Great Western Railway." We were +soon receding very fast from Michigan; going across lots and down through +the woods of Upper Canada. I tried to see as much as I could of the +country, while we were swiftly passing through it. I told mother we would +manage it so as to see the whole route, either going or coming, by +daylight. I didn't see anything in particular to admire in Canada until +we got down near London and beyond. Then I saw some good country and I +thought it would compare favorably with Michigan land. + +Just before sundown we got to the swinging bridge, which hangs over and +across Niagara River. We crossed it very carefully. Just as the sun was +about half hid beyond the Western horizon our car reached terra-firma in +the state of New York. I felt a little more secure and at home, than I +felt when leaving Canada, when we had reached our native state. + +In a little while we were aboard the cars of the "New York Central +Railroad" and making our way through the darkness rapidly, toward the +east. I told mother we must try and get a good rest, that night, on the +way to Albany. We located ourselves the best we could for the night. We +had only gone a little ways when, all at once, there was a terrible +rattling and jingling, made by the passing of another train. It made a +noise something like the shelf of a crockery store tumbling down and +breaking in pieces glass ware, earthen ware and all. This noise was +accompanied with a heavy rumbling sound which shook the ground and the +car we were in and caused them to tremble. The flash of the light of the +passing train, as it sped on its way, was so quick by us that it was +impossible to see whether it was a light or not. It appeared like the +ghost of a light or a spectre in its flight through the darkness, for a +moment and it was gone. It left no trace behind that I could see. There +had two or three of those trains of cars passed us before I was able to +make out what made the extra noise. Not having any knowledge that there +was a double track there, and never having rode where there was one +before, it took me a little while, to make up my mind in regard to it. + +Both trains going at full speed, in the night, the one we passed +vanishing so quickly, yet not taking the impression it made on us with +its whizzing, hissing, tearing sound, it seemed like some fierce demon +from Tartarus bent on an errand of annihilation. But it was only another +train, like unto the one we were enjoying, and, if as successful as the +officers of the "New York Central Railroad" wished, it would only seem to +annihilate time for its transient occupants. For the coal miner's +invention seemed to make as much discount on time as any wonder of the +last age except our American Morse' lightning talker. We found there was +but very little sleep or rest for us that night. I could look out of the +car window and peer into the darkness and see lights dotted along here +and there; every once in a while, they seemed low down and looked some +like the lights from the back windows of low log cabins. I made out that +they were lights on board of canal boats. I recollected having passed +along there about thirty years before, and that I jumped into the canal +and got terribly wet. Now we were traveling at a more rapid rate; yes, as +far in one hour as we did in all day then, with a large train of +passengers. It was impossible for mother to get any rest that night. Just +as it got nicely light, in the morning, we arrived at Albany. + +No doubt there were on that train, who rode through the night with us, +the churchman, the statesman, the officer and men who would quickly dress +themselves in blue and march, under the old flag to defend our country. +Farmers and mechanics, men and women of almost every station in life were +there. Some went one way and some another, each intent upon what they +thought concerned them most at the time. + +We went to a restaurant for breakfast and especially to get a good cup of +tea for mother. (It had been rather a tedious night for her.) Then we +went on board a ferry boat and crossed over the North River, then took +the "Harlem Railroad" for Pattison, where we arrived about noon. This +was within three miles of where mother was brought up and I was born. We +hired a livery team to take us to Uncle Allen Light's. In going we passed +by a school house where I learned my "A, B, Abs." + +Mother's heart beat high with emotions of joy as she neared her much +beloved brother's dwelling. She had always thought of him as the young +man she left thirty years before; but she found that the frosts of thirty +winters had changed his locks as well as hers. + +I asked the driver if Allen Light was much of a farmer; he said that he +was. I asked him if he kept a good many cattle; he said he did. I told +him when he got there to let the valises remain in the carriage, and to +cover them up, after we got out, with the robes so they would not be +seen, and that I wanted him to wait a little while, and I would try and +buy uncle's fat cattle. At least, I would sound him a little and see what +kind of mettle he was made of, and he would see the result. I made a +special bargain with mother and she promised to keep still and keep her +veil over her face until I introduced her. She told me afterward, she +never would make another such a bargain as that with me. She said, it was +too hard work for her, when she saw them to keep from speaking. + +Just before we made this visit, my brother and I went to see friends +west, and viewed some prairies of Illinois. We visited Chicago, the great +city of the West, went through it where we saw a great deal of it. We +went into the City Hall, or Court House, and up its winding stairs to a +height so great, that we could overlook most of the city. I saw that the +city covered a good deal of ground. From the elevated position we were +occupying, we looked down and saw men and women walking, in the street +below us, and they looked like a diminutive race. As I looked I thought +the ground was rather flat and level for a city, but we made up our minds +it was a, great place. Some of the merchandise of all the world was +there. We came home feeling very well satisfied with our own city, +Detroit. For the beauty of its scenery and the location of the city I +should give my preference to the "City of the Straits." + +Now I had gotten away down east. I had rode a little ways on the outside +of Cowper's wheel. We had all got out of the carriage, in front of +uncle's house, went up to the door and knocked and all went in. I asked +if Mr. Light lived there. Uncle said he was the man. Aunt brought chairs +for the ladies and they sat down. She asked them if they would take off +their things, they refused, as much as to say, they were not going to +stop but a few minutes. I asked uncle immediately, if he had some fat +cattle to sell. He said he had some oxen that he would sell, and we went +out to look at them. Of course I was more anxious to see how uncle +appeared than I was to see the cattle. They were in the barnyard near the +house. I tried to make uncle think, that I had cattle on the brain the +most of anything. I walked around them, viewed them, felt of them, +started them along, asked uncle how much they would weigh, &c. I kept a +sly eye on uncle, to see how much in earnest he was and how he looked. He +was a portly, splendid looking man. He appeared, to me, to be a good, +hale, healthy, honest farmer, well kept and one who enjoyed life. He +would sell his property if he got his price, not otherwise. He was rather +austere and independent about it. He asked me my name and where I was +from. (This is a trait of eastern men, down near Connecticut, to ask a +man his name and where he lives and, sometimes, where he is going.) I saw +that uncle was getting me in rather close quarters, but I talked away as +fast as possible, walking around and looking at the cattle. I asked him +what he would take for them, by the lump, I was trying to evade the +questions, that he had asked me. + +I told him that my home was wherever I happened to be, that I paid the +cash for every thing which I bought, that I had just come from Illinois, +where I had relatives, and down through Michigan. I told him that I was +very well acquainted in some parts of Michigan, that I had been in Canada +and that a great many people there called me a "Kentuckian;" and I didn't +know as it mattered what I was called so long as I was able to pay him +for his cattle. I wanted to know the least he would take for them; he +told me. Then I said, I would consider it, we would go to the house and +see how the ladies were getting along. + +Going along I made up my mind that uncle thought I was rather an +eccentric drover. He seemed to be interested in what I had said about +Michigan and wanted to know something about the country. When we went +into the house, I saw that mother was getting impatient and our livery +driver sat there yet, waiting to hear how it came out and to deliver +our satchels. + +Mr. Light, your name sounds very familiar to me, I have heard the name, +Light, often before. Have you any relatives living in the West? He said +he had two sisters living in Michigan, in the town of Dearborn. Why, said +I, I have been in the town often and am well acquainted there I know a +good many of the people. It is ten miles west of Detroit on the Chicago +road. I saw he began to take great interest in what I said. I asked if he +thought he would know one of his sisters if she were present. He said he +thought he would. I told him there was one there. + +Then they threw off all restraint and met as only loved ones can after so +long a separation. Uncle was overjoyed to see her again, upon earth, and +mother was delighted to see him and Aunt Betsey. The light of other days, +youth and happy associations of life flashed up before them in memory +clear and vivid, which touched the most sensitive chord of their hearts +and caused them to vibrate, in love for one another. They visited as only +two who love so well and have been separated so long can visit. Minds +less sensitive, than theirs, cannot imagine with what degree of intensity +of spirit and feeling, they told over to each other, first some of the +scenes of their youth, which they enjoyed together so many years before, +then the absence of loved ones dear to them both. A father, two brothers +and a sister had departed their life since mother moved to Michigan. Ah! +what changes thirty years had produced! Their voices, which mother had +heard so often there, she never would hear again and the smile of their +countenances would never greet her more. They were gone and their places +left vacant. A great many former acquaintances of mother had also +disappeared. They talked about the hardships they had endured while apart +and of some things they had enjoyed which were as bright spots, or +oases, in the desert of their separation. + +Now as I was there, I wished to visit the place where I had been in days +of yore, in my childhood. The places had changed some but I could go to +every place I remembered. The distance, from one place to another, didn't +seem more than half as far as I had it laid out in my mind. + +The country appeared very rough to me. What we used to call hills, looked +to me like small mountains. I supposed the reason was because I had been +living so long in a level country. The rocks and stones appeared larger +and the stones seemed to lie thicker on the ground than I had supposed. +The ledges and boulders appeared very strange to me I had been gone so +long. I found that the land was very natural for grass, where it wasn't +too stony. It produced excellent pasture upon the hillsides, good meadow +on the bottom and ridges, where it was smooth enough and not so stony but +that it could be mowed. + +I went to see our old spring. It was running yet. Uncle had plenty of +fruit. I looked for the apple trees that I used to know and they had +almost entirely disappeared. I saw where they had raised good corn and +potatoes on uncle's place. Oats, that season, had been a very poor crop. +Wheat, uncle said they couldn't raise, but they could raise good crops of +rye. I passed by another school house where I had attended school. The +same building where I got one pretty warm whipping for failing to get a +lesson. The school buildings which I saw there both looked old and +dilapidated. I thought they looked poor in comparison to our common +school houses in Michigan. I had a good many cousins, who lived there; +scattered around. I went to see as many of them as I could. I had one +cousin, who lived off about four or five miles. I wished very much to see +her for I remembered her quite well, we were young together. Uncle's +folks said she was married and lived on a ridge that they named. Cousin +Allen said he would go with me to see her, so we started. Before we got +there we had about a mile to go up hill. Cousin got along very well and +didn't seem to mind it, but it was up hill business for me to climb that +ridge. I wondered how teams could get up and down safely; they must have +understood ascending and descending better than our Michigan teams or, it +seemed to me, they would have got into trouble. We finally got on to the +top of what they called a ridge. I found some pretty nice table land up +there, for that country, and two or three farms. After we reached the +highest part of the ridge we stopped and I looked off at the scenery, it +appeared wild and strange. I could look north and see miles beyond where +uncle lived and see hills and ridges. I could look in every direction and +the same strange sights met my view. I think my cousin told me, that to +the southwest of us, we could see some of the mountains near the North +river. While I looked at the rugged face of the country, it didn't seem +hardly possible that that could be so old a country, and Michigan so new. + +West of us we could look down into a hollow or valley. The flat appeared +to be about eighty rods wide, on the bottom between the ridges. West of +the hollow there arose another great ridge, like unto the one on which we +stood. Along this hollow there was a creek and a road running lengthwise +with the hollow. I saw a man, with a lumber wagon and horses, driving +along the road; from where I stood, and looked at them, they didn't +appear larger than Tom Thumb and his Shetland ponies. + +We finally got to my cousin's, I found that she had changed from a little +girl to an elderly woman. She was very glad to see me and wanted me to +stay longer than I felt inclined to, for I wanted to be back to the old +home again, viewing the scenes of my childhood as, to me, there was a +sort of fascination about them. + +Up there I noticed a small lake, near the top of the ridge. I thought +it a strange place for a lake. I asked cousin if there were fish in it, +he said there were, that they caught them there sometimes. I asked if +the lake was deep; he said in some parts of it they could not find +bottom. I looked over it away down into the hollow beyond, and thought +there might be room enough below for it to be bottomless; it might head +in China for all I knew. As I gazed I thought, can it be possible that +this country appears so much rougher, to me, than it used to, and yet +be the same? As I stood and peered away from one mountain and hill to +another, at the gray and sunburnt rocks, jagged ledges, precipices and +the second growth of scrubby timber, that dotted here and there and +grew on the sides of hills, where it was too stony and steep for +cultivation, it astonished me. + +My friends appeared well pleased with their native hills and vales and I +have no doubt they thought, as they expressed it to me, that they lived +near the best market and that New York was ahead. But the place how +changed to me! If I could have seen some wigwams and their half nude +inhabitants, on the hill sides, in the room of the houses of white men, +and have witnessed the waving of the feathery plume of the red man, above +his long black hair, I should have thought, from the view and the face of +the land, that that old country was very new and wild and that Michigan, +where I lived at least, was the old country after all. + +Nature seemed to be reversing the two countries. It appeared to me like +the wild--wild--west Yosemite valley and mountains, or some other place. +How strange! Here I am standing upon my native soil. I used to think it +was the brightest spot upon this dim place men call earth. + +In coming down the hill, I had to be cautious how far I stepped, in order +to keep upright, as I was liable to move too fast, get up too much +motion, I had to hold back on myself and keep one knee at a time crooked. +In that way I got safely down. I was a little cautious, for I had on me +scars made by falling on stones and cutting myself, when near that place +long years before, when I was a little boy driving father's cows, to and +fro, night and morning, from the new place he bought, (the buying of +which was one great reason of our going to Michigan to find a new home +and live where white men had never lived before.) + +I went back to uncle's and told him, that I had made him a pretty good +visit. I tried to get him and some of the rest of my friends to promise +me to go west and see our country and judge of it for themselves. They +said we western men had to bring our produce, and whatever we had to +sell, down to the New York market, in order to dispose of it. I made up +my mind, if New York was the head and mouth of Uncle Sam, that his body +and heart were in the great central West, his hands upon the treasury at +Washington and his feet were of California, like unto polished gold, +washed by the surf of the Pacific Ocean. When Uncle Sam wished them wiped +he could easily place them on his snow topped foot-stool, the Rocky +mountains, and Miss Columbia, with a smile would wipe them with the +clouds and dry them in the winds of the Nevada, while she pillowed his +head softly on the great metropolis, New York, where the Atlantic breeze +fans his brow and lets him recline in his glory, the most rapidly risen +representation of a great nation that the world has ever seen. + +When Uncle Sam brings his hand from Washington it is full of green backs +and gold, which he scatters broadcast among his subjects. Here and there +across the continent it flies, like the leaves in autumn, so that it can +be gathered by persevering men, who till the soil or follow other +pursuits of industry. It is free for all who will get it honestly. + +A little east and north of the garden city, is Michigan, one of Uncle +Sam's gardens. I think it is a beautiful place, dotted here and there and +nearly surrounded by great fountains that sparkle, glimmer and shine, in +the sun, like the rays of the morning--beautiful garden. It is +interspersed, here and there, with groves of primeval evergreens and +crossed now and then by beautiful valleys and dotted by flowery walks and +pleasant homes of the gardeners. It abounds in picturesque scenery, has a +very productive soil and helps to furnish some of Uncle Sam's family, of +about forty millions, with many of the good things of life, even down in +"Gotham." So we get some of their money, from down there, if they are +ahead of us and the head of America. I am satisfied for one, to live in +one of the peninsula gardens of the West. + +As my wife wished to visit her native place on the Hudson River, we would +have to stop there a short time, and as my wife and brother wished to +visit the city of New York we bade good by to uncle and his family and +started. Took the "Harlem Railroad" and in a short time were in the city. +We put up at the "Lovejoy Hotel" opposite the City Hall. We had rooms and +everything comfortable. We visited the Washington market and some of the +ships that lay in the harbor. We went on board one ocean steamer, went +through it and examined it. We crossed the river to Brooklyn. Visited +Greenwood Cemetery and saw all the sights we could conveniently, on that +side of the river. One night we visited Barnum's American Museum, after +this we went to see the Central Park and other places. We made up our +minds that we had seen a good deal and that New York was an immense city. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. + +LEAVING NEW YORK CITY FOR HOME. + + +We thought it was about time we started for home. We began to want to get +back to Michigan, so we agreed to start. Brother J. S. was to take the +"Harlem Railroad," go to uncle's, stop and visit, get mother and meet us, +on a certain day at Albany. My wife and I took the "Hudson River +Railroad" and came as far as Peekskill. We visited together the place of +her nativity, where she lived until she was twelve years old. She found +many very warm friends there among her relatives. We passed through +Peekskill hollow to visit some of her friends. There I saw some beautiful +land. It looked nice enough for western land, if it had not been for the +rugged scenery around it. + +When the day came, that we were to meet mother at Albany, we took the +cars and started. When we passed Fishkill I knew the place well. I had +been there a number of times before, when I was a boy. Newburg, on the +opposite side of the river, appeared the most natural of any place I had +seen. Along the river it appeared beautiful, and the mountains grand. It +was the first time I had been there since we moved to Michigan. We soon +passed Poughkeepsie, the place where we took the night boat, so many +years before, bound for the territory of Michigan. + +As we approached the Catskill mountains, I should say ten or fifteen +miles away, they looked like a dark cloud stretched across the horizon; +and when we came nearer and nearer the highest one, and it was in plain +sight, it appeared majestic and grand. From the car window, we could see +the mountain house that stood upon its towering summit. We could see +small clouds, floating along by the top of the mountain. That was the +greatest mountain I had ever seen; yet it is small in comparison to some +in our own country. Not one third so high in the world as Fremont's peak, +where he unfurled the banner of our country, threw it to the breeze and +it proudly floated in the wind, higher than it had ever been before. + +We soon got to Albany, went to a hotel near the railroad depot, called +for a room and told the landlord that we would occupy it until the next +morning. As mother could not rest on the cars, I thought it would be +easier for her to stay there over night, and we would see some of the +western part of the state of New York the next day. + +After dinner we locked up our room and Mrs. Nowlin and I went out to take +a look at Albany. We went up to the state house, the capitol, and visited +the room, where the legislators of the "Empire state" meet to make laws +for her people. There we saw the statue of the extraordinary man, +Secretary of State and statesman, William H. Seward. He, who shortly +after, was attacked by an assassin, where he lay sick upon his bed, in +his room at Washington and was so severely wounded, that the nation +despaired of his life for some time. + +We went back to the hotel, and as the time was nearly up for the Harlem +train from New York City, I went back across the river to meet mother and +brother John Smith. The train shortly came in and they had come. Brother +had mother upon his arm. She was very glad to see me. I got hold of her +and she had two strong arms of her boys to lean upon. I told her we had a +room over in Albany and were keeping house; that we would stop there all +night and start again in the morning. It would make it more easy for her, +and we would not have those jingling, rattling cars passing in the night, +to keep us awake. We crossed over the river and went to our quarters. We +four were all together again and had some new things to tell each other +as we had been apart a few days. We passed the night very comfortably. + +Early the next morning a regiment of soldiers, from the west, came +hurrying on to the seat of war to defend the flag of our Country and the +glorious Union. It rained very hard, I stood one side and noticed the +"Boys in Blue" as they came pouring out of the depot. Their officers did +not seem to have them under very good control. Their discipline wasn't +very good yet; after they got out, there were several of them who seemed +to be inclined to go on their own hooks. The officers had about all they +could do to keep them along. One physically powerful, hardy looking man +passed near me. He said, he thought it was a little hard, early in the +morning, after a fellow had been jammed and bruised all night and it +rained that he couldn't be allowed to stop and take a drop. The officer +told him to keep in the ranks. I felt interested to know if they were +Michigan men, but was not able to learn where they were from. + +In a few minutes we were aboard of our train and started again for +Michigan. The prospect of getting home soon elated mother very much. She +had lost most of her attachment for her native place, and it was no +comparison, in her mind, to her Michigan. She said uncle offered to give +her a farm, if she would move back there and spend the remainder of her +days by him. But it was nothing in comparison to Michigan, it was an +inducement far too small for her to consider favorably. We were coming +home as fast as steam could bring us and it was raining all the time. I +told mother I thought we should run out from under the rain clouds before +night, but that was a mistake. It rained all day long and was dark when +we got to the suspension bridge. When we got off the cars, the runners +were a great annoyance to mother. I told her not to pay any attention to +them, we would find a good place. There was a gentleman standing near us, +who heard what I said. He told me that there was a good house, the "New +York Hotel," which stood close by. Said he was not interested for any, +but that that house was a good one. I told mother we would go there and +we started. I was helping mother along and told my wife and brother to +follow us. It was hard work for them to get away from the runners. They +hated very much to give them up, and they were making as much noise over +them as a flock of wild geese. But my wife and brother left them and +followed us. We got to the "New York House" and called for a room. We +found it to be a very good house. We wanted to stay over night there, as +it would be better for mother and we wished to go up and see the Falls +next day. The next morning after breakfast my wife, brother and I went up +to the Falls. As it was still raining mother stayed in her room, she +didn't wish to go. + +We went up on the American side and went down three hundred steps of +stairs to the foot of the Falls. After this we viewed Goat Island, went +across it to the stone tower, went up its rickety winding stairs to the +top and looked upon the majestic scenery of nature, which was spread out +before us there. I saw no place there where it appeared so terribly grand +to me as it did when I stood at the foot of the Falls. There we went out +on the rocks as far as we could, and not get too wet with the spray, and +viewed the water as it poured over the cataract and plunged into the +abyss below, beat itself into foam and spray, which settled together +again and formed the angry waves that went rolling and tumbling away to +the sea. There I heard the sound of many waters thundering in their fall +and I thought, while looking at that sublime and wonderful display of +nature, that the waters of the river and creeks of my own "Peninsula +State," after turning hundreds of mills, slaking thirst and giving life +to both man and beast, came there for an outlet. It plunges into Niagara +River and goes gliding away to the ocean; some of it to be picked up by +the wind and rays of the sun and rise in vapor. When formed into clouds +in the atmosphere it is borne back on the wings of the wind, condensed by +the cold air and falls in copious showers of rain upon the earth, to +purify the atmosphere, moisten and fertilize the fields and cause +vegetation to spring forth in its beauty. The rain falling upon the just +and the unjust makes the heart of the husbandman leap for joy, at the +prospect of a bountiful harvest, causes the foliage and the gardens to +put on a more beautiful green, the lilies of the valley and the rose in +the garden ("the transient stars of earth") to unfold themselves more +beautifully. Then the cloud passes away, bearing and sprinkling the +limpid fluid upon other lands, and the sun looks out upon the cool, +healthful, invigorating and refreshing scene. The beautiful rainbow, in +its splendor, seems to span the arch of heaven, placed there as a token +of remembrance, so long before. It lasts but a little while and then +disappears, the cloud also passes away. In this and similar ways the +rivers and creeks are kept supplied with water and the Falls of Niagara +kept continually roaring. + +We went back to the "New York House" and shortly after took the cars for +Dearborn. We arrived there about ten o'clock in the evening. Mother +walked home, to the "Castle," a mile, very spryly. She seemed to feel +first rate. She was pleased to get home. Father and the family had +retired for the night when we got there, but father soon had a light and +a fire and was ready to listen to our stories. We told him how near we +had come losing mother. That uncle had offered to give her a farm if she +would come back, live on it and spend her days by him. We told him what +farm it was; he knew the place as he was well acquainted in that country. +We told him if she went back they could go together and he could carry on +the farm. But the inducement was far too small for them to entertain the +thought of going, for a moment. Michigan was their home, had won their +affections and was their favorite place. + +I told father, that he must go and visit his native place, see how rough +it was and I would go with him. I thought it would appear rougher to him +than he expected or could imagine. He said he would like to go back +sometime and see the country once more. He kept putting it off from year +to year. It is said, "Procrastination is the thief of time." He never +went. He bought him eight acres more land joining his two places. He paid +for it seventy dollars an acre and had some money left. + +Part of the eight acres was a ridge covered with chestnut trees. Father +enjoyed himself there very much, a few of the last falls of his life, +picking up chestnuts. He was a man a little over six feet tall. He walked +straight and erect until the sickness, which terminated his existence in +time, at the age of seventy-six years, in the year 1869. He went the way +of all the earth. The rest of the family and I, missed him very much. Our +counselor and one of our best friends was gone. He had fought his last +battle and finished his course. + +Mother survived him. She gave each of the children a silver piece (they +were all old coins of different nations and times, each worth a dollar or +more) which father had saved in an early day. They were in mother's work +basket in the dark room at Buffalo, were brought in it, through the +fearful storm on Lake Erie, to Michigan and saved through all of our hard +times in the wilderness. I have my piece yet, as a keepsake, and I think +my brother and sisters have theirs. After father's death, mother still +lived at the "Castle" and my sister Bessie, who took all the care of her +in her old age that was possible, stayed with her. All the rest of the +children did every thing they could for her comfort. She felt lonesome +without father, with whom she had spent nearly fifty years of her life. +She lived a little over three years after he was gone and followed him. +She was seventy-one years old, in 1873, when her voice was hushed in +death and mother too was gone. + +We laid her by father's side in a place selected by himself for that +purpose. It is a beautiful place, about a mile and a half southwest of +where they lived and in plain sight of what was their home. + +Long before this there was a voice of one often heard in prayer in the +wilderness, where we first settled, and that voice was mother's. +Father and mother believed in one faith and mother from her youth. For +years they tried to walk hand in hand, in the straight and narrow path, +looking for and hastening to a better country than they had been able to +find on this mundane sphere. + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BARK COVERED HOUSE *** + +This file should be named brkch10.txt or brkch10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, brkch11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, brkch10a.txt + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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