The true northerner., 1871-11-03
WHOLE NO. 500.

for his parents, was only claim Of an
Indian trader. At that time there was
only one house ia Kalamazoo, and Of
course that was hotel About this
time Mr.. Nesbitt, his brother Henry, aud
a Mr.. Kelley, who lived on Prairie
Ronde, were travelling either on business
or pleasure, and got lost, and went until
the fourth day without food. The snow
was six inches in depth, and the wan.
derers crossed and recrossed their own
path many times. La the course of
their wanderings they found Kalamazoo
with its one house, aud offered the lady
of the house three Spanish silver dol
lars for meal of victuals. She could
not furnish it, because she had children
and her husband had gone to Copstan-
tine to mill, and she did not know when
he would RETURN, rs the distance was
forty miles. On the fourth day they
reached Mr.. Kelley's house exhausted
and nearly .starved. The good woman
was away, perhaps looking after her hus-
band, and the children were sitting on
the floor around panfull of pudding
and milk, each one with a spoon. The
house cat was also helping herself to
the repast. the children occasionally hit.
ting her over the head with their spoons.
The half frantic men drove them all
away, and took possession Of the COM
pany dinner, as it wa. all there was
cooked in the house.
In 1887 Mr.. Nesbitt moved into the
township of Porter, on the road to Paw
Paw, from Little Prairie, about one
mile from the present village of Law.
ton here he lived seven years, and then
sold out and moved two miles farther
into the wilderness, on to the place he
now owns aud occupies-which is the
eighth new farm that be has COM
menced on, cleared, and made large i'm
proyements. When they moved to the
present residence, Mrs. N. drove the
oxen while her husband cut the road to
their twelve by twelve shanty. Where
the snug little fruit farm now is, and
the venerable couple will probably end
their days in peace and plenty. The
first nine or ten weeks of their rustic
life, Mrs Nesbitt cooked out of doors
under two white-wood trees, with quilt
hung up for door to the shanty. Her
cooking irOn.waee had to be set out un-
der the trees, and the cattle, all having
free range before fences came in fashion,
frequently made themselves too familiar
by putting their noses into the kettles
around the door. Then Mrs. n. blilt a
fence around the house with her own
hands, while her husband was gone to
Paw Paw to mill. La those days gamo
was SO plenty and tame that it was 20
trouble at all to capture any quantity
of it. The large numbers OF deer that
could be seen at once, would hardly be
credited now Mr.. and Mrs. Nesbitt
assared us that they once saw flock
three quarters Of mile in length, mum
bering three or four hundred. In that
army they counted three distinct varie-
ties. Probably they were on their way
to some watering place, or the luxuri
ant grass Of marsh or river bottom
These innocent animals had not then
become accustomed to the sound of tho
rife aud they were wholly unscphsti
Gated in the ways of civilization, and
| the deadly warfare shat has almos. ex
terminated the race in this locality.
The Oldest settler now living In the
township Of Porter, is Mrs. Emma Kin
ney, widow OF Uri Kinney. The next
venerable member of the olden com.
munity Of pioneers, is Mrs. Benjamin.
Reynnells, widow of Benjamin Reyn
nells, Senior; and tho Oldest man living
Of the original settlers, is Mr.. Nesbitt,
the subject Of our sketch. Probably
there is no man now living in Van
Buren county who can relate so varied
and hard an experience. In 1860 his
adventurous spirit called him Gu, to
visit the silver mines in Mexico, in com.
paDy with his brother Henry, now liv.
ing in Kalamazoo. He drove q yoke of
oxen from St Joseph, Missouri, to the
San Joan valley, across the Great