The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-04-14


the spirit world. These chiidren went
with their mother after evel'y pan OF
water, one in her arms and the ptner
following. She set them over the fences
one at a time had to leave them sew
eral rods from the spring, and hurry
back for fear the snakes would bite
them. Once when Mr.. Taylor was
with her, they almost stepped on large
rattlesnake, which they thought was the
root of a tree, they killed this one, and
he had thirteen rattles. Mrs. Breed
found one of another variety, called a
black snake, stretched out between two
logs in the chamber of her house. She
at first, thought it was piece of black
cloth and was about to take held of it.,
when she discovered her mistake this
one was killed aud measured six feet
in length.
At this stage of our narrative, the
reader will judge, and with good reason,
that pioneer life had in it many dark
shades and yet we will remind you,
that it also had its enjoyments many
have informed the writer of these plain
truths, that they have never enjoyed
life as well since. With worldly pros.
perity, envy and malice creap into So
ciety, and they are worse enemies to
human happiness than the more easily
destroyed rattlesnake. If our pioneers
had less resources than now, they also
had few wants; and here again the law
of compensation happily comes to
the rescue.
But we will get back from our di
erosion. Mrs. Taylor says that, during
their first summer in the woods, and
before they had a table, they had many
calls from strangers looking land, and
once they entertained gentlemen from
New York city, spreading their humble
fare upon dry goods box, and used
Single bolts for seats, serving the pur.
pose of both ottoman aud sofa. Their
repast consisted of pork, potatoes and
short cake, baked before the log heap
at the door. Their sauce was pre-
serves, made of pumpkin and wild
honey, made tart, and a beautiful color
with cranberries. The gentlemen had
travelled all day, which had sharponed
their appetites, and they assured her
that it was the most delicious meal they
ever ate.
1t was two years after MIR. Taylor
came here before he had team of his
own he then bought a yoke of oxen on
Big Prairie for sixty-fve dollars. Soon
after getting them home, they were out
of sight one morning before break fast,
and he went in pursuit of them did
not return till the next dav at night.
His wife did not know where he was
and, at the end of the second day, be-
came 80 frightened, that she was about
to rally the neighborhood, which was
spa-sely settled, to look for him. After
dark he came, after a journey to the
Prairie, where he bought the oxen, he
found them He had tasted food but
once in the whole time.
The nearest place to work, that Mr..
Taylor had when not engaged on his
own farm, was at Breedsville, where he
went and returno the same day, max
ing travel of seven miles, besides his
days work. Sometimes after shutdown,
he was obliged to remain and dig pota-
toes for pay for his days work, and then
carry home bushel OF them on his
back. This would make it SO late that
he would sometimes lose his way, end
twice he has been lost on his own farm
after it was 80 dark he was unable to
discern the marked trees. Then hal
looing, his wife would meet him, carry
ing a fire brand for light. He has
backed pork from Paw Paw, but felt
thankful to get provisions even under
those difficulties; it was better than
hunger One of the years in this will
derness, there was much suffering on
account of deep snow and intensely cold
weather. Those not having wood near
the house could not get it; and some
resorted to burning their furniture, in
different localities. Mrs. Taylor burned
the "lug pole aud her cake board