The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-10

leaves were used as q part OF the cover
Jag. The reward CT their labor was a
beautiful crop of corn aud potatoes, and
the best quality of vegetables in great
variety. The seed was brought froa
Ohio aud outdid itself in the change O
soil aud climate. The floor of the nev
house was made Of split Eastwood anC
was really nice and white. The frs
summer the logs were loft without
thinking in the sides of the building
which was source of great uueaSiness
aud discomfort to Mrs. Rug. es, on
account of the wolves that prowled ar
round the domicil nights ; cautiously
she tucked in the arms aud legs of The
little sleepers, under cover, before she
retired to rest. The first few years
there were no fences o. the farm, and
the little flock Of sheep aud calves had
to be looked after every nlgh', and
brought into the fold. One sheep only
was captured by black bear, and in
his hurry to get it away he dragged it
between two saplings aud left it.
Mr. Ruggles lived on this farm
twenty-six years, and built on it the
first frame barn 10 the town of Hartford
also Mrs Ruggles wore the first piece
of cloth that was made 10 the county, in
loom made after they arrived here
All the clothing for the large family
vas made, rom wool or flax, in the log
house, which was so near the large trees
that care bad to be taken to keep them
from falling 90 the house-whilc chop
ping for clearing. Once, by 'ree
swaying in the direction not intended,
the house appeared in imminent dau-
ger of being crushed, SO that the child
rem and all the valuables were removed,
though they escaped the impending
doom.
Just after the family moved into a
new frame house-before removing pro-
visions, clothing, and a piece of satlnett
cloth in the loom, from the old house,
it was burned to the ground in the
night, with many articles Of value, aud
all their family supplies until harvest
time. This was in the month of Jauu.
airy, and Mr.. Ruggles and the older
boys were obliged to work by the day
to replace tie provisions that were con.
sumed in the house.
In February IS49. a remarkable and
thrilling incident occurred in the Rug
giles family, by which, Eli Ruggles, now
a resident of Decatur, then fifteen years
of age, escaped mireculously with his
life. 1t was on Sunday when the
family had been away to meeting with
their sled and oxen. During their
absence one of the younger boys h ad
dropped the well bucket into the we'll,
and Eli vent down on the rope to the
bottom to obtain it, bis father holding
firmly the windlass. Placing a foot on
each side on a stone, while he reached
over for the bucket, one of the stones
gave way and tell in, from that the one
above it, unit the boy saw that the
whole wall was tumbling in; quick as
thought he shoutad for help, and bis
father commenced turning the windlass
and he, to accelerate his escape, climbed
the rope, but with all their hurryiug,
ten feet before he reached the top Of
the well. the whole wall but few feet
around the top-which was frozen-
caved 10, filing the we'll four feet above
the boys head. His arms being in a
position, climbing, to keep the stones
from all their crushing weight on his
body and head he was saved. A small
boy was dispatched on horse to rally
help, and the stones, one by oue re
moved, by neighbors who had collected
to help the distressed family. 10 two
hours and forty minutes, the last obsta-
Gle to the unfortunate young mans re-
lease was removed aud he was drawn
out in rejoicing by sympatbisins neigh
bors. Apsel Reynolds and Samuel
were the brave men WHO
went into the well to remove the stones,
Such self-sacrafcing acts, that endan-
gered their own lives, are worthy of
record in history, and they are living
testimony against the doctrine Of totaI
lepravity,
Mr. Rugoles has been sorely afflicted /