The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-09-21
NOTES ON JACKSON COUNTY.
BY ID. MACKLEY.

ne truth OF most ne says. Il nave spent |
many day and night, when a boy wait
ng for my turn at my uncle's old horse
mill
Mr.. Hughes says:
Il will now take my leave of the old
settlers and pay a short visit to Oak Hill,
my own home. This little village, as /
heretofore remarked, contained two /
stores, one blacksmith shop. one tailor |
shop, and when we came there was one |
shoemaker there; but there was not |
much use for him for the reason that al |
most everybody were their own shoe |
makers.
while nearly all had been heretofore
employed as farmers in the old country,
the farmers here had no employment for
those that relied upon their days work
for their livelihood. About ten or IF
teen miles from OUk Hill there were sew
eral blast furnaces, where quite a num-
Der obtained work, leaving their families
in and about Oak Hill and Centerville,
they would return home about once a
month. They were unaccustomed to the
work as well as to their fare, but they
presently became reconciled, because
"All that man hath he will give for his
life" Corn constituted all the bread
stuff of Oak Hill and vicinity, and its
flavor and taste was estimated about the
same by all that had lately come from
Na1a he ha1
wheat but it was impossible to have it
ground about Oak Hill. The people of
Centerville were better off in that respect,
because there was one very good water
mill within seven or eight miles OF them,
while we at Oak Hill only had horse
mill. Very frequently saw over twenty
horses there waiting their turn; the
Americans while thus waiting, seemed to
enjoy themselves well in relating to each
other their adventures, hunting exploits
for wild game, and parching corn in a
piece of an old broken kettle, while thus
waiting for their grinding it would some
times take day or two to reach their
turn. Mr.. John W. Thomas, financial
agent for the Cambria Furnace, has since
erected fine residence over or near the
ruins of the old horse mill, and fine
steam mill has been running at Oak Hill
for many years, grinding wheat and corn,
and thus furnishing all the surrounding
country with -four equal in quality to
that produced anywhere. And indeed it
often seemed fully as gloomy to many in
them days for something to eat as it ap-
peared in days of old to the widow oi
Sarepta, when she was gathering few
sticks for kindling to bake-the last she
had. Although did not hear of any
suffering for the want of the necessaries
of life, none but what did obtain some
thing to meet their actual want, while il
required quite an effort to find any
meat on the bone" in those days. The
Rev. j. A. Davies, Oak Hill, in about fif
teen years afterwards, publicly proclaim
ed that meat" was beginning to grow upon
the bone" Very good meat has been
found on it before this. They were mo-
able usually to raise much surplus foi
sale in the neighborhood then, and in
deed it is wonder that they were able
to provide for the four hundred tha
emigrated there in one season, without
actual suffering, but they were all pro
vided for as well with some kind of shell
ter also. The news came to Oak Hill on'
day that there was -four to be had a
Ridgeway, a small place about ten mile
away some distance below Centerville
One whose heart was full of hatred to
ward the corn bread, arose early on,
morning and started for Ridgeway. t.
obtain a little of the flour with a small
sack on his shoulder He was not tn,
owner of horse, and he had Only money
enough to procure a very small quantity
of the -four; therefore he was too modes
to borrow horse to carry such a small
package, so he walked to Ridgeway, and
bought one dollars worth he got TWEEN
ty-five pounds for his dollar. 1t seemed
to him a small load at first, but after
having carried it to Centerville, it began
to get weightY; he there called into 9
small store, hoping to obtain something
to eat, but they had nothing of the eata
BILE kind. They had whisky, and inGs
much as many claimed that whisky was
meat and drink, he concluded to try q
little of it; while not having very great
faith in it, he only called for FIVE cents
worth He got tumbler full, abont hall
pint. The best whisky in those days
retailed for twenty cents per gallon. II
is highly. probable that the idea Of the
best whisky selling so low will make
many an old topper lick his mouth with
jealous anxiety. Our friend well knew
it would make him drunk therefore he
only drank the half of it. and left the
other half There is an old saying among
the Americans "Let the devil have his
due" SO / will give to Mr.. Whisky what
is due to him While consider it the
worst devil that ever appeared in our
world, and can in all propriety call it
the "chief of devils, and notwithstand-
ing all of that. it seemed to invigorate
our wearied friend for season, as it
usually does; he felt himself animated,
his packages seemed to have become
lighter, and he walked along very cheer
full for the space Of about two miles,
when he began to feel himself becoming
more feeble, and before he had made the
third mile he felt much more weary and
tired than before he drank it, so the
stimulating influence of the drink only
lasted short time, and he began to get
weaker, and when going up the hill by
the Moriah Church he appeared slovenly
and lazy, with the sack on his shoulder,