The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-12-24
REV. wa. AND MIS-. BEYNOLDS'
GOLDEN WEDDING.

Mr.. Reynolds received the following
letter from an old friend, congratulate
ing him on his golden wedding, which
we take pleasure IN publishing;
BESoAL, MICH, Dec. IL. 1878.
Rer Chdvncey and Mrs. sally Reynolds:
My WORTHY BROTHER AND SISTER,
Through the courtesy of yourself, or
some member OF your family, receiv-
ed last week a copy OF the Hillsdale
STANDARD. giving an account of your
Golden Wedding. IL gave me pleasure
To learn that half a century of welded
life had passed, aud still you were
cheerful and happy. surrounded with
all the blessings aud comforts Of life
Lucinda and have often spoken OF
you, for you have always seemed near
10 Us, and we would have been most
happy to have joined in the festivities
Of the 50th anniversary of your happy
welded life. / read with much inter
est the story Of your pioneer life, for
II brought fresh 10 my memory many
incidents that came rnder my own OBJ
servation. / have been a pioneer too,
and while you stood in the front ranks
IN Ionia county, / was numbered with
the first in Clinton county.
L remember very well your going to
Detroit with an OK team, aud bringing
in the first barrel OF salt, for which /
paid (and il was not too much) 81 for
the salt aud SS for freight. The first
barrel of pork ever bought got of
Ephraim Utley and he called il extra
lone hog pork" and 1 paid 80 extra
for It. and when / opened 1t the first
thing saw vas head that weighed
~ pounds and the balance of the bar
rel was mostly made up of one ham,
three shoulders, seventeen legs, and
two tails.
The noble generosity Of your family
has been proverbial, and can testify
to il anywhere. Many and many time.
when have been coming home late at
night with a slow OK team, cold and
stormy, have / found friendly shelter
under your roof, with abundant supply
for all my wants. These liberal acts of
your generous nature have eDdeared
you 10 my memory, and though / never
may repay. l never can forget them.
In the pioneer life we have in many
instances co-operated together, aud
think we can say without boasting we
have performed we'll our part in the
grand drama of life. We have not
only cleared away the forest, driven
back the wild beasts that destroyed
our flocks and herds, and prepared
pleasant homes for those that may
come after us, but we have laid the
foundation for schools and churches,
and moulded the character of the ris-
ing generation for virtue and sobriety.
But now our tolls are ended; we are
treading the down.hill side Of life, and
soon will cross the River. In review
ing the past. we feel that our labor has
not been in vain. The we'll improved
farms. the elegant mansions, the hap
py homes, the graded roads, and count-
less blessings that crown our happy
land, are the fruits Of our toll. We
owe lasting debt Of gratitude TO our
Heavenly Father that we have been
spared TO a ripened old age, 10 see the
happy results of pioneer life, and
that we are not left TO dole out a mis-
erabls existence in the poor house. but
have abundance TO make us comforta-
bic aud happy to the close Of life.
Ia this county we hold annual pio-
neer meetings, and we often hear the
old settlers tell Of the hardships and
trials of pioneer life; but I tell them
that am one Of the oldest settlers and
/ never knew anything OF these hard.
ships-a contented mind will make one
happy anywhere. II we ever come 10
Hillsdale we shall most surely make
you visit, aud there is no one among
all our acquaintances from whom We
would be more happy 10 receive a visit
than you. Atfeciionately.
CORTLAND AND LUcIsDA HfLL.