The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-04-25
HOW WHEAT WAS GROUND SIXTY
YEARS AGO.
Iniere'tins Relies Received by hheriT
McKcIlar,


Mcclellan
Those who have had business at the
county building during the past day or
two may have noticed two queer looking
half spherical stones lying in the en-
trance thereof; and, further, they were
probably unable TO guess what the
powders were used for. Some, no doubt,
took them for large-sized curbing stones,
which they somewhat resemble, and
others, mayfair, thought nothing of them.
AT all events they were objects OF con-
lecture to all visitors. Through the
kindness of Mr.. Mcclellan we are enabled
to give a sketch Of the history of these
mill-stones, for such they are.
In the year 1917, about sixty years ago,
Peter Mcclellan father of the sheriff O.
Wentworth) and a few more highland
Scotch families, settled in that part of
the country now known as the
township of Allboro', in the county
OF Elgin. 1t vas then a dense wilder
ness, and those daring people settled
away in the very heart of the forest,
through which it was impossible to drive
a wagon without first cutting out q road
Among the many privations which the
settlers had to endure was the want OF a
mill for grinding grain, the nearest being
about fifty miles away on Kettle creek,
east OF St. Thomas Owing To the total
absence of roads, it of course did not
pay 20 take grist all that distance, so
Peter Mcclellan, with the assistance OF
Mr.. Minnie, an old stone mason, set to
work and constructed a hand.mill. They
took two hard heads ii. e., granite bowl
ders), and with great difficulty, tor they
had but a few inefficient tools, managed
to hew these stones into the desired shape.
Having accomplished this they took a
section OF & hollow tree and fastened
the neither milestone securely to it, Then
the upper one was placed upon this and
held in place by an iron axel running up
from below, and which had a cross-piece
to allow of the upper stone being lifted.
A beam was then made fast across the
house walls and into it a long piece of
wood was fastened with a swivel joint.
The bottom end of this stick fitted into
a hole in the top of the stone near the
side, and completed the primitive
machine. 1t was operated by two men
who took hold of the bottom OF the crank
or lever and whirle1 the stone around,
while a third person fed in the grain. The
sheriff can just remember the men coming
in after an arduous days work logging
or chopping and seeing them working
away at the mill, which stood about
breast high on the floor of the log house,
while the huge log FIRE hlazed and
cracked cheeriIy in the huge square fire.
place. The settlers would come in night
after night and grind enough grain to do
them for a day or two.
The settlement rapidly ~prospered
roads were built, and Peter Mcclellan
a water.mill on Sixteen-mile |
creek. This threw the old hand mill out
of work, 80 it was again transported, this
time into the heart OF Middlesex, where
it was used for some years longer, when
it once more fell into desuetude and was
laid aside, and has remained quiescent
ever since. The sheriff received them
from n nsmesake Of his a day or two ago,
in the township of Mosa, county of
Middlesex, and beheld the stones again
for the frs. time in fifty years. They
are very interesting relics of the past of
our country, and afford enduring evidence
of the indomitable energy and persever,
OF the men who, in encOuntering
and overcoming the hardships and trials
incidental to the time, laid the foundation
Of the prosperity of this Canada of ours.
y Toronto Globe.