Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-06-19
CHAPTER vi.
BEGINNING A NEW HOME.


BEGINNING a NEW HOME.
Arriving at their destination each
head of family selected his claim and
at once began the work of erecting a
shelter.
John Parsons and Bill Ritchic selected
claims near to, though not adjoining,
each other, for the country here is
more broken than on the Suscol Ranch,
much of it being unfit for farming or
even for fruit growing; and very few
quart II sections can be found lying
wholly in u valley.
Generally, if the sguattcr could get a
claim, one-half of which was in the val
ley, he was well contented to take the
remainder upon the broken lands lying
upon the bluffs.
Such claim was that which John
and Martha Parsons, assisted by Eras-
tus, selected
"The boy has been faithful" said
John to his wife. II don't know what
you and the girls would have done but
for him, crossin the plains, an mean
to do the square thing by him if ever we
do get ahead bit Besides, the grit
which he showed back at the other
place ought to entitle him to hev his
! advice axed. if only for good manners
sake; specially if it is anything in
which he is intere sted." )"
And thereafter nothing of Importance
to the family was ever fully decided
upon until Erastus had heen given an
opportunity to express an opinion of its
wisdom or feasibility.
The valley in which most of our pill
gr'ms had sought homes was scarcely
more than quarter of mile W, de; the
stream which watered it keeping nearer
to the bluffs upon the right side the
| greater part of the way, but OCCASION
ally curving outward, near to or past
the center of this level strip of ground
between the hills
| Where the stream made one of its
curves, leaving between its channel and
the bluff handsome piece of ground of
perhaps twenty-five acres, which was
slightly higher than the rest of the val
ley, and so not likely to be ovcrllowed
by the water during the winter freshet,
and near to the bluii, which sloped back
gradually for some distance did John
Parsons begin the erection of his humble
home.
Material for building was scarce and
high Lumber could have been OBJ
tanned had the settlers possessed the
means of paying for it; but, lacking
this, they were obliged to do the best
they could with material furnished by
nature upon or near the spot. Some
dug into the sides of the hills, thus Sc
cur ng the walls for three SIDES of their
dwellings,, the roof and front being of
such bits of lumber rs they had brought
with them or could purchase; in some
instances the rude front being of lum.
Der which had once composed dry
goods boxes and in which the clothing
or furniture of the owners had been
brought from the States
Mr.. Parsons and Erastus, in prefer,
ence to this style of half dug-out, de.
cided to build of logs, but to obtain
these they were obliged 10 go several
miles further into the hills and snake
This took much time and hard work,
but willing hands made light OF it, and
three weeks from the day of arrival the
family moved into their new house.
There was but one room, and that moi
large; and the floor was the earth,
smoothed and beaten down. There
were two doors, with II window upon
either side: the latter taken from the
cottage in the Suscol Ranch and
brought through in the wagon with the
bedding carefully packed about them
The furniture consisted of some rough
shelves in one corner sufficient to hold
few pieces of crockery in daily use, q
table, several chairs and two beds
which, with the stove, so filed the sin
gle apartment that there was no room
for another bed, even il they had po,
sessed it; and for the time Erastus slept
in the covered wagon, for which there
was little present use, and later on upon
IA bunk on the dirty floor Of the shanty.
1t was very far from being as com
Portable us the cottage back on the Sus
col Ranch, and as for elegance or effort
at 'respectability" it made none what
ever; was, in fact, rs much below the
log house "back in the States, which
the family had left as the Suscol cottage
had been above it in that regard, enC
this thought kept coming to john Par
sons, and causing him twinges of pair
all the time they were at work on it
but once ia riy domicilel beneath hi.
own roof, poor though he was. with hi
family about him, and with the Cheerful
voice OF his wife ever bidding him tax,
courage, he soon ceased to dwell upof
his disappointment or at least to make
mention of it.
The first thing to be done after til,
shanty was up and tie family safel]
sheltered was the securing of provcnde
for the teams; for while domestic ami
mails will live all winter on what the,
oan nink and In ord mary aaaanna cnn,