Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-03-19
Old Times.

Ed. Regtster.-I wish to tell your young
readers how we travelled with teams. The wag-
Ons of early times were not like the wagons
of o-day, gotten up in style and painted SO
to rival the flower of the field in brilliancy
they were great, unwieldly things, with beds
made crooked on the bottom like fiatboat,
the forward end bowed up, both ends sloped
way out before and behind, with bows for
the cover, which extended forward to the
horses or mules. Then they had covered
box on the front end to carry harness, curry
combs, nails, strapr, and general outfit of
tools, to mend break downs. To these
wagons they would hitch four or six horses
or mules, and when, loaded to their fullest
capacity, held an immense amount of plum
der, and looked good deal like vessel ;for
that reason they We're called "prairie schoon-
ers." 4 man could take in all his personal
property with his family Oh top of it all, and
then have room to spare. Merchants used
them to carry their dried fruits, beeswax,
hides, and peltry, to st. Louis or Mississippi
river. Such a journey was no small under
taking; one did not expect to see the driver
and team back again for ten or twelve days.
1t was as much of sight and subject of con-
yersatiOn as a circus is to the small BOYS
nowaoay. eoW, you boys and girls eat your
breakfast at your own table. so lC the city,
spend the day visiting places of interest and
shopping, then home to supper, and no one
will have missed you. / remember the first
time went to st. Louis. / could, for years,
recall every town and farm we passed. The
city, tOrty years ago, did not cover as much
ground as the little iity Of Tronton: all north
and west of Washington Avenue and sixth
Street was blackjack and hazel prairie. We
made the trip with pair of horses and light
carriage in the remarkably short time of two
and one half days. As | was on my way to
be married, do not think we tarried long
by the way, and ii remember rightly, the
miles seemed long ones and the days longer;
but as every thing earthly has an end, Sc did
our journey.
When l was boy and went to school and
sat by that little black eyed girl, we studied
from the same geography. | can recall the
pictures we looked at of the great west, with
its prairies ablaze, and herds of wild horses,
buffalo and deer fleeing before the fire. At
that time the great plains west of the Mis-
sissippi were but little known, only as Il vast
by man! All, what changes have been made;
and if such changes have been made in bali
Il century, what will be the condition OF this
in another half century? If / had
been told that | would have lived to see that
wilderness dotted with cities andtowns, with
the millions of inhabitants, its thousands of
churches, schoolhOuses, its net W orlS of rail-
roads, with trains carrying its passengers
and freight. would hot have believed it.
And now it is PLEASANT to think over those
old times, when neighbors were few and far
between; how we enjoyed log rolling or
house raising! After we built a saw and
grist mill on Stout's Creek, near the spring
called Stout's spring, the mill-race banks had
away and fallen into the race so
that the water was stopped from running to
the mill, we began cleaning it out, and all
the Geighbor men volunteered to help, so
they could get their corn ground. We had
bat few tools, such rs picks and shoveis, and
the neighbors had less; one old man came
with the best he had, big fire shovel, with
a long iron handle; he said it was the best
he had, but every little helped. What jolly
times we had! We took them home to din
ner each dsy, and there we did good work.
One day, after dinner, We started back to
work, and this old man said to me-he had
been great hunter, was slim and 1.-the as a
boy-'I can beat you running to that tree
way ahead of u.s." We snatched our hats
off, and at the word we started; we ran as if |
for life, I think Eeyer was SO nearly beat
en- in race in lay life, he faitly took the |
wind out of me, and such a laugh as it rails (
ed among the other men. How do you think |
would have felt had that seyenty-six-year-
old man beaten me? Those were the kind of |
men we had in those days. Another old I
man was there who was too old to work, but 7
came to encourage the Others" he said; he I
sxt on the bank and told stories of old times, I
md what ne could do when he was young. I
After amusing us all the AFTERNOON it came /
line for him to go home. He came to me,
ook me by the hand and led me to stump :
lear the creek, and said: 81 want to ride
his boss 'cross the creek" I let him get on
NY back and started to wade across the creek.
As the water was quite deep, and he weigh
ID two hundred and sixty pounds, you may
imagine it was not very easy task. / had
o go very slowly and carefully. When /
,ad got about halfway across, he commend
ID to kick me in my sides and say, "git up"
stopped and told him this boss would kick
Up if he did not stop; bat for his age / would
lave dacked him. landed him safely, how j
ver. We used to have fun, after all
The seed-time is near, and the busy cares
If farm life will now claim nv attention I