Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-11-18
YE ANCIENT MILLER.

est miller in active service In the United
States. His name Is Robert Ryman and
for seventy-four years he has tended the
saw and grist-mill that his father Jacob
Ryman built there ninety-four years
ago. A recent visit to this mill found
tho venerable owner in charge. He is
ninety-one years old, about Ave feet
eight inches high, and will weigh 100
pounds; he Is clearly shaven: his eyes
are deep blue and he uses no glasses:
his hair is light brown in color and
rather thin; no is slightly stopped, but
by his lively manner one would not
think him more than seventy years old.
His head Is about the medium size, and
while not an ideal one would DO consid-
cred phrenologically as belonging to
man OF moro than usual Intellect. His
movements arc quick. and in going up
aud down the steps Of his mill he shows
as much agility as man OF forty. He
can handle two-bushel sack OF
wheat or corn with apparent ease.
His mill is dilapidated. moss-cover-
franc structure. about forty feet long
and twenty feet wide. It contains set
OF burrs. boiling cloth. elevators. etc.,
for making -four. and another set for
grinding corn-meal. 1t has three floors.
the ceilings being extremely low
The wheel that sots tho machinery
in motion Is eleven feet in diam.
eter. and Is what is known as q
breast" wheel. the water striking II
just below the center.
On tho north side Of the Rrist-mill are
tho ruins Of the saw-mill. The saw used
was an upright and the process OF cut
ting. lumber with It was necessarily
slow.
e my father. Jacob Ryman. came to
Kentucky from Pennsylvania about
1895. and bought the old mill property
here" said Robert Ryman. "Thero
Was . common tub mill here and my
father tore 1t down and rebuilt it with
the house you see before you. That was
three years before was born. Father
did . big business. both in grinding
wheat and corn and in saving lumber
When was five years old father died
and the mill was Leased until ] was seven
teen years old. then took charge OF
IL. We had only the seventy-0vo acres
father bought and wo wero poor. Emil
grafton to Kontucky was thon at It's
height. and made considerable money
by saving lumber. Nearly all the older
houses In this section wero built with
lumber sawed by mo. / worked day and
night for many winters. and was thus
enabled to buy $50 acres OF land ad-
joining our little farm. ] then
set to work to buy negroes to till the
land. and before emancipation owned
six mon and four women. made mon.
ey farming, hut the negroes found
costly luxury. and am bottor OF with.
out them. ] WAS too young to enlist In
the war OF 1919 and whom tho Mexican
war came there were so many younger
men anxious to go that did not dosert
my mill. OF course ] was too old to
serve in the war Of the rebellion, but
was o strong Southern sympathizer and
was sorry to see tho South lose tho day.
My only experience with tho soldiers Of
the rebellion was in the horse limo. A
Confederate soldier left q worn-o horse
on my farm and took my best saddle
horse away with him. fed his cast-ofi
animal and Just as got him nico and
fat Federal soldier camo along and
pressed him into service. My mill was
tinued to mako -four and meal all the
time tho war was going on. havedone
50 ever since. grind corn for the
neiRhbors now, and make the flour we
use at homo; besides. many OF our
neighbors like tho -four this old mill
grlnds better than they do the bread
stuff that comes from these new-fsngled
roller-mills.
II was married when twcDty.six years
old and my first wife presented me With
three children. am now living With
my third wife, and have three children
living ] have twenty-five grandchiI.
dren and ton great-grandcbi]dren ]
have had only one spell of sickness in
my life; havo used tobacco (chewing)
since was Ave years old. have eaton
breakfast every morning for the last
eighty years at Ave o'clock. dinner at
twelve and supper at six. drink cof-
fee for breakfast. milk for dinner and
tea for supper. have workod hard
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