Grand Rapids herald., 1893-05-07

was horn In Rutland. VI. in ITO. and
their mother. Mary Dodge. In i77A.
They moved 70 Onondags county. n.
Y. and settled on . farm. where they
remained thirty ycara II was there.
In the log cabin house built by the
father. that the twins hrst saw the
light of day.
They are now two quaint little old
women. locking slight and frsil, with
placid. kindly fsccs and snow-white
hair drawn smoothiy down under black
lace caps. Mr. Alderman dresses in
black. MrA Christian In grAy-but the
soft, old fashioned alk 'kerchief folded
around the neck and croasing on the
breast is worn BY both.
Mra. Christian has been twice mar
ried Her first husband, . Nr. Kcseh-
arm, living only eleven months after
their union, leaving her with . con.
who now lives on . farm Just ACROSS
the road from tho mother. Several
years later she married the man whose
name she now bears. but who has been
dead forty-eisht ycarA
Sitting In IN ld-fashioned rocker she
chats Of her early life in New York
state. Of the comfortable log cabin
house. and especially Of the ''loom
room." where the hum and whir Of
wheels made music from morn till
night From little wooden box filed
with old dagucrreotypes and relics Of
the past she produces q spindle boy"
made of white maple wood, given to her
by an uncle when she was . rosy-
checked girl. As she holds il In her
hand memory toles swift leaps bock-
ward, she staods once morc beside the
wheel. and with kindling eye and deft
hand she shows how by this little piece
of wood the big wheel WA kept In mo-
ton.
In reply 70 . question about the boya
of that period the old lady nAively re-
marked 20. guess boys were about tho
same then a. now; they likesl 10 be where
the girls wcrc. Although We worked
hard we had some good times Occa.
sionally we went % singing school and
We had 'bees' and 'sugaring OF parties
NV first wedding was = great gsther.
ing. but the last one we just stood up
and got married with only four wit
ncsseS"
In 1888 her parents moved 70 Illinois,
tool! up land. and made another log
cabin home. which II still standing only
a short distance from where the old
ladies now live. Four years later Mr.
and Mrs Ackerman, who had remained
in New York. started west. and she
gives . graphic description Of the jour
ncy Il sat in this very chair giving
an afYcctionate pat on the srn) up in
the wagon all those long and tedious
weeks" The chair Is n straight bacA
rush bottom rocker. and belonged e.
her grandmother.
Mrs Christian has her second sight
and reads without the aid Of glasses
She has been reading the Bible through
by course this winter. and quite recent
ly committed to memory the third chap
ter Of Colo~sians- Her memory Is re.
markably good. She has not been in
Chicago since 1873 and has never been
on a street car.
Mrs Ackerman has difficulty In talk
ing because Of "a shortnes.s Of breath. ="
hut she speaks with pride Of the work
she accomplished in her younger days
of how in one summer and winter she
spun 800 yards Of cotton and wool-a
yard wide This In how she sums up
the people Of the prcaent day: II think
folks are smart aud like to dress. and
they have little Of everything"
The twins always spend their birth
day together. and their relatives and
friends give them a royal time. Brad
ford Churchill. n brother. lives with
them. On tho 18th 81 laSt September
ne and his wife celebrated their golden
wedding.