Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-08-07
PIONEER "REMINISCENCES.
Early Times in Gratiot, Paper Read by
Mrs. William Long OF Washington at
the Pioneer Meeting.

!
II one attempts 10 relate some Of the in
cidenis and recollectiOns of an early day,
one but repeat the same old stories; hnt
as we grow old we seem 10 live more in
/ the past than in the present. ami we often
/ l0ve 10 hear and tell the old stories, and
the story Of one pioneer is quite like that of
faithfully performed, OF trials and disap-
/ pointments bravey borne, of hardships
and priyations patiently endured Of diff
culties Iriumphantly overcome. and OF
tinal success.
While the pioneers were toiling early
and late, opening up their farms, aud lay
ing the foundation for future homes, cleaI-
ing the way and making IL possible for
towns, villages churches, schools colleges,
railroads and all other Improvements to
follow
The wife while cheerfuly and hopeful
ly sharing the privations and the toll, yet
had sphere. the labors and duties of
which were peculiarly her own. She Of
ten had TO appear happy and conlented
when she was sad and lonely, and often
| had to wink the tears back when il would
! have been far easier to have let them tall
attended our pioneer meeting last sum.
mer, also the Clinton and lOuia meeting
and it was the same story of each one when
the old pioneers were tell ~ Ut their early
struggles they would tell Of times when
they had reached the end Of their resources
4 IL. 4 "A -,
to 10 next. think what they did do in
most cases, was to 90 and tell the wife all
about the matter, and somehow she would
ueip him 10 find out Of or around the diff
Guilty, for Il pioneer woman seldom came
to the end of her resources. She could al
WAYS DO something. She, it was, who Of.
ten held up his hands, when her own were
ready to drop. One Old lady said that the
harde / " Ork she had to DO was 10 keep her
husband from having the blues. We We're
not old pioneers When We came INTO the
new county. Some Of us were quite yuunl
and w had 10 learn new lesson every
day as they come. We all came from some
where into the nowne aud We found II "a
and Of plenty There was plenty If woods
and pleaty OF water, plenty 10 DO, and a
great. plenty Of Oth.rg 70 do 1t With 20
f "a necessity, we had 10 set ourselves 10
The task Of learning TO make something
out OF nothing of making very little 90
I great way, If making "a dime DO the
duty OF a dollar. We had TO learn the art
IF remodeing and remaking, of turning a
garment upside down, wrong side out, and
every other way 10 make IL wear until the
asst shred Was worn out-snd then save
lie rest for patches. II was small everv-
day needs that taxed the wife and moth
-r's Ingenuity ana inventive genius.
think We provided for most If our want,
as one Would solve an algebra equation
We eliminated The unknown quantity by
substitution.
The most Of our social events were log
ing bees and raisipgs and while preparr Q
timer one would tell that she used sage or
peppermint for tea, and the rest would
,ay - do l." Some used pumpkin tor
apples in III nee pies. dried rasp6erries for
talsins, strong lye tor soda and the rest
had all done the same. In fact we could
lind a substitute o most every thing We
beeded, because We had to.
One day lat week saw lady coming
Town the road on bicycle and 1t made
ne think of the way | came down that
,ame road one night thirty six years ago,
When We moved into GratiOt county.
vas very tired. had been riding all day
0 IA load Of household goods, with "a babe
ii my lap. over or rather through roads
nat nov we would think utterly impassi-
Die II VS. dark when we stopped at Mr..
Daniel Helems, we could 90 no farther
until daylight They could keep teams
and the two men that came with Us, and
we started to 20 10 Mr.. Nosburg's, Mr..
Long carrying the baby and u yalise while
led the older baby and carried kitten
in cage which he absolutely refused 10
cave behind. We got along quite nicely
4 little way, and then the roaG stopped
There was nothing but logs and slumps
md darkness which my imagination PEG
pled with all the wild animals mentioned
IN natural history. Indians included. A
short distance farther We came TO water
tnd waded behind till 1t got 20 deep tina;
dared not 20 any farther Mr.. Long
said Keep r.ght behind me. and vel com
III, all right told him | Vas Two feet
under water. and VAS. D TIA teet. Then
| took the baby and ne carried our httle
tour-year old boy away in the darkness us
tar as he dare leave him alone sitting On q
stump then came back and took he baby,
while followed climbing ovel logs aud
wadmg through water. This process Ve
repeated nearly half mile then we cam
10 creek too deep 10 wade and TOO wide
TO Jump over. We could find no place ~
get across, and began 10 call for help. W.
80 n heard an answering shout and saw
he glimmerng of IA lantern way 10 In
north Of US, and Mr.. NoSburg came aud
showed us where We could cross over on
a .og How much easier it would have
been if could have come on bicycle
The next day some boards put on top,
~ome laid down Tor floor, pail OF white
wash and AN old broom made an old log
~haniy that iIr. Brady people had once
wed in. - shelter for u. Moyln mo
hat ,Aauty was like packing 4 saratoga
trunk. lit was only l2Xl1 feet We pul
zap TWO beds set up stove, aha every
hing that could be made to hang decor
tteG the logs and the rest sat down On the
Il DOR. bureau was converted into a pantry
pork barrel with a table cloth draped
over the cover did duty a. center taole,
and SIX bushels of potatoes were put under
The bed. IL Was Pheasant weather aud
seem q quite romantic living IN sort ol