Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-04-03
"REMINISCENCES OF ALMA.


April, 1884, walking to this place from
Lansing. He bought 100 acres of gov
ernment land, lying just west of the
Ann Arbor depot. The first season he
cleared space for garden, and the fol
lowing fall and winter continued to cut
timber so as to have larger acreage tC
plant the next spring.
In the fall of lS55, Billy began tC
build a "shanty" with view to "keepin
house" although he was living life OF
single blessedness. Emory Adams
William Rogers, James KreSs. Elijah
Rice, and man named Porter came tC
the 'raisin'." They got the shanty -four
logs high, Notwithstanding the rain
was pouring down in torrents. Work
was Supended until the next day. The
logs were so heavy that Billy" CON
cluded to put up ii dwelling less preten-
tious than he had at first intended. But
this day, too, the elements We're against
him, and for a second time the "raisin -
was postponed When the third attempt
was made, the neighbors who had helped
him on two previous occasions could
not be there, and Billy had to hire "A
man to split logs, and with his help soon
had comfortable abode, II feet square.
He lived alone and did his own house
work. " He used to change work with
Dan" Sullivan, and as il result Of their
joint labors, Billy" soon had 3, acres
OF land cleared.
The years lS56-51 are known by 'old
inhabitants as the starvation time. 3"
The frosts of the early spring and the
drought of the summer killed every
thing and in consequence there was
great and prolonged suffering. Many
people lived on "leels' for months,
glad even TO get these The need and
sufferings of the hardy pioneers finally
became known in more favored local
tiles, and food and supplies We're sent in
abundance and the needs of those who
toiled that later generation might
enjoy the fruits Of their labors, were
supplied until mother earth" should
again yield of her increase.
Martha Woodin, now Mrs. Elias Smith
of st. Louis, taught school in il log house.
which stood almost exactly where the
beautiful main building of Alma college
now stands. She boarded with Emory
Adams, and often had 10 carry a reyol-
yer as Il means Of defense against wild
cats. There were not many pupils in
this school, but among them were
Louise Ely Mrs. w. S. Turcl, )Jcannette
Adams, Mrs ID. r. Sullivan.J and
Rachel kress, Mrs. Geo. Gee. Mrs.
Turck, in speaking of this school. says
that for days and weeks at time, she
was the only pupil in school Mrs.
Turck relates one incident of her school
days which, she says. will ever remain
as vividly in her mind as it was on that
day, nearly forty years ago. She was
going to school through the woods, from
her fathers house, which, it will be
stood about where Tinker
u Hannah Office now stands. With
her was younger sister, Mrs Henry
Brewbaker) They were going happily
along, swinging their dinner pals, when
al at once they Were startled by cry
from their teacher Miss Woodim who |
stood some distance in front of them,
to an object crouching in the
brush not far from them, which proved |
to be wolf Mrs Turck, conscious that
she and her sister might he the "piece
de resistance" at that VOLTS dinner. |
dropped her dinner pail, picked up her
sister, aud ran with all haste to the pro-
tecting arms of teacher and the trio |
were soon behind the sheltering walls of |
the school house.
There were not many boys in this
school, although it was not advertised as
A young ladies' seminary, but the boys |
were needed in the woods and in the field. |
One of the boys of that time has con-
fessed to the writer Of these chronicles
that he was too big and too busy to go
10 school, but admits, with blush, al
though little ones now call him grand
pa, that he was mighty sweet" on the
school ma am.