Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-09-05
Aud Lang syne.

EY MRS. WIN. GARRISON.
In September, 1913, we left northern New
York to make home in the fur west. We went
overland to Buffalo, from there on the lakes;
had very rough voyage to Chicago, then over
land most of the time with OK teams and arrived
at our destination on the l4th dayof October. on
the farm Of d. b. Noble. We took up our abode
there for eighteen months. The house was l4x
16 AMI our family consisted Of eight persons,
father, mother, u. b. and Albert Noble (motl,-
cr's brothors) and a Mr.. Molakin.
Provisions were very scarce. We found, d
little salt IN wooden bowl and potatoes in the
ground, these with a little milk In pail hanging
on the wall were all the edibles we found, land
that was all the milk VIC had until the next July.
as the COW was sold the morning we came) but
fortunately we had a little flour we had brought
with us, SO managed to get along, as tho men
were thresling tho wheat 1.-THE oxen were
tramping 1t out OH the ground) quitea different
way than at the present time with tho steam
thresher.
In about two weeks we went to tho Sage mill
near Dubuque, and took twelve bushels of wheat
and that had to last us for flour until spring so
/ had to devise some way to helpit along. We
went to nulling corn rs 1t was called In those
days (hominy now), chopped 1t fine, put a little
flour with 1t, baked 1t in the bake kettle. as We
had no stoves In those days, and we had a loa
good enough for a king, or at least we thought
SO In those days. used 1t six months, had but ont
mess of biscuit and one batch Of light bread dur
| ing that time.
There was quite a lot of wild game, but tn,
men were too much occupied with their variou
kinds Of work to hunt much. so mother learned
to shoot and surprised them with many goo,
meal of prairie chicken. One day some duck
came sailing over and lit in small pond nea
by, Mother looked for ammunition and foun,
two small pieces of lead, enough for two parts o
bullets, but 1t was enough to get two of them.
Dubuque was the nearest postoiIice. MI
Noble went for the mail once. but neglected
take au order for our mail, SO could not get II
but found there was letter. II was six weri;
before we got 1t and that seemed a lohg time
walt, for we had heard nothing from home sine
we left. Letters were worth something in thos
days, as you had to pay 25 cents before yo
could get one.
Tho nearest neighbor we had was in Fac
!. Grove. on the farm Of James Rutherford, the
!, Daniel Browns. There was not quite so muc
J chance to gossip as nowadays.
! In the spring Of 1915 we moved onto the OIL
! farm. which had been previously entered. an
| which we owned at the time of fathers deaf
, eleven years ago.
Indians made US one visit, but 1t proved 10 |
. friendly one. They wanted to buy corn. The
, called for spider. .parched some ate the
I breakfast and left.
l The winters were Intensely cold, some persol
3 losing their way in travelling froze their llml
and others sometimes lost their lives. OK
4 We're their chief teams.
. Schools were not very numerous. j remei
: Der the second school l attended after comil
here. ltwas taught by the Hon. II. w. Terri
+ of your city. He was q child with tho rest of ,
!. except In school hours. He used to say that
S had eyes In the back Of his head, but we fail
|, to see them.
y But. oh, what changes since them And W
n Can help loving our beautiful country. coun
t P.nd home.