Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-29

The paper prepared by Mr..
Sylvester Tony, which we give be-
low, was read by Miss Mary Bailey,
Mr.. Tony being unable to ue pres
eIlt..
SYLVESTER TONY.
We came to this country October
2, 1851, locating four miles north of
Manchester. The land that my step
father entered had an old log house
on it, l6xlS, made of rough logs and
covered with shakes and poles laid
on to hold them down-rather a
small house for a family of eleven.
Don't think for minute that this
room had no partitions, for it had
made with curtains. If our guests
wanted to lock their door, ali they
had to do was to tie a knot in the
corner Of the curtain. The chimney
was made on the outside with rock
fire place and split rocks above, and
plastered on the inside and out with
the best clay the county could afford.
The children's sleeping room was
upstairs. The floor was made Of
puncheons and we had to be little
careful that we did not step between
them but it was nice place to
sleep. The beds were made on the
floor so, Of course, they were warm
when we went to bed; but if we had
a blizzard in the night, it was not SO
nice to get up, for l have stood in
snow two inches deep to put my
clothes on. To save room, we got
into the upper story of our mansion
on one and one half inch pins in the
corner Of the room.
In the spring of '52, my step
father died and as I was the oldest
boy at home, I rented some land of
Mr.. Bliss where Thorpe is now, put
in four acres of wheat and eight of
corn, taking two yoke of oxen with
me-when one would give out, yoke
up another-it made no difference
if they were both near oxen or off
oxen, their names were Buck and
Bright just the same. 1t the sum-
mer of 80 we had 25 acres broke
on our land, and the following win
ter mother hired man to cut the
rail logs, which l drew around the
braking the next spring as the frost
was going out. l had never split a
rail in my life and 1 thought all 1
had to do was to stick the wedge in
the end Of the log and put on the
muscle. The result was I split Is
rails the first day and spoiled
half as many more but I kept
on until l split them all and
mother and l laid them up
in the fence. for they were all two
men rails. When haying time came
l took my scythe, dinner and a Jug
Of water (the water was not very
good for it was Honey Greek water)
and went three miles on the prairie
to NOW where there was not house
tree or fence in sight. The moving
done, mother and l went with a yoke
Of oxen, hauled it home and stacked
it.
Game was plentiful in the early
fifties. Father killed Is deer the
first winter we were here. went
one morning and got 2 deer within
20 rods of where the Clarence House
in Manchester stands today. To tell
the truth, venison, or what they call
Jerk" hung all over our house.
1t might interest some of you to
know something about our living.
We had corn bread, venison and
milk gravy for breakfast. venisou
milk gravy and corn bread for din
ner; milk gravy, corn bread and
venison for supper. l did not mind
eating that for three or four hundred
meals but l did not like it for steady
diet. | do not think I could cal
venison now, if / knew what it was
and | tell my wife if we don't have
corn bread but once in three years
and | am gone on that day, it is just
as we'll. But the time came wher
we raised wheat, and good whea,
unless damaged by rain. | remem