Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-05

in log cabins or other small habita-
tons. The door was usually made OF
inch boards. with both wooden hinges
and latch. The latch was about one
half inch thick, two inches wide, and
about twelve inches long. The catch.
to keep the door closed, was fastened
to the lamb of the door. 1t had notch
in the upper side into which the latch
fell when the door was closed. Both
latch and catch were on the inside, and,
when the door was closed, without
some continuance to raise the latch out
of the notch, no one could enter In
order to raise the latch from the out
side, a gimlet hole was bored through
the door about three or four inches
above the latch, a buckskin string
about as large and long as a shoe string
was passed through the hole and down
to the latch and tied 10 it. person
on the outside, desiring to enter, would
pull the string. the latch would raise
out of the notch, and he could enter.
When the pioneer wished to leave his
cabin, in order to lock his door he
would close il after him; then he would
poke the latch string back through the
hole and let it fall on the inside. Then
no one could lift the latch from the
outside, and the cabin would be locked.
Jokes Told Long Ago.
| The early settlers of Andalusia town
ship were a Jolly lot, and many jokes
passed between them. They tell one
on Uncle Harry Eberhart, who was
Fred Titterington's grandfather on his
mothers side Uncle Harry had been
to Rock Island with Il load of 30 bush
els of wheat, which he sold for % cents
a bushCl. He took the price of tha
wheat out in trade at the store, paying
Iticles at corresponding prices. WheT
he got the price of his load traded out
he put the bundle on his shoulder ant
started for his team. But the man he
had brought along with him, supposin:
that Uncle Harry was going TO stay il
town all night, had gone home with the
, team. Uncle Harry finally conclude,
; to stay in town all night, and mex
morning ne started for his home OF
foot with the bundle on his back. NJ.
; father went to Rock Island the sam
t morning, and met Uncle Harry OPPOSITE
| the old Buifum place, just above Anda
: lusia. Father asked him what he ha
on his back Uncle Harry was tire
t and out of humor, for he had carrie
= his bundle for more than ten mile.
: His only reply was: Forty bushels c
a; wheat, by God!'
t The pioneers tell story or my fail
:, er, which I will relate. DR.. Bowma
d kept a store in Andalusia in an earl
# day. The doctor got my father to han
3 a load of goods down from Rock Islam
l. for him. Father was a great smoke
e las most of YOU know. When he e
g his wagon unloaded, he wanted smok
S He felt in all his pockets for his pip
g But he couldn't find it, and infOrmC
s Bowman he had lost his pipe Doc TO
% him to go around behind the count
N and get another. He did so, and as
IF put his new pipe into his mouth
is knocked the old one out
H. In an early day it was common
Il. see men travelling through the count
lie with packs on their backs. Two ms
H. from Andalusia went to Rock IsIaI
5; on foot. They reached the ferry Ian
a. ing On Rock river, and one of the
" asked the fCrryman the price to eros
n He was told the price, and remarkt
:: that he had charged nothing for pack
~ that he took the passenger with all
lg had on his back for the price One
er the men took the other on his ba,
and the two crossed on the ferry f
one fare.
nj Beat the Ferryman.
D. The price for crossing on that fer
| was so much for a team and wage
v whether it had on a large or small loa
al The pioneer farmers down Andalus
d. way, in hauling produce to Rock
n land, would haul two wagon loads
in the bottom and stop near the fer
nv landing. Here they would put bo
ne loads on one of the wagons and pr
If Iceed to Rock Island with the dout
ht load, thereby saving the ferriage
er one team. There was no decepti