Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-10
Emma shadford, of Ottumwa, wife of
o. L Shadford. -.

EIIiHd soHdulOiQ VI oItuiHWd, WllS VI
o. L Shadford. *
Born in Ohio.
Born in Miami county, Ohio, Sep
TENDER % 1922, within ten years after
the last colonial struggle against Eng
land on the then western frontier
among the Indians along the Maumee
river. John Phillips spent the first sew
enteen years of his life.
Much Of this time was spent AS a
yoang lad in rushing and hunting with
Indian boys from whom he learned the
use of bow and arrow at which he
became quite proficient and has never
forgotten the principles of archery as
practiced by the Indians.
In 1889 he migrated with his par.
ents to Iowa, settling in Van Buren,
county near where the present town
of Winchester is situated. TIE town
was not as then in existence, having
been laid out the following year.
Cut Down the First Tree.
ri cut down the first tree legally
cut down in Wapello county said
Mr.. Phillips, his kindly eyes beaming
at the recollectien; Il remember it
as if it we're yesterday There had
teen a heavy frost the night before,
as that was a late spring. wanted to
be the first person in the new, county
to cut down tree, and in order to
make sure that would be the first,
told no one of my plan but arose
very early On the morning Of the day
we were TO stake our claims. 1t was
the LIST Of May. 1913, and, selecting a
burr oak. applied my axe and soon
had it felled before anyone knew what
was about. The tree was used in the
building of our cabin
Reads Good Deal.
Wbei, seen by reporter at his
home on Maple avenue a few days
ago. Mr.. Phillips was sitting on
porch with a copy If Willium Jen-
nings Bryan's Commoner in his
hands. Notwithstanding his adj
vanced years, he reads great deal.
g see by the papers that there is
considerable said about aerial navi-
cation, and I am led to believe that
ii will become more thoroughly I'M
derstood in time recollect when. If
one would assert that man could
stand i'll this city and talk to a man
In Chicago. he would be considered
mentally unbalanced" Continuing,
Mr. Phillips said: People of today
have no idea of the manner of living
and the ways Of the people of my boy
hood compared to the present time.
Horses Did Threshing.
1--WE had our first flour out here in
1874" said Mr. Phillips, "and We
threshed our wheat on the ground
Z! We first cleared level spot Of
ground and cut off the surface with 4
shovel sweeping off the Jumps. and
then We tamped it down as level and
smooth as we could Then taking the
sheaf of wheat. we would open it out
and lay it on the ground with the
heads all lying one way. When tn,
| floor, as it was called, was filed, We
would turn the horses upon it, tramp
ling the stalks and thus causing the
grain to separate from the straw. l
was perhaps not as practical method
as we have today, but it served the
purpose those days After the straw
was picked out of the grain we would
then gather the wheat for the mill
"Of course" Mr.. Phillips went OF
with a smile. ut would be impossible
to separate ell particles of dirt tina
might accumulate in the grain an;
the -four had dark colar like buck
wheat as a result Each flooring con
tanned twelve dozen of sheafs and
was considered good days work t
finish two floorings in day"
Ground Their Grain in Ottumwa.
SAT that time we had to go to Bona
rarte," continued Mr. Phillips, ito d
our grinding, until in 1851 job
Myers built a mill in 0ttumwa. w
thought that Myers price was hig
for he charged Is cents. or one-thir
of the grain for grinding, but as O.
tumwa was becoming the hest noin