St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-08-04

year. Pure, cold water has been hi
'cure-all"
Mr.. Hill is proud to say that he drew
the first stick of timber for the Baptis
meeting house, which overlooks Shei
field village from the north. The frs
mail that ever went from Sheffield wa
carried over the heights to Danville By
Mr.. Hills father on horseback At frs
there were only trails through thu
woods, so that it was impossible t.
have carts and carriages. Sheffield ha:
yet to see two of the later means 0
conveyance the electric car and the
flying machine. Mr.. Hill, of course
easily remembers when the first trains
pulled into st. Johnsbury, but they have
been OF little use to him for travelling
purposes, for never in the 9212 years OIL
his life has he set foot in a railroad train.
He declares If were going to Boston
today, I'd have my own pair of horses
and wouldn't be dependent upon any
railroad. Mr.. Hill wishes to regulate
his time of travelling and length and
place OF stops to suit his own con-
venience. But when asked about auto
mobiles, he said he should feel queer in
one and preferred a good team. He is
an active man still. The reporter walked
quarter of mile out of the village, to
find him at 1870 a. M, returning home
with his hoe over his shoulder, from his
potato patch, where he had been work
ing in the hot sun since $50 in the
morning. Besides this he plants every
year and keeps without weed, a good,
large, thriving garden near his home.
No man speaks anything but good of
" Uncle Timothy" as he is Familiarity
called, and the children especially like
him. AS for his attitude toward Others,
his own words express it fully: "It
have an enemy in this world, l don't
know where he is"
Mrs. MARY (ALDRIcD JnsoN. j..
Mary Aldrich, now Mrs. Jilson, was
born May 3, 1917. Her early life was
series of experiences which would seem
severe hardship to the present day gener-
alton. Her father had moved his family
to Island Pond when the little girl was
but Is years old. The deep, primeval
forest covered the town site at that time,
and there were only 16 or II widely scat
tered farms in the vicinity Their log
home was built in the dense woods by
her father. At first they had a roof over
their heads but no door, a skin being
substituted for the latter. Wild animals
were plentiful and every evening about
nine o'clock bears were heard crying
down the mountain to the meadows,
and again when returning before dawn.
For tive weeks mother and daughter kept
the home in the woods while the father
was away, at work in another town.
When he came back he constructed a
door tor the cabin, so that it could be
closed up. In the meantime the forest
was opened little, the brush burned,
and finally, in place where only wilder
less had been, small cultivated spot
appeared. Flax was grown and then
anne spinning, weaving and making of
clothes. These meant tireless industry,
or of course all other household duties
had to be performed every day. "Yet,"
says Mrs. Jilson," took more comfort
hen in the woods, than years after"
Same was plentiful; wild fruit, such as
,aspberries' and blueberries grew in pro-
uslon in every swamp and open place
\ crude form of sugar-making was car
led on after this fashion: A big birch
rec was pealed, and from the bark rude
buckets were made and sealed water
light with gum. A cash was made in
he maple with an axe and when little
zap had run into the birch receptacles it
vas carried to a big iron kettle over an
open fire and boiled until q little poor
maple sugar resulted. Miss Aldrich car
led on such a sugar place when she was
'ut IA years old. Her father was in poor
lealth and the brave little girl had to
ramp through the snow and water
With her low shoes, once in a while TAX
ng off her soaked stockings, wringing
hem and then putting them on again
o continue the work. For two years
he was in Barton, where she learned
alloring, as she was naturally very
lett with the needle. She was married
n 1886, and lived in Barton, South Bar
on, and tor about 16 years in Brewing
on. Sheffield and Wheelock have been
Ter home and she now lives with her
laughter and daughters husband. Mr..
md Mrs. Paul Willard. Mrs. Tilson has
een tor IA years in Sheffield.
Her recollections of olden times are
Many. She used to knit as many as 80 |
airs OF sale footings' in year; these
rought 70 cents in war times and SO |
ents in other times. Her first wages
we're 90 cents week. Twenty.t three
ollars was no unusual price to paw for
web OF sheeting; or was SO cents for a
ard OF common cotton cloth. For
ears there were no horses at Island
'ond, the work being done by oxen.
pples, now so common, were then un-
card OF. Brooms were made by peeling
birch stick into thin strips of bark,
inch were allowed to remain attached
the handle. The stripped end was
ut OFT; the other, slit, peeled and the
trips brought down, then the whole
undle LETT at the end of the stick was
ed around with wicopy bark. In those
avs the fireplace was not an ornament
ut necessity; the stage coach seemed
marvel OF speed and convenience; flint
nd steel formed vital part of every
ousehold equipment; the telephone was
nc OF the unrevealed mysteries.
All through her long life Mrs. Jilson
IS nursed the sick and helped her
'lghbors in all ways as herself Her |
es are now dimmed and deafness |
axes it difficult for her to converse
18th visitors; but notwithstanding i
ese and other infrmites, she does ali i
G can to help in the home work. More
'er, Mrs. Jllson is progressive and ,
clares cheerfully, "If | can with two q
od canes get out to the electric cars f
nenever they reach Sheffield, III do it