The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-17

first was built by Charles Hunt (fath-
er of George Hunt, our first county
clerk, man of excellent business tai
lent, and with all a strong miletory
mani this was on Elkhorn Creek, not
far from the mouth l think; it was
built in the fall of 1907, and was able
to grind for the neighborhood that
winter; which was great accommo-
dation in deed. 1t was covered by
planting poles in the ground with
forks at the upper end to receive
poles, on which other poles were with
placed, called ribs, on which were laid
clapboards for the roof; on them were
laid what is termed weight poles to
hold the boards to their place. which
l believe sheltered the hopper and
meal trough pretty well when the
wind did not blow.
The next mill built was by my faith
er near where the Brightwell Mill now
stands. 1t was like Hunts. a tub
mill, and covered in like manner. The
stones We're two and a half feet dia-
meter, and the runner nine inches
thick and would grind two bushels per
hour
The next was built by VIM. Bulla ad-
joining his farm on which he still
lives; il was covered with a board
shed like the others.
The next was built by Robert Com
er, on a spring branch south side of
the east fork, some three miles east
of Richmond; it was brest mill and
double geared; it was believed to be
able 10 grind at least one bushel per
hour, and being fed by a large spring
near, It was a constant running mill
This mill was sheltered by a log
house which 1 think was hewed a lit
tie, it being the first mill in our com
munity thus furnished.
The next was built by myself few
months afterwards. This mill was
sheltered by a house made of round
poles cut twenty feet long, and cover
ed with a cabin ruff in usual style,
and i'll a favorable stage of water,
could grind two bushels of frost bit
ten corn such as was common in those
days. per hour. | don't know the eX-
act amount of capital required to build
such mills, but l sopose that five hun
dred dollars would have built the three
last named mills.
In the spring of 1907, there was a
herricane which blew down nearly all
the timber on a large portion of the
land wherein Richmond now stands,
which made a secure hideing place for
the small tribe of wild animals, such
as wild cats, foxes, coons, etc, with a
great amount of snakes of different
kinds, especially rattle snakes.I think
| have killed as many as a half dozen
in day when they would be gather
ing in for winter quarters in the river
cliffs. 1t was discovered that there
was a den in a bank where a large
spring issues out near where Straw
fork of Whitewater. The neighbors
made a pen around the spring to pre-
vent their escape, where they killed
them III great abundance of different
kinds.
Two or three years after the great
storm that uprooted the timber so
much, father hired VIM. Cox and Isaac
and Jacob Julian to clear up a large
piece of the fallen timber las we call
ed it,. Isaac was the father of the
Lawyer Jullians of the present day.
Isaac Julian taught a three months
school in the winter about this time
in a cabin a little eastward of this
place. The young men of the neigh
borhood formed a kind of debating
school. There meetings were held at
might in Julians school house. Our