Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-07-15


came on they would wander off i'm the
woods in search OF the few blades of
grass that grew in the thinner parts
of the woods. AS the season advance
cd they would often be compelled To
enter the marshes i'm search of food.
II was not an uncommon thing for
COWS 10 mire down in the soft ground
and not be able TO get out. When one
or more of the herd failed 10 come
home at night the farmers would al
most invariably find them in the
marshes. To rescue them team of
oxen was taken to the edge of the
marsh and with the aid OF a long
chain fastened around the horns of
the desperate animals the OK team
would pull them out.
Another characteristic Of the times
during the early struggles of the
Thompson family, and their neigh
bors, was the weaving OF the hard
times cloth" This material was pre-
pared in most of the homes of the
neighborhood. The warp of the cloth
was made of cotton and the filling of
wool that had been spun in the home.
Families who were in a position to do
it, would have a few pieces of carpet
woven. Not every one had a loom.
Mrs. Stillman Luscombe did most of
the work for the neighbors as we'll as
herself, in the weaving line.
The school house for the conven-
fence of the pupils of the community
stood on the north east corner Of the
crossing near the present home of
Henry Warner. The first teacher of
the school after Mary Thompson be-
gan to attend there was a lady named
Jane Martin.
on a farm cornering with the
Thompson farm lived the Moon fam
lily. one of the sons, Frank A., later
married Mary Thompson. They soon
went to live on farm close to the
Thompson farm. In fact they lived
there until Mr., Moons death about
sixteen years ago.
The families that came into this
county at that early date were depriv-
ed of fruit, TO which they were accus-
toned in the state of New York. Mr..
Thompson especially owned a large
apple orchard in the east and in the
fall of the year would deliver the
apples TO market at Troy, eighteen
miles from his home, by the wagon
load. When he brought the family
over to Michigan where the fruit was
not started they were forced to live on
the huckleberries, and other wild
fruit that grew in the surrounding
woods. Mrs. Moon tells Of her moth
err going into the woods one day and
finding some wild crab apples. She
gathered them and took them home,
expecting to make preserves out of
them. AS soon as the children saw
them they began to tease their mother
for them. Their persuasion was
stronger than the desire to make the
preserves. The apples were given to
the children for eating out Of hand.
After the death of Mr.. Moon, Mrs.
Moon lived on the farm until the first
of September eight years ago. On
that day fire, originating from an
unknown source destroyed all of the
buildings on the farm, together with
the contents. The barn was the first
TO the smaller barn and the two went
down carrying the seasons hay crop,
about fifty tons, with them. Mrs.
Moon soon after that, came to Beld-
ing To live with some Of her relatives.
For three years she stayed at the
Demorest home on South Bridge
street, then she moved TO a home OF
her own at the corner Of Pleasant and
Ann streets.