The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-22
How Mother Of Fourteen Made Cloth
Ing for Children Out Of Flax
and Cotton She
Raised.
FIRST STOVE IN 1910
No Railroads In Days When Thomas
Bates Attended School in
Private Homes OF
Nelghborhood.

On his eighty-fifth birthday. Thorn
40 ]. Bates told an interesting story
OF pioneer days In Illinois. Mr.
Bates. an old resident of Adams
county, is now living in Quincy. but
was born in Morgan county in 1888.
To the Wing Mr.. Bates told many in
teresting events of h1s early life In
Adams county. Mr.. Bates Is remark.
ably spry for his age and daily is
| seen on the Quincy streets.
His parents, Joseph H Bates and
Nancy Goodpasture Bates, came from
| Overton county. Tennessee, in the
spring of 1880. Thomas J. Bates was
the fifth child in family of fou-
| teen. Two Of these died in infancy,
twelve growing to manhood and wom'
anhood.
Mr.. Bates own story OF his life and
early life in this section as told to
the Wing follows:
Almost everything was different
in the early days from the present.
Farming was carried on in very
crude manner. The wooden mould
board pillow and the A-shaped harrow
were used. Corn was planted by hand
and cultivated with one horse plows.
Grain was cut with the Feaphook or
scythe and cradle and threshed by
hand or with fail or tramped out
with horses. Hors eshoes and horse
shoe nails were all made by hand.
Whiskey was 25 cents per gallon,
and drunken men were rarely seen.
Letter postage was ten cents. There
were no cook stoves. In February,
1S4o-the exact day do not remem-
berthe day the "Milerites" were
going to have the world come to an
end whether or NON this day my
father bought and brought home the
first cook stove I ever saw. Cook
stoves were crude then to what they
are now Mother had whole lot OF
trouble getting hers to work salts
factorily, but finally succeeded. Then
the three-legged pots, ovens. and
skillets were set aside, that mother
had been using many years.
Raised Flax FOR Linen.
I'm these days we raised cotton,
from which mother carded cotton
batting for comforts and quilts; also
spun candle wicking. We raised
flax, too, out of which mother spun
linen yarn and wove linen cloth. from
which she made tablecloths, sheets.
towels and clothes for the children
in summer time.
and hauled to Meredosia and sold
for from $3.50 to 81 net per hundred.
There were no school houses. Schools
were held in private homes and sup
ported by subscription. Tallow cand-
les or crude lamps were used for
making lights. There were no
The gospel was dispensed
by the circuit rider in private homes.
Well do remember the eccentric and
venerable Peter Cartwright, when he
rode the circuit and preached In our
Father Was Minister.
"My father was . great lover OF
He had a splendid voice and
was noted for his singing wherever
he was known. He was also man
Of deep piety and OF strong relig-
ious convictions. When about forty
wears OF age he was licensed to
preach, and two years later he was
ordained q minister OF the Cumber.
land Presbyterian church. He preach
ed for many years. He always main
tanned 1t was better to spend money
[n educating his children than in
adding acres to his half section
farm. Every one OF his twelve chill
dren was sent to college, seminary or
academy, at no small expense. Some
IF them went clean through college,
while others only got part way.
"In 1854 / had my first ride ON a
! was in school at Abing-
lon, ILL.,, and wanted to go home to
Camp Point. At this time the Q. B. az
}. railroad was being built from
9alesburg to Quincy, but was not
so I went to Burlington.
iowa, on the c. B. g. @. and from
here down the river by boat to Quin-
", and from there to Camp Point on
he new railroad. This road was
in 1855.
Married In 1859.
II taught school four winters and
armed in the spring and summer. On
he sixth day of November. 1883,