Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-12

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TO load and harness and hitch up and
go to the mill without assistance. NY
uncle and Purvis, our hired man, were
busy with the chopping and we were
out of -four and meal. II took lot
of them to keep the axes going. So
| filled two sacks with corn and two
with wheat and put them into the
box wagon, for the ground was bare,
aad hitched up my horses and set out.
| reached the mill safely and be-
fore the grain was ground the earth
and the sky above were white with
snow driving down In cold, stiff
wind out of the northwest. | loaded
my grists and covered them with a
blanket and hurried away. The snow
! came so fast that 1t almost blinded
me. There were times when | could
! scarcely see the road or the horses.
The wind came colder and soon it
was hard work TO hold the reins and
keep my hands from freezing.
! Suddenly the wheels began jumping
over rocks. The norses were in the
ditch. / knew Whist was the matter,
for my eyes had been filling with snow
and had had to brush them often. Of
course the team had suffered in a like
manner. Before I could stop / heard
the crack of felly and front wheel
dropped to its hub. l checked the
horses and jumped out and went to
their heads and cleared their eyes. The
snow was up to my knees then.
How the thought of that broken
wheel smote me! 1t was our only
heavy wagon, and we having to pay
the mortgage! What would my uncle
say? The query brought tears to my
eyes.
| unhitched and led my horses up
into the cover of the pines How crate
full 1t seemed, for the wind was slack
below but bowling in the tfeetops! I
knew that was four miles from home
and knew not how was to get there.
Chilled to the bone, I gathered some
pitch pine and soon had fire going
with my flint and tinder. I knew that
/ could mount one of the horses and
lead the other and reach home prob
ably. But there was the grist. We
needed that; | knew that we should |
have to go hungry without the grist. |
1t would get wet from above and be- |
low if | tried to carry it on the back |
of horse. | warmed myself by the
fire and hitched my team near 1t so as
to thaw the frost out of their forelocks |
and eyebrows. felt In my coat pock-
cts aud found a handful of nails
everybody carried nails in one pocket
in those days-and I remember that
my uncle's pockets were a museum of
bolts and nut and screws and wash
ers.
The idea occurred to me that would
make kind of sled which was called
a jumper
So | got my ak out Of the wagon
and soon found a couple of small trees
with the right. crook for the forward
end of a runner, and cut them and
hewed their bottoms as smoothly as
could. Then / made notches in them
near the top Of their crooks and fitted
a stout stick into the notches and Sc
cured 1t with nails driven by the ak
head. Thus g0t hold for my evener.
That done, I chopped and hewed an
arch to cross the middle of the run
ners and hold them apart and used
MI my nails to secure and brace 1t.
got the two boards which were fas-
tened together and constituted my
wagon seat and laid them over the
arch and front brace. How to make
hem fast was my worst problem. /
succeeded In splitting a green stick
% hold the bolt of the evener Just un-
Ter Its head while heated its lower
End in the fire and kept its head cool
With snow. With this | burnt hole
n the end of each board and fastened
hem to the front brace with withes Of
II was late in the day and there was
10 time for the slow process of burn
ng more holes, so | notched the other
nds of the boards and lashed them to
he rear brace with length of my
ems. Then retempered my bolt and
rought up the grist and chain and
astened the latter between the boards
4 the middle Of the front brace,
itched my team to the chain and set
ut again, sitting on the bags.
1t was pitch dark and the horses
'ading to their bellies and the snow
oming faster when we turned into
iattleroad. Soon heard loud hal
20 and knew that it was the voice of
lncle Peabody. He had started out
meet me in the storm and Shep was
Tith him.
Thank God I've found yem he
houted. "Im blind and tired out and
couldn't keep lantern goin to save 1
he. Are ye froze?"
I'm all right, but these horses are
wful tired. Had to let EN- rest every
w minutes"
told him about the wagon-and
Dw 1t relieved me to hear him say:
"As long as you're all right, boy, :
mt goin' TO worry bout the oil wag- y
mot bit. Whered We git yer s.
lmper?" 8
Made 1t with the ak and some 4
lils,' answered. q
After we got to the barn door at last q