Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-09-15
SYNOPSIS.
PAGE TWO

1oI, Win lne!r Two cnl!oren. Josiah and
betsey. travel by wagon from their home
Of plenty. Their ddestina ton is the co ae
try OF the sangamon. in Illinois.
CHAPTER II.-At Niagara Falls they
meet party of immigrants, among them
3 youth named John Mcneil. who also
Ali Of the p party sutres from fever ve" and
ague. Sarah's ministrations save the life
OF a youth. Harry Needles. In the last
Traylors. They reach New Salem, Illinois
ana are welcomed by young ABE Lin
The logs for the new house were
ready two days after the cutting be-
gan. Martin Waddell and Samuel Hill
sent teams to haul them. John Cam
eron and Peter Lukins had brought
the window sash and some clapboards
from Beardstown in small flatbOat.
Then came the day Of the raising-a
clear, warm day early in September.
All the men from the village and the
near farms gathered to help make a
and Jack Kels0 went out for hunt
after the cutting and brought in a
fat buck and many grouse for the bee
dinner, to which every woman Of the
neighbOrhOOd made a contribution of
cake or pie or cookies or doughnuts.
"What will be my part?" Samson
had inquired Of Kelso.
Nothing but jug Of whisky and a
kind word and house warming"
Kelso had answered.
and made pins to bind them and cut
those that were to go around the fire.
place and window spaces. Strong,
willing and well-trained hands hewed
and fitted the logs together. AleXan-
der Ferguson lined the fireplace with
curious mortar made Of clay in which
he mixed grass for binder. This NOR
tar he rolled into layers called "cats."
each eight inches long and three inches
thick. Then he laid them against the
logs and held them in place with a
woven network of stocks. The first
fire-a slow one-haked the clay into
a rigid stone-like sheath inside the
logs and presently the sticks were
burned away. The women had cooked
the meats by an open fire and spread
the dinner on table Of rough boards
Resting on poles set in crotches. At
noon one of them sounded conch
shell. Then with shouts of Joy the
men hurried to the 6reside and for
moment there was a great spluttering
over the wash basins. Before they
ate, every man except Abe and Sam
son "t,ok pull at the jug-long or
sh0rt'-to quote phrase Of the time.
It was a cheerful company that sat
down upon the grass around the table
with loaded plates. Their food had
its extra seasoning Of merry jests and
loud laughter. Sarah was little
shocked at the fortnight directness
of their eating, no knives or forks or
napkins being needed in that process.
Having eaten, washed and packed
away their dishes the women went
home at two. Before they had gone
Samson's ears caught thunder Of
horses feet in the distance Looking
in its direction he saw cloud Of dust
in the road and band Of horsemen
riding toward them at full speed. Abe
came to him and said:
Il see the boys from Clary's Grove
are coming. Il they get mean, let me
deal with 'em. It's my responsibility
I wouldn't wonder IL they had some
of Offut's whisky with them"
The boys arrived in cloud Of
dust and chorus of Indian whoops
and dismounted and hobbled their
horses. They came toward the work.
ers, led by burly Jack Armstrong, q
stalwart, hard-faced blacksmith of
about twenty-five with broad, heavy
shoulders. whose name has gone into
history. They had been drinking some
but no one of them was in the least
degree off his balance. They scuffled
around the jug for moment in per-
feet good nature and then Abe and
Mrs. Waddell provided them with the
best remnants of the dinner. They
were rather noisy. Soon they went
up on the roof to help with the rafters
and the clapboarding. They worked
well few minutes and suddenly they
= SnAiO oSA01uUuuS uVWu LUZ duOlASA
pull at the jug. They were out for q
spree and Abe knew it and knew furth.
er that they had reached the limit
of discretion.
"Boys, there are ladies here and
we've got to be careful" he said
''Le's stick to the job till four o'clock.
Then we'll knock of for refresh
ments."
The young jewellers gathered in 4
group and began to whisper together
Samson writes that It became evident
then they were going to make trouble
and says:
1--WE had left the children at Rut
ledge's in the care Of Ann. I went tt
Sarah and told her she had better &