Year: 1878

BBGerersIng Relics Received by sherin


Mcclellan.


Those who have had business at the
county building during the past day or
two may have noticed two queer looking
half-sphericaI stones lying in the en-
trance thereof; and, further, they were
probably unable to guess what the
bowlders were used for. Some, no doubt,
took them for large~sized curbing stones,
which they somewhat resemble, and
others, mayhap, thought nothing of them.
At all events they were objects OF con-
lecture to all visitors. Through the
kindness of Mr.. Mcclellan we are enabled
to give a sketch of the history of these
mill>stOnes, for such they are.


In the year 1917, about sixty years ago,
Peter McKellar (father of the sheriff OF
Wentworth) and a few more highland
Scotch families, settled in that part of
the country now known as the
township of AllbOTo', in the county
of Elgin. It was then a dense wilder
ness, and those daring people settled
away in the very heart Of the forest,
through which it was impossible to drive
a wagon without first cutting out road.
Among the many privations which the
settlers had to endure was the want Of a
mill for grinding grain, the nearest being
about fifty miles away on Kettle creek,
east of st. Thomas. Owing to the total
absence of roads. it of course did not
pay to take grist all that distance, SO
Peter Mcclellan, with the assistance of
Mr.. Minnie, an old stone mason, set TO
work and constructed band-mill. They
took two hard heads Ii. E., granite bowl
dersl, and with great difficulty, for they
| had but few inefficient tools, managed
| to hew these stones into the desired shape.
| Having accomplished this they took
section of & hollow tree and fastened
the neither milestone securely to it. Then
| the upper one was placed upon this and
| held in place by an iron axel running up
! from below, and which had a cross-piece
to allow of the upper stone being lifted.
A beam was then made fast across the
house walls and into it a long piece of
wood was fastened with a swivel joint.
The bottom end of this stick fitted into
hole in the top of the stone near the
side, and completed the primitive
machine. It was operated by two men
who took hold of the bottom of the crank
or lever and whirled the stone around,
while third person fed in the grain. The
sheriff can just remember the men coming
in after an arduous days work logging
or chopping and seeing them working
away at the mill, which stood about
breast high on the floor of the log house.
while the huge log FIRE blszed and
cracked cheeriIy in the huge square fire.
place. The settlers would come in night
after night and grind enough grain to do
them for day or two.


The settlement rapidly prospered
roads were built, and Peter McKellsT
erected a water-mill on Sixteen-miie
creek. This threw the old hand mill out
of work, so it was again transported, this
time into the heart of Middlesex, where
it was used for some years longer, when
it once more fell into desuetude and was
laid aside, and has remained quiesceni
ever since. The sheriff received then,
from namesake Of his day or two ago
in the township of Mosa, county o
Middlesex, and beheid the stones agar
for the FIRST time in fifty years. They
are very interesting relics of the past o
cur country, and afford enduring evidenc,
of the indomitable energy and persever
ance of the men who, in encounterins
and overcoming the hardships and trial
incidental to the time, laid the foundation
of the prosperity of this Canada of ours
Il Toronto Globe.