USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon County, Ill. > Part 3
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Eileen Hochwow
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dispensable, to make the more or less open huts tolerably comfortable in severe winter westher. Some of the better houses were weather-boarded with clapboards, split from oak timber and shaved. There was no lumber save that samed at the local mills, for there were no facilities for shipping in pine lumber, and the labor of hauling it by wagon from Chicago or St. Louis would be to tedious a. d expensive to be thought of.
COOKING.
I think there wasn't a cooking-stove in South Sangamon sixty-three years ago, though a few people had besun to use them in Springfield. The skillet, the iron pot, the "Dutch oven," and the coffee pot were the exolu- sive utensils, and many impecunious ones worried along with only a skillet and coffee pot, using the first-named article for cooking meat, bread, green or dried fruit, etc. The "Dutch oven" was something like a skillet, but higher, and supplied with a cast lid, with a standing rim to pre- vet the hot coals placed thereon, to areiat in the cook- ing, from falling off.
FUEL.
Nothing was used but wood, which was cut in the woods, eight or ten feet in length, and hauled on the run- ning tears of the waron. The vast possibilities in fuel that underlay Sangamon terra firma had not yet been reveal- ed. It is true that the blacksmiths of this vicinity coca- sionally sent magone to Spring Creek for "stone coal, " as they called it ( that cropped out spontaneously along the banke of that stream, ) to combine with charcoal for heating their iron, but no one thought of using it for fuel. food 728 very clean, the principal expenre being the hauling.
PILLS.
Come of the present local encration marvel, knowing how rapidly Sugar Creek's high waters run down, how watermills along its banke ever could have been made to pay. hell, the fact is, they never did way, and were built prin- cipally to accommodate the community. But at the time of which I write, the stream was much longer running down than at the present time. Then there was scarcely any drainage, there being no railroads with their ditches, the prairies being almost rholly unbroken, and the small water courses and ponde being much longer discharging their waters into
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the creek. Within the limits of the territory in question, there were two mills, both for sawing and grinding, viz: Rauch's, in the south end of the township, and Crow's, six or seven miles belor, with a superannuated one between the two. There was aleo Black's horse and ox mill, alluded to in a previous paper.
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THE VIRGIN PRAIRILS.
The prairies, both on the east and west of Su- gar Creek "timber," with the exception of email fields skirting said "timber, " had never been burromed into by the prairie plow, and there were thousands of acres still unentered, to be had at government prices, $1.25 an acre. Nearly all the settlers were from timbered countries, and were unwilling to pitch their cabins away from the woods. In the broad prairies the grass would grow to a height of three to six feet. This grass was the breeding-place and rendezvous of the dreaded "green-head" fly, and it was al- most, andsometimes quite, perilous to the horses to be rode or driven across the prairies on a summer day, without fly nets or other protection for the beasts. Cattle, that wandered away from home, suffered fearfully, and would make their way to the shale before the intense heat of the day. Very few people had fenced pastures, and all the "range, " both in and out of the "timber, " was open and free.
GAIL.
Turing the score of years succesding the first settlements, the rifles of the pioneers had, to some ex- font, tinned out the care, but in '40 deer , turkeys, etc., could still be found in the Apple Creek, lich: Creek, fugar Creek and Forse Creek regions. There were many experienced hunters living in the community, and it was customary for three, four or five of these hardened warriors to rig up & covered wagon in the winter season, with provisions, cool :- ing tools, bedding and ammunition, and drive over into or- can or the wilds of Christian County for a week's hunt. They seldom failed to bring home from three to half a dozen deer carcasses, and a few turkeys. Frairie chickens at that time and for years thereafter were very abundant. l'any of the old hunters scoffed at a shotgun, and wouldn't deign to shoot at so insignificant & bird as a "chicken, " but the adoles- cent Mimrods were not above shooting and trapping them. Cne
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of the proudest morning'e of the writer's life was the one on which he found four fine, fat prairie chickens in his trap.
BEASTS OF BURDEN. .
Nearly every farmer kept one or more yoke of "work cattle, " and the greater part of the heavy hauling was performed by oxen. Frairle breaking was always don e with ox teams, and a single poir was often seen plowing old ground. Wany a time I have seen families going to "meeting" (no one called it "church" then, ) in a wason pro- pelled by a yoke of oxen. Tules were not raised extensive- ly, and a pair of work mules was seldom ceen.
IMPLEMENTS AND CULTIVATION.
The farming machinery, though not as a rule as that pictured in histories of Pible times, was vastly be- hind that of the present day. All the breaking plowe had wooden mould boards, and only the share would "scour." early as 1842, however, 9. F. Jewett, of Springfield, pat- ented a plow with a cast-iron mould board, which though far from working perfectly, had quite a run, until John Uhler, a Springfield blacksmith, began the manufacture of a plow that beat the "Jewett" all "hollow" for good work, and for years he couldn't su ply the demand for his plows. Other good plows came into vogue, and the wooden mould board was a thing of the past. There was but one pattern of harrow the old ":" harrow. No such thing as a corn planter had yet been devised, or even a "marker." In breaking ground for corn, the "cut and cover" plan was followed by shift- less forsere. The clevis was set over to the side of the bean, causing the plow to take so much "land, " thist & strip of ground four to six inches wide has left intact, though the dirt, of course, covered it as it fell over. The ground for planting was laid off one way with one horse and a corn plow, and then was in shape for planting, for which operation three hands were required, viz: a mon with two horses and a breaking plow to lay off the rows, a boy to follow, dropping the corn in the cross, fros a small bas- ket or bucket, and a shovel or "bull tongue" to follow the dropper to cover the corn. Ten acres a day was a big day's work. As all the "tending" of the crops had to be performed with one-horse plows ( the inventors of cultivators and riding- plows not having yet mode their appearance) 20 to 25 aces was a goodseason's work for one man. Cats and wheat were
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sowed broadcast, generally, and "brushed in," i. e., the top of a tree was hauled over them, as the previous year's corn stalke wereusually plowed under, thus preventing the use of the harrow. The harness ( called "gears, ") consist- ed of bridle, wooden hance, collar (many used homemade shuck collars, ) backband and trace chains, with no breech- ing. The single "rope" line was enerally used, especially in plowing. It was attached to the bridle rein (and if a two-horse team) to that of the "near" horse. A straight pull meant "haw," and a jerk signified "gee, " and a well- trained horse well understood and obeyed these signals!
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THE HARVESTING.
Tas performed strictly by hand and "elbow
grease." Grain was cut by the cradle, and grass (the wild prairie grass) with the scythe, for reaping and mowing na- chines were yet to be invented. An expert cradler, (if he was a willing man) could cut five acres a day. very able- bodied youth delighted to secure work among a ang of har- vect hande, for they were ever a jolly set. Every three or four "rounds," unless they were working for a very "puch- ing" man, the gang would sit down and exchange fearful tales of prowess in the harvest fielde, or elsewhere, and what was still more bewitching, the girls would bring out a sumptious lunch ("piece, " they called it, ) in mid-forenoon, and mid- afternoon, and the worknen being apparently hollow, could always appropriate their five meals a day.
THRESHING.
As only a cemi- ocasional farter boasted a barn (no one thought of calling the log stables barns, ) all grain was stacked. The horse power was just beginning to be heard of, and the greater part of the threshing was cone by "tramping out." if no barn floor was available, a place in the stack yard was cleaned off for a tramping- floor, and the bundles of wheat, buckwheat or rye, were pitched onto it until there was a sufficient quantity down for tramping. (Very few oats were threshed. They were raised in abundance, there was no market for them, and they were fed to the horses in the sheaf, and generally without cutting --- just as they were bound up. ) Then two or three horses were put to work marching around in a cir-
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cle, a boy riding the foremost and leading the others. Oc- casionally the grain would be turned overwith a fork. The flail had not gone entirely out of use, and some who had
but little grain pounded it out with that primitive imple- ment. As may be supposed the introduction of the horse- power thresher created quite a sensation among the yeomanry.
MARKETS.
There was practically no market for any kind of grain. Of course there was always a small derand for corn, wheat and cats in Springfield, but our farmers couldn't af- ford to haul corn and oats thither at five to ten cents & bushel, and # eat at 20 to 25, as those living near the city could supply all wants, so thecorn was fed to cattle and hogs, principally the latter, and the animals were driven to St. Louis or Alton, in early winter. As for the wheat, if a man raised enough for family consumption, he was satisfied, and few sowed more than five to ten acres. It may be added that wheat at that day was a much surer crop than it is now, especially on the fresh prairie land, the grass roots, in a great measure, preventing the disin- tegration of the soil by frosts.
RAINERT.
t'en's outer clothing was nearly altogether of homemade jeans, either blue or brown, and women wore lin- sey dresses ( "frocks, " they called them, ) plain or Striped, to suit the taste. The rosy damsels were prone to become dirsatisfied with their linsey gurb, and would strain every nerve to provide their sweet selves with calico dresses for Sunday near. "oct of the settlers kept a few sheep, and there were many looms in the community, the weaving women taking money or part of the cloth for the work, as suited customers. Some of the youth, feeling above Lear- ing the coarse homecafe joans, would contrive to scrape together enough money to buy material for o cuit of "hen- tucky jeans," which was much finer and smoother than the homemade article. A broad-cloth suit among the country- men was almost unknown. I call to mind one young man who managed to obtain a brown broadcloth cont, and his com- rades guyed him unmercifully when he appeared in it. I will not mention his nons, for I think he is still liv- ing --- up in the eighties.
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SCHOOLS.
This being before the day of the free school system, the schools were of the "subscription" kind. When & man or woman was encouraged by the residents to make up a school, he or she visited each house in the district where there were children, with a subscription paper, and the parents put down the number they wished to send. The
school term was only three months in duration, In the win- ter season, and the tuition price was from $2.50 to $3.00 a scholar. Reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography, gram- mar and writing were taught. Sometimes a school house was provided with one desk, at which those practicing penman- ship took turns .. The seats were benches, eight or ten feet long, made of slabe, with legs in one and one-half inch augur holes.
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RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.
In 1840 there were three church organisations in the Sugar Creek country, viz: "ethodlet, Old "chool Presbyterian, and Cumberland Presbyterian. I might say four, for rt. Bernard'e ( Catholic) church had been organ- ized, though it was outside of the territory embraced in this history. I think the Baptiets had no organization at that time, though quita a string church was organized two or three years Later. Neither of these organizations had & house of worship, and school houses, private houses, and in the summer, berno, were used for holding services. There were two small brick school houses in the vicinity (one near fimcon Vancil's, and one near / icx S. Crr's, ) There there was frequent preaching, and services were cocesion- ally held in a small frame school houre in Cld 'uhura. The preachere of that day were mostly uneducated a Gun- cultures, but ious, devoted ron, and never expected pay- cent for their labore, but the best in every house, in the way of entertainment, was gladly served to thom. There was alwaye one man in every congre. ation who was depend- ed upon to "raise the tune, " and all, male and female, sans the same part --- the "air." The tunen were mostly from the "old Ficsouri Harmony," and it is rare that any of them are heard at the present day.
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MARRIAGES.
It was as common for young men to assume the marriage relation under twenty-one as bevond that age, and perhaps more so, and brides of sixteen to seventeen were very frequent. Indeed, many were married at fif- teen and fourteen. I remember that a daughter of one of the prominent families, large of her age, was married at thirteen, and with her parents' consent. Whenever the children wished to marry, and the parents or guardians objected, it was an easy matter to skip out clandestinely for "Rizzoura, " where no marriage licenses were required.
FARE WAGES.
Good farm hands received $6 to $8 a month, with boerd and washing. The writer, when 19, worked for $5.00 per month, and the following year for 28. Coca- slonally an extra-active, reliable hand would be paid as much as ten dollars. Lands, hired in corn-planting time, commanded 50 to 622 cents a day. Harvest wases sere from 75c to $1.00, though most of the harvesting was accom- plished by "swapping work."
HOLIDAYS AND YERRYTAKING.
There were few holidays, Christmas being the only one to which the settlers paid much attention. Thanksgiving had not :et got beyond her England and New York, and many people had never heard of the day. But little attention wes paid to the Glorious Fourth outside of the cities. The day of the annuel election was util- ized as a holiday, and every Soy old enough to ride a horse accompanied his father or elder 'rothers to the voting-place, where all sonorally cuent the day. Curar Creek precinct comprised a very large te. ritory, and the elections were held at, John L. Drennan's, Just north of the ola C. F. church. There wes usually something strong- er than water to sell close by, and the young men and many of the older ones srent a part of the day in horse racing, foot racing, jumping and wrestling.
Eut it must not be supposed that owing to the dearth of holidays the residents had no amusements. Chuck- ings and quiltings were common, and it was usually arrang- ed to combine the two. All the young people within sever- al miles assembled, and the work was always completed be-
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fore dark. Then a supper fit for the royal family, then the largest room was cleared for dances or plays, or both. If the former the first fiddler of the neighborhood was on hand, proud as the Czar of Russia, ready to saw out ""'oney "usk, " "Devil's Dream," " "Irish cashierwoman," or "Fisher's forpipe," while the "lads and lassies in their best" swung, circled, chassed until "the wee sca' hours." If plays were on the docket, upon the air would rise the zeiting strains of
"Come under, come under, N'y honey, my lover, my heart's above, Ny heart's gohe a-weeping, Below Gallilee. Then hug her neat, and kiss her eweet, By honey, my love, my heart's above, My heart's gone a-weeping, Below Gallilee."
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"I won't have any of your weevly whoat, I won't have none of your barley, I won't have none of your weevly wheat, To bake a cake for Charley. Ty bonny lass, I turn to thee, I give one smile to cheer thee, ileart and hand the Bible stands, The truth I love sincerely." cr, "Oh, gister Phebe, how happy was we, The night we sat under the Junapper tree, The Jurapper tree, heigho. Then put this hat or to keep your head war., And take a sweet kice, it will do you no harm," But a great deal of sood, I know."
(Tote: The Junaprer tree is, I think, uninown in the land at the present day. it is supposed that it is a cross between the June apple and the Juniper. )
KOG DRIVING TO THE RIVER.
in that fer-distant pust which those papers re- call, there was no such thing as the "cash system" for the farmers, for they h' but one time in the year to gather in returns for their labor, to-wit: the fall and early winter, and all were compelled to buy on credit until re-
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turns from their crops came in. The Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad was yet a dozen years in the future. There was but an insignificant home market for corn, and there was but one way to realize money from it, which was to feed it to stock, principally hogs, and then when fattened they were driven to St. Louis or Alton, generally the laster, for Alton, at that time, was a formidable rival of the l'is- souri city, and bade fair to outstrip her. As soon as the weether turned cold enough to make pork-packing a safe proposition (generally carly in December, ) hog driving be- can. There were, of course, buyers who bought up droves, but most of the farmers preferred bo Join together and drive their own hogs. From half a dozen to a dozen would com- bine, cach merking his animals so that he could identify them, and, with & wagon or two, in which to load an occa- sional heavy porker that might"break down" on the way, the company would get out of their southern pilgrimage, & week to ten days being required to drive to "the river, " the time occu: ied largely depending on the state of the roads. The women at the houses of entertainment dreaded the advent of the "hog drivers," for they wereusually a rough set --- much more so on the road than they were at home. The price paid for gross hogs at the packing hous- es were from $1.75 to $2.75 per hundred pounds.
AND WAGONING.
Occasionally, in prolific years, some of the roil-tillers had a surplus of wheat, and that had to be transported to the river markets, and if the wagonere could secure loads of goods to haul brok for the Spring- field merchants, they were doubly fortunate. If the trip was made during the pleasant fail, and there was a jovial company, it was an enjoyable journey.
A DELCILLA: WAGON TRIP.
The wheat crop of 1841 was a remarkably heavy one, and the grain was of unusual excellence. Nearly every man who cowed wheat the previous fall had a superbundance, "Uncle si" Harlan, who lived at "the Grove," (the present home of Capt. Irwin, ) had somed a wide acreage, and had a large quantity to spare. In October, during Indian summer, he loaded four warens for St. Louis, and two other men with loads of wheat joined the company, which consisted of : . D. Crow, George Lastoan, John Fill, John A., Jehu and flijah
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Barlan, the latter driving two yoke of oxen. Two lads, George ". Harlan (a brother of i'rs. Irwin) and the writer, by dint of much importunity, were permitted to accompany expedition. The weather and roads throughout the jour- ney, which occupied about a week, wore about as near per- fection as weather and roade ever set to be in this world. Each man was provided with horse feed, quitte, blankets, skillet, coffee pot, a boiled ham or cold fowle, light bread, stewed fruit, pies, butter, fresh pork for frying, ground coffee, etc., etc. The first night we campes in the woods about two miles beyond Carlinville, the follow- ing night in the food River country. Dry fuel for the night and morning fires could be picked up anywhere in the woods, and our beds were spread on the ground beneath the wagons. The teams watered and fed, the jolly company surrounded the fire, seated on Nature's footstool, supper devoured with superhuman appetites, and ruddy blaze illu- minating the landscape for many rods around, the most mar- velous tales were related of pioneer times --- of hunting, fighting, wrestling, encounters with Indians, jokes on each other, etc., until a late hour.
In the afternoon of the third day the wasons rere driven upon the Figgins Ferry boat, and the Father of Waters was crossed. The wheat was soldat thirty odd cents a bushel, and the teams recrossed the in time to camp on the bank, where "ast St. Louis now standc. There were three or four shanties on the ground, which was cell- ed "Taptown," from an old follow known as "Old Fap," who furnished entertainment in the largest los building. The next morning our company was reinforced by Foah and Thomas "ason and Lara Barnes, who had left home, also with wheat, the day after our company started, and hai driven late at night to overtake us. (I forgot to say that Lije Harlan, with his slow ox team, always fell behind, but by driving until nine or ten o'clock at night would overtake his com- rades.)
Looking back after a lopse of nearly sixty-tro years, it seems to me that I never spent a more enjoyable week, and it will never cease to be one of the brightest links in Temory's chain. Yet to me there is a vein of sadness in the reminiscence. For many long years "the Eraes has grown green" over the resting-place of every one of that party of eleven, save the one who pons these chapters.
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NOMENCLATURE.
Sangamon was originally, I believe, an Indian
name. Simeon Vancil told me that in his boyhood this part of Illinois was called the "San-gam-ma Country." Sugar Creek derived its name from the large number of sugar trees (hard maple) in its forests. Panther Creek was so called, so says tradition, from the fact that a panther was shot by & pioneer hunter in the limbs of a huge cot- tonwood that stood for many years on the sast bank of that stream, just southwest of where L. V. Pocchley's farm house stands. This tree was so tall that it would be ceon for many miles. I recall that when a youth, over in the Apple Creek region, in pursuit of a fugitive horse, I found my way home over the tracklese prairie by keeping my eyes on that old landmark. Senility caused its down- fall thirty or forty years ago. Panther Creek was "Fainter Creek" to the early settlers, and is still so denominated by the old fellows.
EARLY MALADIES.
In those days consumption, bronchitis, ca- tarrh, kidney troubles, diphtheria, appendicitis and the 1001 other maladies that now afflict mankind, were almost unknown. There was an oocasional case of rheumation, and also of pneumonia, known as "winter fever." "Fever'n agur" was a familiar visitant at nearly every house, cs- pecially in wet seasons. There rae co little drainage that the spring rains left many ponas and puddles on the prairies that stagnated in hot weather, and ongendered chills and fever and bilious fevern. But there more few cases of discused lungs, and they were mostly Hereditary. There being no air-tight houses, or stoves to vitiate the Etmospl ore, everybody breathed the best bir thet wes to be had. Diet, too, had much to do with the general Good health. Though nout wes generally caten, it was that of healthy animals. Baking powdere, chouically prepared su- gars and syrups, patent flour, and the divers adulterated foods thet now infest the markets and the intestinos, had sot vet beon devised. The breed ras of course corn real or of slightly bolted flour, and no dyspepsia followed in its train.
CURRENCY.
The paper circaleting medium consisted of notes of many western banke, nearly all below par value,
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of which "state bank paper" was the most common. But the bills of the Missouri State Bank were always at par, and generally preferred to specie, from the greater conven- ience of handling. There was but little gold in circula- tion, and the few coins in use were mostly foreign, prin- cipally British sovereigns, which passed at $4.85. The greater part of the silver money, too, was foreign --- Spanish, Lexican and French. Mexican dollars were very common, and passed at full value; French 5-franc pieces at 95 cents; Spanish dollars, halves, quarters, eights and sixteenths circulated at full value. The latter two coins were known as "bits" and "picayunes," and were denominated respectively as "long bits" and "long picayunes," in con- tradistinction to the few United States dimes and 5-cent pieces, which were called "short bits" and "short picay- unes," though each carried the same value as its Spanish fellow. Copper coins were ignored. The people had a sovereign contempt for anything less than a picayune. If an article wasn't worth that, it wasn't worth anything.
VEHICULAR MATTERS.
Traveling was performed nearly altogether on horseback, and the great ambition of every youth was to have a horse, saddle and bridle for his or her very own. If & family was to make a Journey, and there were not sad- dle horses "to go 'round, " the 2-horse wagon was called into requisition. A carriage or buggy was a rare sight, and I remember but one or two of each in all the south part of the county. This being before the day of ellip- tical springs, the bodies of all riding vehicles were hung on "thorough braces, " heavy leather straps of cev- eral thicknesses, stitched like a tuz. These afforded no springfor the passengers, but gave them a entle rocking, which was something of an improvement over the jolt of the common wason. The stage coaches were all equipped with "thoroughbraces."
MIE MATTER OF FENCES.
Splint rails were the only material for fences, and good white oak rails could be bought for $1.00 a hun- dred, the price for making them being 50 to 622 cents, though earlier the price had been leso. The Bols D'Arc, or Csage Orange, as a fencing commodity, had not yet been introduced from Texas. I recollect that when Dr. C. D.
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Kuckolls (father of citizen Thos. Jefferson) returned from a Texas visit, with report that the people there were using this tree for hedges, and bringing with him a collection of walking canes, handsomely turned from this wood, they attracted much curiosity.
It didn't seem to occur to the residents but that the country would always have to de- pend on the native forests for fuel, fencing and lumber; consequently the timber was held at a high figure, and new comers settling farms, and finding the timber lands all taken up, and being in many cases short of money, were sorely put to it to devise means for fencing their farms and building their shanties.
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FMAIRIE FIRES.
One of the notable institutions of lang syne was prairie fires. In the late autumn, after the grass had been killed by the frost, and before the winter snows, the grass was as dry and combustible as pine shavings, and every fall more or less damage was done to fences, stacks or buildings by these conflagrations, set purpose- ly or carelessly by campers or mischevious boys, and some- times for self protection only. If there was little or no wind, the fires could be brought under subjection by a force of men and boys, assisted frequently where the situation was threatening by the women and children, with handfule of brush, old garments, etc., with which the flamce were whipped out.
SUGAR CREEK COUNTRY- IN 1340.
A most magnificent sight was a blaze in the tall grass, perhaps miles in length, and eight or ten feet high, and rapidly propelled by a strong wind, und woe to the cabin, fence or stack that stood in the path. The settlers, if living away from the woods, in antici- pation of the annual fires, usually plowed several fur- rows of sod about their cabins and lots to check possi- ble flares, and when there was but little breeze this precaution was usually efficacious, but if there was & high wind, the blaze would leap over there barriers.
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MEXICAN WAR SOLDIERS.
South Sugar Creek furnished five soldiers for the war with L'exico in '46, all of whom were in Col. E. D. Baker's command. They were William and Feyton Foster, Thomas W. Higgins, P. Newton Dodde, andwilliam Tinker. The -men y first-named were natives of Kentucky, but rear- ed in the "Sugar Creek Country." I do not know Tinker's nativity. All lived to get home after the war ended in '47, but Tinker, who had contracted camp diarrhea; soon after his return succumbed to that malady. Tim. Foster, the last I knew of him, was yet living on his farm, north- west of Chatham. His brother, Peyton, settled in Call- fornia many years ago, and as far as I know, still sur- vives. Thos. W. Higgins died in Auburn, as is well known. F. N. Dodds emigrated to Kansas a long time ago, and I think is dead.
EARLY BLACKSWITHS AND SHOEMAKERS.
There were three of each within the territory embraced in this history. of the former, ". S. Swaney, the Old Auburn innkeeper, conducted by proxy a shop near the tavern; Abran Kessler had a small shop at his home, where H. S. fineman's house now stands, and Sam'l Fimer hammered iron at his bachelor aboje, two miles north of town, near the present Cherry Grove school house. Of shoemakers, Robert Crr, Sr., carried on the business at his home, near James B. Fletcher's present residence; ". F. Cannon worked at the trade at his house, just north- west of the Old Noah : ason homestead, and John Spurgeon did likewise near the Old Cumberland church. There were ceveral men in the vicinity who worked occasionally at carpenter work, and others who sometimes laid brick and laid on plaster, but most of then wore self-taught in their respective vocations. There were no painters, and no occasion for any.
HONESTY OF THE EARLY COMERS.
It was seldom that anyone heard a word deros- atory to the integrity of any of the people of the Sugar Creek region of three scoreyears ago. In their transac- tions with each other every man's word was literally as "good as hig bond." It is true that here and there a man permitted himself a little latitude when it came to
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a "horse swap," but though he might exaggerate the virtues or soundness of the animal he was offering for trade, he would be found "straight" in all other respects. Such a thing as burglary, a highway robbery or a more modest theft, was only heard of from distant localities, and to my knowledge not a house in the community had a fastening on a door.
With this number I bring these papers to a close. I have extended them considerably beyond what I first expected, and I fear they have been at times some- what prosy. I love to think and to write of these far times in the past; of the primitive and simple habits and customs of these early dwellers in South Sangamon, 28 I knew them; of their freedom from pride and osten- tation; of their incorruptibility and integrity; their simplicity; their ever-ready willingness to assist, with- out money and without price, any neighbor in need of help; their courage, and their blameless lives.
An occasional man or woman, type of those an- cient days, spared beyond the usual age allotted to man- Kind, can yet be met, but they are but a mere handful, and will soon be among us no more.
V. G. R.
.
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HECKMAN BINDERY INC.
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JAN 97 Bound -To-Pleas® N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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