as they were fastened in so they could not get out. This movement of the floor drove a large wheel, called the "flywheel”. There was a heavy leather belt connecting this wheel with a small pulley on the drum. The drum was made of a log nearly as stout as a barrel, and about three feet long; this had rows of great iron teeth in it. It re- volved at a great rate and separated the grain from the straw as the sheaves were pushed into it head first. It was a busy time when the thresher came, as it took a large number of men to run it. The grain was fanned at night and it was a lively time for boys. When I got big enough to work at it, my job was to keep the tailings from banking up under the farmer; it was a dusty cold job. The worst accident that ever happened in our family was caused by one of these mills. My brother, Johnny, was standing on the front of the frame, watching the horses trying to climb the ever descending floor, when his feet got caught between the planks and the big iron bar on which the fly wheel revolved; he was drawn in, feet first, up to his waist; the space was not more than four inches high. One leg was terribly crushed and part of his body mangled. When the men got the mill stopped and took him out they thought he was dead. Had the mill gone five seconds more he could not have lived. After two years in bed, under doctor’s skill and mother’s nursing, he got able to go about on a crutch. This was our first doctor and he lived 13 miles away. It was a sore trial and great loss to me; I lost my leader. He could never play or go on tramps again. My younger brother was not old enough to go on long hikes. I gave most of my playtime to helping Johnny along. I will tell you further on how we helped to get him to school.

The Grist Mill

At first mills, for grinding the grain, were a long distance from us. Between 1810 and 1820 one of the settlers built a grist mill on one of the tributaries of North Lake and soon after another was built near East Point. One day this man’s wife was working in the field With the reapers, reaping by hand. When it came time to get din- ner she took a bundle of sheaves from the field and set fire to them on the hearth.” The fire burned the straw but hardened the grain, Which she cleaned and took to the mill. She started the mill herself

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