We lived in Camrons house about 3 months we then moved into a house owned by
two men by the name of David Moor and John Robison I took a job of them of
building a house for 145 dollars I did not commence it for about 2 months
after for they ware to furnish materials and they had not yet got them they
kept me waiting some 2 or 3 weeks and I went to work for a man by the name
of John Potry I put up a frame for a-house 18 by 24 feet about this time I
was taken sick with the fewer and ague I was sick 12 days and had the ague
every day vary hard I took a teaspoon heaping full of quinine which did not
break it the 9th day I sent and got 5 cents worth of opium and took a pill
once an hour for 3 hours which broke the feaver and as the chill was comeing
on for three days in succession the 3rd day was the last I had. I was much
redused so much so that I was not able to sit up in bed had no appetite for
anything till I heard someone say that there was a man in the street
pedleing peaches I sent out and bought a peck and I never stopt eating till
they were all gone this nearly cured me I got about in a day or two and in a
few days was able to go to work
While I was sick I had no one to do anything for me but Ann Eliza and she
had a cousin by the name of Edward Bailey he worked for a man by the name of
John Flint about 4 miles north making brick, he used to come down to see us
about once a week and he would cut our wood for us which helpt us vary much,
had it not been for him I do not know how it would been with us as we had no
friends near us but him we ware in the midtst of strangers and none seemed
to care ownly to get all out of me that they could.
When I got able to work I went and hired to a man by the name of Joel
Clemens by the day on a Railroad bridge under a man by the name of Benjamine
Right. I was to have $1. 25 pr day and to take my pay in a cook stove I
worked 21 days had a few things of him in the way of eatables and in about
two weeks after the work was done the stove was on hand with all things
pertaining thereto, the price of it was 21 dollars (No 2 premium) I took it
home with a thankful heart and put it up and it was first rate and Ann Eliza
was glad as well as myself I then began on the before named job they had
lumber for a part of the window frames and about one half timber enough for
the frame I made up all the lumber and then I had to wait again after a
while they told me to bring on my hands and they would have the timber as
fast as I could work it up. accordingly I did so and in three days I had to
discharge them for want of materials, after waiting about three weeks with
no prospect of doing anything more I resolved to leave the job after finding
they had lied to me and tried to swindle me by feruing me to take notes
which ware not good and at the same time saying that it was according to
contract now I did agree to take good notes against responsible men but they
said that I must sue them and collect them and if the court desided the
notes not good then they would pay me some other way. Now by taking this
coarse it would compel me to employ a lawyer which would cost me from 5 to
10 dollars each time besides loss of time and I concluded to get off the
best way I could, at this time Ann Eliza was quite unwell and I had Whitney
and wife to board and could not get clear of them without turning them out
doors and for the sake of his wife and child about two years old I
determined to bear with him his wife was not vary well and the child was
quite sickly. We had moved out of Moor & Robi-sons house and rented one of a
man by the name of Hinkle this was a smaller house than the one we had left
I thought it would be more confortable for my little family than the former
and my plan was to leave Whitney in the house of Moor & Robison but to my
surprise when we had got loaded they ware also ready to go along with us I
now saw no other way but to keep them all winter without pay for it was
impossible to get him to work for he was too lazy however I did succeed in
getting him to work a few days but he did not pay me for ownly two weeks
board for himself and wife under these perplexing circumstances I determined
to take Ann Eliza to her fathers to stay till I could stay and get matters
settled so I hired a man by the name of Fairchilds to take my things with
Ann Eliza to Ross
The day we started it snowd the most of the day it fell about 6 inches deep
we were obliged to leave the stove with Whitny until I could get it home we
had to hire an extra horse the going was so bad we met T C. Hall about one
mile south of Battle Creek it was vary cold and he had no mittens so I took
mine off my hands and gave them to him for this he thanked me and bowd his
head in token of his gratitude it was a pair that Eliza his wife had given
me a year or two before I told him he need not thank me for they ware
already his this was about the first of April 1844 We got home safe the 2nd
day the 3rd day I started back to work a few weeks and to try to settle up
my affairs if possible I worked for a man that was building a warehouse at
the rail road depot four weeks at 1. 25 pr day when my time was out with him
I went for my stove but Whitney had moved into another house and had taken
the stove along with him I at last found him and he was perfectly
indifferent and his wife was quite as much so as himself, they did however
promise me that they would come and bring it out in four weeks and that
without fail, and as I had no way to carry it I thought I would try them
again for I thought that after I had shown them so many kindnesses that they
could not have a concience to deceive me. However at the end of the time I
looked for a fulfillment of their promice but I looked in vain at the end of
six weeks I started after it. When I arrived there I found him in the same
place I left him. I told them I had come after my stove his wife told me she
could not live without it But I told her I should take it in a day or two
and they could look around in the time and get another He went directly to
Moor & Robson and told them all I had said and they conived a plan to take
it from me which was as follows.
They ware to sue me on the contract and put an attachment on the stove, he
also got the man which I had boarded with to sue me for I owed him for my
supper the night before Amongst them all they made out four writs and had
them served on me. This was somewhat trying to me for I could not find
anyone I dared to trust after thinking the matter over having no place to
stop and not more than one or two dollars with me I resolved to leave so I
put out on foot and traveld till midnight and got to Battle Creek thare I
stopt at an old acquaintances the next day I put home. I related the
circumstances to father in law and he said he would go out with me and try
to settle the matter so in three days after we started but he could do
nothing with them they made their brags that they ware at home and in all
probability at the day of trial they should not be ready and should have it
adjourned from time to time to suit their convenience after he had found out
their plans he advised me to go home and let them work at it and give them
the stove to get clear of them. Although it was clear that I could get
judgement against them if I could get them to trial for I was entitled to
damagees on the contract for their neglect to furnish materials but I found
they was in debt more than their property was worth and if it was decided in
my favor I should have more trouble to collect it than it would all be worth
and considering lawyers fees for which I should have to pay good money for,
I thought I would let them slide, so we went home again and left them to law
it alone they got a judgement against me of 80 dollars for non-fullfillment
of contract so they of course found a way to keept the stove about the same
amount of damage should have been given to me but it stands thare at this
day and I expect that it will be swept away with the refuge of lies at the
day of final settlement of all things. A few days after, I met Moor at
Augusta about five miles from whare I lived I immediately got a writ for him
and had it served and had a trial he sent a lawyer to attend to it I got a
judgement against him of about 14 dollars but the contract was not allowd to
come in for the reason as they said that it had been tried and decided once
and could not be tried again so I let it stand for the present in a few
weeks after this I heard of the death of Whitney child and his wife and soon
after he also died a poor vagabond I have to say that I owe none of them
anything, but the man that sued me for his meal his name was John Potry how
much he charged me I never knew
One circumstance I have forgotten to mention When we ware moving home with
Fairehilds we got into Battle Creek it stormed and blowd vary hard, and we
had expected to go through in one day but the storm hindered us I had no
mony on hand and night had overtaken us but we had started on but we had not
got out of town till we met a man that was an entire stranger to me he
hailed us and asked whare we was going we stopt and told him how it was, he
straitway told us to turn in to his house out of the storm which we was
thankful to do he got us some supper and made us comfortable for the night
gave us some breakfast and would not take anything for it but we left him
our fire shovel When we started out he bade us goodbye and wisht us good
luck and I thanked him for his kindness and blesst him in my heart his name
And it was his house whare I stopt at the time I traveld till midnight, to
get clear of my enemies, which I should not have done but I had no money
I worked for father in law the summer most of the time some of the time at
home and some of the time at Kalamazoo I helped him build a barn the 14th
day of September Daniel W. died we burried him at or a little east of
Rowlands Mills in Henry Shermans field, his wife is cousin to my wife. In
the month of July when I was in Kalamzoo at work on Whitcombs Mill the news
came in on the Waybill by the mail coach that Joe Smith was killd by a mob
in Carthage Illinois, the news had quite an effect on the people and every
one had something to say about the matter some said he was an imposter and
it was a good thing for the world and some one thing and some another, at
this time considerable was said about the doctrine of the Mormons but nobody
seemd to say anything good about it, but reports said that there was men
around that ware Mormon preachers who ware electionering for Joe Smith as a
candidate for the Presidents chair at Washington and they ware at Kal— at
the time of his death, about this time I hurd that Eliza my oldest sister
had become a Mormon she had belonged to them a year or so This caused me to
think that she had turned fool or crazy, I did no know which, This fall
father was quite unwell again and he came after me to go home and help him
get in his crops and get wood and make preperations for winter so I went
after his oxen and waggon to move up with Ann Eliza and my things, and Eliza
was thare and she began to talk to me about Mormonism but I ownly laughed at
her and told her to quit her talking and send one of her preachers and that
would be the end of controvercy for my motto was that the one that was the
best at proving their position was bound to win, and if he had more proof
than I he was nearest right, and I was bound by my former resolution to
embrace it, and if I could produse more scriptur-eal argument than he he
must yield to me, or I should consider him dishonest so she said she would
send them to preach to me sais I thats right for I have not had a chance for
an argument on religion for some time, and I should be glad to have a chance
to thrash them and make them haul in their long horns.
Then I left with the team after my family and came up to fathers the next
day we got the fall work done we went to log-ing the peace that we had chopt
in the winter of 1840 we let a job of spliting rails enough to fince it in,
We hauled off all the wood we could the rest we piled in heaps and burned
it, we had contracted with Wm Dailey to brake it up in the spring which took
five yoke of oxen he had $2. 50 an acre it come to $50. he completed it in
June folowing. Harriet B. was born the 28th day of October (1845) she was an
8 month and one week child this was due to a hard cold accompanied by a bad
cough her mother was sick for three days and nights,
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