Recollections of A Busy Life

(Transcribed by Peggy Barriskill Perazzo, December 2005)

"Recollections of A Busy Life,"
By Eli Fayette Ruggles

H. L. Ruggles & Co., Publishers, (published circa 1904)

Chapter IX.

Sisters Mariah and Lucretia.

I have mentioned of our sisters who have each been growing to be young
women, and each in turn have helped mother, just as good daughters should,
and both have had their allotted time in school, and both have been kind to
lead father to church or prayer-meeting, and to read to him the Morning
Star paper and the Bible. Each have had their admirers and each their
beaus. Mariah has become the more prominent in music and sang sopranos
(sic) with Westley in two presidential campaigns, and also was with
Schuyler Colfax when he stumped the State of Indiana for the
vice-presidency. Lucretia has her best fort (sic) in wielding the pen. We
all take our hats to her there.

School in Niles and its Results.

A small house was rented in Niles and Lewis, Westley, Mariah and Lucretia
kept house and attended school. Here they formed new acquaintances, and
some of them have proved to be the acquaintance of a lifetime. Within this
circle of country, in Bierdsley's Prairie, lived the family of Josephus
Baldwin on a large farm, known far and wide as Jo Baldwin. His brother Bill
was still farther known as the best auctioneer to be found anywhere. He
would make you laugh and make you bid whether you wanted to or not. When
this school closed and each took a review to see what they had learned they
found that their knowledge was not confined to books, but had reached out,
and included humanity in new acquaintances that stopped not with that
school. Lewis, Westley and Mariah were wanted as teachers in that vicinity,
and among, to them, mostly an unknown people. Lewis taught near Indiana
Lake and Pokagon, Westley nearer Niles, Mariah to the south, near
Bierdsley's Prairie. Later Westley becomes a note in the musical circle
with his patriotic songs, and he, with Sister Mariah, are billed to sing
through South Michigan, Northern Indiana and Ohio at the war and political
gatherings and mass-meetings, and all this time Cupid has not been asleep,
but has shot his arrows that have taken effect.

Westley has decided that Lucena Baldwin, daughter of Jephus Baldwin, and
sister of his friend, David S. Baldwin, is the girl he wants, if he can win
her, and when the proper amount of courting has been done they are married.
This courting and marriage has often brought Mariah and D. S. Baldwin
together, but D. S. Baldwin is taken violently sick with typhoid and brain
fever, and the family are getting worn out, and where can we get help is
the question. That Miss Ruggles is teaching school several miles away, and
I wonder if - no, her school is nearly through, I believe, and, well, I
don't know - but says one of the boys (Cy, I believe), "I'll go and try,
and I believe I will get her," and soon the dust is flying over
Beardlsley's Prairie and soon the boy arrives at the school house, and
explains his call and their need, and hoped, if possible that Miss Ruggles
might make terms with the district for the few remaining days of school and
come to their aid in this their time of greatest need. "I'll see what I can
do," but it took time to see the officials, but they consented and the
school stopped short, and then and away they flew to the saddened home.
Mrs. Baldwin met her at the door and said, "How very kind in you, Miss
Ruggles, to come to my relief, for I am rather frail, and the household
duties demand all my abilities, and the boy needs constant attention, for
he has studied till he has overtaxed his brain and brought on this brain
fever, and some of the time he is now delirious, and I fear greatly for my
boy." But days of anxiety pass and the struggle 'twixt life and death is
very trying to the whole family, but finally the fever slowly yields to
good care. Each day brings slow improvement, the bathing of hands and face,
then rubbing till dry, the turning over of the pillow to cool the hot head,
the airing of the room, the reading of something pleasant - let me see, did
I not give a recipe once before this where cupid does his work at short
range? Yes, they became engaged, but took some two years more to spark in.
Lewis has taught school for several winters and worked with me on the farm
summers, and has bought seventy acres joining ours on the east. Has got
part of it cleared and draws sawlogs to Freman's mill, and is building a
house. That looks suspicious. I said before that Lewis taught near Pokagon,
and now regular every two weeks he wants a horse and buggy, or, if it is
too muddy, he gets on the saddle, but go he must, in some way.

Wonder what kind of a loadstone it can be that attracts to the south? It
certainly can't be the north pole this time. One day all of us brothers and
sisters were invited to go with him on a ride to Pokagon. A three-seated
carriage was hired and a jollier crew you never saw as we rode to Pokagon.
Arriving at a house about one mile southeast of Pokagon, Lewis introduced
us to Mr. and Mrs. Bronner, their son and four daughters. It did not take
long to tell which was the loadstone and only person of much account with
Lewis. By the way, there was a little hugging and kissing on the sly. Oh,
yes, the wedding came off all right, and the feast, too. I didn't blame
Lewis then, nor do I now, for choosing the one he did.

Sister Lucretia came home from the Niles school and somehow, somewhere,
among all this going to school and teaching, and sparking, and love-making
she had also met a young man, and was very shy about saying much on the
subject anyway. One day Westley came to our home with a young man that he
introduced as Mr. Young, and that he knew. I wanted to help in my work and
his friend, John he called him, wanted a steady place for the season, so
terms were soon agreed on and John proved an excellent worker and was
agreeable in the house and very handy, and like to please mother by doing
any chore for her that made life agreeable. This same John proved to be the
same fellow that Lucretia had met in the Niles-Pokagon school puzzle. He
was a good bass singer withal. He worked a long time, long enough for Cupid
to put in his shots in the love line, and, yes, of course, they were
married at our house. Later he enlisted, was in the war some time, and was
taken very sick. When well enough he came home a mere skeleton.

Moving the House and Bar.

Freman and father built the first home house near the center of the farm
and west of the orchard several years ago, when father could see a little.
The house was built close to the ground, on wooden blocks, and they have
decayed and the house is getting damp and unhealthy. It must be raised and
put on stone, or both house and barn moved to the road at the southeast
corner of the farm. I counseled father and mother what to do; they said we
can do but little, and for me to do as I thought best. I was then in the
prime of manhood and loved work - not alone for work's sake, but to do
better than others had done before me. But to keep that farm running
without neglect, move those buildings and build a new house was a big work
to tackle. I was the only boy at home, and if I had help I hired it. During
the winter then approaching I drew sawlogs to Freman's mill, and in the
spring the lumber was in shape for drying and handy to where the new house
was to be built. The nearest moving tools was at Dowagiac, owned by Mr.
Hall. I went for the tools near springtime, but no Mr. Hall yet. What to do
is the question. I must use my help now or never. "Well, boys, we will see
what we can do with these tools, for Hall will be here soon surely." The
barn was raised, those six-feet walnut posts removed, the barn lowered into
the rollers at night. Morning came just as certain as the sun rises, but no
Mr. Hall. "Hitch Doll to the capstan, boys, and see what we'll see. Get up,
Doll," and round and round goes the sweep; the barn creaks and trembles,
and we almost tremble in our boots, for this is new business to all of us.
But "she moved, she moves! we shout"; the barn is nothing but what we can
handle after all, and the rollers carried forward and pounded this way and
that to keep on the track, but we did it, and that made us heroes. Four
days we have kept up this round of duties and the barn is near its
destination, when lo, and behold! here comes Mr. Hall. A more puzzled
expression on any man's face you never saw. "Why," said he, "there isn't
one man in fifty that would dare tackle that barn without experience,
standing, as it did, way up on those posts. I was even dreading it myself,
and I am glad the barn is here; you have done well; keep right on, and I'll
carry rollers." No, no, Mr. Hall, you are boss now, and I'll carry
rollers." There was a slight lowering of the ground a few rods in front of
us, and first Mr. Hall knew he couldn't get a roller under the front. We
had to hitch to the wagon and go to where the barn started to get two
screws and raise the front of the sills. Oh, how the boys did want to hoot
Mr. Hall. Soon the barn was placed where it stands to-day on a stone
foundation. Then the house was moved with the family in it and placed where
it stands today, for a house barn. Then the L post was moved and became the
kitchen and woodshed of the new house to be built. A cellar was dug and a
stone walk built, and on this the new house. A well was dug and bricked
forty feet deep. Then two carpenters went to work and right jolly fellows
they were, too. Each evening we had so much fun in joke and song that we
had something to think of while at work. But the crops grew finely and so
did the house, and is to-day a credit to the builders, Charles Simmons and
Frank Nelson. By the time winter returned the house was completed and most
of expenses paid. I sold that season near nine hundred dollars' worth in
grain and stock; that was the best year of my life, for often after that I
have said, "My dish was wrong side up when it rained." With my hands I set
the maple shade trees along the road and around the door yard. Set another
orchard near by, built the door yard fence and big gate that still remain.
I was then 28 years of age and said to father and mother that they were
then in good shape to live either with or without me. It was then decided
that I should have the farm and care for father and mother as long as they
lived. Martin was called in and made the necessary papers whereby I was to
have the farm, and they had papers for their maintenance through life.

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