day for my pay for plastering the kitchen. As yet I had not found a mate for my pony so I borrowed a team and wagon from an old friend, K. I. Niles, (deceased) drove up to Hutchins and we soon arrived at the Willis home, where the knot was tied, fifty years ago, witnessed by his wife and the hired man. After the ceremony, Mr. Willis beat me to it kissing the bride that day, but at that he was behind anyway. Now I must return Mr. Niles' wagon and horses, as my place was midway between. I let the bride out there, and returned afoot. As there was a portion of the day left, I felt that I could not afford to be idle, so I whittled out a rolling pin, and a potato masher as those were two articles we did not have.

I expected some fun with the boys in the neighborhood, and was prepared for them with apples and cigars. Ten O'clock came, and they did not show up. We were just nicely in a doze when a hard rap came at the door. Upon opening it, there stood Bill Bradshaw (deceased), saying, "George, I want you to go to Norfolk, my family are all sick." I replied, "Where are the rest of the boys?" Just then Andrew Tillotson let out one of his guffaws, that he could never hold. While I had been talking to the boys my wife dressed, for you know our living room, bedroom and kitchen were all in one. After extending them an invitation to come in, I asked them where their bells and guns were? They frankly confessed that after looking all over they were unable to find a thing to make a noise with except an old bell without a clapper. You see even junk was a scarcity in those days. They sat and smoked and told a few jokes until midnight and then departed.

Now winter was coming on and no fuel, so again my friend Mr. Willis came to my rescue and said that if I would cut all the poles, wagon length on a forty he owned, he would haul all, giving me one to his two. This was six miles from my place, but I walked it every morning for two weeks, and was no slouch with an axe, either. Mr. Willis hauled us each one load. It started snowing and scarcely let up. On the 25th of April there was a foot of snow on the ground. I know of no time since that so much snow fell as in the winter of '80 and '81.

I had an open well that Mr. Niles had helped me dig. It was forty-three feet deep and so much snow fell that at times I was forced to melt snow for cows and one horse to drink for three days. My wood remained on the river and went down the Elkhorn and on to the Missouri. We burned up the one load of wood. I had raised no corn on the place, so I asked Mr. Bradshaw if I could have his stalks to cut for fuel. He was a half a mile from my place. With his consent, I got a lengthy rope and bound them into a large bundle, and carried them on my back, for as yet I was without a team, and made two trips a day when the weather would permit. Some days were so stormy that I could not go at all. Then we would burn twisted hay and were glad we had that. I often wonder how we withstood the severe cold. We had a straw stable and the snow got so deep that I tunnelled into my barn starting abut two rods from the

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