Family of Charles H Tuesburg and Sarah Ellizan Dunn Tuesburg at wedding of their daughter Lillian.

Mary Jones Tuesburg

Mary Jones Tuesburg and her older brother Chas Jones.  See back of photo below

C H Tuesburg Life Story, complete

I found the complete version of the Life Story of Charles H. Tuesburg

Feb 4 1917

A MEMORANDA OF MY LIFE AND FAMILY

My father Hans Larson Tuesburg was born in "Tondern Sleswic Holstine"
Denmark in the year 1786 and was educated for the Navy, he being the
eldest son. He was a lieutenant in the Danish navy at the age of 22
years and commanded a Letter of Mark ship during the war in Europe with
Napoleon during the years 1810-1812. After the war he resigned and took
charge of the merchant ship "Creole" as seen by his Log book and later
on he commanded the ship "Harriot" which plied between Hamburg and Rio
Genero Sa and Copenhagen and Valporaiso S.A. as seen by another Log
Book. He left the sea about 1834 and came to Tremont Ills from New York
with a stock of goods for a man named Flagler the year of 1835 after
spending 30 years on the Sea in Command of Merchant ships. He purchased
Lot 4 Block 7 in the town of Tremont, Tazewell Co Ills and built a small
shop at the East end of the lot where he lived alone and set out some
cottonwood trees across the east end of the lot and some apple trees and
other fruit and some black walnut trees near the west end of the lot
where he built the house where I was born.

All young men in Denmark were required to learn a trade and my father
learned the House Carpenter trade. He had a full sett of tools to make
window sash and Blinds and pannel doors and such work which he did. The
house he built was made of hardwood frame 8 rooms with Cellar under the
whole house and with fire places in Cellar and both floors on each side
of the house of brick large enough for a small sized man to climb
through to the top. The house was about 30 feet square as I remember
with 12 x 12 hewn oak sills and heavy oak studding and poplar siding
always painted white. The house had a one story lean-too on the north
side about 12 feet wide the whole length with 3 steps down from the main
floor in addition to the 8 rooms. The roof was very steep so as to give
4 rooms up stairs. A hall from the front door on the south ran through
the house. The stairs went from the hall and at the head of the stairs
was a dark closet where flour and meal was kept. There was a sliding
door with two holes to put the fingers in to shove the door. When I was
small I remember my oldest brother Hanson used to tell me the buggers
would catch me and I used to run into my room and shut the door to avoid
the buggers. (How we remember these childish things.) I remember we
owned a one horse wagon and a small white horse named Billy which father
bought of Captain Holmes a former Sea Captain. Many was the time Mother
and we Children used to drive Billy out to Scotch Robinson west of town
and to Mrs Grosveners south and west of town and though we wen some
Father was a hardworking man and as honest as any man I ever knew. He
belonged to the Lutheran Church. He always repeated the Lord's Prayer at
the table and used to clean up & shave and read his old Danish Bible on
Sunday and sometimes I remember he would go to the Baptist Church and
sit in the big chair provided for the old people. He was a kind hearted
man and a good provider always. He was 5 feet 10 inches high and weighed
175# - seldom ailing except he did have trouble with the pit of his
stomach all through his life and I was the only child who seemed to
inherit the same trouble. Father seemed to me as a boy to be an old man
and yet he died at the age of 73 years only one year older than I am now
and I seem like a boy beside him. Father was very nervy and fearless and
always fairminded. He joined the Democratic Party when he came to
America and always voted that ticket although he would never vote for a
bad man on his ticket. My Father died in April 1859 was sick less than
two weeks and insisted on shaving himself the day before he died. We
buried him at the Cemetery west of Tremont adjoining where he assisted
in the burial of so many old citizens. Father was married in Denmark had
two daughters and a son Charles who was also a Sea Captain who came to
America with his mate intending to Come out and see father. While in New
York his mate became sick with the cholera and Bro. Charles waited on
him. He later took the cholera and died and his Mate recovered. My
father also had a brother Lawrence (his youngest brother) who lived
about 100 miles south near Carlinville, Mc Cooper Co Ills who was a
bachelor and a stock farmer who formerly commanded a packet plying
between Philadelphia & New York - in the employ of Stephen Gerard. Uncle
Lawrence died about the same time as my father died and left his estate
of $30,000 to the Gerard Institute in Philadelphia. Father had his big
boarding pistol with Bayonet & long sword Flintlock with him which we
have but his uniform and short sword was in his chest at his Bro
Lawrence which we did not get. Father always drank his glass of Grog
after each meal and would smoke one pipe of tobacco after a days work.
My father could talk 5 languages and had traveled in Rusia and other
countries as was the custom for all who were Educated for the Navy.
Father left about $300 in gold in his trunk and our home and 10 or 12
lots. Every thing was cheap and Mother sold the house and lots for
$1200. of which I received $400. Lawrence $400. and Mother $400. The
life that my father led in command of a Merchant Ship for 30 years
crossing the Equator twice each trip and rounding Cape Horn to
Valparaiso Chili made him endure great hardships. Chased by pirates and
beset with trials innumerable was enough to make him old with a Plank
for a Ship and a sheet for a sail. How different now the floating
palaces which float on every Sea propelled by steam as well as by sail.
It seems to me My life has been only a dream Compared to his. And
although the Lord has blessed me with an abundance of the worldly goods
I have known nothing of hardships compared to Him.

About the year 1887 a friend James Jensen who was my tile foreman for
two years returned to Denmark. I asked him to go to Tondern and see if
any of my Fathers people were living there he wrote me there were a
number of Nephews and my two half sisters were living and they were
comfortably off and very respectable people and that a cousin of mine
lived at Manitowoc Wisconsin. I went up there to see him just after the
Worlds fair at Chicago 24 years ago I found a slight built man with
light complexion and hair living with his second wife an English lady
with 4 little boys about them. They were living in their own house near
the boat landing. Cousin was working in the Smalley Manufacturing
establishment and was Comfortably fixed. They had a daughter born to
them later so they had 5 children when he died. He died in Manitowac
about 16 years ago. My wife, William & Nilly drove up in Williams car to
Manitowoc last July 1915 and stayed two days & nights. We found a very
nice family. Elizabeth, the widow 62 years old (my cousin was 73 years
old when he died) Lewis the eldest son 30 year old married with Boy and
girl. Calvin 28 yr wife and boy. Elmer 26 and wife. Chas & wife 22.
Dorathi(unmarried) was 19 years old. All were working and earning good
wages and were a fine looking set of young people All Methodists the
Mother said. The mother was a widow with one daughter Nelly when she
married my cousin. She is now 33 years old and is married to Edw. Sherer
a Barbour a fine young man. They have a son and a daughter. My wife and
I have deeded 80 acres to each of the six children and 160 to Elizabeth
in De Soto County, Florida. They went by the Name of Tidsburg and they
went into court and had their names changed to Tuesburg and the deeds
are made out in this name.

There were born to my father and mother 4 sons. Laust-Hanson who was
killed in ambush while supporting the advance guard of Shermans Army as
they were moving out of Corinth Mississippi July 2 1862. Hanson was one
year and 10 mo. older than myself. I Chas Hanson T- was born 29 Dec 1844
in the old home at Tremont and another boy was born about two years
later who was named Lawrence who died while quite young and was buried
on 1/2 lot at Tremont. His remains were taken up and buried with my
father. Lawrence No 2 was born March 4th six years after I was born.


Feb 6 1917
My Mother

My Mother "Mary Jones" was born in Duxbury Plymouth Co Massachusetts May
6th 1808. She came with her fathers family at the age of 26 to Tremont
Tazewell Co Illinois the year 1834 with what was known as the Tremont
Colony from near Boston Mass.. Mothers Father Charles Jones Sen people
lived for several generations near Boston. His ancestors coming
originally from "Wales". There were two children born by the first
mother Ester Craft she died at the age of 25 years April 1 1812 leaving
my mother and her brother Charles an infant. My Grandfather purchased
640 acres of land in the colony built his cabin on a farm 160 acres part
timber about 2 1/2 to 3 miles west of Tremont where my mother lived with
them for a time. Then moved to the town of Tremont where she did the
Taylors trade. My mother told me when they left Boston to come west she
was placed in charge of her youngest brother "Cushing Jones" about ten
years old. She said they went to Schenectady N.Y. and by boat to
Cleveland Ohio. thense down the Canal to the Ohio River thense by boat
down the Ohio River to Cairo thense up the Mississippi River and the
Illinois to the mouth of Apple Creek opposite Jacksonville Illinois
where they spent the winter of 1834. Some of the leading men went up to
Tremont- Mother went in company with the young people that winter with
young men who afterward became noted statesmen and teachers. She had
been brought up in the Universalist faith but in company with the young
people she attended a Presbyterian revival meeting and became converted
and joined the Presbyterian Church. The more she studied her Bible the
more she became convinced in her own mind that the Savior was baptised
by immersion and so she spent the winter of 1835 in Jacksonville and
then and there joined the Baptist Church and remained a consistent
member of that church for near 65 years. Her consistent Christian life
and her earnest prayers meant more to me than every other influence
combined. I have the picture of her (to me splendid face) enlarged and
hanging above my desk and each time I go to my desk I look up into that
(to me sweet face) and in my heart thank God that he gave me such a
Mother. I have thought if my children should have reason when they may
look upon my face when I am gone and shall have the same love and
veneration for my memory as I have for my mother I shall be satisfied
that I have lived.

My Mothers first husband was named "Adam Spaulding" They had one little
girl who died in infancy. They lived at or near "Leamoile" in northern
Illinois I think for less than two years when he was taken sick and
died. In the meantime my mother had taken to raise the 3 year old child
of a Baptist clergyman formerly from Scotland who himself and wife died
close together and left a family of 2 sons and 2 daughters, James and
John. Sibilla and Margarett. Riddler. John G Riddler was the three year
old that mother took to raise. My mother came back to Tremont and worked
at her trade as Tailoress and kept her little boy John G.

My Father came upon the scene and built his home and became acquainted
with my mother and they were married and John was retained in the family
untill he was 16 or 18 years of age when he removed to Peoria 14 miles
from Tremont and learned the Sculptor trade with Parkhurst & Pillsbury
at the head of Bridge Street where he remained until my father died in
1859 and he then removed to Kansas City, Mo. and studied medicine and
1861 enlisted from Kansas City and was under the command of Colonel
Milliken a lawyer formerly from Chicago. John went in as a ward master
and his Colonel being his friend procured for him a leave of absence
from his regiment long enough for him to complete his course at Rush
Medical College Chicago and get his diploma and upon his return to his
regiment he was appointed full Surgeon for the Regiment. After his time
of service expired he reenlisted in another regiment for three years
more being sent out to Ft Laramie to serve out his time of enlistment.

My mother gave birth to 4 children. Laust Hanson born Mar 1843 and
Charles Hanson born 28 Dec 1844 and Lawrence who died an infant or small
boy born 4 Mar 1850. (In addition to the baby girl by Spaulding. Sydney L.)

L. Hanson enlisted in the 4th Illinois Cavalry of Ottowa, Ills. in Oct.
1861 - Hanson was killed in ambush about 1 1/2 miles south of Holly
Springs Mississippi July 12 1862. 50 men were sent ahead as advance
guard drawn from the 4th Ills. Cavalry and Hansons Co. G was ordered
forward as a support in command of Lieutenant Harper they were the
advance guard of Shermans Army as they moved out of Corinth Miss. A
short time before this Hanson had been appointed Shermans orderly but
the boys wanted him back as he had many friends and he was made a
Corporal and his cousin Charles W. Jones was appointed Orderly in his
stead and served as orderly to Gen. Sherman untill Sherman started his
march to the sea. When he returned to his regiment Hanson was riding by
the side of Lieutenant Harper about 500 feet in the rear of the advance
guard when 400 mounted infantry (Confed arose) and fired into the rear
of the advance and head of Co. G. Hansons horse became unmanageable and
he was shot by a minnie ball through the temple and fell by the wayside
the only one killed. The men rallied and drove the enemy from the field.
His comrades sent for C. W. Jones 2 miles in the rear and they dug a
grave on a knoll by the roadside and they wrapped him in his blanket and
buried him and later placed a fence around his grave and later his
comrads told me his remains were taken to the National Cemetery at
Memphis Tenn. and reburied. His cousin sent home his watch and testament
and some other things he had and thus died one of the bravest young
soldiers in the army. A splendid clean Christian young man in his 20th
year Full of life and patriotism.

His uncle Charles who went with the Co as cook so as to be near his son
Charles W. told me when ever the regiment went out on a scout and when
near the enemies lines they would often call for volunteers to go and
feel of the enemy Hanson was the first to ride to the front for
dangerous duty. About one month before he was killed the regiment was
scouting in the timber near the enemy They halted and called for
volunteers Hanson rode to the front and seven of his comrades and he at
the front rode down through the woods to the Enemies Camp. At a turn in
the road Hanson spied a Rebel picket. He ordered him to surrender but
the rebel sent a bullet through Hansons hat an inch over his head and he
discharged his carbine into the stomach of the picket who fell forward
on his horse and started for the Rebel Camp. Our men road into the midst
of the Enemies Camp firing their Carbines and pistols and turned about
and rode back to the regiment unhurt. His Captain Col. Cook wrote my
Mother after Hanson's death that Hanson was his personal friend. That he
was brave even to daring. And that he possesed all those noble qualities
which went to make a noble and high----Man.

I was the second child born Dec 29 1844 to which I will refer later on.

The third child Lawrence No. 1 died while very small.

Lawrence Hanson was the last child born 4 Mar 1850. Lawrence was as nice
a boy while young (generous to fault) as there was in the neighborhood.
He never loved manual labor and often told my wife I was foolish to work
as hard as I did. He was honest and clean and liked to read the paper
and keep well informed. Was a great talker and had a great memory. He
never succeeded financially. He married Miss Hinman a school teacher
from Farm Ridge La Salle Co. Ills. She was a fine young woman but lived
less than two years with him. She gave birth to a son Wilbur T.- and
died five months after his birth. The babe was taken to Farm Ridge by
his Grandmother and two maiden aunts and there tenderly raised until he
was about fourteen years old when he came to live with our family at or
near Pontiac and became a member of our family for the next seven years
- and attended the splendid High School under Profs Bangs and Butts and
graduated with our son Elmer and later went to Law School at Bloomington
Ills with his cousin Fred White and practiced law for a number of years
- later became head of the Law Firm Tuesburg, Wilson and Armstrong and
they became the leading law firm in Pontiac. Wilbur married Grace
Stevens some years ago and built a nice house on East Water St where
they now reside.

Wilbur stands 6 ft 1 in. and weighs about 225 is fine looking and a very
fine man highly respected among his fellows.

When Lawrence was about 40 years old he disappeared from our
neighborhood and we could not find him for about Eight years. I rec'd a
letter from my Brother in Law, David Dunn of El Paso Ills in which was
enclosed a short clipping from the Chicago Tribune saying that the only
4 class postmaster appointed Saturday in the U.S. was Lawrence H.
Tuesburg of Longview Ills. He wrote to know if this was my long lost
brother. I said yes for no one else in the U.S. would have that name. I
went down to Long View Champaign Co Ills and found him. I would hardly
have known him he was so fleshy. He met me at the door of his tin shop
and Said How are you Charley, how did you find me. I told him and he
said he was afraid that would give me away. I said Lawrence why did you
go away and leave your poor old mother and those alone who cared for you
Your own flesh and blood. He replied I made a failure of everything I
took hold of and I thought I would go away and never show up if I could
not do better.

Lawrence lived at Longview about twenty years. He was Postmaster one
term and had two buildings the Post Office and a Tin Shop next door. He
worked at tin work put up Metal Roofing and lightning rods out of
twisted Copper wire called Cable rod. Lawrence weighed 275# and stood
near 6 feet tall. He married a woman (2nd wife) who helped him in the
office but she did not live more than a year I think. Lawrence came to
Pontiac to visit his mother shortly after I found him and also came
during her last illness and was present at her funeral. Lawrence lived
to be 63 years of age. He took a job of putting up lightening Rods on a
large barn near Longview and stayed over night with the man. In the
morning the farmer said both he and his wife were afraid of lightening.
Lawrence said he was not nor was he afraid to die only he wanted to go
quick. They left the table Lawrence to finish nailing a cleet up at the
top of the ladder. As he reached out to drive a nail the ladder went
under his weight and gave away and he fell 20 ft and never knew what
hurt him perhaps ten minutes after he said he wanted to go quick. The
man and his wife ran to him as soon as he reached the ground and raised
him up but he had crossed the river and was dead. He never professed
religion and we leave him to his God. Wilbur and I met at Longview as
soon as we could get there. The friends were very kind and gave him a
good funeral from a nice home. We can never tell why one child succeeds
in accumulating wealth and another meets with failure but such is life.

We took his remains via Danvile and Bloomington and buried him beside
his Mother in Pontiac Cemetery. We found D. S. Myers Clark and A M Sugg,
Jno Murphy, Dr. Long and John Berry at the train as pall bearers and Rev
Jno Ryan read the burial service at the grave and thus passed from the
earth my only remaining brother. Wilbur procured the services of the
Banker at Longview to act as administrator to settle his estate which
did not pay out and I gave Wilbur $1100 for funeral expenses and to pay
any indebtedness which might be.

I felt the Lord had Endowed me with ability which he had not given him
and for which he was not to blame. So we did by his child as would like
for him to have done by our child if he had been in my place. I gave
Wilbur an 80 acre farm in Indiana and $1200 worth of lots in Pontiac and
a section of unimproved land in De Soto Co Florida and was glad to do
it. When Wilbur and I were going to the train in Longview we overheard
an old lady say we will miss Tuesburg more than any man in town as he
always stood for the right and was friend to the children & young people.



Charles Hanson Tuesburg

I was named Charles after my mothers father and Hanson after my fathers
mothers family name. I was born Tremont Tazewell County Ills about 10
miles east of Pekin Ills and 14 miles South east of Peoria. This was
originally the county seat of Tazewell County and I attended High School
in the old Court Room where David Davis and Abraham Lincoln and other
noted men of those times plead law. I was born Dec 29 1844 in the house
built by my father with his own hands in 1836 to 1838 where we 4
children were born. I was rather backward in school and out. Rather
diffident. One reason perhaps was that my brother Hanson was 22 months
older than myself and much brighter than I one of the best schollars in
School. Had a splendid memory and always at the head in classes and on
the playground. He was not so much for work as myself. He was a great
reader and always in the lead. Where he went I went and if he was
invited to a party I was or expected to be. The old librarian at
Tremont, Dr Shaw said Hanson and Horace Shaw read more books in the
library than any other people in town. I used to pick up one of his
books and become interested and at night after going to bed I would ask
him about the book and he would tell me the contents from the beginning
to end and I never read a book after he told me its contents. We were
like twins what one had the other had and it near broke my heart when he
rode away to war never to return at the age of 19. Tender memories
cluster around the young boy life and I remember only kindness and
boyish fun. Lawrence was 6 years younger than myself and was eight years
old when father died and there was never the same intimacy between us
that there was between Hanson and myself. My father was a hard working
man and certain wealthy men always had him do their work if possible and
our early life was very happy and free from care. My Mother was one of
the best of women and mothers and having no girls she brought Hanson and
I up to help her in the house. While small boys we were expected to
sweep the floor and set the table and wash dishes and set them in the
cupboard. We had several cows to milk and I would do a part and Hanson
his part. Lawrence when old enough would be expected to carry in wood
and other chores. We were kept in school all of the time of school. I
was always rather dull in my studies. While I was counted a good reader
and speller and I was very fond of geography Philosophy and astronomy I
never liked Grammer or Mathematics.

I remember the little Elm Grove district School House where I attended
all my earlier life a little over 1/4 mile south of our home. There had
been a railroad built from Pekin on the Illinois River to Tremont a
distance of 10 miles headed for Bloomington Ills. There were hewn logs
12 inches square layed lengthwise of the track and heavy strap iron was
spiked to sills The timbers were embedded in the ground to make them
solid. We used to cross this track about half way to school. I saw some
of these timbers and my father purchased a lot of these timbers and
built a large hog house and a stable out of them which were still in
existence when I left Tremont at the age of 22 years. This track was
utilized and purchased by the Indianapolis Bloomington & Western R.R.
Co. and the track is now layed from Peoria to Indianapolis. There was no
RR. in Tremont while I lived there but shortly after the I.B&W was
built. The boys in the immediate neighborhood with whom I went to school
have nearly every one crossed the River save Josiah M Sawyer who was a
year or so younger than I. He has lived in Tremont nearly all his life
except while he was away in the Massachusetts Cavalry and at Petersburg
Ills as an agent for 12 years. I visited with him three years ago found
him quite vigorous for a 70 year old. My memory goes back to the old
neighborhood 65 years ago and can name 125 families I knew who then
lived in Tremont who have passed away but perhaps a half dozen families
or part of some. My old home was located in one of the richest parts of
Ills, a garden spot.

At the age of near 17 Uncle Sammy Tompkins came to our house a block
away and asked my mother if I was busy and left word for me to come and
see him. I called and he said Charley I have a lot of hay to haul to
Pekin and Peoria and I wondered if you could haul it for me. I said
sure. He said come over in the morning and we will hitch up George and
Madge and go down to the south farm and get a load of hay and you can
take it to Peoria. He said I have sold a lot to Nick Bergen you will
find him down on the wharf on water street. I went with him and we
brought home a good load for two horses for Illinois roads in June. I
started early the next morning and boylike took the timber road and when
I arrived at Dillon Creek I found the bridge washed out. I saw where
people had forded the stream so I drove my team across the creek and the
front wheels stuck fast in the clay bank the horses of course the horses
stoped on the other side. I had seen a German boy about my age plowing
back 1/2 mile and I slipped of the back end of the load and ran back and
asked him to help me out. He came with a team and hooked on the end of
the tongue. We were near a Saw Mill and Alf Wright came with a spade and
dug trenches in front of the front wheels and the 4 hoses pulled the
load onto the bank. I gave the boy a quarter I believe and drove on
through the woods and came into a lane running north to Groveland and
had to drive in a deep rut which was dry but my wagon was coupled out
too long for the track and the hind wheels could not follow the track
but ran into the stif mud on the sides of the rut and my team could not
pull out. I slipped off the load and ran over to a farm house belonging
to W M Davidson and borrowed his spade and dug trenches for the wheels
and pulled the load out. I returned the spade and drove on to within 1/2
mile of Groveland and my right hind wheel droped into a rut and my team
could not pull the load out. I saw a farmer going into his gate for
dinner and I slipped down and ran over to him and told him my trouble
and he came with his team and we pulled out. I gave him my last quarter
with thanks and got onto my load again having been stuck 3 times in the
first 6 miles before noon. I said to myself, Young man this will not do
now. No more of this fooling. If you haul Uncle Sams hay you must do
better than this. I drove over the Ills River bridge after 2 o'clock and
paid a 25c toll and drove down Water Street up east to the boat landing
and saw a bunch of laborers. I went up to an Irish man and asked if he
could tell me where I could find Nick Bergen. He took me to an Irishmen
and said M Bergen I said Mr Tomkins of Tremont sent me over with a load
of hay for him. He said Mike you go with the boy and unload in the barn.
We drove up to the city scale South of the Courthouse on Adams Street
then drove into an alley on the west side of the barn and Mike got into
the loft and I pitched 2450# of hay through a small window to Mike. He
came to the window for air every little bit as it was fearful hot. After
unloading I drove to the city scale and weighed my wagon and started for
home and drove across the bridge shortly before sundown and had 14 miles
ahead of me and some heavy timber part of the way. I had to drive on a
walk and did not arrive home unil after midnight. I put up my team and
went home to bed. The next morning I went over to see Uncle Sammy. He
said Charley did you get through I said sure. I got stuck three times
before I arrived at Groveland 6 miles before noon. But I said I
delivered the hay to Mr Bergen. He said By Gum Charly you shall deliver
my hay. No man in this town could have done that. I have been on nettles
all day because I did not tell you to take the prairie road I knew the
bridge was out and you could not get through the timber road. I hauled
two three and four horse loads to Peoria and the Still house at Pekin
all summer but never got stuck again.

Sept 13 1917
I watched every rut and bad place like a cat and always stoped and
rested my team before starting to go through. It was a great lesson to
me getting stuck three times the first forenoon but I would never give
up no matter how hard the job. Uncle Sammy paid me $1.00 per day and
board and was well satisfied with my summers job. These things seem
hardly worth repeating but they help stiffen ones back bone and make
character. I would have done the work for nothing rather than to have
failed–fail was never a part of my vocabulary or thought. As we go out
into the battle of life we must show the bent of our minds and aims for
weal or woe. The boy who gives up early has a hard roe to hoe.

At the age of 12 some young people from Delvan prairie came to our town
to attend school in the old Court house to Prof Samuel Graves. 5 of them
rented rooms of my mother. A brother of some of them Joseph Slaughter
took a ancy to me and had me come to his home 12 miles south to drive a
barge through harvest as they cut with wheat with a header cutting off
about 6 inches of the top and elevating the heads into a large platform
with a cloth on one side and on ends 3 feet high the same as a large hay
rack with a board 1 foot high on the low side. One had to drive under
the elevator and let the wheat load the platform full. A Man would load
and tramp and pitch off the heads into the sack. I did the driving for
.50 ct and board a day. I did so well Joseph wanted me to come down and
live with them a year. This was the year 1858 a very wet year as I
remember. The year Lincoln and Douglas made there Canvas for the U. S.
Senate. I was to do chores and go to school but I went into the corn
field and went to school but 5 or 6 weeks to Samuel Groves who boarded
at Mr Slaughters and afterward married a Sister Hanna. I followed the
plow and drove the roller and harrow milked cows and did any farm work a
boy of 13 could do and learned much. They were to feed me and clothe me
for my work but if it had not been for Mother I would not have had
clothes fit to go to church but I stayed a year and one day and was
ready to go home. They were fine people and I learned only good with
them. The father was a fine old gentleman. There was besides the father
2 brothers 3 sisters at home while I was there. I was glad to get home
but would not go untill my time was up. The spring I was 17 a man by the
of Roswell Wheeler from Ohio engaged me to go with him & Stephen Wodrow
to make a tour of 4 to 6 week March and April up along the Illinois
River to La Con Henipen Liskelwa and Tonica and cross country to the
Vermillion River where there were old orchards to top graft. My part was
to go into the tree top and cut away the limbs so as to make a
cemetrical tree and then follow up and wax the scion or graft set by the
two men. I liked the work became something of an expert. We had nice
team and light road wagon with a top made of wood with doors back of our
seat in which we carried our graft wax tools etc. We drove across to
Tonica and down the west side of the river past dog town across the
river where is now the city of Streator to the west of Pontiac. This was
the spring of 1862 March and April. We crossed the Vermillion river on a
ferry boat just west of Pontiac 4 miles. Found Pontiac a very small town
for a county seat of a large county with nearly the whole county
Prairie. We stopped a week with the Hon.M. B. Pattir who had been a war
democratic member of the legislature. He had a large & old apple
orchard. We did more than $100. worth of top grafting for him. We went
on to near Watseka and finished up our work and Mr. Wheeler paid me
something over $30. for my work and I took the train for Peoria over the
L.P.&W.R.R.. My first trip on a R.R.. The same depots are at El paso
(The Campbell House) Chenoa Gilman and others that I saw in 1862. The
engines and Cars were small affairs and the rails were comon iron 20
feet long made in England without fish plates and warm weather would
shrink the rails so there would be about an inch apart and the cars
would go over them and sound like clipaty clip clipaty clip- There were
very few farms in sight one vast beautiful prairie. The air was pure and
balmy with prairie chickens galore making their strange noises. I was
delighted with my trip and little knew that trip was to largely shape my
life work The spring of 1863 the firm of Pettis & Ingalls started a
store in connection with their Bank and Mr. Ingalls came to mother and
said they had picked on me to come into the store and clerk for them. I
left High School because we were poor and needed the money as the two
oldest boys went in the army Fall 1861. The firm consisted of Wm. E.
Pettis & Nathaniel W. Ingalls -Levi Ryan was head clerk and Albert
Angier and I were the subordinates. Albert and I became fast friends. He
was a fine clean Christian man and we slept in the store together and
often went out together with Baldwin young people and Mary Ann Gibson
and Mary Kellogg. Splendid young people they were and many a good time
did we have together. Albert afterward married Maggie Baldwin some older
than himself a lovely Christian character. They named their oldest son
Charles after me and I named our oldest son John Albert after him.

Albert lived to be about 70 years old and was blind some time before he
died at his home in Peoria. I called a short time before he died and saw
him blind He seemed as sweet as ever never complaining and went home to
Glory to be with Maggie.

Mary and Ann Kellogg are still living at their home in Tremont where
they have always lived together. Mary is about my age and Ann is older.

Mary Gibson married Wm Baldwin a Presbyterian minister and they lived at
Tonica Ills where he preached for the Presbyterian people for two or
three years. They finally separated and William became a recluse and I
hear Mary married a traveling man and went Europe. How little we know of
what is before us in life. I rode 80 miles horseback to attend their
wedding and thought it a splendid match but it proved not to be only a
sad one.

May 4" I enlisted in company C-139 Ills Infantry for 100 days. The
government wanted a large number of regiments to do guard duty to take
the place of three year men when Sherman started across the country to
Savana Geo. with his 50 000 men to live off the country -- This was a
hurry call to relieve regiments to go with Sherman. We rendavood at Camp
Lyon Peoria where a number of other regiments were organized and June 1
1864 were mustered in the U.S. Service. We went down the Illinois River
in a steam boat to Columbus KY. where we stayed a short time and then
returned to Cairo Illinois and were placed in charge of the Military
Prison and the Government Wearhouses and were kept busy delivering
Bounty Jumpers to their regiments. When the last call for 600,000 men
was made some of the states did not fill their quota with volunteers and
citties and towns made money and paid a bounty usually $800. to process
substitutes. These men were often unreliable and would desert the army
at the first opportunity and the Provo-Martials in the north would
arrest them and bring them down the Ills Central R.R. to Cairo. There
were not many rail roads then. These men would have to be taken to their
regiments by our troops. We relieved the 122 Reg Ills troops which
regiment went with Sherman to the sea. The bounty jumpers would rob one
another so we had to station an armed guard with fixed bayonet to
protect the prisoners from each other. The summer was very hot
especially June. Cairo was a low & hot place to stay. We had to drink
river water, the river became low and the water poor test we used it for
cooking & drinking often very dirty & warm. Our cooks would dip their
Camp Kettles into the barrels and leave the grease on the water. I do
not know how the soldiers could have survived without coffee as the
water was so poor. There was much sameness in our food. Sow Belly & Hard
Tack with Beans constituted our daily ration and very good it was. When
possible the government gave us bakers bread sometimes our hard tack
would be old and wormy but most of the time it was sweet and nutritious.
My bunk mate was Eddie Hall from Pekin Ills. He was made 1st duty
sargent. He did not like to cook so when we had no company cook I would
do our cooking. The first mess of beans I put on to boil ran over the
top of the kettle as I had made no allowance for their swelling. This
did not occur but once. I was made a 1st Corporal of Co. C the Color Co.
A Good position I did not have to stand guard and was on duty to
distribute the guard at the prison and on a commissary boat on the Ohio
River and the Government Wearhouses. Usually 27 men. I was on duty when
my men were 2 hours on and 4 hours off for one day in my turn.. And I
had to be officer of the quarters once every week or two to have the
camp cleaned up about our barracks. Being 1st corporal I had to be the
first on the ground when the Company was ordered to fall in for roll
call I was whip stalk and always marched beside the commanding oficer.

Our Captain was Deiderick Smith from Pekin a fine man 24 years old. He
was detailed as Inspector General on General Merediths staff and our 1st
Lieutenant was Benn Burnett also from Pekin Ills a clever man. Our
orderly sargent was Claudius H Radford of Eureka from whence came our
1st Lieutenant. About one half of our company came from Eureka as we
consolidated as we did not have enough time to recruit a full company.
We kept drilling 6 days in the week untill we were quite proficient. Col
Davidson our Coloney had not been a regular army officer. He was very
profane to his men while on battalion drill. He would get very angry if
the men did not keep the line in a right or left wheel. Our Major A. M.
Roth from Prinston Ills was quite profane on Batallion Drill but our
Lieutenant Col. Wilsey from Prinston Ills was always a gentleman. The
companies were numbered A. F. I. H. E. K. G. B. - C was the Color Co..
We had a very good regiment of men. Our Quartermaster was Col. Bryner
formerly Col of the 47 Infty but on account of poor health he resigned.
He was from Peoria Ills. We started out with 1008 men and lost 13 by
sickness. We stayed overtime two week at Cairo as there was no regiment
available to take our place. We returned to Camp Lyon Peoria and stayed
one night and then were called to return to St Louis in the following
day as gen Price was headed for St Louis with a large force of Cavalry
for their winter supplies and in the immergency every regiment available
was called. We heard early in the morning in camp that we would be
called to go somewhere and early sone of us boys went down to the gate.
Our Lieutenant Col and our Quarter master came riding through the gate
and the boys cried played out played out. Col Wilsey arose in the buggy
and standing up waved his hat and said this wont do, I wish every Co. to
come to the round house by Gorlach without arms as Col Bryner wants to
speak to you. Every Co did so and Col Bryner told that a large force of
Cavalry had crossed the Arkansas river under Price and were headed for
St Louis and the government expected every man to do his duty. The men
went to their barracks and put on the accoutriments and moved into
regimental line without a word and were ready to march with banners
firled. Soon our noble Colonel rode through the gate on his big bay
charger and lifted his hat to his men for the first time. Behind him
rode Robert C. Ingersoll and his brother Clark M. C. in a fine baroush.
They just sat back of our company with their legs crossed. There was no
need of their eloquence as the regiment was ready to serve at word of
command. The Col. had been told in the city that the men would not go.
Nor did they have to. Two companies went from Peoria F.& H. and their
friends tried to persuade them not to go but it was no use. Patriotic
men are always ready to go at their countrys call. We marched down
through the city to the train of box cars we climbed on and moved out of
the city to Chenoa and down the C&A R.R. in the cingt and arrived at
Alton early in the morning. We marched on board the Steamboat "Schuyler"
and rode down to St Louis and marched up through the City to Benton
Barracks came from Matoon where a brigade was formed under Col. Wanger
an officer who had just come up from Atlanta Geo. where he lost and arm.
We were ordered to draw overcoats. Our regiment drew them but the other
two Regiments refused to take overcoats untill they knew how long they
were to stay out. General Rosencrans rode over by our regiment an sat on
his horse and made a speech to the other regiments and said is that
satisfactory. Our men said No. He turned in his saddle and waved his
hand at us and said "you men are all right" . We had our overcoats on
and were ready to move. We marched out 3,000 string on the pike west of
St Louis to White Sulfur Springs 12 miles out when we camped overnight.
Next day we marched further west to Merimac Station on the Merimac River
where we camped. Just before we went into Camp we were marching through
a lane where there was a mud full of water with a lot of ducks swiming.
Our boys separated on either side and the ducks disappeared. When the
regiment went into camp the owners of the ducks came to the Col. and
told him of their troubles. The Col. ordered the Co. officers to see if
any of the men had "ducks" to spare. One of our boys Henry Bellamy
opened his haversack but had no takers. He let the duck go and it flew
away with a "quack quack" which made the men cheer. I took a picket
guard (6 men) out near 1/2 mile up in the timber and two men asked me to
let them go outside the lines. I told them to be back in 30 minutes.
They soon came in with a 40# pig dead. I sent one of our men to Camp
after Camp kettle salt and peper and I told him to stop at the foot of
the hill and bring up some potatoes and cabbages. We had a feast fit for
a King. We took the train for " Rolla " Mo. On the way we passed and
orchard full of apples. When the train had half passed the orchard one
of the men pulled the pin and others set the breaks and made a rush for
the orchard and filled hats and pockets with apples and went back on the
train befor the train men knew of the break. They came back and hooked
on and said nothing. We arrived at Rolla and disembarked and marched
into the town and found A. J. Smiths 16" army Chor had marched across
country from Jefferson Barracks and met the Confederates and had driven
them back across the Arkansas River so we had no fight. Our regiment
returned to St. Louis and took the train for home and the Regiment
disbanded the 28 of October 1864. I was glad to get home. The most of
the boys from our town went home when we reached Peoria the first time
and did not go to Missouri. I was glad I went as I was sick with Flux
and the doctor said I must not go but I came back felling well. The
sulphur water and the cool air and marching helped me out.

Was very glad to see mother and old friends.

I went into the store of Ingals Spaulding & Co at a salary of $500 per
annum everything at cost where I stayed untill the spring of 1867 when I
left Tremont for good. Seventeen days after I left the store it was
robbed and burned. I had been sleeping in the store and the parties who
robbed the store did not want to burn it while I slept there. It was
evidently robbed by home talent assisted by men from abroad. The partys
were suspected but nothing ever was done to molest them. My employers
moved the old mill building into the foundation and went into business
again but did not continue but a few years when they failed and went out
of business and are now dead.

In April 1865 while in the store of this firm I asked Mr. Ingalls if he
could spare me a week or ten days. He said what do you want to do
Charley. I said I would like to go up toward Chicago to see if I can get
a hold of a piece of cheap land. He said they were not very busy and if
my brother could come in I might go. I rode over to Peoria in our own
store wagon with a load of packed Eggs driven by our head clerk Mifflin
Bailey. I went over the T.P.&W.R.R. to Chenoa and stayed over night with
Louis Brown a schoolmate. The next Day I was standing on the street
talking to Matt Stiles uncle to Louis Browne and a man came by with a
hand full of letters. He heard something I said and stoped and said
young man you are looking for land. I yes. He said why don't you go up
and see Mr Matthew T Scott. He has plenty of land for sale. I said I
would like too. He said Wait untill I mail these letters and I will take
you up and introduce you. I did so and he took me to Mr Scotts home and
asked my name and introduced me to Mr Scott who said Mr Nicholson won't
you hook up my ponies and show Mr Tuesburg my lands. I said Mr Scott how
do your lands lay. He replied they lay all around Chenoa. I said that is
not what I mean are they flat or rolling. He replied they are low level
lands the richest lands in the world. I said I did not wish to spend
half my life diging ditches. He said so you want rolling, Mr Tuesburg. I
said yes. He said you had better go up and see my lands near Odell. We
have some 400 acres nice rolling lands near there. I did not look at the
land about Chenoa but took the 3:30 PM train on the C&A R.R. for Odell.
After I had taken my seat a man by the name of Mc Kinney came into the
car and took a seat with me. I met this man at Mr Scott who introduced
him to me and said Mr Mc Kinney is here to make payment on 40 acres he
purchased of me. And he asked him if he would show me their lands if I
came to his place. He promised to do so when we arived at Odell. M
Mckinney asked me if I would care to ride out with him. I said I had to
get out there someway and I might as well stay with him as at the hotel.
He said wait here a few minutes and I will get my team. In a short time
he drove up with a yoke of oxen and cart and I took a seat on the board
and road about a mile on a road then cut across the prairie around large
frog ponds. I thought there were a milion frogs. I was never used to new
a country or so many frogs. It was a hazey moonlight. After a very long
ride we arrived at M Mc Kinneys home. A small house not plastered and
after supper I drew a platt of a township and Mr Mc Kinny gave the
numbers of the Scott lands and after paying for my board and lodging the
next morning I started out alone to find the land. I figured 1600 paces
would make a mile. I started from Mr Mc Kinney SE corner of his 40 at
the section line and paced 1600 paces west through Sec 25 Odell Tp. It
was in April and quite wet and I did not just like Sec 25 -so I looked
at my map and saw a section marked one mile south. I saw a large hill
with a large herd of cattle grazing on top and side. I started for the
hill and paced 2400 paces and got too far east for the line as the
cattle worked east off the hill. I went up on top of the hill
(afterwards called the Jacob Pfare hill). I found a large fine hill
quite high I thought I could see 10 miles. I thought this is just what I
wanted the water would run off without digging ditches and I would build
on top and have an avenue of trees running off each way. I thought it
was in the the middle of a quarter section. 40 acres was as large as a
1/4 section. I was so green I did not know any better. I walked to Odell
and took the train for home delighted. I had not a dollar of money of my
own to put in the land. There were hundreds of thousands of acres of
vacant land in every direction as far as the eye could see. It looked
grand to me a poor town boy as green as any 12 year old girl.

When I arrived at Chenoa I met Mr Matthew T Scott and he said did you
find anything to suit Mr Tuesburg? I told him I liked N.E. 1/4 Sec 2
Oswego. He said that belonged to him and he would sell it for $10.00 per
acre if I purchased then but I had better buy soon as lands were
advancing in price. I told him I knew but little about land and would
come up again in June. I did so and took with me my school mate &
neighbor Henry Pratt. We went out amd stayed with Mr Mc Kinney over
night and went over the same rout to the same hill and while on the hill
we saw quite a large Rattle Snake and Henry fired a revolver at the same
and I found a short pole and killed the snake. The noise of the pistol
was heard by a boy on horseback herding 100 head of cattle not far away.
He road up and asked me if I wanted to see where the corner of the
section was. I told him yes and he took me to the foot of the hill and a
little NE and showed me the stake. It nocked out all my plans for an
avenue of trees as the hill covered only about 15 acres in the NE corner
of the 1/4 Sec. I said Henry there are 4 1/4 Sec here together let us
look over the others we walked over to the NW We walked back about 90
rods onto a hill and found a stone near which I rolled up to the top of
the hill and I said Henry here is where I expect to build my house &
make a home. I said there is a good 1/4 sec either east or south for
you. He said it will be long years before this country will settle up
but if we can buy near the R.R. he would by with me. He had the money to
pay for a 1/2 Sec while I did not have a dollar to pay with. We walked
back to Odell and stayed overnight with a Mr Cowdry the only hotel in
the place on a back alley. With the business lots on the east
unoccupied. We slept together on a squeaky bed of corn husks and not
enough of them. They did not call and we slept a little late as we were
tired. We kept waiting for a cal to breakfast but no call. I opened a
dor into the dining room and saw a man eating pan cakes and said Henry
come and we sat down and filled up on pan cakes paid our bill and left
on foot for Pontiac 10 miles away down the R Road. Odell was a very
small affair in June 1865. We inquired if there was any land for sale
near the R. Road but found none. We passed through the 1500 acre tract
of Charley Pacwood who inherited this land just north of Cayuga RR.
running through the place. This man live a good many years and
pratically died a pauper. Whiskey and women were his downfall as is the
case of so many. There were 5 house in Cuaga a R.R, house a saloon &
store together & 3 dwellings 2 corn cribs. No Elevator or Depot. We saw
2 teams coming from the N East along the R.R. and I said Henry a chance
for a ride. The road ran s.w. across the prairie. All was open clear to
Pontiac. We rode with the first team and sat on a board. The man kept
bragging about the virtue of his horses untill we came to a turn in the
road where we got out about one mile from Pontiac. I asked him how much
he charged he said 4 bits a piece or $1.00 for riding 4 miles on a
board. I knew this man for many years afterward but never mentioned this
matter. His name was Tom Burch. He was working for Tom Pound and was
going to a sand pit on what was afterward my own farm for eleven years.
We walked into Pontiac which was a very small town for a county seat of
one of the largest counties in the state. We went to the Court House to
see Duff and Cowin real estate men for many years. They could not tell
us of any 1/2 sec near the R.R. so we took the Alton train for home at
Chenoa. I met Mr Matthew L Scott who had just gotten off the train and
he asked if I had found anything to suit. I told him I would like the SW
1/4 35 Odell. He said that belongs to my brother a doctor in New York
City. I told hin I would come over again. Henry and I went home. Not
long after Henry's brother Edward was elected Sheriff of Tazwell Co and
Henry was made deputy and in a year or two he was assassinated in the
line of duty. How little we know what the Lord has in Store for his
children. I asked Mother if she would lend me $420.00. She said what do
you want it for. I said I have picked out a 1/4 sec of raw prairie up
toward Chicago and I want to make a first payment on the same. She said
you poor sickly boy what would you do with a quarter sec of raw prairie.
I said I have a good deal of work in me and I want to get it out. She
seemed astonished at my audacity and you so up and talk with Father
about it and when I broached the subject to him he said Charles why not
let well enough alone you have got a good job why not stick to it. I
said Grandfather I am never going to be clerk I do not know the value of
money I will always be poor. I will have to get into debt and then I
will save and pay out. I said I never knew a clerk to save money. It is
all gone at the end of the year. When I got through he said no more.
When Mother found I meant business she said she would lend me the money
if would give her my note at .10% int which was the regular interest
rate. I made out a note for $420.00 and went up to Chenoa the 17" day of
November 1865. I lacked nearly 2 months of being 21 years old. I paid
the $420.00 to Mr Scott and gave my note for $1260 due on or before 4
years at .10% interest and gave a mortgage on the land to secure the
same. Mr Scott never asked me if I was of age and I supposed if I gave a
mortgage on the land they were safe and I never knew I had done anything
wrong untill 15 years later was riding with Dr Scott the former owner. I
said Dr I owe you $100. due Jany 1st and when I pay that I will have
paid for this place I bought of you. I have been fifteen years in paying
out and improving the farm. What. he said did I sell you this land while
you were a "Minor". I said Dr you did not sell it to me I bought it of
your brother Matthew and he did not ask my age. He said I know it is
about paid for but I did not know I had ever done such a thing as that.
He said you was an infant in the eyes of the law and your note was not
worth a Continental farthing. I paid for the land and got my release of
mortgage after 15 years of hard toil from 4 o'clock to 9 o'clock every
day and was as happy as any man raising a family and paying for a home.
I whistled and sang every day and said if I never payed for more than
this I would have a good home and be satisfied and if I died no one
would loose anything as the land was being well improved and was getting
more valuable every year. I went home after getting my deed to the land
and told my friends what I had done.

3rd Book

I suppose my friends thought I was crazy to do such a wild thing as to
leave a good berth in a store where I was well treated and could have
good time for years. I knew my own weakness I did not care for money and
could give a dollar as cheerfully as I could give a dime and I knew
unless I commenced young to learn I might put off to long and as I was
at the lowest round of the ladder and no one to help me I said no matter
how hard I may have to work or what privation I might have to encounter
I knew my good right arm alone could clear the path and hew the way and
I did not care what others might think I could not look to them to help
me. I had fortunately been born with more nerve than knowledge and when
I made up my mind I was moving in the right direction I would never stop
for difficulties and I had plenty of them but with faith in God and
confidence in the honesty of my purpose I clearly got into the swim and
struck into the battle of life for a purpose to be a man among men to do
business on the basis of the Golden Rule as I had been taught by both my
father and mother I knew nothing else and now when I look back over my
life at the age of 73 years I do not remember a single transaction with
my fellow men when I did not remain true to the rule to do unto others
as I would have them do unto me. I am convinced this is the only rule
which will stand the test of the world around. I have come in contact
with men who professed to the high class men who seemed never to know
the first principle of the Golden Rule in their dealings with their
fellowmen. Their first and only thought seemed to be what was is there
in it for me. Life is too short for one to stoop as low as to forget the
rights of ones fellows in the great battle for success.

I recd $4oo. from my fathers estate and I had kept $100. of my army
money out of this money I purchased of James Cattingham east of Tremeont
a span of gray horses for $275.00 John & Criss the latter blind. I also
purchased a second hand sett of Harness for $35.00 of him. I purchased a
3rd horse. Blind at the sale of Alf Wright and a newley wooded 2 horse
wagon running gears for $75. I made the running box for the wagon up in
the store wearhouse ( where we had tools and a workbench). I also
painted the box inside and out 2 coats and painted the running gears. I
purchased a Toby and Anderson "Peoria" breaking plow 14 inch with
rolling coulter & extra lay and early in April 1866 I started for my
farm 80 miles away among strangers. I got stuck once north of Chenoa and
once south of Ocoya as the woods were very bad I managed to dig out and
pull out.I stayed the last night with a Mr Atwood on the Packwood farm
north of Cayuga and drove across the prairie the nest morning to a house
ona hill 1 1/4 miles north of my farm. I rode up near the house and
walked up to the door and rapped and a young ladie came to the door. I
told her I was looking for a place to board. That I owned a piece of
land south and I wanted to break prairie. She replied that she was
keeping house for her Uncle & cousin that they had no extra bed. I told
her I had provided for that as I had a straw tick and pillow and some
sheets in my trunk. She said I could stay as far as she was concerned
but I would have to get the consent of her uncle Mc Cloud. She said they
were in the field east of the house so I walked down where they were and
told them what I wanted. They consented to my staying and I unloaded my
trunk and belongings and tied my horse to the wagon for the night and
drove into Odell the next morning for a load of lumber so I could build
a stable up against the stable for my horses. I purchased the lumber of
Albert Aerl who was doing business for John Mcwilliams who also ran a
store in town.

I built a leantoo to their barn and then drove over to my land. I felt
as big as though I was somebody. I took my plow out and set it up and
set down a row of stakes across the field on the south side of the farm
running east and west. ( I found the corner survey stakes.) I had
difficulty in getting the rolling coulter adjusted. I finally got it to
work so the plow would run almost alone and I was quite proud of my
achievement. I broke about 40 acres in 30 days and felt pretty proud. I
wanted to plant corn for feed the next year and I found where there was
a sod planter 3 or 4 miles east on the Hodgson farm. I drove over and
the man would not rent the planter but would sell it for $8.00. It was
old I took it to the shop and had it fixed and planted the 40 acres to
sod corn and paid my board and room & horse feed &c and started for
Tremont feeling that I had at least broke the ice and made a start for
my life work. Upon my return home I loaned out my team to Alfred Dean a
neighbor to use for their feed untill the next spring. My money was all
gone and I had to work to pay my interest $125. a year and taxes and lay
up a little money for a start the next year. I was now 21 years and 4
months old. I worked in the Ingalls and Spaulding Store untill the
spring of 1867 when I left for good. Mother and Lawrence moved up to
Normal Ils so Lawrence could go to school at the Normal University.
Mother had a brother living at Normal Nicbols Jones who advised her to
come to Normal. She rented a house removed her furniture there and lived
the year 1866 there and I boarded with our near neighbor Mr Josiah
Sawyer. They treated me very kindly while I was there with them. I got
my belongings together the spring of 1867 and drove over to Normal after
Mother and Lawrence and drove up to Kappa where my Grandfather lived and
left Mother and Lawrence there while I built a little house to live in.
I drove up to my old boarding place Mr Mc Clouds. They were willing to
take me in and I put my team in their old stable and stayed with them
untill I had my house ready and a stable built on the. This time instead
of the Cousin for a housekeeper I found a slim young women as a bride.
William had lately married a Miss Delia Putman of Odell a young school marm.
We lived neighbors with the Mc Clouds for many years after this. They
were splendid people. I remember she made Salt Rising bread which I
could hardly eat at first but soon learned to like it. She was a
splendid house keeper and made a good home for me. I purchased rough
pine lumber and built a house with my own hands. 14 x 22, 9 feet high
boarded up and down. I dressed the rough off the lumber inside and out
and dressed 4 in. strips to nail over the cracks outside and thin strips
on the inside. Ceiled with dressed lumber 12 in boards (I had dressed)
overhead. I built my own chimney and drew a curtain across for a
partition. I used some stones for blocks under the sills yes the very
stones I had rolled to the spot when I set my stake the first time I
went onto the place June 1865. It simply shows where there is a will
there is a way. I little knew what the good Lord had in store for me.
Here I was to live a happy carefree married life of 24 years and here my
four children were to be born and my splendid Mother to live with us all
the time we were on this farm from 1867-( except 1868 which we spent at
her fathers at Kappa Ills following the death of her stepmother. 1892
when we all removed to near Pontiac Ills on a farm of 128 acres
adjoining on the northeast.

I broke what prairie I could and farmed the 40 I had broken the year
before after gathering what corn of the old crop was left. The neighbor
cows had run all through the corn and there was little left yet I got
some feed out of what was left. In Jul 1867 we received a telegram fron
Uncle Cushing saying that my Grandmother (Tisdale) had died so Lawrence
and I took Mother into town in the 2 horse wagon and she went down to
Chenoa and across to El Paso to be at the funeral of Grandmother. I told
Mother to stay and keep house for Grandfather as she was the only
daughter and was foot loose and as we could get along to gather our
crop. Mother wrote us that grandfather said for us to rent the farm and
come down and live with them the following year which we proceeded to
do. One Sunday afternon two Irishmen James Spears and Saml Miller came
to the farm and said that they heard I wanted to rent the farm. I told
them I never did business on Sunday. They said they just came out to see
if it was so. I told them to come out on a week day and I would talk
business. They did so and I rented to Mr Miller 2 years 1868 and 1869
and they moved into the house and I sold him some corn & hay and sold
what corn I had in the ear and removed to Kappa late in the fall of 1867
and worked a part of my Grandfathers land the season 1868 and raised 60
bushels of corn to the acre. The ground had been rented to Tom, Dick and
Harry and was one mass of cucle burrs. I had a new Avery double
cultivator and plowed the ground both ways 5 times and left the ground
quite clear. I wished to go down to Tazewell County to make visit on a
certain date and I did not have all my corn out. We had about 10 inches
of snow and mercury down to 28 below zero. I had about one days work
nobody would husk but I went out with only common rubbers over my calf
boots and at noon when I came in to dinner I could hardly get my boot
off as my foot was about frozen. I took off my calf boot and found my
great toe on my left foot frozen white. I held it up to a red hot stove
and learned something for life. I should have put the toe in snow and
cold water and taken out the frost by degrees but sometimes a man learns
by experience. I went on my trip with a mogisin on my left foot and my
boot in my grip and a very sore toe. Proud flesh sat in and I did have a
time of it. I paid dearly for my foolishness as I suffered for many
months. I was at my Uncle Nicols Jones home at Normal and slept with a
strange young man and I told him my trouble and he said you get a dimes
worth of Balsam Fir and wash the toe with warm soap suds and take a soft
cloth and saturate it with the liguid fir and place it over the entire
toe to keep and let it heal the whole part affected. I did as he
directed and it acted like a charm. The end of the toe came off but
while the bone is exposed the toe was healed and has never troubled me
since 1869. The fall of 1868 we heard that Grandfather was arranging to
marry a 4" wife the widow of Deacon Brooks one of his nearest neighbors
when he lived on his first Illinois farm. I said Grandpa how are you
going down to San Jose south of Delavan Tazewell Co and he said by
train. I said no sir we have a good buggy and old Dolly fat and sleek. I
said I am going to take you down in the buggy. He seemed pleased and we
drove to Normal and stayed overnight with Uncle Nicols and the following
day we drove to San Jose and met the bride to be--Grandfather was 84
years old when he was married the last time. He said there is no time in
a persons life when they need a companion more than they do in old age.
They lived together 6 years until his death in his 90" year. Grandfather
was one of the finest dispositioned men I ever knew. The fall of 1872
Oct 1 Grandfather had a sale and removed from Kappa to my farm south
Odell and remained untill the next summer. Grandmother had sinking
spells and one or two the last a very bad one and as we were 5 miles
from a Doctor Grandfather thought they must remove to Streator Ills to
be with her only daughter Ann Hichs where Grandfather lived until he
passed suddenly away in his 90" years. Grandmother lived for several
years with her daughter and died at Streator.

Mother Lawrence and I removed back to the farm spring of 1869- This was
the wettest year I ever knew or any body else now living. There was no
crop raised. H Miller gave me 17 bushels of 35 acres of corn I gave him
the rest. I had a small field on a side hill sloping to the south new
land and I had a few hundred bushels to sell. I owed Dr Scott $125.
interest at Gridley bank at Bloomington the 17 day of Nov. 1869 and as
my neighbors would all have to buy corn I knew the price would be better
so I wrote Matthew T Scott Chenoa asking him for Dr Jno Scotts address
in New York. (The man I bought my land of.) I wrote Dr Scott about the
crop failure and told him I thought the corn would be higher in price
and also told him I would owe hin $125. interest the 17 day of Nov. at
the Gridley Bank at Bloomington and asked him if he would be willing for
me to keep my corn a few weeks if I paid him interest on the interest.
He wrote back for me to keep the corn until I could sell to the best
advantage and to send Mr Thope the cashier $125. and it would be
satisfactory to him. I little knew what that little letter meant for the
future of my life. How little we know what is ahead of us. That letter
caused results which I doubt not changed the whole tenor of my life. My
Grandfather gave my Mother 160 acres of raw land down south of Lexington
Ills (also her Bro. Charles Jones). My mother sold 80 a. for $10. per
acre and another 80 for $16.00 per acre which gave my mother some money
in the Bank. She said I might pay $800. on my 1280 note if I would give
her my note at .10 of Int what I was paying, which I did. One day at
noon in Sep 1871 I was standing near my little straw covered stable with
a fork in my hand having just fed my horses hay when I looked up toward
the house and saw Ewd Boulter a livery man from Odell with a fine
looking gentleman with broadcoth coat and a silk plug han on. a fine
looking man about 50 years old. They came over the hill (no fences) and
drove toward me. At first I thought to go into the stable and then I
said to myself what have you done that you need to hide. Stand your
ground. That is a man who wants to inquire about land. Then they came
near enough the gentleman said is this Mr Tuesburg. I said yes sir and
he said I am Dr Scott. I said why Dr I never expected to see you out
here. He said I had some business out this way and I thought I would
call around and see you. I said it is about noon alight and go up to the
house my mother is keeping house for me and we will get dinner. I said I
will help put the team away and will then come up. He went up to the
door and wrapped and Mother came to the door and was overwhelmed when
she saw such a fine looking man at our door. He said I am Dr. Scott. She
said Oh Dr I know Charley will be glad to see you were so kind to him
when he asked you a favor. He said your son is under no obligation to
me. He offered to pay me compound interest at .10pc and I wrote him no
man could afford to pay compound Int at .10% and further than that he
has paid about $800. on his note before it is due. When I came in he
told me what mother had said and what he had said. After dinner he said
I have no agent here and I called to see if you would attend to some
business for me. I said I do not know anything about business Dr. He
said you can do as I tell you can you not? I said yes I will be glad to
do anything I can for you. He said there are 5 of your neighbors who
bought land of me when you did who have never paid me any interest or
have they even written to me acknowledging that they owed me anything.
He said I am going to give them 3 years more time and I want you attend
to the interchange of papers I may send you. I said very well I will
attend to them. He said can you go over with me today and see these men.
I got on my little mule and rode behind the buggy to see Mr Corbin. Mc
Donald. Kellys. Mr Lopeman & Oliver Bacon. These were the men I recd the
papers from the Dr and notified these parties to go to Pontiac and
execute the same which they all did. He said before we parted I will
give you a list of 1400 acres of raw land which my sisters and I own
which I wish you would go and see and tell me what had best be done with
it. I did so and reported to him that I would advise that we rent the
land to any good man for 3 years he to break all the land hedge it and
pay the taxes for the use of it. He wrote for me to do so, which I
proceeded to do. The fall before the three years was up he wrote for me
to send my bill. I charged $3.00 per day when my team had to stand idle
and $2.00 in the winter and my bill was I think $97.00. He wrote back
his sisters and he both were well satisfied with what I had done and
they thought they owed me $100. extra and would pay me $197.00 for the
work. I looked after the 1400 acres for 9 years at $100. per year. One
day I rec'd a letter from Dr. Scott asking me to meet him at the old
Phoenix Hotel Pontiac on a certain day. I went down and we took dinner
together. He said how much time have you got. I said about 20 minutes
and 1/2 mile to go. He said sit down I want to talk with you. He said I
have 6 agents in Illinois and you have given me the best satisfaction of
any of them. He said when I have written you have answered promptly and
satisfactorily. He said the other answered when they got ready. Now he
said I want to know if you can arrange your business so you can take
charge of all my business and my sisters also. He said he was very
annoyed by having to look after the details of so much business and he
said I will pay you most any price you ask. I said Dr I am a married man
and I cannot answer you until I consult with wife as it will entail much
extra care for her. And you know we are paying for a home. He said he
very much hoped my wife would consent. She was not willing at first but
later said if I thought it best I might try it for a year. I wrote the
Dr and he wired me to meet him in Bement Ills. I went down on the Wabash
RR and when I arrived there was no one there to receive me. I started to
walk uptown on the R.R. track. When I had gone a short distance I saw Dr
Scott and two other men driving for the depot. I returned and met the
Doctor and he introduced me to his oldest brother Isaac W Scott and his
son Thompson W Scott both of Bement. We drove to the home of Isaac W
Scott one of the best in town. I was treated quite cooly by the family
and as I afterward learned from the Doctor there was a reason for it.
Isaac Scott the oldest brother had been educated for a business Man and
at one time was one of the head merchants of Lexington Kentucky the home
of the family. Isaac had been storekeeper grain buyer and land owner and
cattle man and had managed so as to fail for $100,00 and the involved
the credit of all of his sisters and his brother Williams estate. Isaac
Scott had owned these lands about Bement - about 2200 acres and he
wanted the Dr to let him manage these lands but the Dr argued if while
he had full power and control he should fail why should he be entrusted
with the management of the same property while belonging to his sisters.
The Lexington judge appointed Dr Scott as Trustee for the property in
settlement with the creditors and he had the lands put up for public
auction and sold to the highest bidder and most of the lands were bought
in for the Doctors 3 sisters. Mrs Dr Skillman Miss Lucy Scott and Mrs Dr
Dudley all of Lexington Ky. These lands brought an average of $25. per
acre. Of course the family felt that Isaac needed the money and I seemed
to them to be an innovator and being young & a stranger I did not wonder
at the coolness. The Dr said never mind Mr Tuesburg I plan for you only
to manage our Ills affairs you have done business for us 9 years and I
am satisfied with your way of doing business and he said Isaacs oldest
daughter Mary is a lovely woman and I have told her of the situation and
asked her to treat you as she would treat me. And she did to her dying
day. The Dr sent for his old agent who lived an a farm he had bought of
the Dr 2 miles west of Bement. He said Mr Turner I wish you would get a
livery rig and drive Mr Tuesburg out over the lands near Bennet. The Dr
returned to Lexington and Mr Turner took me out across the Scott lands 9
miles N. East from town. There were but few buildings and they were in
bad repair and ponds & Cockle Burrs everywhere you went and a corn crib
on Bement where the tenants were supposed to deliver 1/3 of their corn
in the ear each fall. The land was rented to mostly Irish Mr Patrick
Welch and sons Mr Dan Cahill Timothy Foohey James Allman and others and
they were laboring under difficulties which they could not remedy. The
country was very level and full of ponds and sloughs and impossible at
that stage to drain and the men farmed the high spots and as Mr Allman
was a cattle Man and usualy kept 100 head or more of steers he naturally
bought up all the corn stalks and as cattle will carry Cuckle Burrs they
naturally got the whole country covered with Burrs. Very few fences in
all that country. I said to Mr Turner (who had been an old soldier) I do
not see how I can take charge of these lands in the condition they are
in so far away from my home(about 80 miles) and do justice to the work.
I was heart sick as I wanted to favor the Doctor but did not see how I
could take such a load on my shoulders as I was raising a family and
paying for a home. I went to Buffalo Hart near Springfield to look at a
farm. The house was dilapidated land covered with Cockle Burrs. I went
to Bondville 7 miles west of Champaign City 800 acres 3 houses in poor
shape and cockle Burrs galore and the lands very wet everywhere. I then
went to look at 320 acres south of Bellflower 2 shacks and land wet.
Then to Rantoul 14 miles north of Champaign 470 acres close to the town
west and south 2 old houses out of repair & Cockle burrs Sure. I then
went to Gilman and found 370 acres very wet one sett blds. Not so many
cockle Burrs here but very wet. These lands aggregated 6600 of undrained
Cockle Burr land. I went home fully persuaded I should have nothing to
do with such a mess. I wrote the Doctor a full description of the
condition on every farm which took 28 pages letter paper. I felt
relieved but could not make myself believe I should burden myself with
such a load. One day while following the plow the thought came to me the
chance of your life but you are not big enough for the job. I then and
there determined I would take the job and make a success of it. I wrote
the Dr I had concluded to try to manage the lands for him - He wrote
back do as you suggest in your letter. He said I have reread your letter
and I am in exact accord with your views. I did my best under very
discouraging circumstances. I made new leases after the first year
required the men to break out the waste places ponds & c and I was to
pay $3.00 per acre for the work. Each man broke out some sod in the fall
and we were making some progress when along came 1882 a very wet season
and also 1883 a wet season and my ponds and low places were full of
water and the grass grew up through the sod making things worse than
ever. I became partly discouraged. I wrote Dr Scott I would do one of
three things sell the land for what you can get. give it away. Or tile
it. He came out to see me. I took him over the farms and showed him the
condition of the lands. He said Mr Tuesburg I thought you were not in
favor of tiling. I did say so two years ago but I said I have been
traveling with my eyes & ears open and if it pays Van Moore and Ben
Gifford to tile it will pay us. I said all right we will tile if you say
so and make temporary outlets. So we prepared to tile the lands the fall
of 1883. My first tile I bought of George Beardsley Champaign City. He
sent for 10 inch dies and I used a large number of 10 in. tile I used a
large number of 10 inch tile at Rantoul. I purchased of Kratz and Aman
Montecillo of whom I purchased 300,000 tile of all sizes.

I commenced on three of our wettest farms and had all the tile I could
get delivered in the fall of 1883 and during 1884 I used 30 men to dig.
That year we had layed 400,000 tile and the year 1885 we ran 26 men (all
Danes but 2 Germans) and put out of sight 400,000 more tile or 800,000
in all layed in 12 sections in 6 counties at a cost of $40,000 which Dr
Scott sent me from Lexington in sight drafts. I layed off all the work
and platted it to a scale of 16 inches to the Sec bought all the tile
inspected all the work measured all the work with the tile foreman.
Settled all extra debts while on the ground measuring up and all figures
noted on the platt. So we settled every thing by the platt. The foreman
taking a copy. I paid every man every two weeks and was never short of
money at any pay day. It took an average of $100. per day or $3000 per
month to meet all expenses. I arranged a schedule of prices for hauling
tile which I left with the tile factory men to give to every man who
hauled tile for us. Tenants the same as strangers 2500# to the average
load. Those who hauled more got more pay, Those who hauled less got
less. 2 loads a day to some farms $1.50 per load. Nearby 3 loads per day
$1.00 a load. 1 load a day $3.00 per load. I paid out between 3 & $4,000
for hauling and never had any trouble with one man as they all saw the
justice of the plan. I had written Dr Scott to come to Gilman to see
what I had done at his farm at Gilman. The farm came close up to town on
the west but I got a buggy and drove out over the farm with the Dr and
driving up to the side of a ditch about 5 feet deep where the men were
draining a big pond. I said Dr get out on the dirt and I will black your
boots. He did so and saw the water running out at a uniform grade before
the tile were layed. And he said I declare Mr Tuesburg it is worth
coming all the way from Lexington to see the water run out of that pond.
When we went back to the boarding house I said Dr how much money do you
want me to spend this year. He whistled and said I will give you $10,00
to start with. This 370 acres belonged to the Dr and he said to me Mr
Tuesburg if you will drain my Gilman farm you may draw on me for most
any amount. We little knew what the result would be of getting under the
load. The Dr said Mr Tuesburg all I ask that you see where the money is
spent and I will if you let me know a week or ten days ahead send you
from $1,000 to $5,000 at any time you call for it and he never failed me.

I bought tile from 10 factories used or planted $800,000 tile paid out
ad average of $3,000 per month and kept all my own accounts with 11
different owners. My books showed that during the years 1884 & 1885 I
expended for Tile and Tiling. $40,000 for Taxes lumber & building houses
& concrete a total of $60,000 during the two years. The result was
marvelous. I required of the tenants (of whom we had fifty) to fill the
tile ditches with plows and break out the wastage, and after one year I
charged them 1/3 of the oats and 2/5 of the corn. We to pay our share of
the shelling. After 2 years our rents yielded an average of 100,000
bushels of corn and oats per year and this continued for 23 years. After
the work was all done and paid for one of my foremen John Benson came to
my home and spent a week copying every tile platt with figures & all on
linen in duplicate so that I could retain one and the owners could have one.

Charles Sheldon a friend at Round Grove wrote me if I needed a tile
foreman he could recommend John Benson as he had done a good deal of
work for him. I did not reply as I did not need any men then. I was at
the Odell tile factory one day after some brick and the proprietor Mr
Armitage said there was a man out east by the name of Sim Call who had
mortgaged three eighties of land for $3,000 to tile them I said he is a
fool where in the world will he get his money back. How little we know
of our selves and what lies in the future before us. I was honest in my
statement that I thought he was a fool for wasting so much money
underground. I knew little that within two years I would be hunting up
this man I had called a fool and would apologize and would be asking
advice of him as a much wiser man than myself. When we finally
determined to tile on a large scale I wanted skilled foreman as I had
every thing to learn. In March 1884 I rode out to the farm of Sim Call.
It was a cloudy day and commenced to sprinkle when I reached a barn on
one side of the road and a house on the other a couple of miles
northeast of Emington. For a mile I had seen the ponds free of water and
I said to myself surely I am near Mr Calls place.

I went into the barn while it sprinkled and awaited developments. I went
to the north door of the barn and looked north and saw empty ponds. Soon
a boy came in with a team. I said what have you been doing with a team.
He said sowing oats. I said who lives here. He said Sim Call. I said
what have you been doing here your ponds are empty. He said Oh, we have
been putting in some tile. Pretty soon Mr Call came into the barn and I
introduced myself and told him how I had called him a fool for spending
so much money underground. I told him I was the fool I had found. They
were sowing in March on dry ground while untiled lands were too wet to
sow. I told him I was looking for a tile foreman. He said he would not
recommend his foreman as he found he was not reliable.
Book 4

Mr Call said he would recommend a young Dane or two who had worked for
him by the name of James Jenson and Frans Larson who were two faithful
men. I said where can I find them. He told me and while crossing the
Wabash R. R. back east of Mr Calls I saw two young men coming down the
track. I waited for them and they proved to be the men I was looking
for. I engaged them to come as soon as July 1884. I put them to work on
Sec 16 - 1 mile west of Bondville and they worked with a force of men
until they had planted 16 miles of tile. Then I placed them on Sec one
in Esman Tp Livingston Co where they planted 20 miles of tile and on my
own land where they tiled 480 acres for me. They tiled or had put in 50
miles and I never saw better work done. to Chicago ahead of the rest to
visit his wifes uncles people. I told Elizabeth I did not to like to
make the deeds out to the "Tidsburgs as that was not their name. They
said they were going into court and have their names changed to
"Tuesburg" which they did and I made a deed to Elizabeth to te nort west
1/4 of Sec 16-40-27 De
Soto Co FLa- and and 80 to each of the 5 children and 80 to Edws and
Nelly Shearer jointly as they had helped Elizabeth raise her nice
family. Elizabeth said no son could be better to her than Edward and he
had been a father to all the family. We were glad to help them in the
future at least and the fact that they had some land somewhere would
stimulate them to a nobler activity. Thus through the effort of my tile
foreman in Ills James Jensen was the means of my seeing the only
relative on my fathers side I have ever seen and also enables we who
have been more fortunate thus far to be an encouragement and may be a
financial help to them sometime. We are proud of the mother and her
children and hope and pray that James Jemson had saved $150 when he came
to me at the age of 23 years. He had $1200 saved when he had finished.
He concluded to go back home to Denmark and he said he did not want to
take so much money with him and would like to leave the most of it with
me until he called for it. I kept it until he called for and then sent
him 2800 Krones. I asked him to go up to Tonder Sleswick Holstine and
see if he could find anyone by the name of "Tuesburg" and send me the
bill of expense. He did so and found some cousins and other relatives.
Also found a cousin on my fathers side at Manitowac Wisconsin. I took my
wife up to the world's Fair at Chicago 1893 the last week and I sent her
home Saturday with some friends and I stayed over with a friend a
presbyterian minister at Austin west of Chicago. In the morning before I
got up I heard the News Boy cry a full account of the assassination of
Mayor Harrison, I arose immediately and dressed and went down but none
of the family had heard the cry. The ministers wife said no danger of
their killing Harrison as he was their best friend and they would not
kill him. But they did. The minister asked me where I would like to go
today 1? Sunday after the Fair I said I would go with him. No, he said
you do not have a chance to hear noted preachers as he did. I said I see
by the papers that Dwight L. Moody will preach today in the Haymarket
Theater and Mc Neal of Edinburg Scotland in the Congregational Church in
the afternoon Mundall in the evening. He said there is where we will go
and he said to his brother-in-law from Pennsylvania would you care to go
he said yes and we hurried down to the train station and saw that every
body was eagerly reading the newspapers. The preacher said he never
bought Sunday newspapers but he would have to get one today. I said the
same and purchased my first and last Sunday newspaper and last to date.
We found it was true Mayor Harrison had been assassinated by and
irresponsible disappointed man who imagined some grievance because the
Mayor did not give him a job which he thought he ought to have. As soon
as we got off the car we hurried to the Haymarket Theater. Mr Middleton
said Bro. Tuesburg let us get into line and hold our place or we will
not get a seat. As soon as the doors were opened the rush was made and
we followed as close as we could but could not find seats in the Parlca
(?) but by almost running we managed to get seats chairs) by stepping
over the railing in front of the platform and we had a good chance to
both see and hear one of the greatest preachers of the Age Dwight L.
Moody. He Preached a splendid sermon and said he wished we would all go
to the 2d Cong Church at 2:30 and hear Mc Neal of Scotland and Dr
Munhall in the same church in the Evening both of which we did and were
well repaid.

The following day I went to the City Hall to see them remove the remains
of Mayor Harisson to start for the Cemetery. I never was in such a jam.
The people would almost trample one another to the ground. I then went
our to the Worlds Fair grounds to see them break camp and then started
for Manitowoc to see my cousin. I found a medium sized man light
complected and quiet living in his own house 2 story and open basement
in front of the boat landing with a saloon in the basement. They had an
outside stairs. My cousin went by the name "Tidsburg" I asked him why he
was named Tidsburg when my father was his fathers oldest brother and in
his family Bible his name is spelled "Tusborg". I found he had been
married before and his wife died without leaving any children and he had
married a widow considerably younger than he who had a little girl by
her first husband. And now she had 4 little boys by my cousin. I said to
his wife I would not bring up my children over a saloon-she said they
could get higher rent from this man for a saloon and he was a good man
and promised not to let the children in and did not. She told me
afterwards they got rid of the saloon as soon as they could after I
left. My cousin worked in the Smalley Machine works and had for years.
close by his home He ran a machine. He told me he had beem around the
world in a Man of war while a young man had spent 20 years on salt-water
and 15 years on the lakes. I stayed a couple days and went home to
Pontiac glad that I could have found the family and was well pleased
with them. they were Methodists they said. Nelly was 10 years old at the
time and wrote me occasionally while we were at Pontiac. When we moved
to Indiana in the spring of 1903 we lost track of them and they of us
and not until 1916 did we get together again. I happened to think to
drop Nick Kelley and Joe Milliken a card and the thought came why not
write the P.M and enclose an addressed card and ask him to hand them the
card. In a few days I rec'd a letter from Nelly with some photas and
quite a history of the family which I was glad to get and I replied that
my wife and I would come up and visit them this fall. My wife told
Willie about it and he said Nelly and he would take us up in the car. So
in July 1916 we were up to La Porte and Willie said Pappa how would it
suit you to go up. Next week he could get away then. I said anytime to
suit you. So we went to La Porte Monday Morning and left in Wills car
about 10 Oclock and took dinner in Gary. When we left La Porte it was
Sunshiny and warm when we got near the lake it became cloudy and cool
and had to put on overcoats. We went through Hammond South Chicago to
Michigan Avenue across Rush St bridge through by Lincoln Park on over
the Sheridan road Evanston Ft Sheridan Zion City to Racine Wisconsin
where we spent the night about 150 miles from La Porte. We drove on the
next day through Beloit Milwaukee took dinner south of Cheboygan and
arrived at cousin Elizabeths about 4 P.M on 5 Str. Shortly after our
arrival it set in to rain and it rained all night and some of the next
day and the next night. Elizabeth's house is within 2 or 3 hundred of
the water of Lke Michigan. It was very foggy and I was taken sick while
I was there with bowel trouble. Elizabeth lived in the same house in
which they had lived when I saw them in 1893 but the Smalley people
wanted their lot and purchased 3 near the Lake where they live live now
and built a cellar and moved the house on the basement. They were
comfortably situated. Elizabeth and Dorothy lived below and Louis and
his wife & 2 children lived in the rooms above. Elizabeth had sold the
property to Louis who is about 32 year old. He worked in the Smalley
factory where their father had worked for so many years. Calvin managed
the Elks Hall and Wlmer worked in the Aluminum factory & Charley the
youngest boy worked with Louis. Dorothy worked in a department store.
All had good jobs. Ewd Sherer Nellys man worked in a barber shop and had
a son 15 and a daughter about 12. We were much pleased with all the
family and I told them I would give the a section of raw land in
Florida. I left Elizabeth $20.00 and told her and Dorothy to come down
in the summer which they did and for fear they would have trouble in
Chicago Louis and family came to Chicago & Louis came here with Dorothy
and Elizabeth. They went to see all the children. Dorothy staying with
Nelly most of the time. Louis went they may each be an honor to the
fathers name and a help to the world.

James Jensen did not come back to his dear America as he called it but
found a mate and married a wife and purchased 13 acres of land to farm.
He was elected to the Danish Congress and was appointed a Commissioner
with 4 others by his king to go to the Danish West Indies and spend the
winter of 1902 and ascertain whether advisable to sell the islands to
the United/states under the Mc Kinley Administration. Mr Jensen when the
Commission arrived at New York asked the Secretary to grant him the
privilege of remaining over in America for the next ship as he told him
he had some good friends out in Illinois he would like to see once more
and if he would permit he would pay his own expenses. The Secretary said
No Mr Jensen you keep the account of your expenses and to me and I will
see that the government pays your was (sic) as your expenses out there
will not be as much as our wine bills have been. James came to Pontiac
found Elmer and he told him we had moved to La Crosse Ind. So after
visiting his former partner France Larsen at Emingtn he came to Wilder
Ind and I met him and took him to my home on the farm and we visited for
2 days and I was very glad to see him and realized if a man was manly
and worthy he would be honored and respected even though he labored with
his hands. James Jensen was a fine specimen of a man physically and
mentally as you often see. He said there were 20 friends of prohibition
who were standing together in congress who would yet rid Denmark of the
drink curse. I always found James faithful trusty and competent. My
other foreman John Benson put in 100 miles of tiles for me. He was 26
years old when he commenced work and worked two years or a little more
and was one of the most faithful competent ever in my employ. He
purchased a Creamery at Bement and operated the same for several years
and then removed to Decater Ills and built up a fine Creamery business.
Elmer an I visited him at his home in Decator in July 1927 and found him
living in an elegant home with his sister for his housekeeper and
companion. He had a fine new building. Modern in every way and they were
making 2500# of butter every day and sometimes more. John Benson and
James Jensen were two of the most capable and finest men I have ever had
in my employ. James Jenson wrote me he was reelected to the Danish
Congress. I have lost track of him during the years but I know of
nothing that has given me greater satisfaction than to come in contact
with men who are dependable at all times in the dark as well as in the
light. I never think of these two men or hear their names mentioned that
it does not give me satisfaction and pleasure to think that I had to do
with such splendid men and now after 32 years which have tested their
work and proved it a great success. I these men and their associates who
did such faithful work for me and others.

I have in considerable detail of the tiling of 12 sections of Illinois
land with an average of 20 miles to the section using 800,000 ft of
pipe. And the entire work cost a little better than $40,000. I was
unfamiliar with the work untill I learned how and then everything went
like clockwork and the people for whom I had the work done were more
than satisfied. It was the beginning of a stupendous development of the
most marvelously fertile Mississippi valley the garden spot of the
world. It seems to me God has been very good to me all along the journey
of life near 73 years. I was born in a small obscure village at an early
day of development in a very fertile part of central Ills Tremont
Tazewell Co Ills. of honest parentage. I always had a good home and
plenty to eat and to wear yet my father work(ed) hard at his daily task
yet handicapped. He cut his wheat with a sickle thrashed it with a flail
and winnowed it in a trough. All tools were crude. and labor was hard
and the reward cheap $1.00 per day and wants comparatively few. I droped
corn many a day before the Civil War for .50 cts per day a barefooted
boy. I learned to drop 2 rows at a time and keep 2 men busy with their
heavy Nigger hoes. The land had to be furrowed or raked off both ways
about 4 feet each way and the corn was droped in the intersection and
covered with a hoe and cultivated with a one horse single or double
shovel cultivator. Just before the war people had learned to cover corn
with a horse jumper a piece of iron about 8 inches square fastened onto
a single shovel plow and the horse would walk in the furrow following
the droper and the man would raise the jumper in the rear of every hill
and cover every hill of corn instead of using the hoe. Very little corn
of course was raised in those ten or twenty acres would be a big field.
Two men Malom and Seely were the first to make hand corn planters just
before the war in a shop one block south of the district school house in
Elm Grove in the west part of Tremont. They made a hand planter that
would drop and cover the rows as fast as a man could wak (walk) and
quite a good many were used locally. Then a man by the name of Brown of
Galesburg Ills invented a two row horse planter. A very crude affair but
it would work. The runners were made of Black walnut with a strip of
iron the size of ones finger under the edge of the runner to break the
clods with boies and a rotary plate in each box with diferent sized
holes and connector with a woden bar to which was attached a handle with
a cross bar above with a hole in it through which a wooden handle was
droped with a small pin in the end which went into a hole in the cross
bar and a man would sit on a little round seat and work the lever every
time he came to an intersection of the rows and the corn would drop at
the junction and a separate attachment was connected with a frame with
an axel and two wooden wheels about 3 feet high and 8 inches wide with a
smooth piece of 8 in plank with beveled edges projecting out back about
4 feet with boards on either side on which the feet could rest and the
driver could sit back so as to balance the weight of the man or boy who
worked the lever. On(e) could 8 or 10 acres a day and this was
considered a great improvement and a great deal more corn was planted
than formerly.

A man by the name of Hayworth living at Hayworth a few miles south of
Bloomington Ills on the Ill central R.R. invented what was known as the
Hayworth check sower which crossed the planter in front of the driver
with a cotton rope with iron bottons fasten every so far apart which
crossed the planter and passed iron fingers and would trip every time
the button passed through the fingers and would drop two hills of corn.
This was considered a wonderful improvement. The driver wuld get off at
the end and pull the iron pin and turn round and put the rope across the
planter and drive the stake and drive on. This started a number of check
sowers on the market but they all have come from the Hayworth idea. Soon
they invented a check sower to use wire on one side of the planter as at
present which will enable a man to plant 20 to 25 acres a day with one
team. I purchased a Brown planter in 1868 second hand and took it up
onto my farm south of Odell and used it for several years on my farm
there. Then I bought a Barto with glass cups back of each box so could
see the corn drop every time. A fine planter. As I said my father cut
his wheat with a sickle then came the Cradle a broad blade scythe with a
frame of wood with long bent fingers as long as the blade with handle
crooked properly and men would swing the cradle into the grain and drop
the grain so that it lay in straight rows paralell with the cutting and
men would follow up and crowd the grain with their legs untill they had
a bundle and then would reach down and bind the same with a straw band
and then follow and place the bundles in shocks. Then came a very clunsy
reaper. The Cyrus H Mc Cormic one of he first and the John P. Manning
and several others came along rapidly. All were heavy clumsy & crude but
much better than sickle or cradle. I purchased in 1869 a second hand
Jno. P. Manning machine very crude & clumsy a frame with platform and
reel and sickle. The cut grain would drop back on the platform and a man
with a long rake would sit behind the driver on a seat attached to a
beam which projected back several feet with a big iron swivel wheal
which would swing around when you turned a corner. The man with the rake
with a head 3 or 4 feet long with wooden teeth 6 inches long would reach
over onto the platform and draw out enough grain to make a bundle. the
grain would be pulled out the back end of the platform so men could
follow and bind the grain. They usually had what they called stations
and 5 men could bind as fast as a machine could cut. The bundles were
rough and it was tedious work to follow a hand rake reaper but this was
a great advance.

About 1875 or 6. A couple of farmer brothers in Central Ills by the name
of Marsh invented what was known as the Marsh harvester. A two horse
machine that had an endless apron and a separate apron that elevates the
grain from the level apron at an angle of about 50 degrees and passed
the grain up onto a table prepared for it and there was a table at
either end and two man would reach and take enough grain for a bundle
and place the grain on the small table and bind it and drop the bundle
onto the ground. While the first man was binding his bundle the second
man took the grain as it fell and gathered enough for bundle and placed
on his table and bound the same. One man faced the team and the other
had his back to the team. The machine worked fine with two good men.
Thus with the Marsh harvester 3 men could do the work of 7 men and do
the work better and much easier. I purchased a second hand harvester and
made a frame and put a canvass over it and the men bound under the shade
and I made a light frame and fastined to the tongue and put a canvas
over the horses. This machine and not been out but a fiew years untill
all the manufacturers caught on to the Marsh idea of elevating the grain
onto a table and they adopted their idea in the main amd a man by the
name of Applebar invented what was known as the Applebar binder which
was used for several years, wire to bind with but the farmers complained
of the wire in the straw which injured it for feed and soon out came the
Manilla twine binder. They all used Aplebar binders at first but each
year new devices were brought out with Marsh & Applebar ideas or
principles embodied in the machines. And the magnificent binders of
today have come up out of great tribulation to almost human mechanism. I
purchased a S Mc Comick twine binder one of the first that came out
purchased of Morton & Hauck, Odell for $300. cash. It had an Applebar
binder and a 4 foot master wheel and weighed 1700# but I said many a
time She is a dasy. I cut 90 acres of grain in five days with it and
used only 3 horses at one time changing teams twice each day. They
afterwards made stick frames and reduced the weight to 1200#. The farmer
has also the two horse cultivator which came after the war and then came
the riding cultivator used almost universally now. Then came the sulkey
plow then the gang plow. Then the tractor and 3 and 4 plows and some 6 &
7 plows all have come about in my day. We used to rake hay by hand then
came the wooden one horse hay rake now the two horse spring tooth rake
now the side delivery rake. It seems wonderful to me what changes have
come since my boyhood. I remember when my father had a small sack of
flints and a box of tinder which they had to use to get a light before
matches came. I remember well how my mother had a small iron vesel with
a small spout or nose and a handle about 8 inches long which stood
straight up on the back side. She would fill the bowl with melted lard
and place some cotton wicking or strips of cotton cloth in the lard and
let the end stick out the spout & light the same. And sometimes she
would use a star shaped cake pan put in lard and 2 or 3 wicks at a time
to get more light. Then I remember when the candle moulds came and I
helped my mother many a time to string the candle wicking in the moulds
and then she would pour the moulds full of melted tallow and let it cool
and then cut the lower ends of the wick and draw out a dozen fine
candles. Then we used small hand fluid lamp with a cap to extinguish the
light. Then I well remember when they found oil in Pennsylvania about
1855. And then we first read of John D. Rocafella & his partner
purchasing up a lot of small wells. I remember one day I went up to
Hoberts store in Tremont purchased a gallon can of kerosene oil very
yellow and paid .40c per gallon. I also took home a lamp with a small
block of cheap marble for base. We set up the lamp and concluded the
light was ahead of anything we had ever seen and did not see how it
could be improved. Then came the refined oil. Then came the ascetoline
and now as I am writing this I am writing by a splendid electric light
and I think it will not be improved upon in my day.

Telephone
Electric cars
Wireless Telegraphy
The Dictograph
The Type Writer
" Player Piano
" Edison Phonograph
" Bank Enumerator
" The Ford automobile
" Submarine
" Aeroplane
Worlds Fair Chicago 1983
" " 1901 Niagra Falls
" " St Louis
Trip 8000 miles in the west 1901
" To Indianapolis National Pro(hibition?) Convention
" To Chatanoga via St Louis
" " Toronto Montreal Quebec Niagra Falls
" " Lynn Haven winter 1911
" " Gettisburg alone
" " Washington City wife
" " Ft Myers Elmer 1914
" " " " " 1917