Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

DELIII TOWNSHIP AND ITS HISTORY

391

scarce. It was a great advantage in a new country to be able to
make one's own cloth. The women would prepare wool which was
taken to Lansing and carded, then they would spin the yarn, and
perhaps color some of it, and grandfather would put it in the loom
and weave the cloth for our clothes. This would wear well as I
have reason to know. As a farmer his operations were not extensive, but what he did was thoroughly done. Well do I remember
the old ox-cart, made by cutting two blocks off a large log for
wheels, and an "ex" (axle-tree) and a tongue made from a sapling, and with a box the cart was complete.
As a churchman grandfather was all right. Coming from the
free kirk of Scotland he had some notions of his own, yet he was a
firm believer, a faithful worker and strong supporter of the church.
Perhaps I might give one incident which shows something of the
character of the man. The young people had organized a choir
and taken an organ into the gallery and on Sunday morning they
went up to sing, not having asked permission of the session first.
Grandfather, who was a member of the session, being hard of
hearing, used to sit in a chair in front of the pulpit, facing the
audience. He took his seat this particular Sunday morning, and
as he happened to look up and saw the young people there he
asked Mr. Lott, another member of the session, what they were
doing. Mr. Lott told him when he requested this other elder "to
gang awa up and tell them to come doon," and the result was that
when Mr. Lott delivered his message they immediately "came
doon." Grandfather joined the church as a charter member in
1865, and was a faithful member and official until his death which
occurred in May, 1872.
A little incident occurred the first winter when the boys were
clearing their land which might be of interest. Each had a good
ax, and both were strong and active. One day as they were chopping a tree, one on each side, making the chips fly, their axes
came together with a clap in the middle of the tree, and the result
was two axes badly damaged. The next question was where could
they find a grindstone? They were told that Mr. Darius Abbott
at Mud Lake corners had a stone, and they went there to sharpen
their tools, consuming much valuable time in so doing. John,
who was of a practical turn of mind, decided that a grindstone was
needed in their own neighborhood, and their neighbor Mr. Cook