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

REPORTS OF PIONEER IISTORICAL MEETINGS

77

We were surrounded on all sides by a dense forest, and knew of
no neighl)ors to the nortll or west of us, but a mile and a half east
was Joscph Robinson, and the same distance to the south was
Ransom Ilazelton.
We were often treated with the singing of birds, the hooting of
owls, the buzzing of mosquitos and gnats, and on one occasion
p)articulariy, just at evening, we were treated with very exciting
music by a l)and(, which roke out with such hilarious strains
that the very hairs on our heads seemed to stand up, and the
general exclamation from us younger members of the family was,
"Wlhat is tha]t?" and l)erlhaps you will ask me, "What band could
you have to serenade you in that wild country?" Ah! it was a
band of wolves that had scented a calf we had purchased and had
come to hold high carnival over his body; but, to their great disappointment, we had put the calf in a safe place, an(l they, being
thus foiled of their prey, set up a hideous howl, which was soon
silenced by a shrill blast from a tin dinner horn, which was a tune
new to them.
Our nearest neighbors were one and one-half miles away, and
that through a dense wood, and it was only at intervals far between that we met each other, yet tile )peol]e thus situated were
not disposed to be deprived of the privilege of coming together on
the Sabbath day to worship, and a prayer meeting was appointed
at the residence of Benj. Rolfe, each to notify all they met. Well
do I remember being present at that meeting, which occurred in
the summer of 1837, where a dozen or more of the sturdy pioneers
had come together from their rude homes to recognize the command of God, to "Remlember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."
And, by doing this, they implanted a principle in the community
that has kept pace with the improvement of the country, and
today the nanmes of those old pioneers carry witl them a redeeming
influence that time cannot wipe out.
Our principal food was bread and potatoes and occasionally
some wild meats. Our nearest mill was at Jackson, at times we
would get short of bread material and have to resort to something to supply its place. We then pounded corn for hominy,
and to accomplish this a place was hollowed out in a large log,
with a spring pole and pestle with which to pound the corn.
Thus you see that instead of going to the grocer and purchasing