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Washtenaw County Pioneers

Washtenaw County Pioneers image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
March
Year
1885
Copyright
Public Domain
Obituary
OCR Text

The pioneer meeting held at Chelsea, on the 4tli inst, was well ttcned; the Town Hall being nearly lilled. The xeercises was very interesting. Vocal atid instrumental music was furnlshed by the Bingcrs and tand of Chelsca. Thedinner was uaceptionally good. The citizons of Chelsea are remarkable for their treatraunt of the pioneei-8 in thewiiy of entertaininent, not only la the liberal provison made for tootbsoine food, but also for nll the other aflCOWwry mcans to promote tbo best interest of the Society. The meeting was om of mucU enjoyraent, the oiily cloud upon ie being thu reporta of t-o many deaths of pioneers since the laft meeting. We publish the report unido, iilso a short paper read hy Hou. E D. Lay. oi Tpsilanti. The place of the June meeting will bo gppolDted by the execuUye coinmittee. OHITUARIE8. The following deiiths of pioneers were reponed by Era D. Lay, of Ypsilanti, Mr. Goodrich, of Lima, and Mr. Hotchbkiw, of Saline : Deatli Detween 80 and " 8 Sö " HO " " O " 85 8 " 75 " 80 70 ' 75 7 " " 60 " 65 Average 78} The following paper was read by the Ilon. E. D.Lay, of Ypsilanti: 11 thinking of something that perhap niight lili up the time at our pinnee meeting, provided the time was not oc cupied by gomething better; I liave wiitten down a few thoughts comparing the present time with the time of nv boyhood, and think that the pr sent tiin' is Kii improvement over the past, in al most eveiy respect. In njy boyhood siinifi siity vears since, many of the different religious societieR were in the liabit of building up their different tenet and cliuich beliefs more than preachlnj Christ and him crucitied, and mariv time ridieiiliug the governmeiits and beliefs of other denominatiotis. And now we seldoin hear any thing of the kind, lu On the contrary, now they frequently help each other in building churehes &c and frequently ministers of the difieren iiennminationa exchange pulpits on the Sibbalh, iindht iifriendly intercoursewit! eai-h other, wliich I cont-idcr an improvement over former times, for good. In respect to agricultura, I can remembe heining reap our grains with a sickle which was at tliat (me the only way o hurvtsting our grain and alsó had tb whlthcr bottte carrier! into tlie lot an pi't up by the side of n ptump to look at Now we haye our reapers and binder? that will take two smart men to fet ii the sheavcs as fast as cut wil hout havitij any whisky bottle in the lot. This tliink is mi impriivemeut. In eaily time we liad to tlirash our graln with a flail and fan it in a board box or willow fai made ou purpose. Now we have ou thrashing machine ind steam power tha prepires the grain fit lor market. Thi I think is an improvement. In my boy bood I have held plow many a day mailt ot all wood except the bolt and sbire made ofiron. And about all the good it die was it loosenett upjtheground. And moh we can if we wish, hive the sulky plow attach three horsesto it, get Into the se on the plow, go aheadand slng Old Hun dred or Yankee Doodle. as our mind m:iy díctate. Thií I think is an imprnve ment The temper.ince cause has made ailvances, althongh not as much as cnulil wi8h. I can recollect when fie quei'tly woinen when lliey spentan after Hoon visiriiiy with their neiffhbors wouh h've ther whisky Rlinp. And even ministers in viiiing their chuich mem bers were sometimes offei cd a sling. Now wh;it woiild a pistor think if a clinici meinber RhouM offer them a whisky 6Üng on a friendly visit to their place of ren dence? I :ilso recollect in my boyhooc days of attendin a funeral, when the pretended minister of the gospel after the KCimon, told the eongregation that the fiiends of the deceascd had procurec something to drink, and all those tha wislied could then partake of it. Anc the wonder I have is that they were no in those days all drunkards. There bas been some improvements 1 think in this respect. The Ei ie cinal, in the state o New York was completad from Albany to Buffiilo in 1824, which waR considere( a jrreat improvemeut ! I recollect at the it wns commenced it was thoitght by many that t would never be completeil and my mother fald to me if I lived to see 1ÖÜ years I mlght see it completed. Bat I have lived to Me greater improvements than that in many respect, ii rail roads, telegraph, telephones and ii almost evcry other respect. In fact, we ate living in a fast age, and Ihe question arises, can there be as much I in provement within the next 0 ycars, asiniht fast 50 ytanf I ain not prepared to say ; but one thinjr Ueertain we are living in a p iet ge and it is the duty of every wel wi-licr of his country and the advancement of Chri8tianity to use the influence he has to in ike the world better as advancement progresses.