In a little one-room log cabin south of Bennington Grove, in the winter of
1859-1860, sat three people. The father (Mr. D. Brevoort) was pegging away at
some shoes. He had been to Lacon the first of the week to buy leather with which
to work. He had to hurry for he had orders for two pairs of shoes. The neighbor
and his wife had been over the night previous and had been measured. The lady
wanted a pair of cowhide lace shoes, for they were cheaper, but coarser.
However, she said she hoped to be able to order a pair of calfskin by summer,
since they were of a finer material, but much more expensive. Her husband, as
all men did, ordered just a simple pair of boots, and planned on them lasting a
year. Such orders kept the father very busy, but this pleased him very much
since the making of shoes was his trade. It was very essential in those times to
have a trade.
The mother was advising her son John Henry to hurry up and
finish his borrowed reader, for night was falling and she had no candles to be
wasted. It seemed to John Henry that they were at the present well supplied, for
on Monday he and his parents had spent much time in making candles. Candle
making was interesting at times. Having no cattle or stock of any kind
themselves. John and his father walked two miles to a neighbor and obtained some
tallow. For this, John's father bargained to make boots for the husband of the
family in two weeks' time. The neighbor killed a beef often, both for the meat
and the tallow.
Upon arriving home John and his mother placed the tallow
in a large iron kettle and put it on their one little stove to melt. In the
meantime John's mother got out the twelve inch molds and strung the wicks in the
center of them. The tallow was soon melted and poured in the molds to harden.
The candles were set in a corner, and since the little old cabin was indeed very
airy, the candles were soon ready.
The following week John's mother
would be very busy she informed John, for she had an order for a suit of
clothes. Being a skilled tailoress her orders were many. Mr. Brevoort must go to
Lacon on horseback and buy the material. John and his mother never went to the
village. It was father's place to do all the shopping.
Night came, and
having no stock meant no chores, so father pegged away by the use of a candle.
But John had nothing to do but climb the ladder to the loft and go to bed. First
he must brush off the snow, for it had been a "blizzardy" day. Soon he was fast
asleep and slept soundly until early morning. Again he shook off the snow and
descended his ladder, to find mother and father already at work.
Spring
arrived, bringing the day that the soap must be made. But first, water had to
run through the bin of wood ashes that they had so carefully piled there. When
this water had run slowly through the ashes it was very valuable and carried out
to the large kettle, where fats were added and some water. It was allowed to
cook over an open fire. By evening the soap was cooked and ready to cool. The
next day it was cut and used in washing and bathing. Summer finally came, and
brought John's uncle. He was a great "bee" man. He put some honey on a stump in
the woods and waited until the bees came along. They flew to the honey and ate
of it until they were full. Then they flew back to their hive, which was a
hollow tree. The uncle followed them back to their hive and got the tree
spotted. Then he cut the tree. They got two bushels of honey. But he had to
build a fire to smoke the bees. They took the honey to John's house, very proud
of their find.
John's father and mother were quiet and always busy, but
his uncle was active and full of life, so John was with his uncle most of the
time. One time they went to a barn dance. He did not dance, but he enjoyed
watching the others, and especially seeing the fiddler who furnished the dance
music. Everyone was happy at the dance. The men tucked their trousers down
inside of their boots for such occasions. The ladies wore heavy dresses made
very full.
The teacher in those days had a hard time "boarding around."
She boarded at one house for a week and then she would go to another. The people
did not like for her to come because they had to have the house fixed up just
so. So they were glad when she went. The teacher had a hard time bundling up her
clothes every time she moved, and getting used to so many different beds. They
had six months school in those days, but John didn't get to attend. His parents
didn't encourage education. At the age of eighteen, however, he attended school,
acting as janitor to pay his expenses.
Though this youth of 1859 was
robbed of the privileges and pleasures we now enjoy, he is regarded as one of
the most successful men, both financially and morally, that the year of 1932
possesses.
Extracted 08 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from Stories of Pioneer Days in La Salle County, Illinois, by Grammar Grade Pupils, published in 1932, page 59.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
