Walpers' mill, grinding corn for the purpose of stilling, was useful also in grinding corn for the general public. He did not grind wheat. In fact, there was no wheat raised here at that time. This distillery was carried on by different parties for a number of years, when, upon the building of other and better establishments, it was abandoned.

The Stansberry above spoken of was one of several of the same family. They were powerful men, and were viewed with dislike and suspicion. It was not thought safe for the Regulators to interfere with them. Notwithstauding this, they were, no doubt, a good deal restrained by the presence of that organization. They had a habit of clearing their own skirts, when any depredation was committed, before thoy were charged with it, which became proverbial, and it is not uncommon, even now, for the older citizens to exclaim, " Oh, no! it wasn't you, Stansberry!" when they hear a person disclaiming a knowledge of some doubtful transaction with which he is believed to be familiar.

One of the first sehoolhouses in Lake Township was located upon the south line of the fair grounds, a little more than a quarter of a mile northwest of Belleville. It was built of logs. The seats were logs hewn square, or at least flat. The lire-place was enormous. There was no floor but the ground. The chimney was made of sticks and mud. The windows were long open spaces cut between the logs at a suitable height. These spaces were about eight inches wide from top to bottom, and several feet in length. On the inside, covering them, was pasted paper that had been greased, and it served for window panes. The school was kept open in the winter time only. It was attended by students from a considerable distance; not only the children of Belleville, but the Powells, the McPlouds, and other settlers in the neighborhood, went to it. Scholars came from

Maj. Reed's place, two miles away, and from Hoyt's, a considerable distance southwest, and even from the Mad River country, three or four miles to the eastward. The books used were Webster's Spelling Book, for both reading and spelling; Pike's Arithmetic, a geography, and blank paper for writing exercises.

In those days writing paper was not ruled; but, by the aiil of a ruler and slim pieces of iead beaten to a point, reasonably good lines were drawn across the blank sheet, upon which to trace the words of the copy. The copy, which the pupil was required to follow with as much exactitude as possible, was written by the " Master," as he was then called. It consisted of "coarse" or fine hand," accordingly as the scholar was less or more proficient. For advanced students, the copy embodied some excellent moral precepts or useful truths. The pens were made by the master, out of goose-quills; and it was no small feat of dexterity to make a pood pen. The writers frequently wanted their pens mended also. Spelling was especially insisted upon, as containing the elements of all learning. Spelling matches on Saturday nights were common, in which sides would be chosen and words given out to each side alternately until but a single speller was left who had not missed a word. Again, the whole school would stand up in line,and would spell around again and again; every one missing a word being counted out, until some solitary urchin would remain, the proud victor in the contest. There is probably no one living, in his right mind, but might also excel in some department of life, if he would, like the young speller of olden times, put his whole might into the effort. The first teacher was Isaac Myers, a bachelor, near fifty years old. He was succeeded by George Krouskop, well known subsequently as a prominent and useful citizen; these were good instructors.

Then1 were no tan-yards in the neia;hborborhood before the establishment of the permanent county-seat. Samuel Taylor, who lived on King's Creek, would come into the settlements two or three times a year, and purchase such hides as were for sale. He took them home, where he had some tan vats, and there dressed them. Blacksmithing is a trade that is almost indispensable to modern civilized life. There being no towns in the present boundaries of Lake Township before the rise of Belleville, the blacksmith would be apt to locate his business on such roads as were most traveled. We find George Blaylock, a blacksmith, pursuing his vocation on the bank of Silver Lake, then called Blaylock's Lake. This place, it is true, would at this time be considered a good deal out of the way, but at that period the beauty of the Lake and surrounding country were elements which afforded reasonable promise of early settlements in that locality. The fact is, that Hull's Trace, and the movement of war material from Urbana through a region considerably to the eastward of the Lake, fixed the first permanent families along the line of that movement; and whatever natural features the Lake might possess of an inviting nature, were overshadowed by the stern exigencies and facts of actual war. And so it has ever been; war makes boundaries, not to hamlets and villages only, but to nations and empires; and so it ever will be. Besides Blaylock, a man named Samuel Tidd carried on the business of blacksmithing, on a farm in Harrison Township, adjoining that now owned by Thomas McAra, and on the northeastern boundary of it. A road from the southeast, from Belleville and below, ran near his shop, in the direction of McPherson's block-house. These appear to have been the chief, if not the only, blacksmithing shops near the locality of Bellefontaine previous to the founding of that town.

Nothing is more common than to hear the old pioneer, when in a certain mood, relate the difficulties, hardships, and discomforts of his early trials; without it is to hear the same pioneer, when in a different mood, tell how free, how cheerful, and how glorious were the days of his early pioneer life. Both of his pictures are true. What was pleasant and beautiful, was so in excess; and what of life there was that was frausrht with danger and deprivations, and obstacles to be surmounted, was bitter indeed. In a country like this, even in its wildest state, there was not so much of uncompensated hardship for the hunter and trapper, considered by himself, provided he had good health. But to men with families, weakly women and helpless children, there were seasons when, in behalf of his family, great suspense and anxiety fell to his lot. He could move from danger; he could seek supplies and shelter, but his family could not. It is unnecessary to go very minutely into the details of pioneer family history. It is an old story. But a few salient points of that life will not be unprofitable subjects of notice, both with respect to the men and the women.

Besides his trusty rifle, the principal tools the pioneer had to work with were his ax, his drawing knife and shaving-horse. To these, in a settlement of any extent, would be added probably an auger or two, a broad-ax, and an implement for splitting out clap-boards. The mere enumeration of these things suggest their uses. Of course there was very little land cleared in the times to which we are now confining ourselves. From five to fifteen acres of land was about the quantity farmed by the husbandman. This was far from occupving all his time; his duties were not unremitting, as are the duties of a farmer of today. He had leisure, or he could take leisure, to hunt and trap, and, to a considerable extent, enjoy himself; or, at least, he could do so, in so far as his farming duties affected his time. He planted a small patch of corn, another of flax, a few pumpkins, beans and turnips; perhaps, later, a little rye to make into whisky—and that was about all. He spent much of his time in hunting; that business, for a considerable period, being his sole resource for meat. Venison and various kinds of game, with hominy and corn-bread, were his substantials; although the many products of the forest, already enumerated, added greatly to the richness and variety of his table. The pastimes of the pioneer were fighting, running, wrestling, jumping, shooting at a mark, and various feats of strength, agility and skill. Many, on public days, got drunk, also. After all, these things were merely the overflow and escape of a superabundance of spirit, energy, and strength, acquired and accumulated by a life which was essentially in the open air, with good appetites and substantial food.

The labor of the women was much more severe. In addition to the ordinary care and watchfulness of the family, the washing, the cooking, the women not only made their own clothes and garments of the children, but they made up their husband's clothing also. If this were all there would be some idea presented, perhaps, by which an understanding of the extent of their work would be obtained. But in fact, the women spun, wove, bleached, and colored all the cloth that was used in the household. Look for a moment at the character and extent of this work. The flax had to be pulled up by the roots and tied in bunches. Men and women often joined in that labor. It had then to be broken, and the outer fiber separated from the brittle inner straw. This was done by the men. An implement, called a hatchel, being a piece of board three or four feet long, and seven or eight inches wide, into the middle portion of which were fastened, in an upright position, a multitude of sharp iron spikes about four or five inches long. These spikes were about the size and appearance of the iron part of a scribing awl. There were about a hundred of them occupying a space on the board ten or twelve inches long, by five or six inches broad. It looked like a huge brush with iron bristles from four to six inches long. These spikes were placed in the board in a series of diagonal rows. The hatchel being firmly fixed, small bunches of the dried flax were taken in the hands, by the men, and brought violently down amongst the spikes, the force of the blow being also used to draw the flax through the spikes towards the person engaged in the work. This was repeated until the brittle straw inside of the fiber was well broken and loosened. Alter this part of the work was done, the rough flax thus obtained was held in small flowing bunches over the edge of a board, or pole; it was then whipped down with what looks like a wooden knife about eighteen inches or two feet long. By this process, which is called scutching, the remaining particles of loose straw that were entangled in the flax after hateheling, were thrown down.

The tow is now given to the women. They spin it into vast quantities of linen thread, then they weave it, for many pioneer houses had looms. Out of this thread is woven cloth for pantaloons and shirts for the men, clothing for the children, as well as household linen. But in many instances a process of bleaching precedes the final manufacture. The ladies not infrequently would color certain portions of their thread to weave into stripes for their own frocks. These were greatlv admired by the young gentlemen beaux of the period. The main fashion of the ladies frock was a very short waist which was drawn into a multitude of fine gathers by means of a draw string. This was run entirely around the dress at the waist, drawn