nary day's work was two cords, but four cords were cut by some men. Twenty-five cents a cord was the price paid.

One very important character in those days was the family shoemaker. There were many tanneries through the country then. One of these was situated near Howland's Mills. Everybody carried the hides

which had accumulated during the year to these places and had them tanned. Once a year the shoemaker came around with his blocks and made shoes for the entire family.

when the shoemaker arrived.

It was a great day He went from house

to house and with many stories and jests made himself entertaining company. These shoes lasted well and so did the clothes. The home-made suits of "butternut" and "linsey-woolsey " wore a long time, but it made a great deal of extra work for the women of the household. After the usual work was done, there was wool-carding, spinning, and weaving. The spinning-wheel and loom in those days was a familiar sight. They raised flax around here which was beaten out and linen made.

The candle-dipping and soap-making made work too. There was no canned fruit in those days, and after the few earthen jars of rich preserves were done, they would set to and prepare great quantities of dried fruit. Apples, peaches and corn were preserved in this way. Some kinds were kept in shal

low racks put up by the side of the wall, while apples and such fruit were strung in long strings and hung with the hams, sides of bacon, bunches of onion and sage which decorated the kitchen rafters.

After the white settlers came, the wild game disappeared very rapidly as they were not as wise as the wily Indian in replenishing where they destroyed. This was as true of the white fish and salmon trout found here in such abundance, as of the deer and plover. Wild pigeons were used as food. Down at the "Black House" large nets were spread with tempting bait and pigeons could be caught at any time.

Long before the Erie canal was put through, people had their own canal boats for plaster and used to go down the lake to Seneca River which they followed as far as Three River Point. Then they poled across Oneida Lake and the pole was called a "white-ash sail." They went up Wood Creek and near Rome they had a small old-fashioned lock which let them into the Mohawk. Thence by the Mohawk to Albany. They carried all the grain to Albany in this way and sold it there for two and six. Some plaster was also carried east in this way. The plaster which was found here did not have a very

large market until the war of 1812.

Then the Nova

Scotia plaster being forbidden our ports the Cayuga plaster had a large sale.

The tavern-keepers along the Mohawk did not like to take in these western chaps, because they played so many pranks on them, so these fellows used to live on their boats and carry everything they needed to live on along with them. They went late in the fall and sometimes these journeys would take so long that their provisions would freeze. It was no uncommon sight while passing along the canal to see groups of canal-men over a fire, thawing out frozen pie or boiled food. On the return trip, they carried the inevitable keg of whiskey and a new bonnet for the housewife.

One of the most important as well as interesting places in those days was the old time inn or tavern. These places abounded and were well patronized, especially on town meeting day, or when there was anything going on to call the people together.

There were strange goings on in some of those places. One of these old taverns was on the east side of Cayuga street north of Yawger Bray's barn. It was a large, square building. The entire upper floor was a dance hall, while on the first floor were the bar, the parlors, the general living and sleeping rooms of the inn-keeper's family, who always lived with him.

Those were the days when men used to buy two gallons of whiskey and a quarter of a pound of tea. There was more drinking and less drunkenness in

those days than now. Besides these many taverns everyone had his private cupboard or chest of well stocked liquors. The first thing when company' came was to " liquor up" and he who did not treat company was known among his neighbors as a very low-down stingy person indeed. Even the children were included and while their elders were drinking hard cider, cherry bounce, apple or peach brandy, the children were given "black strap," which was a mixture of cider, molasses and water.

The old inn was kept by John Yawger and here was held the first town meeting. That was a solemn affair I assure you. That is, it was at first! This was held in April, 1823, and William Cozzens was elected supervisor. He came from Rhode Island in 1812. He was then a sea-captain but here he farmed it and was also a merchant. Henry Yawger bought the tavern soon after this.

One evening when the old stage lumbered in from Auburn, it brought a company of players who were going through the country. They put up at the inn and the following morning all hands were busy arranging a platform in the upper part of the dance hall. The play was well advertised by the patrons of the inn, and before dusk people began to arrive. No child ever listened more eagerly to a nursery tale, than did that audience to the "Babes in the Wood " which was the play actually performed there that evening.

CHAPTER V.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

Just as soon as the settlers obtained a foothold Early schools. in this new country, school-houses and churches sprang up all over the land. Every few miles one could see the little square log school-house, with its tall outside chimney built of sticks plastered over with mud, and, in some cases, straw was also used to make the mixture more adhesive. The floors were made of split logs; the seats were long, rough boards, nailed together and without backs. The desks were made in a similar clumsy manner. There were no blackboards, no coal stoves, no crayon.

The schools were taught entirely by men or "masters," as they were called, who boarded around from house to house. These men were usually but partly educated and had no especial training for the work, which was done between the terms of college which prepared them for something else. Yet it is a significant fact that from these district schools came