had four children), we returned to the old home. there I put in ten acres of wheat, sawed the winter's wood for two families, went to the woods and got sills for the foundation for another home for us, hauled the lumber and built same. With my uncle's help I husked his corn crop.

We found everything so changed, and the people as much as any, so we decided to return to Nebraska, and were back just six months from the time we left.

Since I had rented my farm, I was obliged to settle in Battle Creek, and moved three times in as many months. I finally bought a house and two lots which I later traded to a party for eight acres joining my old farm. He allowed me $600 for the house. I had paid $400 for it, and I gave him $1000 difference. Once more I was back on the old farm, a happier and wiser man. I lost the most on my corn crop. I hired it husked and sold it to Mr. Willis for thirteen cents a bushel, when corn on the market was only ten cents. Had I remained in Nebraska and held that corn until the following fall, it would have brought fifty cents.

After buying the eighty acres, I set out to build me another farm home, so moved all my buildings on the two farms to a new location, set out a large grove, a model orchard, which meant years of labor. When my oldest daughter had married B. H. Baker of Battle Creek, and my oldest son began to think about settling down, I set out to build a home for him in the large grove that I had set out for a windbreak.

When Rev. Damon decided to build a new church south of my farm, which was called Damon's Chapel, I laid the foundation. At the laying of the corner stone, there was a large gathering. Should the building ever be torn down, in the northeast corner will be found a box the size of a brick with the names of all who contributed a piece of money, mine and Rev. Damon's along with them. Rev. Damon passed away many years ago. We worshipped with the Methodist people until the erection of the new Baptist Church in Battle Creek, which we joined and have remained with ever since. I was ordained a deacon in church three years after joining. When the church was built, I laid every brick in the foundation, cemented it, built the chimney, lathed and plastered the entire building, and later lathed and plastered a full basement, and helped cement the floor. All this work was donated, so I feel I showed my interest in the work of the church.

In eighteen ninety-four came the awful drought. We had never had a more promising spring for a bountiful crop but a late frost came and cut the tops of the oats off. We were busy plowing for corn, but I somehow felt we would have few crops that year for I had noticed the wind had hung in the east for

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