Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

THE OLD FARM 93
food, and since he had the sense of sight lie was eager to use
It in woik that brought results; so it is that we find him at the
advanced age of eighty making brooms to sell in the market
or doing some work in the shop at his old house. In his later
years there is no doubt but the memory of his active life came
to him — the days when his first-born son, Joseph, worked
with him in clearing land and in all the toil of the farm; when
he himself, like his son, was full of life's activities — and so
he told us how he longed to visit this child of his love, declaring
in his own language that he loved "Josie most."
Understanding his desire, father arranged to take him to
the town of Morrow, Ohio, to spend the summer, where he
was planning to make brooms. Tradition tells us that he
made a thousand that summer, though I have scarcely dared
to rehearse the story, as it seemed to me so incredible. He
at this time was in his eightieth year. He had invented a
broom machine, and we will venture to assert that this might
have faciUtated the work. He took much pride in the dura-
bility and strength of his work, showing by contrast the
difference between good honest work and the poor slipshod
work of the careless.
His return from Uncle Joseph's is still a pleasing memory.
Even before the long carpetbag was unloaded he began to tell
us of the greatest experience of his life. As Uncle Joseph was
too busy to bring grandfather home he took him to the town
of Morrow to send him back on the train. He gave the conductor
a letter telling of grandfather's deafness. The conductor
wrote some instructions for the old man, rules of conduct
upon the train. He was not to place his head out of the
window, nor his hand, lest he find his hand left outside or his
head badly bruised, so swiftly did the "steam wagon" move.
As this was his first ride on the cars, and being alone it was
an occasion of moment with him, and it is no wonder that
the narration of his experience excited him greatly. While
upon this visit he had been much interested in the power of
steam, and had thought out how to fashion our little wagon
after the pattern of a handcar used by section hands, which
he noted was propelled by levers. This resulted in the little