Yolo County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter II. 1904
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Peggy Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net January 4, 2006, 1:08 pm

Book Title: Recollections Of A Busy Life

The Log House Home.

The first requisite in building a log house is a man or men filled with a 
hearty dinner, such as a new country gives. Then determination - grit - 
pluck - perseverance. You must go five miles through the woods and get the 
only blacksmith there to make your axe, hammer, butcherknife or frow. Then 
when your axe is ground you have used up one day at least. Your axe is the 
principal tool for such carpentry. Straight trees are cut into logs and 
rolled up one above another, the corners hewed together till the house is 
high enough, and now the roof. Long poles are placed on top three feet 
apart, then short logs cut three feet long and split into shakes six inches 
wide, one inch thick; these laid on the poles and fastened by laying 
another pole on top; this, when put together with right pitch, formed the 
roof. Then openings are cut in this crib - for doors and windows, and you 
make the first floor of split logs, and when you sweep it with a splint 
broom made from a hickory bush two inches of more in diameter. You have 
now, strange to say, a house without the sound of hammer or the driving of 
a nail. Later, at Waterford, a few boards were bought for the upper floor. 
The family are now in the house, and the men are chopping the trees down 
just outside. One large tree leans but a trifle from the house, and as it 
is near ready to fall the wind springs up towards the house and a great 
yell comes from the men to get out of the house quick for your lives. 
Spring poles are cut in a terrible excitement and placed against the tree 
in this fashion. Two are placed, and when the wind is stillest the men pull 
down on the poles, then lift up the center of the pole, the victory is won, 
the house is saved; but we had a big scare, I can assure you. But a boy 
likes the new country life - to cut down the brush and pile them up and 
play they are little haystacks; then when a little dry to set them afire in 
the evening and see the bright flames leap and dance and the sparks, like 
the stars on the great flag, are glorious to look at, and so numerous.

Soon as a clearing was made, the spring of 1839 was made so gladly welcome, 
potatoes were planted with fine sticks and leaves and a little dirt for a 
covering, and a garden of all the vegetables were planted and no weeds to 
be subdued for the entire season, and in the fall such potatoes, and such 
vegetables and watermelons - it makes my mouth water now to think of it. 
Potatoes when baked would pop open - white and soft, like flour - no potato 
bugs then to hinder their growth or spoil their flavor.

In the autumn of this year father and Martin were felling trees near by, 
and father's eyes were getting dim, and Martin had put his arms around the 
tree, putting his hands in the chopped place on the opposite side. Father, 
not seeing his hands, began to chop, his axe cutting Martin's left wrist 
half off. Oh dear, oh dear what shall be done now! But one thing can be 
done - doctor, hospital and nurse are all within the family or nowhere. 
Martin was seated in a home-made chair about fifteen feet from the door and 
Freman was nearest to being a doctor. Sticks were taken, bandages applied 
and tepid water was the medicine for the first day; then an ointment of 
mutton tallow and spignut root completed the healing.

That evening, while mother was caring for Martin and the rest seated sadly 
around the big fire, a hew-ou-ou-ou! Hear that wolf howl, will you! He 
smells blood, and there is another, far away they seem at first, but they 
come nearer - yes, they gather near and now we hear the young whelps whine 
and snarl; yes, they are at our very door and licking up the blood where 
Martin sat, and they quarrel for the best chance. Fernando says, "now, I 
will put an end to your fun." He picks up a fire brand with the tongs, 
opens the door quickly and hurls it among them, and such a scampering and 
rustling of leaves you never heard. To protect against wolves Fernando 
bought a large white dog. When, after that, a wolf would howl Bose would 
mock him. But not a rod did he go in pursuit. When pigs had grown to hogs 
in a log pen was built with a floor above and corn put on the upper floor. 
One day Fernando told Bose to drive a pig from the door yard, but would he 
do it? Not much; he just dropped his long, bushy tail to the ground and 
trotted off back of the house to enjoy the shade. Bose was a perfect 
coward. Fernando started in pursuit with blood in his eye. I'll fix Bose, 
old chap, see if I don't - grabbed Bose by the nap of his neck and started 
for the hog pen; raised the trap door and pitched him in headlong among a 
lot of Michigan Shark hogs, shut down the door and said: "Now, Bose, you 
fight or die." Bose yelled and bounded from one corner to another, and 
yelp, yelp goes Bose. Finally the tune changed and the swine began to 
squeal; here and there the strife rages and the hogs squeal lustily. 
Fernando raised the trap door and called, "here, Bose" and out he jumps a 
conqueror.

  * * * * * * *

You are fond of the pure maple sugar, but may not know how it is made. 
Beginning with the first thawing in February the troughs, or buckets or 
pails, are placed one to each maple tree. Then spiles are made one foot 
long, with a small hole burned in the center; then a three-quarter inch 
hole is bored in each tree, the spile driven in tight so that the sap is 
forced out the burned hole, runs down a groove in the spile and drops off 
the end of the spile into the bucket. After the trees are all tapped you 
may have to hurry and hitch the oxen to the sled, on which is placed a cask 
that holds, say ten barrels, and with a pail in each hand and perhaps a 
yoke on the neck and shoulders the sap is gathered, then emptied into a 
large trough; then away after another load. But while one man gathers sap 
another must be boiling the sap. Two or three large kettles are hung on a 
pole and logs rolled up on each side, the fire started with small wood, and 
soon the sap is boiling, and as the sap boils away it is replenished by 
more being poured in by the pail full, or better make a yankee device and 
have a small stream running into each kettle all the time and the fire hot 
enough to keep it boiling. Keep this up twelve hours and the kettle of sap 
is getting rich, and then boil down till it is syrup, empty, let cool and 
strain. Then occasionally you will enjoy a sugaring-off party, either in 
the sugar camp or at the house. Boil the syrup till thick, then pour it on 
snow for wax, and set your teeth in it and try to talk, and see what 
ridiculous work you make of it. Then dip the warm sugar into scallop tins, 
tea saucers, eggshells, etc. Then play snap and catch 'em, and promenade 
four, and see your gal home through the woods, or that may be a sled load 
drawn by Buck and Star. If it does not freeze nights the sap will keep 
running and the boiling must be kept up all night; many a night have us 
boys changed at midnight, and that is always just when a fellow is in a 
sound sleep. But precious sleep must depart and heavy eyes must wake up and 
the tired sleeper must go out into the dense forest and may have to work 
till the next midnight. Yes, sugar is sweet, but it is often obtained by 
weary bodies and sleepy eyes. Mother was mixing bread one day and a faint 
rap was heard on the door. Mother told me to open the door; I pulled the 
latch-string, opened the door and slammed it shut and said, "Mother, there 
are Injuns at the door." But mother was not so scared and opened the door 
cautiously, and then a squaw says, "Buzhoo, buzhoo (how do you do, how do 
you do)?"

And there were two squaws and three papooses, and they had baskets of all 
sizes and colors, so mother exchanged flour, pork and beans for baskets.



Additional Comments:
"Recollections of A Busy Life," By Eli Fayette Ruggles, H. L. Ruggles & 
Co., Publishers, (published circa 1904)
Transcribed by Peggy Barriskill Perazzo, December 2005

Transcription submitted to California Archives by Kellie Crnkovich with 
approval from Peggy Perazzo on 12/27/2005


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