Bremerton, WA April 195l
R6 Box 3251
Well how does a person write of their Childhood days and early
life. Father was born and raised a Quaker on a farm near Plymouth,
Ohio, now called Bartlett. Mother was born and raised on a farm in
Barlow, Ohio. They were strict Presbyterians, of their courtship and
marriage, I know nothing.
Only after marriage, father bought a 100 acres all in wood near Big
Run, Ohio. [Big Run - Former post office in Decatur Twp.
founded 22 Jul 1856. In 1865 it moved into Athens County.] It was in Washington County but we got our mail over the line
in Athens Co. We lived about half way between the two county seats -
Washington at Marietta and the other Athens.
After marriage father was in the war of 65' for awhile. Then they
went to Virginia to work. Father to take lost tools out of the oil rigs
and Mother cooked for the oil men.
I was about 2 years old I think when Mother poured out the coffee for
the men and I like most kids was everywhere, so I pulled a cup of coffee
off the table that went down the neck of my right side. Scalded me
seriously but I got over it, but was never able to nurse my children on
that side, it was sure scared.
While we was in Virginia someone entered our house and stole some
things. There was other 2 families living around there. There was three
families of Millers, the old granddad and two sons who had families in
school where I went to school also there was Burks, Niell, Frances,
Ellise's and quite a few Negro families.
Our home was on a hill, rough and steep below down to the creek and
to the railroad but we had a road down above 3 caves and it was not so
bad. We had a bridge to cross from the house over to where the road went
down on the other side of the small stream. The rest of the place was
nice not hilly and a few fences - but we had an apple orchard over part
of it and a large peach orchard put in later. Father cut the trees and
split the rails and fenced off different places for pastures. When they
was too poor to farm and not much for the cows he had a lot of sheep to
put on it to eat berry vines, bushes, sassafras, alders and so on.
Our place really reached beyond the railroad, but we never used that
below it small families lived down on that river and the first school we
went to was down a cross that river and we went under the trestle to get
there. I fell down when going my first school there was snow on and we
had to go down a hill thru the woods I cried so hard that the teacher
come to meet me and sent me to a place to get warm till she got a fire
at the School house.
The next term we had a School house up on the hill and out another
way by all the Miller's and the rest of the scholars mostly lived - one
Miller family living nearest us had 13 children some of them married
before I remember them the Brooks family had 20 children The older ones
was married and gone the younger ones never had seen them, also
the Nice Family had 21 children but they did not go to our School, went
to Jordan School. There was three families of Ellise’s too they went
to Jordan School. In our school there was Burkes, Killeys, Sawyers,
McElvines, ________(?) Hrenwas(?) all these after I could remember more
so many when Father moved there.
Father had built 2 tobacco houses one down the hill towards the
railroad and one over the way from the house, he had kilns under them to
fire tobacco. He raised it on the hillside where it was to steep to
farm. It was my job to string in and get it ready to put in the tobacco
houses. They would hold a lot of Tobacco String on a small stick about 4
feet long and had to tie another string on the end about 3 in. from the
end. the string long enough to reach clear across the stick ? til on the
other end. after it was strung full of tobacco leaves on each side of
the stick string ?loclh? a big needle threaded on the end of the string
the needle was put thru the stem of the Tobacco leaf one each side of
the stick tied when the stick was full and then string another of course
on a place to hold the stick I have to string 100 of these in one day.
The boys had to strip the leaves off the plants and take our horse sled
and get them to the place to String. When enough was strung they was put
in the Tobacco house and father would build a fire in the kiln and fire
is till it was cured. Had to go fix up the fires at night too then after
it was fired enough he moved, on some rainy day take it down, it wouldn't
crimple on rainy days, and take it off the stick, roll it up and it was
ready for sale. We children did not have many idle moments all worked.
Father also had a cane mill and when cane was ripe in the fall he had a
mill to grind it to get the juices out put a horse on the grinder It
would go round and round in the same track, some of us children had to
stand and put the cane stalks one by one in the mill and the juice ran
out in a tub. When there was enough ground he had 2 pans about 5 or 6
ft. long about 1 ˝ foot deep to put the juice in and he would build a
fire under them and it would take all day to cook those down to be
sorghum molasses and it sure was good. We had a barrel or so every year
he would move his mill and make molasses for the neighbors, he would get
every 3 or 4 gallon for making it and we would go and play with the
children till it was done about 12 o’clock midnight then we would go
home with him. They also had a house to dry fruit and a hut to smoke
meat. We would dry the peaches to well the dry house held 21 drawers
about 4 ft long and 3 feet across and we tried to fill it every other
day during peach season then they would sell the peaches and tobacco and
wool and such to get our winter shoes and clothes. I never had a pair of
fine shoes till I was able to earn and buy it my self, also a hat. They
would go to Belpre? on the Ohio River in the wagon with 2 horses take
the stuff to sell and get our things. It took all day and away in the
night but you bet we all waited up to try on our things and see what
they bought.
We always had enough to eat but it had to be corn bread & pork
& molasses for we didn't raise enough wheat to give us wheat bread.
One of the boys would take a sack of corn after it was shelled and go to
a mill.
******many lost pages not located
at this point the story jumps ***
George rented a farm that joined ours called "Naulty Place"
he was an Englishman never done any work, his wife even had to cut all
the wood and do all the work.
?_____ George put in corn and the squirrels was taking it so bad that
he got a gun, a shotgun (I think) he took it in the cornfield with him
and stood it up by a big rock and when he saw a squirrel he ran to get
the gun, he pulled it up the side of the rock and that set the trigger
and it went off and almost shot his arm off at the wrist (he would of
bled to death but there was neighbors near he yelled and they came and
got the blood stopped but George never got over this, he left to move in
with the folks and they had a ? fox farm there (I was working at Stewart
at this time in our Ohio lives.)
Aunt Mary and Uncle Eliza and family sold out at Plymouth and was
going to Kansas where our relatives lived and Bob got to be pretty bad
running around with the Catholic boys so father took Bob and they went
to Kansas when Aunt Mary went. Father put up our place for sale and he
stayed in Kansas at Uncle Will Vernon’s all summer, but he got the
Flux, a dread disease then and I was then at home helping mother and
all.
Father came home and sold the place to two parties, the half to a
Canada family that worked for us quite a lot. She would wash all day for
50 cents and her and her boy had earn all day. The other family was Mail’s,
both these was Negro families.
Father bought Uncle Will’s timber claim and they all turned in and
help and built us a sod house. Father brought a car of stuff with him,
household and things. I was boarding around with the scholars, but went
home Friday after school and stayed till Monday. Our house was in the
neighborhood where I was teaching but when I taught the McNeal School
and came home on Fridays they had to come get me, till my present
husband and I became engaged, then he took me home quit a bit. I had a
steady beau in Ohio but we soon drifted apart being so away and Father
was afraid I would want to go back to Ohio but he needn’t have worried
for up to that time I had never found anyone that I felt like I couldn’t
do without. Though he soon married a little cripple girl I knew all her
life in Ohio. He had a store at Broadwell? Where I worked quite a lot.
He and I and two friends of ours went to Marietta, Ohio, our
county seat. We only went for the day. We went on the train, she was a
school teacher also. I had the honor of going to Athens, the county seat
west of us. I went with a girl friend and a minister and his daughter
and we went thru the asylum there.
When we decided to get married, Grant McNeal and I, father said why
not when the presiding Elders is here for the quarterly meeting and so
we arranged it and was married in the Sod School house where we also had
Church. I made my own wedding outfit, a nice white dress with an all
over lace over and a white hat with green and white trim and flowers. My
cousin Della Wood and Nat Temple, stood up with us, a fellow that
Husband worked with digging wells, (some over 200 feet deep) our well
when we got one was 212 feet deep.)
We had the older relatives, Aunt Mary’s and Uncle Eli’s and Uncle
Jim and Uncle Will’s for dinner, after we were married and the next
evening had the young folks, relatives. We did not have any
honeymooning. But days after we were married moved to a place my Husband
had and where we had built a sod house then, in that early day in Kansas
was sod houses and barns.
Father gave us a cow, Mother gave a feather bed and pillows. I had a
quilt. Husband had a horse and buggy that had given us rides to picnics
and everywhere, but we had taken up life now so we sold it, or
rather traded the buggy to a Baptist minister for a cow and three hogs,
and I had a watch I traded for chairs, so we started out to make a life
of it. and we are yet at the age of 87 and married 64 years.
We have seen many ups and downs, but we are not down yet, but
slugging along together. We had one girl, two boys, ?one girl in ten
years. They were happy years, we worked hard lived hard, burned corn
stalks, cow chips, cobs anything for fuel.
After about 10 years we concluded to build a concrete house, we had a
parlor and bedroom off of it Kitchen room for two bedrooms up stairs and
a nice stairway up. We rented or gave it for awhile (the up stairs) to a
cousin of Fathers, who came here to live from the east. The bought land
close to us and a house on it. They had three children. They put their
goods in our granary till their house was done.
This part I ought to leave out, but God and I only know what all I
went through then, for after we was married and had our family, Husband
worked for a man and he treated him and his harvester crew to wine. We
had a good harvester machine and a crew of men. Well, after that he was
never satisfied without drink, that wine he was treated to was mulberry
wine from mulberry trees. From then on life was almost unbearable. My
folks, none of them ever used it so they finally did not come to see us
much. They lived 5 miles away. Father and mother came, but he didn’t
like them. He got into some scraps, he and one family was always working
against each other, such as trying to pass on the road. I have cried
till I couldn’t cry any longer.
Most of the work went for the boys to do before they was big enough.
I rode the plows, used cultivator and done lots of such work. He wanted
to go to town quite a lot, it was four miles away. In plain light we
could see all over our place, only one corner it was that level, well,
one spring 1903 we had a good chance for a nice crop, had 50 head of
hogs and pastures for them. Often years before this we didn’t get our
feed back when we put it out. We raised wheat mostly, but corn too. One
morning about 9 a. m. there came up a cloud and in 15 minutes everything
was gone, wheat most ready to cut, all beat down. Se we put up the place
for sale, turned the hogs out on the wheat, then sold them; sold the
place and left Kansas for Colorado. Took a car of goods and 3 horses and
cow and machinery and we landed at Grand Junction, Colo. Our relatives
Elis Swayne, Herman Krihaddy (?) and Rupert Moore, son-in-laws of Uncle
Eli Swayne met us. I took the children all for of them on the train, he
went with the car, and wasn’t we sick on the train all of us, but Rube
Moore and Myrille net us at Grand Jct. At one o’clock in the night,
then we went out to their place 9 miles away. Husband didn’t get there
for some time. He let another relative take the car and he look in
Denver and places along had a good time in Viell (?).
Well, Uncle had rented a place for us, $150.00 a year. So we moved
there at once. It was a good place lots of fruit. Had to irrigate
everything, a big ditch of water ran through the place not far from the
house, but after we got the use of the place, that year it sold, so we
had to move to an 8 room house and that year we only raised a few corn
beets, no garden, children all worked picked strawberry’s when they
could, went to school close here, but we run short of money, so we moved
down on the river and fished in the great grand River, lived in a tent
till school was out then we intended to go to Myton, Utah where Husband
drew a claim there, but he took the typhoid fever and for 8 weeks was in
bed. That old river got water from snow in the mountains around, it came
up to the door of the tent. We had a boat also, a trammel-net, that Earl
and I used to catch fish in a byou (?) net by we had two ponies, sold
our big horses we took out there. We had a friend guy of Uncle Elis and
Earl and I sold fish. Gertrude tended to her dad. We went everyday and
got buttermilk for him. The doctor would not allow him any eats. Some
that did take eats die of the fever. All this time Grace and Glenn was
in Fruita working. Grace worked for foster board to finish up common
school.
When Husband got able to move we went to Grand Junction and get along
we lived in a ten in the children’s park awhile, Husband got work
picking apples at this time. At this time he didn’t want drink, but he
finally got work on a road they was building so he was gone from home.
Earl and I rented a little house on the alley on North St. In a little
while the folks moved out to the house that faced on the main street so
we moved in there, on North 7th St. When Husband came home we
was living there. Grace had come to the Junction and was working there.
Glenn came home soon after Husband came home he got work at the lumber
yard. So we all moved down on White Ave. All this time I was working
away from home about 8 hours a day at 25 cents an hour to keep us and I
did that for several years. For we lived on White Ave. 5 years, I would
go and do a wash for certain places. I worked form 8 o’clock till
noon, go home get dinner, see the children off to school again, then go
do another wash or clean house or iron, till another 4 hours. I was so
tired many times I wondered if I could get home. I done my wash one day
a week and took in teachers washing to do (?) , with is then had to iron
it on Sat. and get it to them. Earl generally took it to them.
Husband finally got a job as a fireman on an engine that went to get
coal from the mine. It was several miles from town. But he drank again,
now I have heard him say for over 12 years he never was without it,
although I only saw him drunk twice, but he was mean to me and the
children. My sister from Kansas came to visit us, she took Grace and
Gertrude home with her and sister Lola kept Gertrude. Grace had finished
high school in the Junction so she got teaching in Kansas. Taught for 6
years and worked it out when there was no school so she worked for Ziba
Newton in Nebraska and got acquainted with the mans she married Ziba’s
nephew. So she got married, he taught school too, and was a wonderful
boy, so good, so true. They was married at our home in Colo., Grand
Junction and went on honeymoon to Salt Lake city.
We had to move from the place where we lived for 5 years (he got out
of work) and we couldn’t pay the rent. So we moved to a great big
house on Qiury ? Avenue to take care of a Baptist minister. We lived
there 2 ˝ years. Then they sent him to a home, so we had to move. The
Baptist church had it then, (his home) Husband got a job of taking care
of the City Parks (there was four) Children’s Park where he began work
but he finally worked at all of them some, but mostly that one lawn
South of main St and Colo. Ave., also the Emmerson park just 4 blocks
over north. We finally moved down on 202 south 7th, when the
war began. Earl had to go, Glenn got married.
He and Earl left home before they was through the 8th
grade and neither was home after that till Glenn married Bessie Henry,
where he met her at Montrose, Salina. They lived with us for awhile but
drifted wet went to Idaho, where both worked for awhile, then went to
Butte Montana where he worked in the copper mines and got his death
there when a fire broke out in the mine and they put water in to put out
file and got over 200 miners. He was one!
Well, Earl was in Billings, he went there and identified the body. So
he was buried at Butte all by himself, of course Bessie was there too,
stood from Friday to Tuesday waiting for the bodies to be brought up.
Earl know him by a knife he had given him. He had a decent burial in
Butte Cemetery. Earl brought Bessie home to us - she went on to her
folks, but never went back to Butte and married a man named Sicoro. She
came to see us once after we moved to Bremerton. While we lived in a
basement for 5 months, couldn’t get a house, the war was on and people
was sleeping in Halls and any place where thy could lay down. We was
lucky to get the basement, we lived at 202 south 7th, Dad
belonged to the Company D 3rd Infantry and marched with them,
practicing for 10 months. They had a hall I use to go there and watch
them, they marched on the street also. Was mostly older men, he was too
old to go to war so he went to Salt Lake and was sent to Bremerton.
Earl was a Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, had the flu there and
almost died, did not have clothing and things the soldiers ought to
have. Many did die. I sent him Dad’s woolen underwear but Armistice
came before he got it, he used it on his way home also I sent him money,
he never got but I sent him money order so got it back again.
Right here I will say Bessie put a nice tombstone for Glenn. We went
to see it once on our way to visit Grace in Nebraska. I lost track of
her long ago, as she never writes, I heard she is in Calif.
As Earl came home from the was, he stopped at Grace’s to see her,
he landed at Grand junction and got work finally he fired the old
railroad engine up the mountain to (?) a real mans job, but he got
enough ahead to come to us in Washington and still lives here.
After dad went to Washington I began to sell our stuff and as war was
on got good prices. Sold a cabinet he had given me, for what they paid
for it. Some of the carpet for more than cost me. So used Mrs. Couthine
carpet till we got ready to go west. We was waiting for him to find a
place for us to live out there. I sent the organ, old clock, quilts and
a lot of things to Grace in Nebraska. Shipped dishes, quilts and
clothing and such to Washington, to Bremerton. So had to buy furniture,
we got two beds and got a place in a basement with a range in it, lived
there five months where we had to have the lights on all the time.
The McKensie Family lived up above us and Dad and Gertrude worked
till midnight, that left Gladys and I now three years old alone and the..........
{this
is the end of the notes we have located so far}
This Version of
Hattie's Life Story was shared by Bryce Vernon
Memories
of the Childhood of Hattie McNeal
– Carrie McNeal, daughter-in-law of Hattie McNeal suggested these
memories, October 1941.
Source:
Vernon Vignettes, Vol. 51 (June 1982)
Editor'
Note (from the Vernon Vignettes) The "Memories" below were written
(as suggested by her daughter-in-law, Carrie McNeal, in 1943), It was
submitted to VFAA by her niece, Gladys Haden. Hattie died at Bremerton, WA,
9 June 1956, age 92. Grant McNeal died 5 January 1962, age 97.
First,
my ancestors from which I sprung, I, being 80 years old, I'll try.
My
grandfather Robert Haddow, was born at Sanarkshire, Scotland, July 20, 1799.
Grandmother, Jeanette Haddow, maiden name Armiston (2), was born at
Lanarkshire, Scotland, December 27, 1796. They had 6 children, part of them
born in Scotland to Washington, Ohio (four in Scotland). They moved from
Greenock, Scotland to Washington, Ohio in 1831. Grandmother Haddow died
November 28, 1866. I do not remember her, being only two years old. She is
buried at Barlow, Ohio.
Grandfather
Haddow lived to be 85 years old; is buried at Barlow, Ohio; died of
pneumonia and age. Died February 15, 1885. They married in Scotland in 1819,
came to America from Glasgow in 1831. Grandmother worked till all hours of
the night at embroidery and fancywork to make money to get out of Scotland
to Ohio. Six children lived to be grown.
First
was Christina, married David Lamb, and to them were born 12 children,
including two pairs of twins.
Second,
John Haddow, married Jane Fleming. To them were born 10 children -one pair
of twins. He represented his country during the general assembly sessions of
1860 and 1861.
Third,
Nancy Haddow, married David Hayes. To them were born 10 children – one
pair of twins.
Fourth,
James Haddow, married Mary Hayes first, who lived but a short time. Later
married Lucy Dustin. They had 9 children and no twins. He was in the 36th
Ohio Regiment and was captured during the Civil War.
Fifth,
Mary Haddow, married David Vernon on November 14, 1861, at Barlow, Ohio. To
them 8 children were born, including one pair of twins.
Sixth,
Jane Haddow, married Jon Louthan at Barlow, Ohio. To them 7 children were
born. She lived and died in Missouri.
Grandfather
Haddow was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church for 30 years. It was said of
him that he was tall, straight and firm, not only in stature, but also in
his character and all of his dealings. He sure was my idea of a Grandfather.
He often visited us though he lived at Barlow with my Aunt and Uncle, David
Hayes. They had the largest home in Barlow Township. We went there and from
there to the Fair at Barlow once a year (probably Washington County Fair). I
have stayed at Uncle Hayes when there was over thirty there to go to the
Fair, besides their own family. Aunt took the eats for all of us. They
raised lots of Thoroughbred sheep. Well, enough of the Haddow family.
Great
Grandfather Vernon was born in North Carolina about 1775. He carried my
Grandfather Amos (Vernon) in his arms, when a baby, over the mountains. They
came to Belmont County, Ohio. (Note: See Chapter 6, page 45 for information
regarding Amos.)
Great
Grandmother (Jane Way) was born in North Carolina. Grandfather Amos Vernon
was born in North Carolina. (Note: Amos was born in Virginia.) I don't know
where Grandmother was born.
Grandfather
Amos Vernon was married to Jane Way in Belmont County, Ohio. They had eight
children - Robert, David, Mary, James, Mordica, William, Elizabeth, and
Benjamin. They were raised and lived at Plymouth, Ohio. Later it (the name)
was changed to Bartlett. Went to school at Tick Ridge.
My
father, David Vernon, was married to Mary Haddow at Barlow, Washington
County, Ohio, on November 14, 1861. To them were born, one set of twins.
Father
Vernon was in the 148th Regiment, Co. F. Father Vernon was raised a Quaker.
He belonged to the Quaker Church by birth (born into the Church as his
parents belonged to the Church, made him a member) till he married a
Presbyterian - outside the (Quaker) Church. Then he said he could not say he
was sorry, so he lost his membership in the Quaker Church, but he always
belonged to some Church, United Brethren mostly. (Note: See Appendix E, page
A - 63, for David being disowned.) He was class leader, always Sunday
Superintendent, County Trustee and other offices, school director. Father
was very even-tempered, never got mad, and was rather slow in movements. I
never heard him and mother exchange a crossword. They were loving
companions, never complaining, acted like they thought their fate was not a
hard one. Father's word was law with us children, but if he said he would
punish us, he didn't forget it. I can only remember him whipping one of us -
my brother, Bob. He (Bob) would swear and that was what he got whipped for.
Mother,
Mary Haddow Vernon, was born at Barlow, Washington County, Ohio, grew up to
womanhood there, was married there to David Vernon on November 14, 1861.
They moved to Big Run, Washington County, Ohio, at once on a 100 acre place,
all of woods and huge trees – oak, pine, and fine timber, from which
father cleared the land to farm, fenced and re-fenced his fields, built a
round log house to live in, and there raised, clothed and fed us children.
We never lacked shoes, clothes, and eats in all the 25 years they lived
there before selling out and moving to Norcatur, Decatur County, Kansas in
1886.
Mother
was not strong ever – she had measles at the age of 18. She was able to
keep things going besides bearing a child every two years. She knit all our
wool hose and sox, which we wore in the winter. She took the wool, spun the
yarn and colored it for her knitting. She could knit a foot in a sock and
read a paper or book aloud, all in one evening. She made all our clothes,
even the boys' coats and pants - lined the pants with heavy muslin.
After
I was about grown, I ran the sewing machine for her while she basted and
got things ready. I have worn many friezes made out of muslin that she colored.
I never had a pair of fine shoes or a hat until I was full-grown.
Mother
and a neighbor, Miller, ran a race in children about a year apart, but had
no doctors, had a midwife in the neighborhood who attended them. Mother had
8, but Mrs. Miller had 12, but she started first. We lived neighbors for 25
years.
The
first things I remember when I was about 3 or 4 years old - father built
another onto the house, this one on hewed logs, smoother and nicer. It had 2
bedrooms, large front room and upstairs, had a large fireplace with a crane
on which we could hang things to cook, make apple butter and such. Also,
there was a large hearth where more often we cooked our meal than otherwise.
I
wish to say right here, we were left many times all night, and other times,
to tend to things and care for the children, George and I. We did chores and
used lanterns and lamps or candles, yet we never had a fire. The only time
we came near having a fire - we were all asleep and a log or park got down
from the hearth and the floor caught fire, but after it burned about a foot
on the board floor, it went out by itself. Providence intervened for us. We
might all have been burned up.
Father
(David Vernon) said we, George and I, raised the rest of the family, we
being the oldest. I was to George what Aaron was to Moses, a mouthpiece.
when we went on an errand to the neighbor, I always had to do the talking,
though he helped me steal a goose once. We went on an errand to the
neighbors and coming home we passed a lot of geese, and we said they had a
lot and we had none, and the lane was fenced on both sides so it was easy
for us to catch one. It was heavy, but we lugged it home, then to our
surprise, mother said, "Where did you get that goose?" We told her
and she said, "now that is stealing, you take that right back where you
got it and turn it loose." It was lots heavier as we went back with it,
but we learned us a much-needed lesson.
We
children all attended school and Sunday school at Dutch Ridge (Washington
County, Ohio) about a mile from home. In winter when it was very cold and
snow on the ground, where usually was, the boys would get up early and feed
and harness the horses and hitch them to a big sled, out in straw and quilts
father would take us to school and pick up others on the way to school. I
remember when the snow as so deep that he drove over fences. In the
evening, he would hitch up again and come after us. I had to miss school
quite a lot to wash on Saturday and iron till midnight to get it done.
Mother did the bread making and cooking, but I don't remember he ever
washing or ironing. George and I went to this school as far as they could
take us to the 6th reader. I used to study my spelling 100 times. I
could say the words ahead of The teacher. I went all one term and never
missed a word in spelling till the last day. Then I was not paying attention
and missed the word - Elizabeth. They gave me prize at the end of the term
in spelling. Well, I got the prose - a nice little book. I was sure pleased.
On the road home from school, some of the scholars were mad because I got
the prize. They asked to see it. They took it and went on ahead, and when
they returned it, the pages ware filled with mud. Well, I was dumbfounded,
but what could I do? We had
spelling schools at the different school houses where we had leaders that
chose up sides, first one chose, then the other, till all were chosen that
would take par. Mr. Witherall and I were generally the last ones spelled
down, but he always beat me, no matter how long we two stood up and spelled
after the rest were spelled down, he always came out best. One winter there
was only six months and the school directors decided to have three months of
summer school. I was to go, and the folks would not let me get ahead of
George, so he and I attended summer school.
Then
George got married. He married Ella Miller, a girl 15 years old we had
always known. The minister on our circuit was moved to the County south of
us (Meigs County, Ohio). Father and mother wanted me to go and lived with
them and work for my board and attend Tupper Plains Seminary. Well and good.
The Minister had five children, plenty of work, but I sure did enjoy that
school. I think I can hear that bell calling us to school yet, though I was
a half a mile a way. It would ring till I would walk all the distance to
school. Three or four other girls (Lillie Ridenour, Kate and Emma Payne, and
Hattie Whaley) roomed at the same place where I stayed, bit I had to work
and study. I had no time for friends.
One
fine way for us strangers (from all over Virginia and other states) to meet
- the faculty called us all off in couples to march through the aisles,
upstairs and down, meet other couples and introduce the one you were with to
the other couples, and we would change. If you say someone you wanted to
know, you asked for an introduction. Even if you met someone you knew, you
introduced them just as you would anyone else (mostly for fun).
When
this term of school was out, I stayed and kept the children and let the
Minister and his wife go on a visit up where they used to live. The next
school year, father and mother wanted me to go to attend Bartlett Academy. I
had an uncle and aunt and three cousins living on the other side of town, so
I saw the folks oftener. At school they asked us to write essays, but my
cousin, Sadie and I decided we would sing a song. (Note The song was
included in the original manuscript, but the Vernon Vignettes did not
re-produce it.) After this term
of school, father said, "I will continue to send you to school if you
want to teach school." I said I did not care to teach so as not to be a
burden on them. There were three girls at home. I went to working out first
for John Weir and wife, two miles from home. They had an adopted daughter,
three or four years old. I cleaned all the house, did all the work and made
dresses and aprons for the girl and got paid $1.00 per week. Next, I went to
Stewart, a small town eight mile from home, and worked for a storekeeper and
wife by the name of Smith. I cleaned house there and stayed nine weeks. I
had to lay the fire and put out the wash water. Monday morning a 4c00 a.m.,
she would get up and start the fires under the wash water, call me, and go
back to bed. t had to get up, make my bed, go down and wash until 7c00 a.m.,
then get their breakfast, and eat mine. I never ate with them. They dallied
around over their eats. I was working and wanted plenty to eat. After
breakfast, I finished washing, scrubbed all up even the two walks to the
back of the lot, done the dishes, cleaned the store lamps, all for $1.50 per
week. She said she would give me a present when I quit. She gave me 10 yards
of 5ct lawn for a dress.
Father
bought Uncle Will's (probably William Vernon) timber claim and built a sod
house on it where we lived for some time. As soon as I got to Kansas, I went
to teaching as teachers were scarce. I hadn't been to school for three years
but got a certificate. I had some 40 scholars, some as large as I was, and I
had to board among the scholars. I got $15.00 a month and board. I stayed at
home on weekends after father built, as he built in the school district.
The
school district south could not get a teacher, and I taught there. That was
the district were the McNeal’s lived. I got $25.00 per month, but had to
pay my board as I was five miles from home, but went home weekends.
When
George got married, that left me without an escort. He and I went places
together. He and I and this Miller family of young folks went to Negro camp
meetings and lots of places. Cena, Charlie and Ella all went to school at
Dutch Ridge. My brother, Bob and Clint, were younger, and I never went with
them. I cared nothing for the boys in our neighborhood.
George
(son of David and Mary (Haddow) Vernon) was 20 years old when he married. He
was born November 9, 1862, at Big Run, married Ella Leota Miller on February
11, 1882. Hattie Jane, his sister, born March 9 1864, married Grant McNeal
on September 11, 1887. Robert Haddow Vernon, born June 28, 1865, married Lou
Mavity on April 24, 1892. Amos Clinton Vernon, born May 5, 1867, married
Emma Kinsey, December 1S, 1894. Lewis Edwin Vernon, born August 13, 1872,
married Birdie Booth, October 20, 1901, Lewis' twin, Martha Ninette Vernon,
married Frank Cathcart, November 13, 1898.
The
marriage of Hattie Jane Vernon and Grant McNeal by presiding Elder J. H.
Boloyd of the United Brethren was held at Mt. Vernon, KS. Attendants for the
bride and groom were Nat Temple and Miss Della Wood. The marriage was well
attended and a dinner was served directly afterwards at the home of the
bride, the residence of David Vernon, for the elderly relatives, and
entertainment and lunch was served the next evening for the younger
relatives. There were relatives galore. On September 11, we were
married and two days later moved to the farm four miles west of Norcatur,
KS, and five miles from home. We could see the town from the door. It was a
nice level farm and husband had built a sod house on it. At first we had a
front room and bedroom and soon built on a kitchen. Father gave us a
cow, mother gave us a bed. I had seven quilts and comforts, and he had one.
We traded our buggy for three shoats, two cows, and we started out to live.
I had traded my watch for chairs and a clock.
We
had many happy times and many setbacks, like hail and hot winds. We had to
burn cobs when we had any, and burn twisted hay and --- . The house was
plastered inside, had a tar roof, boards with sod and drift on top. We often
did not get our seed back for the next year. But we lived there for 17
years, went through several bad hailstorms, but we didn't complain. We
didn't know there was any better place to live.
We
put down a well 85 feet. Put up a windmill, had a cistern. We drew water
from the deep well with a horse, Old Barney. He knew about as much as I did
about drawing water. From there we finally got a windmill. We had sod barns
and chicken house. After many years, we built a large concrete house of six
rooms downstairs and two upstairs, but after four years and a bad hailstorm
that took everything we had, we sold the place. We moved to Colorado. We
took a railroad car, a lot of stuff, a new two-seated buggy, three horses, a
cow, new mower, new sewing machine, a lot of grain, and a lot of stuff. We
lived three miles from Fruita, on a place we paid $150.00 a year to rent,
besides $16.00 for water. We had a fair crop, but things were cheap. Then
the place sold and we had to move. We saw hard times again. Mac had typhoid
fever, the children had to work out, and we finally ended up in Grand
Junction, CO. Mac worked at all kinds of jobs, on parks, and I did all kinds
of work to try to keep going. Then when the war of 1918 broke out, he went
to work at Bremerton (shipbuilding) and here we are yet, both almost 80
years old. We liven in Grand Junction from 1906 to 1918 when we came to
Washington.
Hattie Jane Vernon McNeal – Time Line
