fish. He would then peddle the fish for three cents a pound. That was back in 1895 and 1896. There were no fishing license to buy.

      I well remember the first wheat binder, or reaper. Pa hired a man to come to the farm with one of the machines to harvest his wheat. They used three horses to pull the machine. All the neighbors came to see the machine perform. Despite being skeptical about it working, it did a good job. All we had to do was follow up and stock the wheat that it cut and then tied.

FUN AND COURTSHIP ON THE FARM

     There was plenty of fun for everyone on the farm. We had square dances, and every fall, Pa would give a cotton picking party. The men would come and pick the cotton for Pa, and then they would dance with their best girl friends all night. The women would help Ma prepare the big dinner. The dances were carried on in a nice way. No drinking was permitted. If anyone brought whiskey, he was thrown out. I was to young to dance in the years Pa gave the parties.

     When a boy went courting in the good old days, he had to take along an extra horse and a side saddle for the girl. The girls wore long black riding skirts which almost touch the ground when she mounted the horse. The extra horse made it hard on the girls father for he had to feed the boy and both horses. In those days, the girls were just as good at riding as were the boys.

UNCLE'S BROWN JUG

     One day Ma looked out the window and saw my drinking Uncle riding up the road.   She said, "Son, go out side and find me some dry wood for cooking." But I didn't want to get the wood and told her if she made me go out into the rain and find some wood I would get drunk when Uncle arrived. Ma made me go out for the wood. Uncle had his brown jug with him. Pa took the jug out into the kitchen, which was about seventy steps from the main house. Later he sent me to the

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