Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 37
The Pioneersman, Vol. 1, No. 7 - n.d.

[Cover page] The Pioneersman

Christmas Number EHN

[Blank page]

The Pioneersman

Vol. 1 No. 7 Published by E.H. Nelson & Co. Bird Nest. U.D. Dec 23 FRIDAY

The Billings Christmas

The Billings cabin was in a sharp little valley on a small brook that came tumbling down over the rocks in its path while the mountains reared up above them as if they might topple over at any time on the small log cabin at their feet. Mr. Billings was a woodchopper during the winter and spring and during the summer he cultivated a small farm about a mile and a half down the mountain. There were four children at this cabine, Jack who was about seventeen was the oldest then Joe who was fourteen then Dorothy who was twelve then then Jimmy who was the youngest and about ten years old. They had never had much schooling but Jack the oldest could read and write pretty well and could cast up accounts a little but there wasn’t but little required of them in this backwoods home.

“Why dont father and Jack come” said Dorothy “Can it be either of them have got hurt” and she sighed and turned from the window where she had been watching. Just then Jimmy burst into the room and yelled “There is a team coming up the road mother who can it be?” Mrs. Billing ran to the door and looked down the road or rather the rough uneven path that led to the settlement when that she got to the door the team had just gone o[u]t of sight behind a bend in the path but they soon came in sight again and Mrs. Billing saw that there were two men in the wagon one seemed to be laying down in it as is hurt. When she saw this she was pretty certain what it meant and she rather thought that it was her husband that was hurt and not her son they soon arrived and proved what she had thought to be true and as bad as she had [page break] feared. “Oh father how did it happen that you got hurt so bad” asked Joe at Jack. “Well you sell we were up in the woods at work chopping” began Jack. “I had got a tree about ready to fall it so I called to father to warn him but he thought I had not got it as near cut as I had and when the tree started he was not ready but tried to get out of the way as quick as possible but before he could quite get out of the way a limb struck him on the shoulder and knocked him down and broke his shoulder a very little. I called for help and a man soon came then between them they took Mr. Billing down to the camp then we got a team and brought him home. They put Mr. Billing on the bed in the bedroom and the doctor soon came up from the settlement. He bound up and bandaged his shoulder up good and said he would call again the next day to see poor Mr. Billing. The doctor came day latter day and Mr. Billings shoulder slowly got well but it was very slowly it was now most Christmas and he was not quite well yet. “Say mother what are we to have for Christmas this year” asked Dorothy witfully thinking of her fathers sickness. “I dont believe we shall have much of a Christmas this year for Jack can not earn any more than we have to use to pay the doctor and what father had laid up will have to be used to buy food with so I guess we will have to see how happy we can make each other.” Replied Mrs. Billing “Oh dear this will be the first time that we have had to go without Christmas I do wish that papa was well but then we will do the best we can” she added when the boys board of this they were bound that they would have some kind of Christmas with out any money of their mothers or fathers so one day a few days later Joe took his gun and went out in to the woods to hunt he traveled a good ways up the mountain side without getting anything then at last he came up on a partridge just as [page break] he was turning to go home again.

The bird started before he saw it but he fired and the bird dropped but started off on the run Joe put after it and at last came up with it and killed it. “I wish this was a turkey” thought he as he picked up the bird and started home he had gone but a little ways homeward when he heard an old gobbler back in the woods a little ways. “I’ll have you” said he and he started off in the direction of the gobbler going as stealthyly as an old Indian he soon [illustration] came to a large rock that hid the turkey from him and also hid him from the turkeys he cocked his gun and stepped around the ledge there they were fully a score of large birds it so surprised him that he did not fire the instant he came in sight and the turkeys began to fly before he thought and fired so he took aim at the thickest clump of turkeys and brought down two. These he took along with him to the house not letting his mother see and the next morning long before the rest were up he got out of bed and went to the settlement he first went out in the barn and got his two turkeys then he started off down the snowy road towards the settlement it was dark for it was very early in the morning but the snowy road snowed plainly and after a while he came to the village the stores were just being opened and he went in to one where he was acquainted with the man and asked him if he was buying turkeys. No he said but he told him that Mr. Thomson down street was buying them so Joe went down there. “Yes I buy turkeys and pay seventy five cents in money for them and eighty cents in goods he said so Joe took eighty cents worth of groceries buying a little rice and some raisins for a pudding then he bought several other small quantities then he sold the other turkey for cash and went in to a five and ten cent store and got several presents for Jack, Jimmy and Dorothy. These [page break] he had done up and he hurried home he hid the presents and just carried in the few groceries. “Why where have you been” said his mother as he came in. “Oh I shot a turkey yesterday and so I got up early and went down and sold it then I bought a few groceries a little rice and plums for Christnas because I thought that Christmas wouldnt be Christmas without a pudding” he replied.

“Well you must be hungry” said his mother and she made him set down and he ate a hearty breakfast after his mornings walk during that day the children talked about their Christmas pudding. Two days later Christmas arrived and with it the presents for the rest of the children and when the children got up and went downstairs they found [illustration] their presents Dorothy had a little work basket Jack had a scarf and Jimmy had a box of colored pencils with which he was much pleased. Mrs. Billing had a box of hair pins & news papers that Joe had bought with a five cent piece at the village while Joe had a pair of warm mittens that his mother had knit and Jack also had a pair of mittens. They were all pleasantly surprised this was the first day that Mr. Billings went out doors and all together it was one of the happiest days that they had ever known or that they could remember and it was all owing to Joes turkeys and they all thanked him for their presents

Frank Booth

Acrostic on Christmas Day

C hristmas brings old Santa Claus
H e drives his team with many haws
R ight down the chimney comes he
I n the stockings a hole he will see
S o that he may put in the toys
T o please the good girls and the boys
M orning brings expectant looks
A ll run to the fireplace hooks
S anta has stuffed their stockings full

[page break]

D own from the nails the stockings they pull
A nd clear to the bottom they look
Y es, Santa Claus always gives them a book

Ida Green

Christmas Day at Home

“Come wake up Tom and come on.”

“What for?” growled Tom sleepily

“What for? Why dont you know its Christmas morning?” Replied his brother Perley with this Tom woke up and hopped out of bed then he and Perley scapered down stairs and to the fireplace where their stockings were hing they took them off and ran back upstairs. “You begin to take out first” said Tom so Perley began the first thing he took out was a pair of mittens the[n] he found further down a box of dominos there were several other things and then to end up with has a bag of candy and some nuts then Tom began to look his over he found a pair of mittens to match Perleys then he found a game next came an orange and a ball then it ended up the same as did Perleys. “Wasn’t there some other things on the floor” asked Perley. “I believe there was” Tom replied so they got up and dressed this time and went down to stay they found a sled for perley and a large book for Tom. “After breakfast we will go out and slide and I bet my sled will go the farthest because its new” said Perley “I’ll bet it wont because the shoes on mine are scoured the most” replied Tom. when breakfast came they hurried through it so fast that their mother said “What make you hurry through your breakfast so fast are you afraid that the time is going to run away from you” The boys made no reply but only smiled right away after breakfast the boys put on their coats and mittens and went out sliding the first time they started side by side and went down but before the sleds had got a great ways they ran up side by side and hit so Perley put down his feet a little and let Tom get clear of him then he let his sled go and when they had got nearly to the foot Perley caught up and went by Tom and kept ahead of him till they had most stopped when Tom caught up and they sled slid along till it was just even and then stopped.

[Page break] “These sleds are about evenly match” said Tom “Well lets try it again and let me start ahead” said Perley so they tried it again and this time Perley came out two sled length ahead. “There didn’t I say my would go the farthest” said Perley proudly looking at his new sled. “Oh dont brag” said Tom “mine might beat yours next time” “Well I’m willing to try again” Perley replied. So up they went and tried again this time Tom began ahead but Perley passed him as before and this time he kept ahead and some out about half a sled lengths ahead when they stopped after sling sometime longer they went in to the house for a while then the[y] took their skates and went down on the mill pond skating. The mill pond was about a quarter of a mile from the house and a good sled one and when the boys got there they found several others there also

[Illustration]

“Have a race with me” called one of the boys to Tom as he began to put on his skates so when he had got his skates on he tries a race with him but got beat as he expected to after skating quite a while they went up to the house when [supper, crossed out] dinner was ready and they ate a hearty dinner of pudding and chicken and other things then to end up with Tom divided his orange among the folks then after dinner they plays quite a while and then as it began to grow dark Perley and Tom went out in the woods and got a small fir this they brought home and with their mothers permission put it up in a couple of tallow candles in to the limbs then the[y] put on the present received that day and lit up the candles after they had got them all lit over that and payed Santa Claus and so gave out the presents as if they had never been seen before and made a gay time of it.

Joe. Jam.

[Page break] Christmas

1

Christmas has got here
From the regions of ice.
Its the best day of the year
With its puddings of rice.

2

Hang your stockings near the fire
For Santa Claus to stuff and film,
And you little children never tire
Of piling up a candy hill,

3

Or eating all that you can hold
Of the goodies on the festive board
And are you not a little bold
To on your plates put such a hoard

4

Now for a sleigh ride swift
And the bells do jingle merrily
As we pass the glittering drift
For its a frosty winter day.

5

And now to the chapel grey
Then up to out little wooden pew
And bear the parsons lengthy say
Then again under the sky so blue

6

And home we merrily ride
In anticipation of a Christmas supper
Then at eight in darkness hide
Under the beds warm woolen cover

Ida Green

Clumfields Great Discovery

A small war was threatening Dick island for Sam Bims had been crowned king of the Black Archipelago and Alonzo Dickneys was also an heir to the throne on[e] morning a large war ship was seen in the harbor so the king commanded a ship to be sent out and attack it so Clumfield and his ship was sent out the chemy didn’t fire till the ship of Clumfield’s was in short cannon range then it gave it a broad side with six guns but Clumfield paid no attention to this as only one ball had hit the vessel and kept on till he was a little closer then he whirled round and gave the enemy a good broadside of iron balls from the mouth of the canon, then [page break] began a great battle between the two ships they kept up a continual flash and roar with in half an hour two masts had been cut down by canon balls on the enemies ship and one on Clumfields and both the other mast had been cut of[f] up half way. They fought till most noon then the enemy wheeled round and tried to leave the harbor and at last succeeded, Clumfield would have followed but his ship was to[o] disabled so he ran up to the dock and by the middle of this alteration they had all three masts fixed up and again the[y] started out in pursuit of the enemies ship along towards night the[y] sighted the ship and were in hopes of taking it the next morning but as it grew dark a fog arose over the ocean, and the sky clouded over, and a fine rain began to fall then to climax the whole the wind shifter to another direction this was the worse of the whole for no compass had been put on board of this ship when it started through some mistake of the owners and they were left with no way to find their way back so they took a straight coarse for somewhere and when it began to grow morning land was sighted at head and about noon the came to a small island. This Clumfield thought must be one of the small outlying islands of Black Archipeligo so he kept on about night the faint tops of the mountains were soon ahead far on the horizon this night fog again rose, and the wind shifter but, they tried to task acording to as to keep in the same direction, and when morning came they found themselves with in a few miles of the shore so they quickly sailed up to the shore as they drew near they say the shore swarming with men the dress and actions of which they did not recognize and soon Clumfield saw that the natives meant war so he fired his canon on them and he had not to repeat it for the natives soon turned and fled into the woods then Clumfield went ashore and he and his men made several log cabins in which they stayed that night they Indians tried to drive them from their strongholds but they never made out. Clumfields men fared hard for food but they bought corn from the Indians for old brass button or any other shiny thing they planted some torn and after a long time they had a good harvest. During these few months that the corn was growing Clumfield made many discoveries around near there by land, and had gone quite aways farther with their ship the land he had discovered he named Clumfields land. Soon other ships came from Black Archipeligo and after several years of discovering this new land for found to be a continent, and because of its size they named it Big Continent and its now the most prosperous continent on the globe.

Eugene Danvers

The Young Rabbet Hunters


Come on John lets go rabbet hunting for the market is getting short and prices high.” All right John replied so they took their guns and their hound and started out they went up on to the side of the mountain where they had hunted before here they found several new tracks the dog took one of them and had not gone a great ways when it began to bark furiously and was soon near to be retreating in the distance the boys hunted up some places where the[y] could be out of sight and waited. The day was heard to keep straight off and at last the dog kept barking and did not seem to be going in any direction. “It must have a coon or else the rabbet has gone in to some ledge lets go and find out,” said John so off they went.

They had to go quite aways but at last they came out in front of a large ledge here they saw their dog at an entrance to the [page break] small passages through the rock. “Lets smoke him out” said Ernest so they went off to the nearest birch tree and got a lot of birch bark this with a few sticks and a lot of moss and set it on fire then they stuffed up the entrance after a little while they heard a scratching and so pulled out what they had the entrance and in an instant the rabbet darted out John struck it and killed it and by this time a hedgehog came scurrying out they went for him and while they were battling with him another came out and went up a tree. This one the dog tried and kept watch of till the boys got round to look for it then Ernest shot it. “Lets skin one of them and so have some most for our dinner” said John. “That isnt

[Illustration]

Good I know” replied Ernest. “Well we will try and see,” answered John. John took out his jacknife and went to work and soon had got what they wanted then they went on again and the dog startled another rabbet. They waited for it and this one did as they expected so they shot it then they found a good place for a fire and fixed up a stick to broil their meat on then they sat down on a log and watched their meat cook and planned what they should do with the money when they had sold their rabbets. When the meat had got cooked they took out a lot of crackers they had in their pockets and ate with it after they got through they hunted a while longer and got another rabbet then they went back home and the next day went to the village and sold them they got seventy five cents a piece for them which made in all two dollars and a quarter. John took a dollar and twelve cents and Ernest took the dollar and thirteen cents. This they kept and saved for Christmas.

Frank Dickson

Clumfield

C lumfield won in a great battle
L oud the shot and shell did rattle
U nder the royal flag he hailed
M id many dangers he sailed
F or the enemies ship he steered but
I n to a fog at night he got
E verything was tried in vain
L oud the wind blasts came
D arkness was darkness sure

D ark specks the ship did lure
A t last the morning dawns
Y et many a seaman yawns

I n sight of land they come
S uch sights are not at home

H ow the brave men cheered
E ven when the Indians they feared
R ight to the land they came
E ver the forest was full of game

Ida Green.

How to Trap the Woodchuck

The woodchuck is rather sly and can not usually be caught away from his when danger is round he is a very watchful animal and a fierce fighter when made to fight and some dogs are aware of this and will not jump on them when that is fating them but waits for a chance to take it as disadvantages dogs will a good many times get in between the woodchuck and his hole and so catch them but usually they will get them into a stone heap or wall and bark at them till the got tired at it or some one comes and gets it out for them. The woodchuck is a brownish yellow in winter it stays asleep till it comes warm again the best time to trap them is in the last part of April or through May it being the time that they come out the oftenist though they can be trapped till in to September. To set a trap for them, scout out a place just the size of the trap when set and two inches [page break] deep place your trap in this and then cover up with fine grass till none of it can be seen then take the chair and carry the end off one side and stake it solid for if it should get unfastened the woodchuck would go into his hole so far that his would have to be dug out. To kill a woodchuck rap it right between the eyes as hard as you can for his is a hard fellow to kill and will stand a good many knocks. The meat of the woodchuck is a good deal like a rabbet and very good to eat. Late in the fall just before the woodchuck goes into his hole for the winter he is very fat and the oil when stewed out makes an excellent oil for greasing boot and shoes, as it softens them up the best of any oil.

Burt Green.

A Scene

The snow is white
The trees are brown
Oh what a sight
To look a round

Bill Smalls Revenge

An adventure in a sail boat

The day was clear as clear could be and warm to and everyone seemed to realize it for carriages were going in all directions on the smooth roads of Plainington. The bay was dotted with boats of all descriptions from small row boats to large sail boats and ships besides little tug boats and large steamers. The club at O.W.B.S. were to have a racing match that day with sail boats Bill Small was going to take his sail boat and expected to win the prize of two dollars the race was to begin at two oclock the racers were to stark near shore go a mile and a half out in to the bay around a buoy and back again. The one getting to the home goal first was to receive the prize. When Bill came down to his boat after dinner ready to take her out nearly half of the ropes were gone and it showed where a knife had been used to cut them off. Bill was mad he couldn't help himself though so he turned and went up the road to the store where he got some new rope then he hired another boy and they two went down to [page break] the boat to put the rope on they had got it most on when Bill saw the other boats forming in line ready for the start then came the signal and they were gone in ten minutes more Bill had his sail boat ready and he with the other boy put up the sail and started of[f] over the track the rest had so lately taken he kept all sail up and was gaining on the hind ones when the boy with his pointed to a black cloud swiftly rising and said, That cloud will strike us just after we [reach] the bouy out there and there is a gale coming with it and if you will take my advise you would turn back and go to shore.

“Well I guess that wont hit us and if it does it cant hurt us any” Bill replied so they kept on but before they had quite got to the buoy the sea began to darken out side of the bay and the waves began to grow larger. Just before the storm struck Bill and his companion put down all of the sails but one small one and while the others kept theirs up and raced on all at once there came a gust that keeled Bills boat over on one side then it stopped then there came another they kept coming faster and faster till it was a continuous gale. The waves kept rising till they came a long like small mountains hiding one boat from another and it was all that Bill and Dick could do to keep the boat right side up and they had not any time to take down their one small sail so they kept going along slowly all at once there reared up near them the sails of a sail boat it was reeling about dipping water at every dive and the owners were clinging on for their lives as Bill passed them one of them sprang and landed on Bill’s boat with this fellows help they shifted the sail and slowly beat up against the wind and at last again came to the half wrecked sail boat and got up near enough so that the two others made out to jump on board when the little sailboat was lot to go where it was a mind to then they put about and kept to the buoy and shifted on to the other course here they came to a new lot of fellows to be rescued their boat had tipped completely over and lay with one side [page break] in the water they came up and took the men off by this time the boat was loaded so that they could no take on any more they passed all the rest of the sail boats the most of which were right side up and after some time got to land and on shore from the shore they could see the different vessels there were three of them tipped over but the rest were all right side up, one of which was heading for land in a little while the wind went down and by the time it got dark the waves had gone down a good dea;. The next day was Sunday and the minister had this for his text, “Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you” this set set Bill to thinking that he aught to take his boat and go and get the sail boat of the one that had cut his ropes for this very person was one of those on the boat that they had first rescued for this one had acknowledged it after he had been rescued, so the next day Bill took his boat and went out as soon as it was light enough to see and look round for Tom Liskies boat and at last he discovered it far out at sea so he sailed out to it, he found it half full of water and had to work fully and hour before he got it bailed out and right side up the[n] he hitched on to it and started for shore when he got to land he found a lot of boys on the wharf among them was Tom Liskie. “Thank you for this” he said. “Oh this is my revenge on you for cutting my ropes,” Tom replied. That day soon after that he got home a man called and gave him the money he won from racing and he always said said afterwards that he felt better a good deal for getting that sail boat for Tom Liskie.

Elmer. George.

Great Cities of the World

From Farmington we went to Point City here there is a small prison something like the one at the prison it would have been larger if the war between Big Continent and the United Divisions had lasted longer but when the war closed there was not so much need of a large prison so they left off and went to work and made it into a prison what they had got made [page break] of it and it does just as well as a larger one would. Point City is near the woods there are hardly any wild animals near here though. There are a few trappers here that do some trapping and partly live by this way of getting money but now we must go on to to Allenstown the biggest city on Forest Continent but we must first stop at the great National or Evergreen Park and then at the coal mines. The National Park was first divided off and fixed up by Ethan Allen and is kept in repair by money furnished by him it is a park covering many square miles filled with deer and antelope of the Big Continent breed that inhabits the wild peaks of the Long Mountains. The Park is divided off into pieces of a bout two acres each by broad shady avenues or walks wide enough for two carriages side by side to go along. Every little ways there are seats fixed on the tree with backs for any one to set down and rest on small summer houses are also quite frequent through the park. The trees are mostly fir in this park and are beauties for their kind. The coal mines are quite mines but they are not quite as large as those at the prison but the coal produced by this mine is very nice. But now we must go on to Allenstown the great city of Forest Continent. One of the great attractions of this place is Allens store that has been built within the last two years it is a great block three stories high build of the best spruce boards brought from Big Continent it has a large door opening out on to Main Street and then a smaller one opening out on to Ethan St. The store is kept supplied [page break] with every thing from toys up to dry good and groceries in fact it is a great variety store then the Capitol is a large building of the best New Poplington granite the top of the building is formed in to a great dome crowned by a flag of Big Continent. The president is here at New Poplington about a third of the time the other two thirds he is at Big Continent he is liked by all his people and they do not want to change him for any one else. The next place that we shall go to will be Dugout in the United Divisions.

Frank Dickson.

Skating

The brook was frozen over with thick glare ice
It was surely quite enough to any boy entice

And so you see its quite out of reason
That they boys should stay in during this season

For they must skate, and they must slide.
Or away in a sleigh go to ride

Down on the ice they put on their skates
And over the ice they go at lively rates

It is exhilarating sport indeed
To under your feet feel the ice swiftly speed

But ankles get sore and legs get lame
And at last it gets to be an old game

And now for sliding away we go
Rapped in a coat from tip to toe

We swiftly glide from hill tops high
And through space we downward fly

Ida Green.

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