The Old Plantation, Burton Coon

made from rods split out as was the shoe iron. The tire upon wheels was put on in pieces, 6 on the front and 7 on the hind wheel. The pieces were punched with three holes in each end, and then placed on so as to break joints over the felloes, heated properly and then spiked on, beginning at the outer holes and driving the spikes towards the centre as the iron cooled, thereby bringing the felloes to a perfect joint. The great skill required was in fitting the last piece, for if too long the felloes gapped and if too short the tire. Herein was the final test of workmanship. Even after the discovery of continuous tire there were no tire rods as now furnished, but these six or seven pieces had to be welded together. The iron work of plows were all made in the blacksmith shops, the land-side of wrought iron welded to the share which was of wrought iron, faced with steel on the point and edge, while wood formed the rest of the mould board and land side with a few strips of iron upon each to take the wear. The finding of wood for the mould board was sometimes a matter of long search, for a tree had to be found in the woods that had grown to the proper bend which in splitting out would about make the right curve for the mould board, and of course had to be right handed to turn the furrow the proper way. At the time of the introduction of cast iron plows, the prejudice was so great against them that appellations attached to them were "horse killers," and indeed many of the old fashioned farmers used the wrought iron plow to the end of their lives. My informant remembers the time when there were no one horse wagons. The only one horse conveyance was what was called a gig or chaise. It had two wheels, was wide enough for two and had a top something similar to the doctor's gigs of cities. There were no such things as steel eliptical springs, and even after one horse wagons came into use, if it had any springs under it or in the box they were of wood. He is very confident he made and placed in a wagon the first steel springs ever used in this town or vicinity. It was made for George Hamlin, a freighter, then doing business at what was known as the lower landing at Tivoli. Axes, chisels, forks, hoes and the like were all made at the shops, and were rude affairs in comparison with the finished tools of today with the exception of the hoe which was made by welding a thin piece of steel for the face to a wrought iron back, that in use the iron wearing off the fastest always left a thin, sharp cutting edge of steel - a better tool than the hoes of today. Such are a few of the methods of the old-fashioned blacksmith shop. Now almost everything a blacksmith uses is furnished ready made to his hand, requiring much less mechanical knowledge and skill than formerly to run a shop, and with it has come in most instances, a less pride in and a less thorough knowledge of the business making apposite the quotation at the head of this article. A word about prices; in the old time mentioned a new shoe cost 12 cents; calking and setting 9 cents; setting 6 cents, and many a horse was shod by the year from $2.50 to $3 according to use. All other things were in proportion. The price now for a new shoe is 40 cents, calking and setting 15 cents; setting 15 cents, and yet the olden time with its

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economics and prices was full as favorable for accumulating, for wheat flour was from $3.50 to $4 per barrel, butter from 8 to 10 cents, cheese from 3 to 4 cents, and other things in proportion, and above all in the old fashioned time a man could be trusted with his work and with a good hope of its ultimate payment. G.C.

From The Journal, Red Hook, March 2, 1883.