Early
Days Around Madison
From the MADISON
TIMES, Madison, MO.
"Recalls
Early Days Around Madison"
Blackwell,
Okla., July 13, 1931
I notice in your number of
July 9th, a write up of early days of the city of Madison, which was read by
me with much interest. Being an Old Settler myself, I was born and raised
about three miles northwest of Madison in the year 1843. Am now 88 years old,
my name is Monroe DAVIS. My fathers name was Madison DAVIS, was generally
known as Mat DAVIS, who settled where I was born in 1833. James R. ABERNATHY
was an uncle of mine by marriage. I can recognize the name of all the Old
Settlers mentioned, however, I only find one name that I can recognize that is
living among all of my acquaintances, that one is John DUNAWAY. Probably he
would remember me. Among the old industries you failed to mention the old
grist mill, that was owned by John DAWSON, that was run by the power of an
incline wheel and was driven by horses walking on the wheel and the weight of
the horses would revolve and which would also run the millstone. The parties
that brought the grist to mill had to furnish the horses. The miller that run
the mill was named WYSINGER. Just to show the younger boys how milling was
done at that mill, I will explain just how it was done. The mill was equipped
with a set of mill stones that was used to grind either corn or wheat. If it
were corn the meal was scooped into a sack and if it were wheat it was scooped
into another sack and carried upstairs and put through a bolt that was run by
hand. It took two men to do it. One man would turn the reel while the other
fed the stock into the reel. The flour would fall into a chest below. The
miller, Mr. WYSINGER, would take a turkey wing in his hand, open up the chest
and divide the fine flour from the middlings by drawing a line between the
fine flour and the middlings and shorts also. He then would put the shorts on
the bottom of the sack then tie a string around the sack, then do likewise
with the flour and middlings. All three then would be in the same sack. The
bran was then put into a separate sack.
By: MONROE DAVIS>
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