And he and Mary remodeled their home, making a two-room cabin of it.
Eleven children were born to them--eight boys and three girls.
Most of the winters of the thirty years of married life pressed
privations upon them. Much of the seventy-five acres was poor soil, and
the earnings from the shop were small. The charge of William York for
blacksmith's work was always made in full realization that it was
something done for a friend and neighbor. Seldom was a job done for
cash. Instead, at some time that was convenient to the customer, he
would call and ask the amount he owed, and usually from William York's
book of memory the account was made out. And not in thirty years was it
disputed, or held to be exorbitant.
There have been winters of privation in the valley for all of those
dependent upon small acreage and uncertain crops, but there was no real
want or suffering from the lack of the necessaries of life. Then, as it
is today, the community spirit in the "Valley of the Three Forks o' the
Wolf" stood guard at the mountain passes and no real poverty could
enter. The farmers' bins were open to any neighbor in need. The
storekeeper willingly waited until some livestock were sold, or even
until the next crop came in. For the wants of his family there was
credit for the man who lived in the valley and worked.
Pages:
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100