Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Miles, George U. 'George U. Miles (statement for William H. Herndon)' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: history]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon534b.html

[1866]

G. U. Miles

I came to Ills 1816 — St. Clair — then to Ky — then to Wayne Co — then to White — then [the?] 1825. to Peoria Co — now Logan — first camped — had a wife and 2 babies — made a house — cut the trees — built a fire in the centre of the house — dug down through the frozen ground to soft ground — made mortar — daubed the house — erected the chimney — built jamb & tuck with dirt — [laid?] up boards. & put dirt between the jamb and boards and pounded it hard took away the boards — put in a fire — broke prairie with a bar Shear plow — Carry plow soon followed about 1827 — 8 — Diamond plow after that about 1836

2d Came in use about 1828. 3d came in about 1836 — [illegible]. Plowed corn with old fashioned bar shear plow — and shovel plow ^[1] — now riding plows, double &c — With 2 yoke oxen and a span of horses — 6 animals in all. Indians all around me — fanned wheat with a Sheet — tramped out the wheat with horses — girls & boys riding them — fanning mills ^[2] Came in use about 1834 or 5 — The second plow was the Carry plow — Break 2 acres a day — have seen hand mills of 2 Kinds — one with stones with a pole that worked in a socket over head — the rock at the End going close to an other rock — Corn between. The other was like a coffee mill. — Mills used about 1810 — 12 — 1816.1818 in Ills. — Went to mill 20 miles — ground about 20 Bushels per day — Blacksmith shop about 20 miles — Beat corn in a mortar — grated it on grater —

1820
to
1827, Rail Splitting 37 ½ per hundred 100-150-200 —

per day —	150
Corn per bushels —	6 to 8 c
Wheat	20. to 25
Eggs	3 to 4.c
Butter	6c 8
Chickens	6.
Cow & Calf.	$6 to $8 —
Horses	$35. to 50
Beeswax —	14 to 16 2/3 c
Labor	37 ½ to 50
Wagon
Pork	$1,00 to 1,25

1866

Rail Splingting	150 per hundred
Corn per bushel	25 to 30
Wheat	150 to 175
Eggs	10 to 15 pe doz.
Butter	25 to 30
Cow & Calf	$35 — 50
Horse	$75. to $150.
Pork.	c7 pe pd. to c9
Labor	$150 — 2 — $25 pe mo
Wagon	$130. $175.
Chickens	$200 pe doz 16 ½ to 20c
Beeswax	c50

4 yards of wolsey Linsey 1 yd wide made a dress for any woman: the skirt was long & narrow — The waist was Short — just under the arms. There were no Crimps or puckering or frills Except at the back of the dress which were few and far between —

Girls used to Carry their shoes to within 50 or 100 yds of Church — then they would put them on and go into church as large as life & 2wice as natural — Boys went barefoot till 17 or 20 ys of age in Summer time

Mens coats were made at home & made out of Striped Cotton cloth — split up behind — narrow tails — Claw hammers — & Short waists — jeans in winter made do — in good families

Women wore Corn fied bonnets — Sun Bonnetts — for Every day — dress on Sunday Bonnetts were Scoop Shaped — being long and flaring before and a little long & contracted behind

Women danced bare footed on puncheon floors — all night — drank whiskey toddy —

Men Corn Shucked it — log rolled it — dance all night barefoot on puncheon floor — drink heap whiskey — and work or hunt & fish all day — fight — foot race or horse race it &c.

1st Superstition horse breathing on a child would cause hooping Cough — Iles. Elijah did this —

2d Make fence in the light of the moon to prevent sinking —

3d Cut down the trees to make rails in the light of the moon & the Early part of the day —

4th Plant potatoes to plant in the dark of the moon — So with all roots

5th Things that grow up & out in the light of the moon —

6th If you want your mare to have a horse colt put her in the dark of the moon.

7th Begin Nothing on friday 8th Cut all animals by the signs in the Almanac & cut when in the feet of the legs —

9th Make Soap in the light of the moon — turn with a stick one way alone — no other person must touch it

10th Birds flying and Setting in window Some of the family would soon die —

11th If a dog ran across the path when you were hunting this was bad luck unless you instantly hooked your little fingers & pulled till the dog ran out of sight —

12th Ghosts — witches — Spirits — preventions — horse shoes nailed on the door steps — over doors — Hair balls in Cattle were made by witches — send for witch doctors —

13th Faith Doctors — all believed in nearly.

-- 537 --

	a
old Sickle	1 —
now Reaper	15 — to 16 —
old Wheat fan out	20 — with cloth
now "Thrashing Machine	300 — to 400
old Wheat ground	20 — bushes — per day
now Wheat —	200 bush per day
old Plow ground	2 acers
now " "	5 acers
old Plant Corn	10 acers 4 hands 10 acers
now Plant Corn	16 — 20 1 Man & boy —

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2700, Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2702, Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2701; Huntington Library: LN2408, 2:234 — 39

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