NOTHING CAME EASY. 

 ON THE FARMS THE TOOLS WERE BUNGLING, RUDELY MADE.  PLOWS WERE OF WOOD COVERED WITH STRIPS OF IRON WITH STRAIGHT HANDLES AND WERE EXTREMELY AWKWARD.  HOES, SHOVELS AND PITCHFORKS WERE THREE TIMES AS HEAVY AS THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO BE AND WERE MADE OF IRON. SCYTHE SNATHS WERE VERY STRAIGHT AND THE SICKLE, USED FOR CUTTING GRAIN, MADE IT BACK-BREAKING WORK.  NEVERTHELESS, THESE PIONEERS RAISED LARGE CROPS.

BARN-RAISINGS WERE THE SOCIAL EVENTS OF THE PERIOD.  EVERYONE TURNED OUT.  EVERY MAN WHO COULD SPARE EVEN AN HOUR FROM HIS FARM WOULD BRING HIS AXE AND SAW TO HELP CUT THE BIG TREES FOR THE BEAMS.  BARK WAS SHAVED, AND IN NO TIME THE BARN FRAME WAS GOING UP.  THE LADIES BROUGHT IN "DAINTY GOODS" USING PRECIOUS HOARDS OF MAPLE SUGAR FOR THEIR TREATS.  WHEN THE BARN WAS COMPLETED THE CELEBRATION INCLUDED PLENTY OF EATING AND THEN DANCING. THE FIDDLING AND THE LAUGHTER ECHOING AND REECHOING AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN SIDES, TRAVELED DOWN THE RIVER, IT IS SAID, AND WAS HEARD EVEN IN DIXFIELD.