April 5, 1940.
Well, we had an old time chat some time ago so I decided to have another one with you as my other article on olden times or bygone days interested quite a few.
Those old days of Grandpa and Grandma sitting by the old-fashioned fireplace are gone with the wind but are nice to think of once in awhile.
Father would sit there smoking his old pipe of clay, mother with a ball of knitting yarn making socks or mittens. You would freeze on one side and be warm on the other. Have to change quite often to keep warm. The old dog and cat would also be lying by the fireplace.
I remember several years ago when they drove horses, a nitro-glycerin wagon went through Stone Station. It crossed the railroad and got a little ways east by a big tree. Somehow or other the cans got loose and jarred together. Set them off, blew wagon, cans, horses and driver all to pieces. Biggest piece they found of the man was his head up in that big tree. I guess the ducks ate the rest of the pieces, as I was told. The explosion was so powerful it cracked a brick house some thousand feet away. This house belongs to Tom Payne and I guess the crack is still there today.
Also remember the train wreck in Stone Station on the G. R. & I. (Grand Rapids & Indiana RR.) Seth Hinshaw owned the farm west of the burg. His son, Logan, was plowing corn just east of the house next to the railroad. He had just got his team turned around and looked up to see that big locomotive and train coming right at him. "Boy," he said if ever anyone made horses move I made that team get-and scared within an inch of my life. I guess I plowed up some of dad's corn getting away. It was a very hot day and made the rails spread and buckle, come apart, so it derailed the train. Engineer was killed and the fireman badly hurt, as the engine lay on her side not far from where Logan turned his team around.
Also several years ago there was another blowup west of Stone Station, the old Wesley sawmill, killing three or four. The main engine man was trying to teach another as I remember it and the new man had a big fire and discovered he had no water in the boiler and decided to put some in, and he did, but not much, till the old boiler blew up, killing all in reach and putting the sawmill out of business.
The Old Tile Factories. One was located west of Stone Station where the sawmill blew up. The ground is very low on the farm at the corner where they got clay dirt to make tiles. Also one was located on the old Adams farm 2 miles north of Winchester. I guess John Burton owns the ground now. Also one was located 1 mile south of Mull (Lickskillet) on the corner of the Luellen farm. It was called the Strahan mill. Ground is all low east of the factory to mark the spot where they got their clay to make the tile. Also one of the most interesting was the old Martin factory just a quarter mile northwest of Winchester just across the road from the old fairgrounds. (Martin St. at the north edge of Winchester today,2025.)
