Some  corn  was  made  into  hominy.  Tom  Casebeer  had  tbe  first  threshing machine.  It was  driven by  six  horses  going  around  and  around.  The wheat had  been  cut  by  a  reaper  and  raked  and  tied  into  bundles,  using  long stems  of  wheat  to  tie  the  bundles.  They  had  no  binding  twine.  It was then  shocked  or  stacked.  It  was  later  taken  in  hayracks,  four  in  all, to be  threshed.  One man pitched,  two  cut  the  bundles,  two were feeders. The wheat was caught in half bushel metal baskets and thrown into a wagon and  stored  in  bins.  After the railroad was built,  it was taken from bins and put into box cars. There was a cook shack with a cook stove for cooking and baking.  There were plenty  of  potatoes,  chickens  and  good  substantial food.  They  had  ice  cream,  if  ice, which  had  been  taken  from  the  river and  stored,  was  available.  Long  tables  were  stretched  along  side of  the cook  shack.  One  person  stood  with  a  long  tree brush  to  keep  the flies way. They  planted  hedge  trees  for  fences.  There  was  a     bountiful  supply of  wild  grapes,  mulberries,  pawpaws,  ground  cherries,  gooseberries,  and wild plums for jelly. Apple butter was made in large kettles. They planted orchards  and  had  gardens,  buried  turnips.  potatoes,  and  apples  to   be used in  the  winter.  Corn,  apples  and  peaches  were dried  in  the  sun  in long  troughs  covered  with  mosquito  netting.  Murray Clayton  had  a  cherry orchard  east  of  Bennington  where  you  could  pick  cherries  for  your  own use   sometimes  on  shares.  Tomatoes  and  fruit  were  canned  in  tin  cans and sealed  with  sealing  wax.  Buffaloes,  antelopes,  deer,  rabbits,  fish, quails   prairie  chickens  and  ducks,  too, were plentiful.  Men chose sides, four on  each  team,  and  went  quail  hunting.  The  losing  team  served  an oyster  supper  to  the winners.  Wells  were dug  and  in the open wells hung buckets  of  milk  and  butter.  Water was  drawn  in  "old"  oaken  buckets  and gourds were used for dippers John  Jones  was  killed  and  there  was  no place  to  bury  him.  He was buried  on  the  Casebeer  homestead, which part  later  became Niles  cemetery. Many of  the early  settlers  are  buried in the cemetery.  Caskets were made of wood. One baby was buried in an old violin box. Sometimes the neighbors helped  lay  out  the  corpse.  They  were  taken  to  the  cemetery  in wagons. An undertaker came out from Solomon and later, W.H. Washburn from Bennington. Lizzie Casebeer taught a private school in her home for the neighborhood children  Thomas Casebeer then gave an acre of grounds for school purposes. The first school was held in a dugout and Mr. Ballard was the first teacher. They  sat  on  long  benches,  no  backs,  and  wrote  lessons  on  slates.  The first books used were McGuffey Readers and Ray's Arithmetic. Much attention was paid to reading, spelling and arithmetic The  first  ministers  were  really  missionaries  and  the  people  took turns entertaining them in their homes. They met in dugouts, homes, school, until a  church was built Many Indians came through wanting foods. Many a time, women and children drove  in  wagons  to  Junction  City,  it  they  knew  ahead  that  the  Indians were  in  the  vicinity.  Mothers  would  hide  their  children under  the  beds while the Indians helped themselves to the corn NEXT PAGE