Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/282

272 This English family, however, had various causes for dissatisfaction with conditions as they then existed in the mother country. For one, there was a parish law that children must be bound out to a master at the age of nine years. This gave great opportunity for men desiring laborers to secure such children as they might select, even from families preferring to rear their children at home. A native love of liberty very strong with the English made them restive for a country not hampered with petty restrictions, and where opportunity was equal to ambition. Such, of course, America was understood to be.

It is interesting to note in what way this family obtained the means to cross the ocean. This was done by a little shrewd management beyond the ordinary savings of days' work. "A large half acre" near the family home was rented at a low figure. This had been spoiled for ordinary use by the prospecting of tin miners, who had dug it into pits, and thrown the gravel over the soil. By much careful work, from year to year, however, the mud, or fine earth collected in the pits was thrown out, and the gravel was placed back. The larger boulders or rocks were used to construct a good stone building. In course of time the piece was restored to its original condition and fertility, with soil on top and gravel underside, and was placed in good tilth as a garden patch. As the lease was at a low rate, and for a long time "three lives," this became quite a valuable property, and upon sale realized enough to pay the passage across the Atlantic.

Passage was taken upon an old lumber ship coming to Saint Johns, New Brunswick. Water was declared short toward the close of the voyage, and the passengers were placed on allowance, but this was discovered to be a nautical fabrication, simply to avoid tapping the casks, or com-