Page:Aristopia (1895).pdf/82

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brought out three good cows, half a dozen young pigs, and a dozen chickens.

As the settlement was now in fact a village, it needed a name. Ralph proposed to call it Columbia, but his brothers importuned him to call it Mortonia, and so it was named.

Soon after his arrival, Ralph visited his mine, and found if undisturbed. He did nothing more about it until the houses were built and the field was planted. Then he set men at work to build a house over the mine. The foundation of the building was made of large stones laid in cement. This foundation was raised to a level, it being on a steep hill-side, and the rest of the building was made of logs about a foot thick. The roof was of shed form, sloping with the hill, made of two-inch oak-plank firmly spiked on. The small door was of heavy oak plank. There was only one window, narrow, and guarded with iron bars. The room was about fifteen feet square and eight feet high. A large number of men were kept at work on the building, to finish it as soon as possible. During the time it was being built Ralph slept every night over the mine on a bed of pine boughs, bear-skins, and blankets. The workmen had a camp near by.