My brother Adin and I were much closer to twins than the 18 months difference in our ages would indicate. He was stronger than I physically and soon licked me in an all-day battle; but he admitted later that he had made a mistake in conquering me physically, for from then I ruled him, so he said, with my tongue.

Grandfather Parmenter built sleds and catch-em-alive traps for us, and we inherited his tools and shop. Then we made wind-mills and cages for pet animals. My father gave us a couple of calves, and added a couple more in each of the next two years so that finally we had three ox teams which we hitched tandem to a sled of our own make, and in summer to a wagon imported from Germany by a peasant woman. The oxen were not as easily managed as horses and broke nearly one each of every piece of wood making up the wagon, thus compelling us to learn to make new pieces to repair the damage.

The oxen were trained so we could sit on the vehicle and drive by voice and whip. They trotted a good stiff gait as we rode the half mile across our farm into the woods, where we would thump an old hollow stub with an ax to see the flying squirrels fly. Then back into the sleigh or wagon and home on the run.