Some expressions of Grandma Bays -- M. Caroline Cox, the subject of this article, was born near
Arkadelphia, Arkansas March 25, 1835; was married to Jim Aiken, a Georgian by birth, June 23, 1851.
To them were born four children, three boys and one girl. Her grandchildren, great
grandchildren, step-grandchildren number about one hundred. She, with
her husband, came to Texas in January 1858. Her first husband died Dec 15, 1865. She was married
to Jackson Knight, a Tennessean by birth, Oct 12, 1867. He died Nov. 26, 1881. She was married
July 27, 1882 to Dr. G. B. Bays, a native of Virginia. She has lived in and around Cumby since January
1858. The Indians at that time came as near as Collin County on their raids, where they killed
John Long and Uncle Frank Long of Prairie View, while he was trying to save some children from
being killed by them. She also knows of the killing of the father George and Hugh Wilson of this
country. She says that in the summer of 1860, people had to haul water eight and ten miles, and
all supplies were hauled by ox wagon from Jefferson, requiring from fifteen to twenty days to make the
round trip. Corn was worth $2.50 per bushel. People raised most of the wheat used, which was cut and
threshed by hand. She cut and threshed grain herself, carried it to Black Jack Grove to an old tread mill
run by oxen owned by John Green. In those days they paid from fifty cents to one dollar per pound for
coffee. The ladies spun and wove their own and much of the men's clothing at home and wore home-made
shoes. She lived on Turkey creek between Cumby and Donelton. Houses were very scarce in those days;
game was plentiful; churches small and far apart. She has held membership with Cumby, Miller Grove
and Palestine Baptist Churches, her membership now being with the latter. When a widow, she bought
corn at $1.50 per bushel, and had it hauled by oxen from Arkansas. She carried her babe in arms
and walked and carried corn to John Dial's old mill, one and one-half miles, to feed herself and
children. She has worked all day and then with a babe in her arms, carried water a distance of one
mile after night with which to wash. She says once when there was no money and women and children were
destitute of clothing, and no cotton raised here, when men would pass through here hauling cotton from
East Texas, women in distress have taken it away from them, as they had nothing but
Confederate money to offer for it. They would have carding and spinning parties by night. This all happened
here in an early day when Cumby (Black Jack Grove) had only about thirty small houses and no railroad.
This old landmark is still very active, her mind strong and clear. -- D. W. Garvin
Mack Howard, grandson of Mack Howard, was quite painfully scalded about the chest, abdomen and
limbs while at play last Sunday. He and some companions were using a bucket with a tight fitting
lid as a steam boiler. The bucket was filled with water, the lid fastened on and fire place beneath.
The steam pressure this created blew the lid off and the boiling water thus released struck the
little fellow squarely on the front of his person, scalding him quite
severely. A doctor was summoned
and he is doing as well as could be expected.
Miller Grove Melodies --- Dr. McDowell made a trip to Galveston recently. Miss Maggie Corbet of
Lone Oak is visiting relatives in Miller Grove this week. George Marable and wife have a fine
boy at their home. The young people enjoyed an ice cream supper at J. W. Delay's Saturday night.
Judge Patterson on Pensions -- I am now in
possession of the Confederate Pension blanks.
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