Marthy Jane and I were close friends till we were grown, till she married Ephraim. Then after a time we lost each other, for Ephraim. had never liked me. I do not remember why, it may possibly have been because I have never really like Ephraim. He was the younger brother of Niniva Ford and Niniva was always good to me. When we were on the plains I liked to ride with him. He drove a big covered "hack" and it was very nice in there on the cushioned spring seats. Sometimes "Ephy" drove. He did not ask me to ride with him, but he liked little Mary Ayers and used to take her in the front seat with him. She was a nice little thing and I liked her, but I did something that I have always been sorry for. Prickly pears are all that their names imply, some of them even more than that. One day I found one that had so many thorns that there was hardly room for another. Mary was riding with Ephraim. As they passed where I was trudging along, kicking up dust with my bare feet and acting as though I'd much rather walk than not, I reached up the prickly pear to Mary and not understanding exactly what it was, she caught at it and filled her hand with the ugly thorns. Ephy took them out and disliked me more than ever.I do not know why I did it. I had no malice toward Mary and I had no desire to ride with Ephraim., for I did not like him. I suppose it just happened without any special reason. Things did sometimes. Mother, who neither especially liked Mary or disliked Ephraim., spanked me soundly. I have always regretted it, the prickly pear, not the spanking. I'd had so many spankings that one more or less didn't really matter. Mary has been gone many years and I am still ashamed and sorry about the prickly pear. Walt Davies Monmouth, OR

Hi Gang: For the record Ephraim Ford married Martha Jane Garrison 27 FEB 1851 in Yamhill Co., OR. Nineveh Ford married Martha Jane Simpson 15 JUN 1848 in Marion Co., OR. I don't know if any of Ephraim's descendants are still living, but several of Nineveh's are. Cecil Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret., AG6I PO Box 530833 San Diego CA 92153 res San Diego CA 92154-3654 NEW EMAIL ADDRESS mailto:cchouk@cox.net ANDERSON-BLAKELY-EGGERS-FORD-HOUK-KIMSEY-MONTGOMERY-RULAFORD-SIMPSON Searchable GEDCOM: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~cchouk See also: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~donhouk My Web pages menu: http://members.cox.net/cchouk/ ----- Original Message ----- From: DaviesWalt@cs.com To: cchouk@cox.net ; or-roots@sosinet.sos.state.or.us ; OREGON-TRAIL-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, March 16, 2002 12:15 PM Subject: [or-roots] Aunt Charlotte's Book ( Nineveh and Ephraim Ford) Marthy Jane and I were close friends till we were grown, till she married Ephraim. Then after a time we lost each other, for Ephraim. had never liked me. I do not remember why, it may possibly have been because I have never really like Ephraim. He was the younger brother of Niniva Ford and Niniva was always good to me. When we were on the plains I liked to ride with him. He drove a big covered "hack" and it was very nice in there on the cushioned spring seats.