Purchases  a  Hotel

"We  lived  in  this  old  log  cabin  during  the  winter  of  1851  and  1  *•">'_>.
and  until  the  month  of  August  of  the  latter  year.  During  this  time
I  succeeded  in  extending  my  improvements  and  increasing  my  pros-
pects of  living  in  the  future.  I  also  purchased  the  hotel  property  of
Mrs.  Ensminger.  for  which  I  agreed  to  pay  her  the  sum  of  one  thousand
dollars,  but  did  not  pay  her  one  dollar  down  on  making  the  purchase.
I  gave  her,  however,  a  mortgage  for  the  full  amount  on  the  real  prop-
erty I  bought  from  her,  and  on  the  land  I  owned  besides.  This  property
consisted  of  five  and  three-fourth  acres  of  land  lying  on  the  north
side  of  the  creek  formerly  called  the  Hastings  creek,  and  was  the  piece
before  referred  to  as  having  been  reserved  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ensminger
in  deeding  the  balance  of  the  forty  acres  to  Mr.  H.  E.  Johnson,  and
was  a  part  of  the  same  forty  acres  that  was  entered  by  Wallis  Rowan  on
the  sixth  day  of  June,  is:hi.     There  was  also  the  house,  barn  and  other


322  HISTORY  OP  COLUMBIA  COUNTY

improvements  besides  aearlj  all  of  the  furniture,  some  little  stuck,  hay,
etc.  The  buildings  were  supposed  to  be  on  this  land,  bul  before  making
the  purchase,  I  had  discovered  thai  they  stood  upon  the  land  I  already
owned,  having  been  placed  there  by  mistake  in  not  knowing  just  where

the  lines  ran  when  they  were  built.  There  was  no  advantage  taken
of  Jlrs.  Ensminger,  however,  on  this  account,  for  she  was  in  time  paid
every  dollar  with  fall  interest,  that  was  agreed  upon.
