IN THE COUNTY OF WATERLOO                            25

tories all working on a small scale for the neighborhood, and giving employment  to many,
    The work of clearing away the forest, harvesting and threshing, removing stumps and stones, etc., gave employment not only to day laborers, but also to mechanics when work at their trade was slack.
    Machinery on the farms and in the factories and the absence of forests left most of these people on the cross roads and in the villages without regular employment, so that they had to move to towns or to places where they could buy cheap land to farm.  In this way the rural population was gradually reduced to at least one-half.  A number of schools had to close for want of children others had their pupils greatly reduced.
    Before the advent of railways the main lines of travel bad a tavern every few miles and big sheds and stables to accommodate teamsters and stage drivers.  The railroads changed all this.  Most of these road taverns were obliged to close.  The few that are left are starving.  The advent of the automobile is giving a new lease of life to some which the prohibiton campaign may cut short.
    Whiskey, made in every little village, was very cheap and kept and used in most houses.  Beer also was plentiful and cheap. A drink rost. three cents and was the means of bringing three-cent pieces into constant circulation.