possession. Elegant lace curtains, rare and choice, costing hundreds of dollars, hung from the windows. The large chambers above had hangings of creton, one room in blue, the other in white. Aunt Sophie gave a party in the "Apple Orchard" to celebrate the time of her niece's and nephew's first communion. The priest, the school-teacher, and the children were all invited to partake of the abundant feast prepared, and it was an event long to be remembered.

Their home was the rendezvous for numerous nephews and nieces, and a pleasant gathering place for young and old in which to congregate and talk over old times and new, as well as having an occasional old fashioned cotillion party, to "trip the light fantastic toe," in which all joined. Even during the War of the Rebellion the soldiers were invited over to the apple orchard, and told to help themselves.

Aunt Sophie one morning was making crullers, expecting a few friends in for tea, when a lot of Indians came in. Uncle Louis called out, "Give them some." "No I can't," said she, "I'm preparing for company." But with her usual good nature, she passed the sieve in which they lay to an old Indian woman near her, who most unexpectedly tipped its contents into her blanket! And so, alas! poor Aunt Sophie bad to make another batch for her evening guests.

She dressed very handsomely, for Uncle Louis loved to see her in rich attire. She was a fine cook! to say "fine" hardly expresses it. She was a beautiful cook, to which all could testify who sat at her table. She gave a dinner party one day, to some of her neighbors, Mrs. Depew, Miss Burch, Mr. and Mrs. Sarel Wood, Mr. and Mrs. VanBenthusen, and a few others. Introducing Mr. Van Benthusen in her pretty French way to her guests she said, "I am very glad to meet you, Mr. VanBenthusen Berry, and have you get acquainted with my frens." (friends). To which he gallantly replied, "Thank you, but with your permission Mrs. Campau, I will leave off the "berry." Mrs. Campau and Mrs. Depew were near neighbors and close friends. They often talked over their religious beliefs and convictions. Each with bible in hand looked over and compared notes and passages of scriptures trying in a friendly spirit, to understand more clearly and truthfully, if possible, the meaning of their own particular Bible as it appeared to them. But with the ever growing thought that, in the near future, they would meet heart and soul, as loving sisters, in the "Paradise" above.

In later years when reverses came, they sold the East Fulton Street home, and moved into the house now owned by "our" Dr. Rutherford, next the Ladies' Literary Club building. Mrs. Campau's heroic and unwavering fortitude amid trying circumstances showed the true, saint-like spirit, for some did indeed call her a "Saint on Earth." After a short illness of three weeks she passed sweetly and peacefully to her

rest, July 31st, 1869, in her sixty-second year, beloved and revered by all who knew Sophie de Marsac Campau.

Shall we not indeed even at this late day, do honor to this brave, yet gentle woman, who seconded in every way possible her husband's efforts by her self-sacrificing spirit, her generosity, her large-heartedness and simple kindness, to these people of a darker skin, who ministered with her own hands to their necessities and when trouble or sickness came helped to lay their little ones away when disease lessened their thinning ranks. She, like the Master of old, "went about doing good."

May we not by following her example and sweet spirit of charity, and by emulating her virtues, be of service in some way in this work-a-day world, and the effect of her influence on ourselves still be so felt as to let our world know, in a quiet way, that we women of to-day of this Valley City have not lived in vain.

DANIEL BALL1

BY C. C. COMSTOCK

Daniel Ball was born in Cheshire County, N. H., and removed with his parents to western New York while he was quite young. This I learned from him after I became a resident of this city in 1853. From and after that time I became intimately acquainted with Mr. Ball in business and financial affairs, and our business relations were continuous so long as he remained with us. It now seems that my dealings with him during those years were greater than with all others of this city and I have nothing but kind words to speak of his memory. At that time he seemed to be the life of the city and it appeared to invite capital and men of energy, and such effects are far-reaching. Examples for good or evil are contagious, and his stimulated others to activity. The effects may be seen in the building up of this prosperous city. If this place had been deficient in all the enterprises in which Mr. Ball was then engaged, it would have had the appearance of "This paper was written by C. C. Comstock for the Old Residents' Reunion at Sweet's Hotel, Grand Rapids, Feb. 19, 1895, and by request read by his daughter, Mrs. Lucius Boltwood, at the midwinter meeting, Grand Rapids, Jan., 1907.

'Daniel Ball, son of John Ball and Nancy Bradbury, was born July 30, 1808, and died at Jamestown, N. Y., Dec. 30, 1872, aged sixty-five years. He married Mary Covert in Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 13, 1832, and had three children: Byron D. Ball, born July 19, 1833, died Feb. 4, 1876; Mary E. Ball, born Feb. 23, 1836, died, -; Julia E. Ball, born Oct. 20, 1838, died - Byron D. Ball married Martha M. Linnell, July 26, 1854, and had five children, Julia M. (died in in(Furnished by Daniel

fancy), Daniel, Byron L., Ashley L., and Martha, all living. Ball, grandson.)

a dead town, and nowise inviting for strangers to locate here. One such man alone may be the cause of the building up of a great city and cause it to surpass its rivals. I had scarcely heard of Grand Rapids one month before I came, while Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Ionia were familiar names. It is the live towns where men can find employment as laborers, and for their capital, which draw together a healthy population. A town built by speculators without the industries is a failure. Prosperity only lasts while it is being built. Perhaps the Hon. William T. Powers with Morris Ball as partner in the manufacture and sale of furniture and lumber, were the next in push and enterprise, but their capital and help employed was small when compared with that of Daniel Ball. The much larger proportion of the residents were worthy and law-abiding citizens, but furnished little employment for mechanics or laboring men. The only power used for manufacturing was taken from the east side canal and Coldbrook, except one steam sawmill just completed by Powers and Ball at the head of the Rapids. There was not one hundred dollars worth of sash and door machinery in use, and but one machine for dressing and matching lumber, and the price for doing that work was $4.50 per thousand feet. The industries seemed hardly sufficient to support the inhabitants then here, for very little of building and improvement was being made. There were many highly honorable merchants and professional men for a place of its size. The place was full of speculators, all prepared to sell fortunes by the acre, where great cities were sure to be built, and it was said there were forty thieves ready to distribute among themselves all the estates of venturesome new settlers; but I think that Mr. Ball had no friends among them, for he was too deep for their plots and too well fortified to be assaulted. There was no scarcity of lawyers, for the first time I was compelled to appeal to the courts, I called on nine who were retained against me, before I found one running loose, and after I gave him my case, I found him closeted with my antagonist several times, probably to learn the strong points in my suit. At the first trial the judge decided in the way to do the "greatest good to the greatest number" of lawyers, and the ends of justice required eight years of litigation, when I thought it should have been reached in three months.

There were no railroads to this city at that time and the only inlet or outlet for goods and merchandise was by way of Grand River, or by hauling with teams from and to Battle Creek or Kalamazoo. For transportation of all farm products and other merchandise, except lumber and shingle which were rafted, the people were dependent upon the steamboats of Daniel Ball. He had boats running from the head of the Rapids to Lyons, and more from below the Rapids to Grand Haven, always making the necessary improvements in the channel at his