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Thursday, December 1, 1892

Today was frosty and windy all day. John, Mike, and I did chores in the morning. Then, John took the black team & the new log bob & he & Jerry went in Hoover's woods to skid his logs. He got them all put up and came home about dark.

Kaine & I did all the other chores & took one sow to Keller's, had her doctored & brought her right home again. We rolled some logs down, split wood in the woodhouse & c. After dinner we took the harness off the horses and went in the woods & cut logs. We cut about 13 or 14. Jimmy, the colt is lame yet. Cashmer was working for himself.

Friday, December 2, 1892

The weather was frosty and windy. All did chores. Then I tended the fires and then we all went in the woods, drawing logs. We got up about 15. After noon, Kaine churned & then helped us in the woods. We got two market logs.

George S. Barker came here to settle. He owed Herman for hay, 2 loads & 1 bbl. of apples - $1, $34.14 in all. Herman owed him for cider making $6.05 & pump logs one time $25 and $1.50 for same another time & $8.68 to his wife for spinning & coloring yarn & in all $41.23. 1 paid him cash to balance, $7.09. Kaine got 2 3/4# of butter at 23 cents = 63 cents charged. Cora walked down to Goodell's and stayed until I went after her at night.

Saturday, December 3, 1892

It was blustery all day. After breakfast, I got the sage cheese ready for Thompson - 34# & 5# rolls of wool for H. Loomis at 45 cents per pound = $2.25 credit by labor 50 cents. I got the pay of Thompson, $4.15. He spoke of our taking the cemetery fund in full. I paid Stahl $3 for a pair of boots for self. I saw Congdon & he agreed to come here next Tuesday to look at stock & did not know as he could buy any. I drove to Ives Hollow to see Mrs. Loomis & she did not want any rolls. Then I came right home & worked at the logs.

The boys were drawing when I came home. After dinner, we got stuck with a big log. Windecker hitched his team with ours & all three could not draw it. Then John drew one log for them. We have in all about 40 logs skidded. John G. W. said he had not been right in close & he could not tell whether the beech tree was ours or not. He said his father was up there yesterday for the first time in 8 years.

Sunday, December 4, 1892

It was stormy most all day. All did chores in the morning. Then right after breakfast, I boxed cheese while Mike & John finished chores. I got old Lill & the buggy ready & I took Cora down home. We came back at 6 o'clock. The snow was very deep in some places. We found the folks all well. They paid me for 40# of sage cheese, $4.80 in full. We stopped milking nights.

Monday, December 5, 1892

The weather was somewhat blustery and cold. All did chores in the morning. The boys harnessed both teams & got the eight foot sleigh & bobs up from the barn, and cleaned the stables. I finished boxing all the cheese & put the bottom in the box sleigh. Then after dinner, Mother & I went to the Falls with the box sleigh & took 4 plain cheese. I sold 429# to Feeter at 9 ½ cents & 1 sage to Burt, 41#, no pay, & 39# sage to Uncle Joel, no pay. I paid the horse bill of 15 cents & candy 12 cents & tacks 5 cents, 40 cents hammer, 400# of meal from Gage & shorts $5.32. 1 sent $5.08 cash by money order to Carrie in Cortland, and gave $10 cash to Mother. I paid the Grange 80 cents cash for a whip, and $1 cash to Leahy for a cap for self. I received $1.84 cash in full for a mistake from Feeter on the cheese. I received $4 cash of Goetchius on his O'Hara hay bill. I saw L. J. Fitzgerald & he agreed to take two beeves on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday next week & Weatherwax agreed to take 1 side next week at 5 cents @ pound & Mrs. Bircklin 1 hind quarter at 6 cents & J. 0. Jackson 1 hind quarter at 6 cents. Mother traded $3.24 with Silliman & had it charged & 10# of granulated sugar, 55 cents charged.

Tuesday, December 6, 1892

Today was a mild day but the wind blew some. Then it snowed fast in the evening. All did chores. Then I wrote Carrie & Henry Crofoot. I got the milk down & about 9 o'clock, Kaine got old Lill & the cutter ready & took Cora down home to help butcher. Then he went to the Falls to sell beef & sold 2 quarters at 5 cents & 6 cents. John was fixing the old bob sleighs all the forenoon. I did some writing, helped him clean the stable & feed cows. J. Curran came here & bought a cow to be delivered on Saturday the 17th at $23.

In the afternoon, John & I drew logs out of the woods with both teams till it snowed & sleeted so fast, we had to quit. Kaine came home at chore time. He took one dollar.

Wednesday, December 7, 1892

It was a moist day with indications of rain. All did chores. Then after breakfast, Kaine & I put the drum stove up, and put cleats on for the barways to the lumber yard. I fixed the saw up a little. Then he & I went in the woods & sawed 3 big trees, making 16 logs. John did chores, then went to see Frank Pickert about butchering. He was not at home. He stopped at Uncle Joel's, got the ham & got Uncle Willard's force pump. After dinner, Kaine took some pork to Stahl with Lill & Jumper. He could not weigh it. He got 3 files, 10", and had them charged, 45 cents. John & I drew logs. In the afternoon, Kaine fixed the old saw, when he came back from the Corners.

Thursday, December 8, 1892

There was a warm, east wind today and it rained hard at night. All did chores. Then John & I took the black team & old bobs & log sleigh & tools & went over to Hoover's woods to snake out logs but it was thawed up too much. So John drew out a load of top wood & came home. I saw F. K. Pickert & he said he would come up on Monday next & kill our cows. We came home, rolled logs up, had dinner & then went to drawing logs. We got up 4 good sized ones. Cora came home today. In the morning, Blowers & his wife came home also.

Friday, December 9, 1892

It was fair all day with indications of rain. All did chores in the morning and we got down a considerable amount of straw. Then Kaine took old Lill & Jumper & he & his wife went to O'Day's funeral & left the rig to the Falls for Carrie. She came home tonight & brought the trunk with her.

In the forenoon, after chores were all done, I churned & John took the team & drew up 1 log. After dinner, we drew logs and got all that are cut but one which we got stuck with twice & had to leave. Kaine took $5 & lost 1 day, lost 53 cents in evening. The churning was very slow.

Saturday, December 10, 1892

The weather was very pleasant. John & I did chores. Then we put up 3 bags of barley & 3 bags of oats & got the bay team & platform ready. Cora went to the Falls to paint. T. Welch took the grist to the mill while she painted. Mike Kaine & his wife came home today with Cora & brought the grist up. They got home about 7 o'clock.

John & I did chores, and rolled some logs up. He churned while I filed the saws. Blowers was up & got I gallon of sale molasses & a small pail of meat fat & paid 50 cents for it. Acey Keller's boys were here to buy sheep. John & his wife went to the Falls with Black Fan & the buggy. Kaine lost 1 day.

Sunday, December 11, 1892

Today was quite pleasant. John and I did the chores. Kaine did not come up at all. After chores were done, we ground the butcher knives to kill the cows with and two axes. Then I cleaned up, got Nell & the cutter ready & Cora & Carrie took some fresh pork to Dominic Young. Then they stopped to Frank's. I got ready, went down to Blowers' house & he & I took the rifle & went down to McEvoy's to shoot doves & got two & knocked the feathers out of a dozen. I cleaned the hog pen in the morning & cleaned the barn floor in the evening to butcher the cows on. J. W. T. called here in the evening.

Monday, December 19, 1892

The weather was pleasant today. Cashmer did his last days' work. John Elmer began work for one month at $10. All did chores in the morning. Then I filed the machine saw. Then I got ready & Carrie & I went to the Falls with old Lill & the old cutter. We took 1 sage cheese to Jim Bellinger, 33# at 13 cents, no pay, and left it at the Grange store. Kaine did chores, churned & split wood. The two Johns drew logs & wood out of Hoover's woods & from John's pile, 2 loads each.

I got 1 pound of anthaquantum & paid Smith 75 cents. I paid Tefft in full for shoeing, 60 cents. I paid Silliman $1.74 in full of the difference in our account. I paid the horse bill of 10 cents, paid the Grange for 2 halters, 34 cents, & 1 sack of buckwheat, 30 cents. I paid Leahy in full of labor, 25 cents, gave $1 cash to Carrie, and $5 cash to the minister toward painting the church. I saw Stinson & contracted one sage cheese at 14 cents & one cow at 5 cents. Sullivan paid me for 26# of butter at 23 cents, $5.98, Burt.

Tuesday, December 20, 1892

Today was windy but fair. All did chores. I filed the saw for the machine. Then we went to sawing wood & sawed all day. John Cashmer came here & took Jess & the new cutter & took his wife down to Keyser's. I paid him $10 on his work. Charlie Blowers came here with his brother-in-law & his Father-in-law's rig after his things. They took their horse & our Jumper & harness & went to the Falls. They left their horses in our barn & went over to Wiseman's to stay. Carrie went to the Falls early with old Lill and the old cutter. I let her have $10 & paid the horse bill, 10 cents.

Wednesday, December 21, 1892

Today was rather cold and stormy. All did chores. Then we got ready and killed the Holstein heifer. In the afternoon, we killed 6 pigs. The wind bothered us keeping the fire burning but we got through about 4 o'clock. Then I took the heifer's hide down & one sage cheese to Stinson, 40# at 14 cents, no pay. I got $1.35 for the hide, 45# x .03. Also I delivered 24 cheese for J. W. Windecker to J. Zoller. In the morning, Uncle Joel came here, and paid $5.46 for Water's sage cheese, 39# at 14 cents and borrowed 1 Cooney horse collar. C. Blowers paid 85 cents for keeping on his team after his things & $1.85 house rent & 65 cents for a fork his team broke.

Thursday, December 22, 1892

The weather was cold, clear, and windy. All did chores in the morning. Then I cut the heifer down through the center, got 4 sage cheese out for VanAlstyne weighing 38#, 39#, 39#, & 40#. Kaine took the black team, and the box sleigh & took them & his wife & Carrie to the Falls. John Elmer & I weighed the six pigs - weighed 305# & took them to Fitzgerald at 8 ½ cents. He paid by check $32.92 leaving a balance on them of $10.00. I took one forward quarter of beef to Goetchius, 82# at 5 cents, $4.10 charged. I took one forward quarter to Edic 82# at 5 cents, $4.10 & 7 3/4# of butter at 22 cents all charged. One hind quarter to Cooney 67# at 6 cents charged $4.02. One hind quarter to Sullivan 74# at 6 cents = $4.44. He paid to settle $4.25. 1 let Kaine have $10.00. He sold 3 quarters of beef for us so I do not charge him any time & I pay his horse bill. (Horse bill in all 30 cents.) Mother let Carrie have $5 & I paid it back to her at night, & charged Carrie $5. 1 paid Fitzgerald $1 for a pair of mittens & $3 to Things for a pair of boots for self. Snell paid me in full for hay, 33 cents & I paid him in full for weighing 15 cents. Currans had 4 3/4# of butter & paid in full $1. 1 paid Dubois $6 for a butter dish to give my wife and paid the Grange store $1.25 for a 6 tined manure fork & 1 long handled shovel. John Elmer cut top wood. Kaine & his wife drove the black team & the bobs home. I waited for Carrie with the bay team & box sleigh. It was late when we got home. I gave the beef tongue & livers to Fitzgerald. Dubois paid $1 for 1 gallon of syrup. I bought 1# of tobacco for J. Elmer.

Friday, December 23, 1892

Today was very cold and stormy. Kaine, John Elmer & I did chores in the morning & fixed up the doors. When chores were all done up, Kaine went away somewheres. I did some writing. Elmer split wood, and churned. Our pumps froze up & it is very cold. Mother & I were going to Norway to stay overnight but dared not venture out.

Saturday, December 24, 1892

Today was quite pleasant and cold. Kaine lost 1/2 day. Mother & I delivered presents to F. Pickert, & Maude G. for Carrie. Elmer, Kaine, & I did chores in the morning. Then I filed the machine saw, helped do up chores, & then Mother & I went to the Falls with old Lill & the cutter. J. Cashmer took the bay team & new bobs & moved a load for himself to Pat Keleher's. In the afternoon, Pat's team took a load for him to Keyser's. Kaine took the black team to help Frank Pickert draw logs & learned at Uncle Joel's that he had them most all up so he came home & he & John went in the woods, trimmed out some trees & drew up 6 or 7 basswood logs. I paid $5 to Cashmer on his account Kaine got 1 old overcoat, $2 chgd. I paid Meriam's 15 cents for self for a present of wine to Mother & 50 cents for 1 pint of bourbon for house use. I paid Thing's 65 cents for 1 pair of overgaiters for Carrie. I paid 20 cents to repair boots & 10 cents to treat Mother & 30 cents for self. Cash to the Grange for groceries was $1.40 -celery, oysters, crackers, & nuts, and 98 cents to Silliman's for coffee & oranges. I paid Youker $1.15 for 2# of baking powder & 1 quart of oysters. I paid Welch the barn rent to settle the account to date, $6.25. He paid me in full the balance on the O'Hara hay, $5. 1 used it right with the estate account. Cooney paid me in full for 1 quarter of beef at 6 cents = $4.02. Mrs. Lucy paid in full for 1 quarter, $6. 1 paid the new store for a pair of pants for self, $2.35 & exchanged caps with Leahy.

This memorandum is for yesterday. I put some things in Father Bellinger's cutter for Cora, 1 butter dish from self & pin cushion from Carrie & a small book for Lillie.

Sunday, December 25, 1892

The weather was windy and cold. John Elmer, Kaine, & I did chores all up, broke the roads, and shoveled snow from the house. Then Seymour & I went down to Father Bellinger's with Jess & the old cutter to spend Christmas. We had a nice time. Mr. & Mrs. M. Ritter & family were there also. In the evening, he & his family, & Cora, Will, Seymour, & I went down to the Presbyterian church to the Christmas exercises. Then we went back there & stayed all night.

Seymour came up a foot last night about 2 P.M. I got a good nice desk chair for Christmas & gave wife 1 butter dish. I also got shirts, collars, and handkerchiefs. I gave Carrie 1 pair of over gaiters and to each - Clarence, Herman, & Eddie 50 cents each besides a can of syrup to each of three.

Monday, December 26, 1892

Today was very cold and windy. Seymour & I stayed down to Father Bellinger's till about 10 o'clock. Then Seymour & I went to the Falls. I sold the white cow to Begley at 4 1/4 cents per pound. I let Seymour have $5 to apply on his interest. I paid 25 cents for cigars for self, and 10 cents cash for 2 hooks & staples from Taylor.

Mother gave Seymour, Ettie, & Carrie each a two year old colt. They drew for them. Carrie drew the sorrel, Nell. Seymour drew Thomas and Henry drew Jimmy. In the evening, Seymour, Carrie, & Mother went down to the Christmas tree with J. W. Thompson. I stayed at home.

Mike & John put up the storm house today & cleaned & threshed beans.

Tuesday, December 27, 1892

The weather was pleasant and cold. All did chores. Then we got the black team & the box sleigh ready. Seymour drove them down and Kaine & I drove the Bellinger cow, the old white & mousey cow to the Falls to be killed. On the way we took one of Uncle Will Keller's cows along having one hind quarter sold more than we had. When we got there, we looked around all over town to sell the other 3 quarters. I sold one side to W. H. Shaut at 5 cents. Kaine could not sell any. I took a draft from Crofoot of $100 and paid $66.02 to settle Ettie's note in the bank. I let Kaine have 50 cents just before coming home & he drove up to Tefft's to get the empty cider barrel. I paid 30 cents to put one new shoe on Black Fan & 20 cents for some dyes & 20 cents for sandwiches for Kaine & I. I exchanged 1# of baking powder & castors with Youker for some coffee. I took Buskirk 11 1/2# of butter & 8 1/2# of pork at 9 cents, all charged. John Elmer did chores & split wood in the wood house.

Wednesday, December 28, 1892

Today was pleasant and cold. Kaine lost one day. John Elmer & I did chores. Then I got the bay team & new bobs ready & went to the Falls. Seymour went along, took a box of goods and the black colt, called Tommy. I took our Jack screw to Father Bellinger's for him to use. Seymour got down too late to make connection and missed his train, so he stayed in the village & had the colt kept in Welch's barn. I sold 1/2 of Keller's beef to Dr. Rowe, 127# at 5 cents. I had the hides & tallow weighed. Keller's was 72# for the hide & 27# of tallow = $2.83. 1 took Shaut 235# of beef at 5 cents & got the pay of $11.75. The other quarters brought $13.07 and the tongue, 20 cents, in all $27.85 & 75 cents for killing = $27.10 paid to settle 27.00.

Kaine went down to Keller's & hired for 9 months for him and his wife, and bought some wood of Keller. John Elmer cut wood.

Thursday, December 29, 1892

Today was pleasant and cold. Kaine lost 1 day. All did chores. Kittie Goodell is here. After breakfast, Kaine got the bay team ready & rode home with me on the way to help Frank Pickert draw logs to the Falls. There were 4 teams in the forenoon, & 5 in the afternoon. I drew 1 load in the morning, & 2 loads in the afternoon. On the way to the woods in the morning, I saw W. Keller & paid him in full for the cow I drove to the Falls for him, $27.10. I got 1 pair of mittens for John Elmer, 80 cents & 4 whip crackers, 10 cents. Frank drew elm & basswood logs & got them most all down. Kaine cut wood for himself. John Elmer did chores & drew top wood to the sap hut. Carrie took old Lill & the old cutter & went down to Uncle Joel's & Eades. I saw C. G. Carpenter & he wanted me to take the note out of the bank & he would pay it sometime but could not now.

Friday, December 30, 1892

Today was very pleasant. All did chores in the morning. Then I filed the machine saw while the boys finished doing chores & drew out manure. Then we went to sawing with the machine & kept at it until night. Kaine got 3 gallons of kerosene oil, 25 cents charged. Carrie took Bay Fan & the new cutter & went over to Thompson's to see how their child is getting along.

Saturday, December 31, 1892

The weather was very nice today. All did chores then I helped get some straw down. Mike's boy came here about 10 o'clock & the three of them sawed wood. I got ready, took Jess & the old cutter & drove down to Father Bellinger's. I put the horse in and went to Little Falls a foot. I paid $1.50 for a present for Minnie & Frank. I waited at the Givan House & rode with them in the box sleigh up there to Minnie's. The sleighing was very poor. They had a large party, a nice dinner, & all had a good time. We got home late, 3 A. M. Carrie went down to W. A. Goodell's visiting & stayed all night. Cora came home with me. She had been home about two weeks sewing.

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