excepting two of them which had a little skirmish.
Saturday, 2
I got home about half past three o'clock in the morning from the ball.
Was skidding logs in the forenoon
and began to draw some cherry to the mill.
The weather has been very stormy.
Sunday, 3
Sundays I never get up very early so I laid a bed until seven o'clock.
This morning got up and done the chores
and went to Croghan and came home with Pilo.
January Monday, 4 1869
It was a fine day.
We killed a pig this morning
and drawed one log to the mill this morning
and this afternoon drawed three spruce logs
for Kahe to make shingles and one cherry to the mill.
Tuesday, 5
We broke the road to the hemlock logs and drawed one to the mill.
Sawed some wood and made a door in the horse stable
and Uncle John went to the bee for Thomas Russell's to draw bark.
Wednesday, 6
Last night it froze pretty hard so the roads are good again.
I went to the Settlement and brought up twelve bushels of rye meal.
Some of the boys got on a pretty good spree.
They had no fight.
January Thursday, 7 1869
Today it was very mild.
This morning we skidded up ten hemlock logs and drawed one to the mill.
This afternoon I been up to Duflos's after some pine logs.
I loaded two and went to the mill.
Friday, 8
It still keeps on a thawing.
The sleighing is most gone.
This morning I helped Nick to set two tubs a going
and drawed pine logs the rest of the day.
Kieffer has been down town. There is a spelling school.
Saturday, 9
I drawed the last of our pine logs to the mill.
Today it has been raining all day long.
I fixed one harness strap and this afternoon I sawed some wood
and cleaned the kettle and filled it.
January Sunday, 10 1869
It has been a fine day. I went to the meeting.
Went down a foot and I got home about three o'clock.
In the evening I carried Nick Port up to Nody's.
In going back we stopped at ( ).
Monday, 11
I have been drawing logs all day long.
This morning I went after the malt and started to go to
Peter Kahe's after a cherry log but it was not sawn.
Kieffer was up to John Turk's with some yarns for mittens.
Tuesday, 12
It began to storm yesterday and it has been storming all day long.
John Kirch was here all day and Peter Kahe was here in the evening.
I helped Nick to fill up the kettle.
January Wednesday, 13 1869
The storm has ceased and the sky is clear and bright.
I got the malt and was drawing logs the rest of the day.
John Kirch went home today.
This evening I helped Nick to set two tubs a going again.
Thursday, 14
This morning I got up and got the horses ready
and went to Lowville after some money
but money is a scarce article at present
so I had to come home without it.
Uncle John lost ten dollars. Got home about dark.
Friday, 15
It has been a fine day. This morning I was drawing logs to the mill.
In the afternoon Nick Port and I went down to
Croghan with the top of the kettle to get it mended up again.
January Saturday, 16 1869
I stayed with Nick last night
but of all the men I ever heard swearing he beats um all.
He lost one gallon of whiskey.
This morning we moved his kettle in the barn.
The rest of the day I drawed bark for J. Garley.
Sunday, 17
Of all the days Sunday is always the longest day to me.
Done the chores this morning and stayed in the house.
At noon I went down to Baltz and played four game of cards.
I lost two and Nick the other two.
Monday, 18
It has been a fine day.
This morning I drawed a load of bark to Belfort for C. Duflo.
In the afternoon I stayed to home and sawed three shingle blocks
and put them in the wood shed.
January Tuesday, 19 1869
This morning I got up at four o'clock and fed the horses
and went down to the mill and loaded a load of pine lumber for Michael Andrew
and drawed them over to Lowville. There has been a big fire there two days ago.
Disastrous Fire
The Bostwick House and Barns,
Seven Stores, Colonnade Hall
and Griffin's Livery Barns,
Entirely Destroyed.
$70,000. worth of property laid in ashes
Insured for between $30,000. and $40,000.
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/Northern NY Library Network Lewis County Democrat., January 20, 1869,
Page 2, Image 2 access date Aug. 31, 2016.
It has been a very fine day. Everybody is enjoying this day.
I have been drawing logs. Today the road is full of teams all day long.
Nick Port has rode up from Balzers today.
He came to fix his tubs and ready to leave.
It has been snowing and the wind has blowed most all day long.
I went down to the mill twice this morning.
This afternoon I drawed two loads of wood out of the woods.
Today I finished drawing spruce logs. I drawed sixty-four in all.
I drawed two hemlock logs.
John Gagny has been drawing his cherry logs through here.
He tip over twice with one log.
This has been the coldest day we have had.
It has been windy today. The wind almost blowed the road shut.
I could hardly keep it open. I hitched up Kate till noon and I like to got stuck.
I begun a new pile this morning.
Miss. Renody here. We went after a cherry log.
I have been to the church today. The weather has been very warm.
George Rock has been over here.
He brought my watch from Lowville.
It cost three dollars for fixing it.
Today I drawed the last of the hemlock logs
that we are going to draw to the mill for this winter.
This afternoon we got out a shingle log and took the top for logs.
The weather is growing colder than it has been lately.
Tuesday, 26
This morning I was drawing logs as usual.
I only went to the mill once. When I came home I hitched up and took the
log boat and went to skidding up logs.
We took the best log for shingle. We tip over twice with one log.
Wednesday, 27
It has been a fine day.
This morning we got out the last of the spruce logs.
It is the biggest tree that we had.
This afternoon we drawed two logs for wood and got out four birch logs.
We got them to the house.
January Thursday, 28 1869
It was quiet morning this morning.
I hitched up the colt and took Mrs. Peter Cahe to Lowville to see about her pension.
She went to C. D. Devenport in afternoon.
It was very pleasant to come home at four o'clock.
Friday, 29
Last night I went to a neighbor's.
I did not get home till eleven o'clock so of course I did not get up very early.
This morning I hitched up the horse and drawed the last of our spruce logs.
I went four times mill.
Saturday, 30
Today it rained most of the time.
Pete Cake sent down word for us to come and get four birch logs.
If we draw them to the mill we can have three of them.
The rest of the day I mended harness.
January Sunday, 31 1869
The weather has changed last night and it began to storm
about five o'clock this morning.
I did not get up till daylight.
Duflo went down to the Settlement.
We got home at three o'clock.
I went to Uncle John's this evening.
February Monday, 1 1869
I am in hopes this month we continue as it begun.
This forenoon I put fronts on my mittens.
This afternoon I went into the woods and chopped some cord wood.
Uncle John has been to Lowville today.
Tuesday, 2
Today I have been home all day.
Duflo stayed here last night
and we did not go to bed till most twelve o'clock night.
Uncle John is gone to meeting today.
This has been a long day to me.
February Wednesday, 3 1869
It has been storming all day long.
It has snowed about half a foot.
I made a shingle bench.
We made about one thousand of shingles and done the chores.
My hands are all blistered although I did not work hard.
Thursday, 4
The storm has not stopped in the least.
As yet it has snowed about two feet.
I have been shaving shingles most all day long.
I did not go to Carthage as I expected to.
It is impossible to get through.
Friday, 5
It has stopped storming once more
but the roads are in a pretty shape of travelling.
At eleven o'clock I hitched up the horses
and went to breaking the road.
Got home at two o'clock.
February Saturday, 6 1869
The timber is froze so hard that we could not make any shingles today
so we went a breaking the road in the sugar bush.
We dragged a kettle behind the sleigh we got out two logs for fire wood.
Sunday, 7
This has been a very fine day
the best of all the Sundays we have had this winter so far.
I have been up to Thomas Andre to have him cut my hair.
He cut them very well.
Peter Duflo was up there too.
Monday, 8
It has been a very fair day.
We began to draw logs for John Beecher.
We drawed two logs.
I had to lift harder on the birch log
than I have anytime this winter.
I am a going to the ball.
February Tuesday, 9 1869
I was tending bar all night and up to one o'clock this noon.
Everything went off very quietly except George Bush
got a little warming of Jo Bush.
Lou Thompson and Pete Bardo was a fiddling.
Cahe was here.
Wednesday, 10
This forenoon it was quite pleasant.
I have been down to the meeting.
Got home at one o'clock.
I made a standard for the door in the horsestable
and a shingle packing frame.
It is a raining hard.
Thursday, 11
It has been raining hard all day long.
I have packed up three bundles of shingles and shaved a few.
There was nothing to be done out of doors
for it rained steady all day long.
What a lonely road this is.
February Friday, 12 1869
It had ceased raining for a little while.
Uncle John has gone up to John Beecher's after a pine log.
He wants to finish today.
I rived the blocks and then I shaved
and packed one bunch. I have two thousand.
Saturday, 13
There is hardly fit for a man to be out doors.
I have been packing shingles and been shaving shingles.
Kieffer is gone to a bee for Jo Kirchner to draw bark.
He came home at three o'clock this afternoon.
Sunday, 14
Last night it froze a little so the roads are quite passable.
I have been to Croghan. There was a good many people there.
After I got home I done the chores
and went up to Pete Cahe playing cards.
February Monday, 15 1869
Someway it can't stay clear weather.
The wind has been howling all night long
and toward morning it began to rain and storm.
as it is usually on town meeting.
I have been to the caucus this afternoon at Lt. Settman.
Tuesday, 16
Town meeting is usually stormy all though it has been a very fair day.
The wind blew a little strong this morning but there was no new snow
so it could not fill up the roads.
I have been to Lowville after my watch but it was not done.
Wednesday, 17
It has been a little stormy.
We went into the woods after some wood.
The snow is so hard that it is impossible to get through.
This afternoon we went to draw some
hemlock logs for Duflo and made shingles.
February Thursday, 18 1869
The wind keeps on a blowing every day but stops nights.
I have been up after one log.
Cahe helped me load it and went to the sawmill once.
I was making shingles the rest of the day.
Uncle John went to load the last load and one of the logs slipped off.
Friday, 19
Today I have chopped some wood and
made some packing bands and made a slide in the horse barn.
Uncle John has been to Dayansville to get his papers ready.
It has stormed so hard that I thought the wind tear up the trees.
Saturday, 20
Although the wind has been blowing all day it did not snow.
We have chopped wood most all day.
We made some dry wood and drawed it home
and drawed a shingle log and sawed four blocks off of it.
February Sunday, 21 1869
Today it has been quite stormy
although there have been a good many people in church.
I stayed in vespers and came home with George Kirchner.
Stayed there to supper and read a letter in french.
My foot is very sore tonight.
Monday, 22
To begin the week Uncle John has been to Lowville today.
I have made some stove wood
done some figuring for Duflo
and then went to chopping cord wood and done the chores.
Tuesday, 23
It seems that it has it storm every other day.
I have been to the Settlement to have the colt shod.
It stood very well being the first.
Mrs. Gustof was buried this morning.
I shaved a few shingles.
February Wednesday, 24 1869
It has been quite fair this morning but a little cold.
We was a making shingles all the forenoon.
We went to chopping cord wood this afternoon
We chopped down three trees.
Thursday, 25
Although it did not snow the wind blew the roads almost shut.
Uncle John has been chopping wood this afternoon
and shaved a few shingles and took care of the cows.
Friday, 26
Today it has been snowing and blowing all the day long.
We have been making shingles and packed three packs.
One of the cows came in yesterday
and I think she will loose two tits.
We have been working at them all day.
February Saturday, 27 1869
The storm has lasted up to this evening.
It is snowing a little yet.
We have made a few shingles today
and drawed up three spruce logs
and sawed up two of them for wood.
I have been up to Pete Cahe last night.
Sunday, 28
The last day of this month has been very pleasant.
I have been to Nick Pilo most all day.
Nick Bush and John Yarber was there too.
Came home and we all went to Uncle John J Bush to pass the time.
March Monday, 1 1869
It has been very pleasant today.
This morning we broke the road into the woods
and drawed two loads of wood.
The snow was so deep that I could hardly get through.
This afternoon we drawed up some logs for wood.
Tuesday, 2
Uncle John has been to Tillman's today with two of the horses.
This morning Nick and I sawed some firewood
and this afternoon I chopped some wood
and Nick and Nick Pilo went a gaming.
Nick Port come up this evening.
Wednesday, 3
It has been trying to snow.
This this forenoon I drawed up one load of logs for wood
and two loads of cord wood and unharnised the horses.
Duflo was here all day. He and Nick Port was pretty happy all day.
This afternoon I was setting in the house.
Thursday, 4
The wind has been blowing hard most all day and it looks like a storm.
I have been chopping wood again most all day.
Nick Port has been making shelves to put in the buttery.
Uncle John has been to Tillman's again today.
March Friday, 5 1869
It has been a very fair day.
This morning we sawed two logs into stove wood
and in the afternoon I was setting in the house.
Baltso Kirshner and Mrs. Cake and Nick Port has been here on a spree today.
Saturday, 6
The March wind has done its share of blowing.
So far it has blowed every day in this month.
I have been sawing stove wood and split it
and drawed it into the wood shed.
I was up to Pete Cake's.
Sunday, 7
It has been quite fair today.
I have been to Croghan and I went to meeting
and in coming home I turned over with the cutter on Pillos' Hill.
In the evening I went up to Pete Cake's.
March Monday, 8 1869
This morning I hitched up the horse and went to Lowville.
I met Eversawl and I turned out and broke the fill beam.
I put two rivets to make it hold.
I stayed to Uncle Henry's and sent the horse back.
Tuesday, 9
Today I was expecting Uncle John all day long but I waited in vain.
I see he did not come so I had to come home with Nick Klein.
I brought Mrs. Smith four skein of cotton for embroidery.
Got home about six o'clock in the evening.
Wednesday, 10
It has been a stormy morning and raining all day.
Uncle John is gone to Lowville with Mr. and Mrs. Cake.
They came home about seven o'clock.
I have been packing up shingles.
I had to get a spruce tree for packing frames.
March Thursday, 11 1869
Last night it started raining and turned into snow
and froze very hard and it is trying to snow.
Today we have been making the last of the shingles packed them
and got everything cleaned up.
I have mended up my coat (Iroquois).
Friday, 12
The weather still keeps on cold as usual.
This morning I was mending up the harnesses and halter.
This afternoon took the shingles down to Nick Andrews'
and one thousand for G. Kirshner and paid Baltso $50.
Saturday, 13
The wind has been blowing all night and the roads was almost filled up.
George Kirshner and I went to Croghan
and went to Confession and Communion.
We got home at noon. Played a few games of checkers.
March Sunday, 14 1869
This morning I had the horses hitched up to go down to Croghan
but it began to storm as hard as any day
and I had to stay at home.
I have been to Uncle John's this afternoon.
What a world this is.
The dishonest get rich and the honest are poor.
Monday, 15
It has been trying to snow most all day long.
We have been making a railing around the stairway.
We got it done at five o'clock.
This month has set in like a lion
and I think it means to hold its end out to the last (Lewis County).
Tuesday, 16
Today it has been very fair.
I have been doing nothing all day.
I have been to the burial of little Johnny Bush
he died of the measles. He was sick about a week.
There are a great many things that you could ...
March Wednesday, 17 1869
It has been very fair.
Today we have been in the woods a chopping cord wood.
The snow is very deep.
A man can hardly get around it is nearly four feet deep.
Uncle John has been to Lowville yesterday; Independence.
Thursday, 18
The weather still keeps on very fair
and thaws a little at noon but nights it freezes hard.
As yet I been chopping wood again today.
It has turned very windy about dark.
What beautiful evenings we have now but few realize this.
Friday, 19
Kindness of God
and the moon and stars are shining so bright
and pleasant that it is a pleasure to be out.
I have been chopping wood again today
it is trying to snow tonight; New Bremen.
March Saturday, 20 1869
It has been trying to snow and storm all day.
Uncle John has been to Lowville.
I have been around the house.
I have had a awful headache.
I've sawed a little wood and mended my mittens
and tended the chores around the barn.
Sunday, 21
This has been the coldest day we have had this winter.
I have been to Croghan. There was early mass.
I got home at noon and went to Uncle John Bush's
and done the chores.
Lent is very fast a going one week more.
Monday, 22
Today it has been quite warm.
This morning I broke the road to the wood
and fined a place to pile it.
This afternoon I began to draw some of it home.
I drawed four loads.
It is windy now.
March Tuesday, 23 1869
Last night is snowed about six inches.
I have not been able to do any work.
I have had a sick headache.
I have been to Uncle John's got some medicine.
This afternoon I mended the belly band for the harness.
Wednesday, 24
It began to snow a little at daylight and we started to go to Lowville.
We went as far as the Canadian
and it stormed so hard that we turned around and came back.
I have been sawing wood.
Thursday, 25
Today it has been very fair and peasant to be riding out.
I have been to Lowville today.
I paid out $2.00 for overalls
and lend to John Kieffer $2.00.
The road is fair.
March Friday, 26 1869
Today it has been an old fashioned Good Friday.
It has been raining most all day long.
The wind has been blowing very hard too.
I have been to Croghan and to meeting.
Cake and Mrs. Pilo went with me. Duflo was here.
Saturday, 27
It has rained some this morning.
The snow has settled considerable in two days.
I have been to Nick Pilo's to get two pair of overalls
and piled up a pile of wood.
John Bush and Pete Cake was here.
Sunday, 28
Today it has been very warm
and so as if spring was really coming once again.
The roads are so bad that we had to go to Croghan
a foot to get to the meeting.
The snow is going fast.
March Monday 29 1869
It has been raining most all the afternoon.
I walked from Kieffer over to Lowville a foot as far as Dayanville
from there George Rock and me got a ride.
The road is awful and Duflo is gone to Utica.
Tuesday, 30
I got over here yesterday at eleven in the forenoon
but I did not begin to work until today.
I have been sawing wood most all day long .
Went after four bushels of lime for plastering.
It is snowing.
Wednesday, 31
It has been snowing most all day.
I have cleaned the saloon
and four other rooms of moisture.
I tried to go to Beeches Bridge
but could not get over on account of water.
April Thursday, 1 1869
This morning it has been very cold.
I have been to deliver bier.
I took of 1/2 barrel to Martinsburg, 2 1/2 barrel to Turin for Mr. Gould.
In coming home I had to unhitch one horse from Sheldon's Tavern
almost to Martinsburg.
Friday, 2
This morning it tried to rain but it cleared up about nine o'clock.
I have been to row's one mile beyond Sam Hulbard's
with 1/2 barrel bier in Dayansville.
I one shoe put on Frank and got the seat out.
He drove fine in coming home.
Saturday, 3
Last night it began to snow about dark
and it kept up all day although not very hard.
We have been making bier today.
This evening I drawed off seven kegs and two bier barrels.
April Sunday, 4 1869
It has been storming very hard all this afternoon.
I have been up to Boshart's a little while.
George Rock and Lieyel's two other hired men was here until 11 o'clock.
We cleaned the bier.
Monday, 5
Today it stormed a part of the time and at times the sun would shine.
I have been sawing maple wood all day
and it is as hard as a bone and the saw is dull.
I can hardly use it.
Tuesday, 6
The wind has been blowing most all day.
I have been splitting wood all this forenoon.
This afternoon I was sawing wood and helped Sam Henry
to get a beef in the slaughter house.
April Wednesday, 7 1869
Today it has been very warm and pleasant.
I have been sawing and splitting wood again this afternoon.
I've been up to the village after a bag of feed for the horses.
In the west there is plenty.
Thursday, 8
The wind has been blowing very cold today.
I have been off with Mr. Higby and Mr. Wood.
We came back by the river road.
I got home at five o'clock.
Uncle Nick was over here today.
Friday, 9
It has been cold and chilly today.
The wind is blowing very hard tonight.
I have sawed some wood all day.
I've been up to town after some writing paper and ink.It cost $.45.
April Saturday, 10 1869
It has been quite cold today.
This morning I was sawing wood.
This afternoon I was splitting and piling it up for Weber.
Was up to West Martinsburgh with one bag of beer.
The wind blows.
Sunday, 11
Today it has been very pleasant and warm.
The snow is gone off a good deal today.
I carried eight bags of malt in the dry kiln
and pumped some water on the barley, so it covered it.
Monday, 12
This has been the most spring like day
that we have had so far this spring.
The snow is going off pretty fast now.
I've drawed some wood in the wood shed and piled it up.
April Tuesday, 13 1869
It has been very pleasant.
I finished drawing in wood this morning.
I have scraped the mortar off the mop boards in the saloon
and sieved ten bushel of malt and shoveled the malt out of the cistern today.
Wednesday, 14
Early this morning I took nine bushel of malt
to the mill to get it ground for beer.
We have been making beer too.
I sawed a little wood between keeping the fire a going.
I drawed off several kegs of beer.
Thursday, 15
It has been a very fine day.
I finished scraping out the new house and was painting some.
This afternoon I got done with the first coat.
I have been to the village.
April Friday, 16 1869
The weather still keeps on agreeable and pleasant for spring.
The creek has risen about eighteen inches,
Today I been painting the saloon with lead color.
I have it done all but two sides of the door cases.
Saturday, 17
This morning it rained a little but it soon stopped.
The snow is pretty well wiped away.
The water in the creek rose about a foot.
I have been painting upstairs today and painted one floor below (soiree).
Sunday, 18
It has been very fair and pleasant today.
I've home all day.
I hitched up the horse before the buggy for Mrs. Weber to take a ride.
Ella White was buried today.
Boshart was here.
April Monday 19, 1869
Last night it was raining most all night up to
seven o'clock this morning.
I drawed three loads of sand in the cellar
and one load of hay in the barn from C. Stevens
and carried the malt all upstairs on account of the water.
Tuesday 20
This morning I went up street to find some lathing but I could not find any.
I have been painting up till noon.
This afternoon I took two half barrel of beer down to
Graby (?) Landing for Thonmakar (?) and one load of sand.
Wednesday 21
Today has been trying to snow.
It has been drizzling all day.
This morning I cleaned the kettle in the Brewery
and got the saw filed to Richter's.
This afternoon I have sawed wood.
The weather is clearing up.
April Thursday 22, 1869
It has been quite cold and windy today.
The road is drying up very fast.
They say the river is higher than it has been for a good many years.
I have sawed wood all day.
This evening I went up street after a bag of feed for the horses.
Friday 23
It has been very warm and pleasant this morning.
I cleaned out the wood shed and drawed in three loads of wood
and shoveled the barley out of the cistern.
This afternoon I have drawed five loads of stone from the creek.
Saturday 24
It has been very pleasant and warm all day.
The wind is blowing a little now.
We tore up about eight planks in the wagon shed
and begun to fill it up with stone.
I've been drawing stone all day from the island.
April Sunday 25 1869
This morning it has tried to snow and rain but it cleared up at nine o'clock
and was very pleasant although a little cold and windy.
I have been to home most all day.
I was up Henry Boshart his forenoon. Took my washing up.
Monday 26
It has been very fair and warm this morning the wind blew very hard.
I have been to Greig with beer 1 lb. to Brooks 2 lb. to Woods.
Tuesday 27
I got about up the Glendale.
Store house has been torn away on account of high water.
The water has been higher than it has ever been know in this vicinity.
I been up to Moshier after one load of hay.