1878

John Becker

Indian River

Lewis County, New York

January           Tuesday, 8            1878

Worked for Strife, N. breaking roads all day.  Christ was driving the oxen.  I have been shoveling snow at the end of skid ways.  Pleasant all day.

Sept.      Monday, 30                1878

Have been working on the road for Mr. Rice.  I am to work a part of his tax.  He is to pay me for it.  Worked today ten hours.  Has been pleasant all day.  

Oct.             Tuesday, 1              1878
Mr. M. Binkey has worked on the road with me for his tax. We had my team.  Worked ten hours which counts 3 & 3/4 days.  It has been pleasant.

Oct.           Wednesday, 2            1878
I began digging my potatoes.  Binkey sent a man to help me dig potatoes.  
I am to work on the road in his stead.  It rained this afternoon.

Oct.                    Thursday, 3                1878
Yesterday we worked 3/4 of a day and today I sent 
Mr. Binkey's man home at three o'clock which makes his time full on the road.  Rained a little today again.

Nov.      Thursday, 28                 1878
I was sick this morning.  Was at Rice's Store.  Received of Rice $6.50 for highway labor performed this fall.  Worked this afternoon.  Snowing and raining.  Skidded 70 logs today.

Nov.          Friday, 29      1878

It has been storming all day snowing a part of the time.  We have been skidding logs. Sixty some logs.  

I got my back hurt this afternoon.  I can hardly bent over tonight.  

Nov.            Sat., 30           1878

I went out to skid logs this morning.  Skidded 20 logs until ten o'clock when I had to give up.  I went to Jordan from there I could hardly walk.

December     Sunday, 1            1878

I was home all day  can hardly stir  put a plaster on my back  

took a sweat this evening with hemlock boughs.  I am very weak tonight. 

December           Monday, 2         1878

My back is not any better.  I can hardly stir.  I do not know what to do.  Time is going very slow.  It has been raining hard all day without cessation.  Colder tonight.  

December   Tuesday, 3          1878

It is growing colder today trying to snow all day but it did not make out to snow a great deal.  

It is freezing a very little.  Johny was out last Sunday.

December      Wednesday, 4        1878

I am getting a little better at present.

 Nicholas has been here he has gone home with the horse team.

He took my sleigh along with him.

December     Thursday, 5              1878

I went to Jordan to help scale logs but they did not scale any so I came home again at one pm.  

Claude Diecup left the shanty today. We have a little snow at present.

1877

John Becker

Indian River

Lewis County, New York

Saturday, September 1, 1877

This morning Christopher Kempeny & I went over to Peter VerSnyder's 

after a bushel of apples and some plums.  After getting home we went into the woods and ranked bark.  We have 80 cords.

Wednesday, September 19, 1877

Finished ranking bark this morning.  I went to Jordan Falls to get Mr. Rice to measure my bark but he was not at home.  We have 208 cords of bark by our measure.  

Thursday, September 20, 1877

We were working up timber in the fallow today most all day.  Dug some potatoes the rest of the day.  Weather very pleasant.  Was at Peter VerSnyder's yesterday after apples.  

Friday, September 21, 1877

Bought of Peter VerSnyder four one half bushels of apples at fifty cents per bushel.  Brought them home last night.  Worked up timber.  Today Christopher Kempeny was here to looking for farm.  

Saturday, September 22, 1877

Began to log today.  Bryant and Darby came to measure my bark but we could not agree on the measure so I concluded to let it go by weight.  They allowed me 183 & 1/4 cords.

Friday, October 5, 1877

I was at Jordan this forenoon settled up with Mr. Rice.   He paid me $200. dollars per check which leaves $141.32 due me.  James Ellis was here paid him $34.35 in full.

Saturday, November 17, 1877

I bound five bundles of rhye straw.  Their weight was 109 lbs. for Mr. Rice at $15.00 per ton.  Sent it up to him by Mr. S. Love.  Underbrushed the rest of the day.  Rained again this evening.

Monday, November 19, 1877

It snowed about three inches.  Yesterday was at C. Shiver's after my oxen.  Went to John Rock's after flour and a scalding tub to butcher.  This afternoon I was taking logs out of the road.  

Tuesday, November 20, 1877

Today Peter Smith and C. Kempeny came here to help me butcher.  They charge fifty cents a piece.  Samuel Love paid me Seventy-five cents for straw for Mr. Rice.  Quite cold all day.  

Friday, November 23, 1877

Was at Jordan Falls today bought a pork barrel of Rice for .25 cents and paid him for it.  Looked the bark account over.  They have drawed ninety-two loads up to this evening.

Monday, November 26, 1877

I was underbrushing today.  Rained a little this afternoon.  Bound two bundles of straw for Mr. Binkey of Jordan Falls.  Their weight was 64 lbs. at $15.00 per ton which makes it .45 cents.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 1877

I started to go to Jordan Falls this morning but the road was too bad so I churned until noon.

Thursday, December 13, 1877

It has rained all day.  I was at Jordan Falls received twenty-five dollars of Mr. Rice and Brothers.  They have drawn one hundred and forty-eight cord of bark at present.  Raining yet.

1876

1876

1875

Friday                 January 1, 1875    

Today I was at Father's to begin the New Year.

From there I went to Uncle J. M. Kieffer's and to 

Uncle John's stayed until this evening.

He brought us up to Father's again stayed all night.

Played a few games of solo with Mr. Buckingham & his son.

Sunday              January 10, 1875

During the night Barbara was taken sick. 

This noon I went after Mrs. Johnson, Campeny & Bolivar

 and at six p.m. she became a mother.  

She bore a son unto me.  

It is almost impossible to go to a neighbors on account of snow. 

But thank God it is all past now.

Monday              January 11, 1875

Mrs. Bolivar stayed with Barbara today.  

Mr. Bolivar went after mother they arrived at dark.  

I taught school today very cold.  

Was up all night to keep the fire for Barbara and boy. 

 Felt rather sleepy all day around the stove.

Monday,             November 15, 1875

Today I began school at $7.00 per week in District No. 3 Town of Croghan, Lewis County.  

I was at Michael Zehr's after the keys.  

It has snowed about eight inches during yesterday and last night.  

It is getting quite cold at present.  

It is freezing up.  Clear this evening.

Tuesday, November 16, 1875

It is cold at present, windy snowing a little.  I had twenty seven scholars today.  

Yesterday I had twenty six to commence with.  

John Zehr put in a block under the school house today.  

Plaster is all loose again overhead on ceiling.  

Wednesday, November 17, 1875

Today John B. Zehr put a new door in school house.  

I was at John Grimmer's and at John Rock's.  

Borrowed ten dollars of John Rock to pay L. Gazin.  

Had twenty five scholars today.  

It is snowing again this evening.  

1874

John Becker

Indian River

Lewis County, New York

John & Barbara Strife Becker's marriage certificate, dated April 21, 1874.

                     John & Barbara Strife Becker on their 50th wedding anniversary, April 21, 1924.

1873

John Becker

Croghan, January 1, 1873

January                         Wednesday, 1                          1873

I began the New Year in the town of New Bremen teaching school in 
District No. 10. 

I dance very nearly all night.  

I have in cash 36 dollars.

Mr. John Bintz owes me     $ 15.00

G. H. Kirschner owes me   $ 22.00

C. Bintz owes me               $ 20.00

N. Has owes me                $ 35.00

John Rock    "     "              $200.00

J. Bush     "     "                  $  21.00

M. Kieffer  "      "                $474.28

District No. 3  "     "           $ 56.84

1872

John Becker

Indian River

Lewis Co., NY

John Becker Croghan, Lewis Co., NY 

November 21, 1872

Along the solitary night I watch her breathing

soft and low until the dawn of day appeared in the east

when her spirit took its flight to a home beyond the skies.

November                   Thursday, 21                   1872

Today I taught school.  

Mr. Briot's child was buried she died from being burnt five weeks ago.  

The snow is still on the ground ...