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Monday, February 1, 1892

Today was a pleasant day and it rained a little. John and I did the chores. Kaine came up and got the black horses ready and went in Hoover's woods. He got the balance of the wood out and the log sleigh. He was finished by dinner time. He fed the horses and in the afternoon Mike went down for a load of ice. John did the chores and cleaned the icebin. I got the colts ready and drove down to the Falls with the bobs. I took 8 1/4# of butter and got 21 cents per pound for it $1.73. 1 had the collar on the single harness fixed and the line on the heavy harness but I did not settle the bill. I had an agreement with Cooney on the beef at six cent per pound. I had the cutter fixed at Benedict's and paid 50 cents. I got $75 out of the bank and let Mother have $40. 1 paid the difference on the lockets of $3.55. My horse bill was 35 cents. I came around by the pond and got 12 cakes of ice at 54. I got two wrappers 50 cents and paid for two new shoes for the horses 60 cents. Mother, Carrie, and Mr. and Mrs. Blowers all went to the Falls with the rig and Dolly. Mother and Carrie were going to Utica and will stay in Little Falls overnight. Mr. & Mrs. Blowers drove Dolly and the rig back home.

I hired John for eight months at $23 per month with the same conditions as when Herm hired him. I saw S. Thompson and told him we would settle. T. Hartman told me that he had loaned Herman $10. Henry came up to the house in the evening and returned my scarf.

Tuesday, February 2, 1892

Today was very fair until noon and then it was stormy after. In the morning, John, Kaine, and I did the chores, and harnessed both teams before breakfast. After breakfast, I helped Blowers clean Dolly and get rig ready to go to the Falls after Mother and Carrie. Then Mike and I went after ice down to the reservoir. We got 13 and 14 cakes and put it in and packed it with sawdust before dinner. We went back down after dinner and got two more loads, 12 cakes and 13 cakes apiece. We came home and put 12 of them in the icebin and packed them with sawdust. We needed more sawdust for the load of 13 cakes so we left them on the sleigh. Then we filed the saws. John did all of the chores.

Mother and Carrie got home about 4:30. They had been to Utica to buy dress material for Mrs. Edwards and them to make new dresses. They stayed overnight in Little Falls and did some shopping there also.

After supper, I took Dolly and the cutter and drove over to Reverend Youngs. I delivered an invitation to our Wedding and engaged him to officiate on Wednesday evening, February 10. We will have the ceremony at Bellinger's house and the party afterwards.

I then went up to Salisbury to Edwards' house to pick up Mrs. Edwards', the dressmaker. We didn't get back home until 10 o'clock. The roads were very bad. It was a very stormy night with drifting snow. I had trouble finding the road. I stopped at C. Hartman's to get our dog, Ben. He had followed Henry Brockett when he drove by our place on his way to the Falls with a load of hay. Henry told Mother and Carrie when he saw them in Little Falls. Ben was glad to see me and followed me back home.

We now have 76 cakes of ice at 5 cents each, for a total cost of $3.80.

Wednesday, February 3, 1892

It was windy and snowing some all day. In the morning, Mike Kaine, John, and I did the chores. After breakfast, we scraped snow away from the sawing machine and got it ready. We drew two loads of orts and two loads of horse manure for the track. We had dinner and then went to sawing. Charlie Blowers came here in the afternoon to help us with the hauling and sawing. He drove for the last two logs so that John could go to doing the night chores. We sawed about seven cords of wood in all.

Thursday, February 4, 1892

Today was a cold blustery day. John, Mike, Charlie, and I did the chores, cleaned all of the horses, and harnessed the black team. Since Charlie had had breakfast, he threw down hay while the rest of us were eating. After breakfast, Charlie and I kettled out the road. Mike and John did the cow barn chores and then started sawing. I got Dolly harnessed to the cutter and went to Whitney's to his auction. I bought a basket for 40 cents. I went by way of Fairfield and saw Jennings about the money he owed me. He said he would try to get some for me by Monday or Tuesday. I stopped at the Post Office in Fairfield and mailed a letter for Ettie.

I let Carrie have $10 to trade for her and Mother. Carrie took Bay Fannie and Jumper down to the Falls. She brought home my new trunk for Cora and I to pack for our Wedding trip. I got home at 4 o'clock and helped with the sawing. John went at the evening chores. We sawed until dark and had quite a lot of wood cut today.

The roads were very bad today. Mrs. Edwards is staying here sewing for Mother and Carrie.

Friday, February 5, 1892

The weather is very nice but it got very cold at night. After breakfast, Mike and John did the cow barn chores. I fixed the sawing machine and then we started sawing wood. Blowers' got a man to help him with his wood. They went in Hoover's woods and cut down the rest of the trees which Charlie had bought from Hoover. They cut the trees into logs and the tops into firewood. We got quite a few cords of stove wood cut today.

John Petrie and his son, Will came here with J. Broat's team. John asked if I would come to his bee tomorrow to help draw logs and wood. I told him that I had some business to attend to in the Falls tomorrow. I would send John or Mike with one of my teams to help at the bee.

Saturday, February 6, 1892

It was clear and cold today. In the morning, John, Mike, and I did the chores. Mike filed the saw, had breakfast, and then went home. He sawed some stove wood for himself. John and I did the rest of the chores. We got the colts ready and hitched them to the old bobs. John took them to Petrie's bee. He drew three loads of logs for them and then came home to do the evening chores.

Charlie Blowers and I kettled the road. Then Charlie took the old team and the new sleighs and went in Hoover's woods to get some more of his wood out.

In the afternoon, after the chores were finished, I harnessed Dolly to the rig and went to the Falls. Hannah, our house girl came with me to purchase some things for the house for Mother. Mother and Carrie are too busy sewing with Mrs. Edwards to take time to go to the Falls. I gave Hannah $5 to do her shopping and told her I'd meet her at the Rockton Hotel. I paid $37.35 for the Putnam lock box for New York City. I paid Peter Casler $3.75 for ice, 3 lamp chimneys (18 cents), and a coffee pot (48 cents). I paid 30 cents for the horses, $1 for cattle feed, 50 cents for 2# of tobacco for Kaine, 28 cents for 1# of Ben Payne tobacco for Blowers, $1.25 for a pair of mittens, 25 cents for a tie, laundry 30 cents, 4# of coffee $1.16, 7 ounces of vanilla at 6 cents = 42 cents, 4 postage at 2 cents, 10 cents for candy, and 10 cents for oranges. I saw Cooney and he gave me $5 on the account for the meat I sold to him. I engaged Randall to drive the hack for our wedding night. I saw the Veterinary Surgeon and asked him to call on Sunday to see a cow. I stopped at the shoe store to have John's boot fixed and paid 10 cents for the repair. I got a new pair of rubbers for John's old pair. I was to pick up two pairs of shoes for Mother and Carrie, but found out that Uncle Will had been in earlier and picked them up. I picked up Hannah at Rockton and we came home, arriving about 8 o'clock. On the way home, I stopped at Uncle Will's and got the two pairs of shoes which he had got at the Falls for us.

Sunday, February 7, 1892

Today was pleasant in the morning and then rained in the afternoon. John and I did the chores and cleaned up all of the horses and c. We got the team and the rig ready. Blowers drove for Mother and Carrie to go to C. G. Carpenter's mother's funeral.

The Veterinary Surgeon, David Rowe came to see the cow. He cut two gashes about 4 inches long and got a great deal of pus out. He washed it all out clean and syringed it with carbolic acid water.

Henry and Ettie Crofoot and family came and had dinner with us. After dinner, Henry went home but Ettie and the children stayed. I got ready and went away to spend the evening at Bellinger's with Cora. Will Goodell came to our house in the evening and visited awhile. He had gone back home by the time I returned home.

Monday, February 8, 1892

Today was a pleasant, warm day. John, Kaine, and I did chores. Then we got ready to saw. Ettie and Carrie went to Little Falls with Dolly and the rig. Mother and Hannah were going to care for the children. I gave Mother $10 this morning to settle bills in my absence. I gave Carrie a check for $187. She let Ettie have $10 out of that. Carrie used $1.38 for shopping for Mother, paid Dubois 25 cents for me, paid 1.50 to H. Decker for flowers for me for the wedding, bought the two tickets to New York for me $9.15. 1 had her keep $10 out of the balance and she returned the rest. She returned 75 cents more than she ought to so I charged myself with the 75 cents and charged Carrie with so much less.

Tuesday, February 9, 1892

Today was blustery at times but not very cold. In the morning, John, Mike, and I did chores. After breakfast, Mike fixed the saw. Then Mike Kaine and I went to Fairfield with Dolly and the rig to vote. We came right back home. John had the chores finished so we went right to sawing and sawed until about 4 o'clock when the sawing machine broke. We drew some of the pins, tipped up the machine, and took it apart. We rolled the logs to the end of the skidway, and quit sawing for the day.

Charlie Blowers took the colts and the new sleighs in the morning and went over in Hoover's woods. He got a load of his logs out and came back here about 1:30. He took care of the team and fed them and then had his dinner. He helped us for awhile until the saw broke. Charlie and Mike went home then.

I got ready and took the trunk down to Bellinger's. Cora was going to pack her things and have the trunk ready for our wedding trip. I went on down to the Falls and saw Fitzgerald. I had insurance placed on the buildings in Cortland for $2100 with him. I picked up my laundry, 2 shirts 20 cents, and paid 65 cents for 5 yards of muslin for curtains at Casler's. I paid 20 cents for the horses, paid 39 cents for a pair of suspenders, exchanged corsets and got a new one. I also got stuff for our return from the trip. I had taken the parts from the sawing machine to be repaired but could not have it fixed today. I heard that Seymour and Maggie had arrived for the Wedding. I went down to Mrs. Bauder's and found Maggie there. Seymour had left already. He rode up with Uncle Will and planned to walk the rest of the way home. I gave John $1 to take extra care of the cattle while I am away.

Wednesday, February 10, 1892

Today was a mild pleasant day. In the morning, John, Kaine, and Blowers did the chores. They got both teams ready to go to Hoover's woods to draw wood. They went right after breakfast. I got Dolly and the rig ready for Seymour to go to the Falls after Maggie. I gave him a check for $18 to apply on all accounts of interest. I gave John a present of $1 and gave him a check for $7. He and I finished the chores. I got ready and John took me down to Bellinger's with Jerry as all of the rest of the horses were away. I changed my clothes when I got to Bellinger's. Cora's brother, Will took the trunk down to the village and checked it to New York.

Fitch, the piano tuner came to Bellinger's at about 6 o'clock. He needed some more materials to finish the job. Seymour said that he would get them for Fitch tomorrow. The piano music didn't sound too bad. Everyone had a good time at the party.

At 7 o'clock, Cora Bellinger and I were married by Reverend John W. Young. There were about 85 people at our wedding. We had a very good supper. The wedding presents were numerous and very nice. We stayed a few hours after supper and then left, amid showers of rice and old shoes. Randall came with the hack and Carrie and Jim Thompson rode down in the hack with us to the train station. Cora and I took the 11:10 train for Albany. We arrived there at 1:30 A.M. and stayed at Stanwix Hall. I paid $3.50 for the room and breakfast. I gave Cora a present of $15. I paid T. Randall $5 for the hack.

Thursday, February 11, 1892 The weather was snowing fast but it was not very cold. Cora and I had breakfast at Stanwix hall. We went up to Agricultural Hall and went through it. The train for New York left at 12:30. We arrived in New York at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I paid $1 to have our trunk and ourselves taken over to Hotel St. Dennis. We took room number 311 at $3 per day. I paid 25 cents to have our trunk taken upstairs. We changed our clothes and got ready for supper. The meal at Columbia was $1.35 and was very good. Cora and I went to the theater. Two tickets cost $2. We saw the show "Country Circus" and it was splendid! We got back to the Hotel about 11 o'clock. I had a pretty hard cold. It was raining most of the way between Albany and New York but it was pleasant in New York.

(This part was added after we got back home to the farm.) John and Seymour did the chores. Seymour then went to help Fitch get his other materials to finish the work on the piano. Fitch agreed to do the job for $10. John and Blowers took both teams and went in Hoover's woods and drew up a load of wood each for Blowers. Carrie took Dolly and the new cutter and took Maggie to Little Falls to her parents' house. Carrie was going to bring Cora Middle Brooks up but she did not come.)

Friday, February 12, 1892

Here in New York, the weather is clear, cold, and windy. Cora and I had breakfast at Columbia and then walked to Brooklyn Bridge. We rode across on the cars. We walked back slow. The view was very fine. Then we went to Eden Museum and saw all the Figures there. We stayed and saw a magician perform. The show was good and the music was excellent. We went back to Columbia for supper, 95 cents.

At home, John and Seymour did the chores. Kaine helped with chores & c. and shoveled snow. They had the worst storm of the winter. Fitch was stormed in at our house after he fixed our piano. Seymour put Fitch's horse in our barn.

Wednesday, February 17, 1892

Today was very pleasant, and a little colder. In the morning, we were called at 5 o'clock in New York. We got ready and finished packing the trunk and valise. I went down to settle up with the Hotel for the room and the fire. I paid $19.75 and asked for a cab to take us to the depot. We went and had breakfast (95 cents). We came back and took the cab at once and went right over to the Depot. We took the 7:30 A.M. train to Stuyvesant. We arrived there at 12 o'clock.

Clarence met us at the depot with his man. We stopped with them until the 3:39 train. We had dinner with Clarence's family and took a ride to Kinderhook. We walked out over the farm. I gave the baby Hazel $1. We arrived in Albany at 4:20 and left on the 5:10 train for Little Falls. We arrived in Little Falls at 8 o'clock. William Bellinger met us with the team at the depot. He had the long sleigh and took us and our trunk up to Father Bellinger's. We stayed there all night. Frank and Minnie were there. Frank had gotten a new part for the sawing machine and I paid him for it, $3.15.

Thursday, February 18, 1892

Will and Father Bellinger showed me Cora's stock in the morning. About noon, Will drove his team and took Cora and I home. He put the horses in and stayed awhile. Frank Bellinger and Jerry came here after the sawing machine. The new part would not fit. They took the machine and he was going to have it fitted. I changed clothes and helped them load it.

John did the chores in the morning and then went to the Falls and got a load of sawdust. He drove up behind the house and unhitched it and left it. Kaine had the black team and drew wood from Uncle Will's woods all day. I helped do up the chores. Carrie took the horse and cutter at noon and took Minnie Bellinger home. They stopped at Frank Pickert's to visit for awhile.

Friday, February 19, 1892

Today was rather cool and pleasant. In the morning, John, Mike, and I did the chores and took care of the horses. After breakfast, we packed ice in the ice bin and unloaded a large load of sawdust. We stamped the sawdust around the ice. We cleaned the stable and harnessed both teams. John and Mike took both teams up to Uncle Will's woods to help draw wood. They drew two loads each and then came on home.

I stayed home all day and wrote letters. Cora and I looked over our wedding gifts and wrote "Thank You" letters to everyone. Cora's Mother had packed up all of the gifts and had Will bring them up to our house.

Saturday, February 20, 1892

This has been a pleasant day. There was some snow during the night. Mike and I broke the road to Brockett's while John finished the chores. John got Jess and the old cutter ready and took his wife and the baby to Little Falls. John took them to Nancy's parents house to stay for awhile. He came right back to help with the evening chores. Mike helped in the afternoon.

Carrie, Cora, and I took the black team and the sleigh and took Mrs. Edwards home. I paid her $4 and Mother gave her $5 for her work sewing. The sleighing was good today.

Sunday, February 21, 1892

The weather today was warm and nice. John and I did chores. I got bay Fannie ready and hitched to the new cutter for Mother and Carrie to go to church. After supper, Cora and I went down to Father Bellinger's. Cora was going to stay there until Tuesday to help her mother. Since Will's wife Jeannette died, Cora has been like a mother to the three children: Leta, Lill, and baby Stewart. Cora also had some things she wanted to finish packing to bring to our house. I stayed for awhile visiting and then drove to the Village to pick up Mrs. Cashmer and baby Edward.

John and Mike finished the evening chores. Mike needed some potatoes and I told him to get a bushel from our cellar.

Monday, February 22, 1892

It snowed some last night. I broke the road to Brockett's first thing this morning. Mike helped John do the morning chores. I filed the saw while John and Mike got the teams ready. John helped Mike cut wood all day. I went down to Uncle Will's to help cut wood for him. Mother and Carrie took Dolly and the old cutter and went to Uncle Will's in the afternoon. It was a warm day today.

Tuesday, February 23, 1892

Today was a beautiful day, warm and thawed a great deal. John and I did the morning chores and harnessed the black team to the bob sleigh. I took them to Little Falls after a load of feed. Carrie came with me to paint. I gave her $5. 1 got the feed from Gage, $6.60 and got house supplies and cigars from the Grange for $5.85. 1 went to the bank and drew out $211 I paid 30 cents to have Dolly shod. I saw Fitch and paid him $10 for tuning the piano.

I had supper at Bellinger's and picked out Cora's cows. Cora and I got home about 9 o'clock. Mike bought 4 1/4 pounds of butter from me at 25 cents per pound = $1.06.

Wednesday, February 24, 1892

Today was pleasant but cold, with a southeast wind. John and I did chores in the morning. After breakfast, John washed the cows and calves with tobacco water. I went down to Will Goodell's to borrow a pig to put with our sow. I sold a bull to Will for $22.50. John helped me drive the bull to Goodell's before dinner. About noon, I drove Jess and the old cutter over to Salisbury Corners. I stopped at Stahl's and paid him the 5 cents which I owed him. When I stopped at Steve Mang's, I found that he had just gone away to deliver some horses which he had sold. I spoke to his wife about the note of about $75 which he owed to Herman. She said that she didn't know about it but would tell Steve to stop over at my house to see me about it. I then went to the Priest's house and saw Father Mayers. He had sent word with John Cashmer that he needed some hay for his horse. I told him I was sorry that we could not help him out but we did not have any hay to spare. I next visited with Will Congdon and he paid me the $10 which he owed me. I told him that I also had two calves which were for sale. He said that he'd stop over later today to see them. On the way home, I stopped at S. Thompson's. I owed him some money and asked him if he could wait until the year was up for me to repay him. Uncle Will asked if he could borrow some money from me and I can let Uncle Will have some if Thompson can wait for me to repay him. Thompson said that it was satisfactory with him.

Late in the afternoon, Congdon came and looked over the two calves. He bought them for $6 but will pay me at a later date. I got my things together as Will Goodell and I are starting for Cortland in the morning. Seymour has two colts which need training and he doesn't have time to train them. I arranged with him to go down to fetch them up here after Cora and I got back from our Wedding trip. I gave Hannah $10 and Mother $10 to cover the farm and house expenses while I am gone. Cora will stay at her Father's while I'm gone. We went down to Bellinger's at night to spend the night there. Will Goodell came with us. Will and I want to get an early start in the morning.

(Caroline Kilts, Willard's mother wrote for the next several days while he was away on the trip to Cortland to their other farm managed by brother Seymour.)

Thursday, February 25, 1892

This has been a beautiful day, very warm. John did the chores and plowed out the road. Will was starting for Cortland early this morning. He and Will Goodell stayed overnight at Bellinger's. Last night Ettie and Hermie came here to visit and left this afternoon to go back home in Norway. Carrie took the bay horse, Fannie and the cutter and went to Little Falls to paint in the afternoon. She took the milk also.

Friday, February 26, 1892

Today was a nice day. Mike helped do up the chores. John then took the colts and Mike took the black team to draw wood for Mike. They got the wood out of Uncle Will's woods. They each drew one load this morning. At noon, Carrie took Jess and the cutter and took the milk to Little Falls. She planned on painting this afternoon. Mike drew wood for himself this afternoon. Charlie Blowers bought one pound 5 ounces of butter at 25 cents per pound and charged it to his account with us.

Saturday, February 27, 1892

Today was a pleasant day. John took the colts and the milk to Little Falls. He planned on getting some sawdust but could not get any. He came home about noon. Mike took the black team and drew wood for himself. He cleaned the stable in the morning At noon, Congdon came and paid for the calves $6. Aunt Marietta, Harry Pickert, and Ada Weatherwax came up here in the afternoon Ada stayed all night.

Sunday, February 28, 1892

Today was cold and clear. John did the chores. Carrie took Hannah to church in Little Falls. She took Ada to Uncle Joel's on the way to church. Carrie got home about 2 o'clock. Harry Decker and Agnes Houpt were here to visit in the afternoon and stayed for supper and spent the evening here. We had a nice visit.

Monday, February 29, 1892

This was a pleasant day and not very cold. John did the chores. Mike took bay Fannie and the cutter and took his wife to Little Falls. They got back home between four and five o'clock.

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