Canadian Diary 1897

Irwin Bedford

CALENDAR

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FRIDAY, January 22, 1897 Cold and blustery. Good sleighing. [——] and I down to Stella’s. Stayed all day.

SATURDAY, January 23 Cold. Good sleighing. I got a load of timber for W. J. French from his bush.

SUNDAY, January 24 Very cold. Mary went to church in the morning.

MONDAY, January 25, 1897 Very cold. I got a load of wood from [Carrigan]. 1 1/2 cords @ 60 per cord.

TUESDAY, January 26 Clear but very cold. Choring all day.

WEDNESDAY, January 27 Cold, some snowfall. [—— —— —— ——]. Went down to Stella’s in the afternoon.

THURSDAY, January 28 Cold. Got a load of wood from Cartin — 2 1/4 cords stove wood at 50 cts per cord.

FRIDAY, January 29 Milder but still cold. I got a load of wood off W. J. French’s lot.

SATURDAY, January 30 Milder; thawed some. I got a load of wood off Cartin — one cord of four-foot wood @ 60 cts per cord.

SUNDAY, January 31 Clear and cold. I went to church in the morning. Clara went down to Stella’s in afternoon. I drove Clara & Mrs. McTavish down to Stella’s at night. Clara stayed all night.

MONDAY, February 1 Cold and frosty. I drove down and got Clara. Mother, Jennie, Jos. H. Lawrence here in afternoon.

TUESDAY, February 2 Cold and cloudy. Home all day. Clara went down to stay over night with Stella.

WEDNESDAY, February 3 Milder. Clara came home in the afternoon.

THURSDAY, February 4 Milder. Hauled some corn stalks.

FRIDAY, February 5 Mild. Started to snow about dark, turning to rain. I went with Belford & Charlie and got a load of logs off H. J. French’s lot in [Bawn].

SATURDAY, February 6 Rained all forenoon. Took the logs over to Mr. Dean’s mill in the morning.

SUNDAY, February 7 Mild. We went to church in the morning and to Olin Hicks’ funeral in the afternoon at the church.

MONDAY, February 8 Froze a little last night; snowed some in forenoon. I went over and got my lumber from Mr. Dean’s — 578 feet at 13½. Took a load of fodder to Mr. Hazzard.

TUESDAY, February 9 Cold. I went over and helped F. Deacon kill 2 hogs in the morning. Delivered 5 head of cattle.

WEDNESDAY, February 10 Cold. Hauled some fodder.

THURSDAY, February 11 Cold. We went down to J. James in the afternoon. Started to snow about dark.

FRIDAY, February 12 Cold and snowy. Snowed all forenoon. I got the horses shod.

SATURDAY, February 13 Cold. Good sleighing. I went with Belford and Charlie and got a load of logs off H. J. French’s lot in Dawn.

SUNDAY, February 14 Milder; thawed some. Clara went to church in the morning.

February 1897

Monday 15 Snowy. Killed one pig. We went to the tea-meeting at night. A splendid success.

Tuesday 16 Mild. Sleighing poor. We went out and I got a load of wood.

Wednesday 17 Mild. Sleighing gone. We went up town in afternoon.

Thursday 18 Cold. I got a load of wood from Leathier [sic]. 1 cord @ 65 cts. Clara’s mother here.

Friday 19 Cold and clear. I helped W. J. French haul timber for his barn.

Saturday 20 Cold raw wind; starting to rain in the afternoon. I got my lumber shooks from the mill. Attended lecture at Farmers’ Institute meeting in Dresden.

February 1897

Sunday 21 Cold. We went down home in the morning & went to church in the evening.

Monday 22 Stormy. Jobbing.

Tuesday 23 Cold and windy. I paid J. Brown [amount unclear] for threshing charges. Brought a load of logs to mill; got flour, salt, and some [item unclear]; paid $1.60 for same.

Wednesday 24 Cold. Home all day. Cut some wood.

Thursday 25 Cold north wind. I got a load of wood off F. Deacon’s lot in Dawn.

Friday 26 Cold. Snowed a little. Helped W. J. French haul timber for his barn.

February–March 1897

Saturday 27 (Feb.) Cold west wind. I was up town in afternoon to [—] Sale [illegible].

Sunday 28 (Feb.) Stormy. Snow. We went to church in evening. Rev. Mr. Kennedy of Thamesville preached a missionary sermon.

Monday 1 (Mar.) Snowed all forenoon. Jobbing.

Tuesday 2 (Mar.) Cold. Snowed in afternoon. I went with W. J. F. and got a load of wood off F. Deacon. Went to Lodge at night. Rained in the night and froze.

Wednesday 3 (Mar.) Colder. Mrs. Shipley and Bertie here. I was up town; got [—] lbs of flour [illegible] … Mr. Cranmer [illegible].

Thursday 4 (Mar.) Milder. Getting wood. Clara was up town in afternoon.

March, Thursday 11, 1897 Fine. H. L. Franch helped me saw wood all day. Mrs. Franch and May here.

Friday 12 Strong west wind. Hauled logs in the morning. Cleaned clover seed in afternoon.

Saturday 13 Cold. Took a load of fodder to J. Haygood in morning. Sold my clover seed for $3.50 per bu[sh]. Bart here.

March, Sunday 14, 1897 Cold and blustery. Charles and Alice here all day. Rob Sherburn over. I went to church in evening.

Monday 15 Cold but smothly [smoothly?]. Wm. Welch & P. P. Haff got a load of corn.

Tuesday 16 Mild one. P. P. Haff got two loads of corn — got 173½ bu[sh]. Anna Seely here in afternoon. Hauled wood and spread 25 bu[sh] barley. Hitched calf to sledge at night.

Tuesday, March 23, 1897 Stormy. Snow & Rain. Jobbing

Wednesday, March 24 Stormy. Rain & Snow. I helped W. H. French drive his bull to station. Went up town and got some beef 63 lbs.

Thursday, March 25 Cold. Went up town and got a few timothy seed 88¢.

Friday, March 26, 1897 Cold. I sowed clover seed on field back of barn in morning. Did wood in afternoon.

Saturday, March 27 Cold. I cut some wood in the morning, was up town in afternoon.

Sunday, March 28 Fine. Roads muddy. We went to church in the morning, and over to Mr. Holt’s in the afternoon.

Monday, March 29, 1897 Fine. I was cutting wood all day. Finished sawing. Advertised in the morning. Aunt Libbie.

Tuesday, March 30 Fine. Cutting wood all day. Clara went up to Mrs. Wires’s in afternoon.

Wednesday, March 31 Fine. Went up town in the morning. We went down home in afternoon.

Thursday, April 1, 1897 Fine. Roads good. We went out home. All was well.

Friday, April 2 Fine. Trimmed the orchard in the morning. Hauled some poles from A. J. Ripley’s.

Saturday, April 3 Fine. Went down to Cooper’s mill and got our grist. Hauled two 55 of clover seed. Clara went up town in afternoon.

Sunday, April 4, 1897 Rainy. We went to church in the morning. Ralph and Ida here in the afternoon.

Monday, April 5 Fine. I was plowing all day. Bert came to stop overnight.

Tuesday, April 6 Rain in the morning. I went up town and got letters + papers. Helped H. J. French raise addition to his barn.

Wednesday, April 7, 1897 Cloudy. Snowed and rained a little all day. I helped H. J. French finish raising his barn. Plowed some in afternoon.

Thursday, April 8 Fine. Jobbing in forenoon. I got 33 bu. of barley from H. J. French. We went up town.

Friday, April 9 Stormy. Snowed all day.

Thursday, April 22, 1897 Warm. Jim plowing all day. I worked at the big pen most of day.

Friday, April 23, 1897 Warm. Jim plowed until it rained at 4:30. Clarence [???] for dinner. I worked in the garden all day.

Saturday, April 24, 1897 Warm. Went down home and got 22 quince and some plum trees and we set them out in the afternoon. I gave A. $1.00 for a pair.

Sunday, April 25, 1897 Showery. We went down home for dinner.

Monday, April 26, 1897 Cold and windy. We hauled wood and worked at pig pen.

Tuesday, April 27, 1897 Warmer. We put roof on pig pen. Clara and Jess [stayed/stop?] a night.

Wednesday, April 28, 1897 Fine. Jim plowing all day. I went to Lynn Mills to H. Marsh’s funeral. Working at pig pen rest of day.

Thursday, April 29, 1897 Cloudy. Jim plowing. I finished roofing pig pen.

Friday, April 30, 1897 Showery. Jim finished plowing for oats. I finished the roof on pig pen.

Saturday, May 1, 1897 Rained all day. Cleaned some oats and made two gates.

Sunday, May 2, 1897 Rained all day. Home all day.

Monday, May 3, 1897 Bright in morning. Showers in afternoon. I started on furnace. I set 60 quarts. Sarah at pot luck.

Monday, June 21, 1897 Fine, a hard frost last night. Jim cultivating corn. I was hoeing all day.

Tuesday, June 22, 1897 Fine day. We all celebrated in town all day.

Wednesday, June 23, 1897 Warmer. Jim cultivating corn & I hoed corn all day.

Thursday, June 24, 1897 Very warm. Jim cultivating. I was hoeing corn. Clara went down home and picked some strawberries.

Friday, June 25, 1897 Fine day. Jim cultivating. I was hoeing corn. Mrs. Kelsey here for supper.

Saturday, June 26, 1897 Fine day. Jim cultivating corn. I hoed corn. We went up town in the evening.

Sunday, June 27, 1897 Fine day. Eda and I passed from church in the morning. We went over to A.T. Ripley’s in the afternoon.

Monday, June 28, 1897 Fine day, a little rain in the evening. I started to get hay. Jim cultivating corn in the afternoon. I pulled mustard out of the oats.

Tuesday, June 29, 1897 Showery all day. Jobbing.

Wednesday, June 30, 1897 Fine in forenoon. Showery in afternoon. Jim and I finished pulling mustard.

Thursday, July 1, 1897 Showery. The 61st & 77th Regiment paraded in Brampton. Prince & (Duke?) attended. Sold a steer to J. McKim for $39.

Friday, July 2, 1897 Fine & warm. Jim cultivating corn. I had some hay and we hauled one load.