Tuesday March 23rd

This has been a very disagreeable day. Cloudy raw east wind and raining or snowing most of the time. I cleaned out the cellar but as I didn't work at it very hard it took me most of the day. It was in bad shape as all the old pumpkins & squash that I put down there had rotted. I have been cudgelling my brains all day to figure out some way of relieving our financial situation as it seems useless to wait much longer for the fortune to come. We are about $300.00 in debt besides the mortgage of $300 and I have got to do some fencing this year and the barn needs shingling. I also want to get a couple of good cows and set out some more fruit and if I could only finance it would try to run my brooder again and raise about 500 chickens. We looked over my insurance policy and could borrow about $225.00 or $280 after the next premium is paid on it, but that wouldn't pay our debts, so I think I will have to try and raise about $700 on a mortgage if I can find the money.

Wednesday March 24th

I went over home this morning and Frank & I bagged up a few oats for me before dinner and this after noon

took them to the mill and went on down town and got some groceries, coal oil, my can of milk at the dairy, and some feed at Billy Laings then came back by the mill and got our chop. It was nearly five when we got to the farm so left the load there and I drove home in the buggy. I saw Chris and spoke for space in his incubator for enough eggs to hatch 500 chicks and he said he could put them in next week or the week after but advised waiting till the week after next as he thought they would hatch better.

I also spoke to Hall for 1200 rods of fence & 50 steel posts so will have to raise money some place. Dad. counsels waiting awhile and if I have to mortgage going to Frank Reid. He got two letters from Mr. Parks this morning to-day saying that all the counsel think it would be unwise to try to get beforemthe judge until this premature baby case is settled & proved as the judge would probably shelve the case anyway till then, so Mr. parks says it will be the middle of April after the Easter vacation anyweay before the cas ecomes up. He said Mr. Farwell, my Counsel, was going to see. Gavin Simmonds privately and suggest a settlement as there is the possibility of them appealing the judges decision if it goes against them and that woulsd cause more delay. Dick wrote Aunty saying Nita is very dangerously ill in the hospital. Mild, rain to-night.