January 1906

Mon. Jan. 1 - 1906 At Home

Chet and folks at Colchester. Not thawing any.

Did Chet’s chores mng & evn’g; & put all the wood into the shed for home. Mrs. Gilmore sent me some dinner. Joe & Harry & Jimmy had a row. Gave Mrs. Farmer apples and tomatoes. She gave me a good supper. Snow to-night & N.W. wind. Colder.

Did biggest day’s work in a year I guess, except sawing wood for Henry. Wind strong & fresh (Mid) and rising.

Tue. Jan. 2, 1906

Quite a cold day. Finished fitting Chet’s wood for stove.

Folks came about same time, all well. Chestie very glad to see me.

After dinner Chet & I went to the Point. He went to Station in scoop.

I measured ice house, walk etc. for lumber.

After supper Chet came home with me bringing a box of New Years grub, from Mrs. Carey. Everyone seems to be kind to me, & I hope I appreciate it. Went over to Henry’s this evening & got wheelbarrow, to wheel wood tomorrow, if not stormy.

Henry expects to go fishing tomorrow.

Am drinking nothing but cold water for two weeks & am feeling better, & working harder than for some time past.

Wed. Jan 3, 1906 . 9 P.M.

Cold day. Sleet storm since 7 P.M. Porter came after the wheelbarrow before I was up. Sewed a little. A.M. dinner at Henry’s . He was fishing. Got a panful, smelt and perch.

Over there this eve. Wheeled two loads wood.

One of my off days. Not feeling very well. Haven’t done much.

Thu. Jan. 4. 10 P.M.

Thawing all day. Showers, sleet & c. Wheeled wood.

Got turnips, beets and cabbage at Henrys. Carried hinges over for saddle to repair my chimney. Not feeling at all well.

Went over & had a good visit with Chestie; told stories till bed time. Chet went to city.

Bruno Cross very sick and Fred Farmer staying with Adrian.

Fri. Jan 5. 10. P.M.

Thawing. Squally. Cooler at night. Henry & I went fishing today. Gave most of them to Chet. Very tired. At Chets this eve. Bruno died last night.

Sat. Jan. 6, 1906 Midnight.

Squally, but not very cold. Finished wheeling + piling wood. Have my little wood-room full; looks fine. A years supply I think, of birch and pine cut a year ago and dried under cover. All nice wood. Put brace on Henry’s wheelbarrow to keep it true. Henry gave me his old hand sled, I will fix it for Chestie. Aunt Em gave me three eggs and a new (almost) pair of felt slippers. Bought Uncle Reube’s old sleigh + paid $2.00 for it for Chet. Bruno Cross was buried to-day. Henry + Bert went to the city. A good old gale straight from the west is roaring in great shape. It commenced about fifteen minutes ago, and seems to be rising. I think the windows at the Station are being washed all night. I am glad not to be there at this time. At Chet’s this evening. All have colds.

Sun. Jan. 7 9 P.M.

Quite cool day, Squally. Colder + clear to-night. Baked 4 loaves of bread; fine luck. Dinner at Chet’s. Smelt. We looked at the old sleigh. At P. Cole’s this evening. Cleaned up bedroom and kitchen.

Mon. Jan. 8 Mid.

Very cold + colder to-night. Went to city with Chet. Fine moon, clear. Bought shoes for pung, bolts, braces + Coat, Frock, Overalls + fire clay. Got grocery freight from John T Connor Corp. 60 cents bananas + P. Corn for Chestie. Supper at Chet’s. P. Cole + wife at Farmer’s this eve when I stopped in. Fire all out when I came and taking quite a while to warm everything up again.

Tue. Jan. 9 10 30 P.M

A very cold night last night, and but little warmer to-day. Very much colder again to-night. Delivered Aunt Em’s groceries. Helped Chet chop. Spoke to Henry about repairing sleigh at his shop and also about advice regarding Chet building me a shack. Stopped and visited with Mrs. Farmer. Fred is fishing over near Churchill’s Point.

Wed, Jan 10-1906 10 P.M.

Very cold, S. wind. Warmer towards night. Have done very little to-day except to keep warm by the fire. Saw Raytee about lumber. Dinner at Coles. Pete drawn wood from Shaeffer’s, Henry getting ice. Got new ice saw for him of Chet. Ice 12 in thick and making fast. Borrowed bits and auger of Henry for Chet, to pin shoes on his sled. Supper at Chet’s and play with Chestie.

Thu. Jan. 11 10 P.M.

Cold and damp, warmer to-night, indications of rain. Went to Chet’s this mng. He had gone to city for medicine and to have horses shod. Baby had croup last night; he and Chestie both have bad colds. Chet almost sick and I chopped wood an hour and a half, got dinner and then Chet and I went to W. Pt. He hunted for rabbits and I pulled off rotten boards in Stone’s ice house. After supper made skating girls for Chestie, called at Frank’s on my way home, papers from home from Mary.

Fri Jan 12

Cut White oak sticks for sled shoes and partly shod sled for Chet. Warm and thawing, drew load of wood for Chet.

Sat Jan 13

Colder, not thawing.

We finished shoeing bob-sled and made a horse and an ice slide.

Sun Jan 14

House-cleaning. Dishwashing etc., etc. Made doughnuts. At Henry’s this evening. He moved his fish house to the reef and got 3 doz. smelt, 3 doz. perch and a pickerel and a ling.

Mon. Jan. 15

Chestie had croup last night. Chet drew ice for Hall. 8 cakes 18x22x15 per load; 20 loads, 160 cakes.

Everything worked well and Hall was pleased.

At Chet’s this evening. Not freezing. Cloudy. Threatening. At sunset sky was streaked red as blood an unusual color.

Chopped for myself and have a pretty fair horse load I think.

Joe Bessette is back home. Was fired when he got back to Hinesburg after his N. Year’s vacation. He has a boil on his neck and Farmer has one on his left cheek.

Am having a very bad cough these days. Hope I may knock it out with onions and ginger tea.

Tues. Jan. 16

Thawing all day and threatening. Rain early this morning. Frost coming out of ground fast. Chopping wood AM.

Dinner at Henry’s. He and Bert went fishing on the reef.

Rain about 3 PM drove me out of woods. Only a shower.

At Chet’s this eve. Got some Down’s Elixir for my cough. Hot as hell there and had to leave or roast to death.

Not feeling at all well tonight.

More papers from Sister Mary: Picture of Bill Amidon.

Wed. Jan. 17

Cold but thawing in middle of the day.

Chet and I went to city and got lumber for Stone.

Thu. Jan. 18

Stiff S. breeze until towards night. Not thawing but very little if any.

Chet and I took lumber from his place to the Point and then worked in ice house. Finished 3 sides.

He went to Station after 5 PM while I loaded up and got ready to come home. The old mare is as true to pull as any ox team.

Ruth had some the best brown bread for supper that I ever ate.

Fri. Jan. 19

Very warm. About sick all day.

Did nothing except chop wood about an hour and a half in the PM.

Chet drew manure from Winooski.

Sat. Jan. 20

Stormy. Sick all day.

Chet came over and drew my wood to the barn.

I went home with him in an awful storm of sleet after my wood saw.

Sun. Jan 21

Warm as summer.

Bare ground this morning. Feeling worse.

Lying around all day. At home. At Henry’s in eve.

Got some pills. “Carters Little Liver”.

Taking two at bed time.

Mon. Jan. 22

A beautiful summer day. Pansies in blossom in one man’s garden in Burlington. Frost coming out of the ground. Muddy as in spring.

Very sick last night. Pretty weak today.

Have eaten very little in last three days.

Better tonight.

Tue. Jan. 23 7:30 PM

Fine summer day. Frost out of ground.

Chet came over to work on Chimney and brought his new parsnips, just dry. He took his folks to Uncle Willard’s and I went after them just before rain. Henry was here to help about chimney.

I expected to feel better but am weak as a cat and haven’t much appetite.

Chimney full of soot and cannot have fire tonight.

Raining for more than an hour.

Shelling peas for seed.

Wed. Jan. 24 10.30 PM 18° Cold Snap

Colder. Commenced freezing before noon; has steadily grown colder since. Ice on bay breaking up and is unsafe to travel on. Fish houses going down, etc.

Chet finished chimney. I put all wood I had chopped in barn. At Chet’s this evening.

Considering advisability of selling his place.

We’ve had a wonderful winter so far. In the last two weeks frost has completely come out of the ground around here and roads are as muddy as in spring. Buds are swelling, grass is starting. And every indication of the very near approach of spring has been observed up to last night and this morning. Ice on lake is honey combed and two days more like yesterday would have cleaned the bay of ice.

Mrs. Cole died just before noon today, very suddenly.

Thurs. Jan. 25. 1906. 9:20pm 14°

Very cold last night and today. Clear all the times. Chet and I went to station, and to Benlaw, to estimate amounts of lumber for ice house and shingle and surface to be painted on cottage for Watkins.

Finished Stone’s ice-house ready for putting in ice. Hiram, Harry and their man came from Benlaw to Point and went home with two teams. Had been there since Mon.

Wind light and very little ice floating.

Brought-home manure from Stone’s stable, some sand for his house, and a bbl I rescued from lake at Barney Point.

Fri. Jan. 26 7:30am 14°

A beautiful frosty morning. Coughed nearly all night and feel about done up.

Fri. Jan. 26 Mid. 22° Wind S. Lt.

A fine clear day. Helped Chet shingle shop. All hands picking beans this evening. N. lights tonight. Chestie came up on roof with me. D. and S. at Chet’s.

Sat. Jan. 27. 8 pm. 36° S. Hardly Perceptible.

Pretty cool, sunny, muddy. Helped Chet. Finished shingling one side of shop, and got ice-house ready to move. Chet went to city and got shingle. Chestie was out with me while I chopped wood in shed, and came on roof while we were shingling.

Sun Jan 28 9 P.M. 28°

Summer in A.M. Cloudy and cold P.M. Fresh breeze N.W.in evening with light snow squall.

At home all day. Baked biscuit and four loaves bread. Fine luck.

At Henry’s this evening. Just home.

They saw Chet and folks go to Col. in mng. and ret. P.M.

Mon . Jan 29.

7 A.M. 0° Noon 20° 9 P.M. 15°

A fine clear cold day.

Chopped a good load of wood. Henry called in mng. and we went together. Showed him my bread. Edie andAdrian called for some Sage.

At Cole’s this evening. Feeling pretty well for me.

Tue. Jan 30

8 A.M. 30° Noon 46° 9 P.M. 44°.

A nice day, but strong S . wind. Smoky like Summer.

No winter like this ever known here before.

A large open space like a river from M. Head away Past Hall‘s Pt.. Henry’s Fish Shanty is gone to the devil with out doubt.

Chopped another load of wood, though I had quite a poor spell this A.M. At Henry’s this evening. Debated frauds and humbugs, etc.

Wed Jan 31. 8 P.M. About 40˚ All day

Cloudy indications of rain A.M. Rain (light) P.M. No wind all day.

Chet finished and striped my chimney and took down staging and ladder. Gave him apples for pies and cabbage for hens. Mowed brush and chopped till Chet came. Did a little after he went home, but rain stopped me. Have felt quite miserable all day, weak as a cat. Cough still hangs on, and I feel all used up. Mailed letter to Henry Cole.

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