DIARYOF ALSON WARD
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Feb 1845 4. Wokeup saw it snowing quite fa,st fe_lt some better than the day before. spent the ·day in the house it being a_very blus~ery cold da~ to~ard nig~t it really a~sumed the appearance of winter snowing and blowing with a stiff current frpm the nortneast · 5. Continued snowing most of _the day cleared off just at night spent the day in the house being rather cold for invalid persons to be out the snow having drifted so much that it will make very poor sleighing. 6. Spent most of the day in the house and mill office not yet feeling like business Gardiner Allen and Edwin Dudley were passing by in a sleigh called a few minutes to warm. Father went to the Valley in the forenoon after the newspapers with Uncle Daniel 1 s team. 7.5Pent most of the day tending mill it was cold sour work this week and last have been quite cold the thermometer ranging most of the time near zero. 8. Spent most of the day in the mill Father went to Pokeepsie with a part of load of flour in the sleigh found very poor sleighing 9. SabbathFather Mother and Mary went to meeting in the forenoon and I being under the influence of medicine thought best to remain home.. Last night was a very cold night perhaps as cold or colder than any night this winter the thermometer settling below zero a few degrees. They went also in the evening. The meetings continue to excite interest.
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10.Spent most of the day in the house. Father attempted to draw wood from the woods succeeded in drawing two loads the sleigh then broke and he obliged to go to the Valley to get it fixed. Mr Grahamof Pokeepsie called to look at the lower run of stone which was have offered for sale. 11.Spent most of the day in the mill. Father attempted again to draw wood but did not succeed although he went to the woods twice for the purpose offetching a load but he broke down both times- after getting part of the way homewith",the wood. In the afternoon Father went to the Valley for the purpose of getting the sleigh fixed. Mother and Mary went along concluded to stay the evening to meeting, It rained about ten at night. This day has been a very warmand pleasant one the snow had went very fast though not much injury to the sleighing for there was hardly any before. It looked very much like a thaw at eleven oclock it being warmand overcast 12. Spent most of the forenoon in the mill office Father tended the mi11 ground the screenings which was a very dirty job. It proved to be a rain storm or thaw it rained quite hard early in the morning cleared off before noon in the afternoon Father went to the Valley after the papers &Just at night Mr Degarmocame at our house and gave ·sister M~ryand myself an.invite to their house tomorrow evening. 13.An extremely cold and blustery day. Spent most of the forenoon in the house In the afternoon started the mill In the evening I went to Mr Degarmos Mary thought best not to go it being very cold and rough going. Found a small companySpent the evening pleasantly.
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14. In the morning found it looking like a storm Spent the forenoon drawing firewood under the woodhousefrom the heap by the dam It snowed and hailed a part of the time during the day. 15.Spent the day in the mill After breakfast woods after a load of wood on our return our return (how patiently I cannot say). It rained very moderately or a mist most
Father and,:myself went to the found plenty of customers waiting Father spent the day drawing wood of the day
