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DIARYOF ALSON WARD
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36
April 1845 . . 1., went to town meeti_ngci.ndstaid t1.J1 they got throughcanvessrng. The old __, J 11st ye9-r'-s_c9-n.dtdateswere:thechGsen ones fo_r this that is Oliver Devine fcir•the-D~~ociats'Johri s·L6tkw6oct·WhigThe ·Democrat·candidate gained the e1ectfon as usual a1though the Whig made a most desparate effort to the contrary.,_ · 2, To day I have been under the necessity of following the plough as Titus did not come as we expected Father tended the mill and worked at the fence in the front of the house.
3. Spent most of the day following the plough it being some meadowground some which never before been ploughed. It is rather hard work for a green hand. At noon I went to see if I couTd find some one that could come and help us plough went to see what was the cause Titus did not come found him sick a bed. Went to Mr Conklins to see if James Lewis was engaged longer than the day found him spading garden and engaged for the week. In the ·• afternoon ploughed some. 4. Spent the forenoon ploughing. In the afternoon Father went to Pokeepsie to get some peach trees to replace some that have died and some that have never come up in the peach orchard he got only a few he thought it rather early to set them out 5. In the morning Minard Dean came to help us dig holes in the peach orchard Father tended mill and I ploughedi n the forenoon. In the afternoon Father went to the peach orchard to set out trees adopted the same plan as last year in transplanting I spent the time in the mill Just at night Charles Monfort and his sister Cathrin came to our houseto spend the SabbathFather and Minard p1anted some early peas in the west lot near the peach orchard. 6. Sabbathin the forenoon went to church Mr Palmer preached Mr Wile having gone out east to attend protracted meeting. Weyoung folks went in the two horse carrilage. Father and Mother went in the one horse wagon. In the afternoon Charles and his sister went home In the evening sister Mary and myself went to temperance meeting. Mr Don from Columbia Co address the meeting very able being a thorough going temperance man one that knew the bad effects of intemperance by experience shuch men often produce more feeling than others that knowby observation merely
7. Early in the morning I went to the Valley to get the hame iron fixed and get the horse shod Ward Wesley and James Lewis and Titus Sacrider came in the morning to work for us. Ward and James Lewis laid wall in front of the house Titus ploughed in the forenoon In the afternoon I helped him draw some rail fence after which we drew some manure on the corn ground. 8. The first thing my eyes beheld in looking out of the windowwas the ground covered with snow although very light it gave us a sorrowful look as it is very cold for the time of year the trees are covered with a thin coat of ice and the thermometer has stood at two degrees abo've freezing dtf.r;ing the day we feel some afraid the fruit buds especially the peach buds Father and Titus have been at work at the fence during the day.In the morning I wedged the arms on the west side of the water wheel with shingles and fastened the pit wheel on the shaft. I spent the day in the mill .
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9. In the morning I went after some locust posts at Joseph Meads north of the Valley-·after returning homeTitus Sacrider took the team and went to ploughing. In the afternoon Father and myself worked at the fence It has been extremely windy to day as all the rest of the week and part of last has been.
