42. DIARYOF ALSON WARD May 1845 22.I spent the day in the mill painting fence & In the afternoon Father went to the Valley to settle with Mr Mastain for fixing the wagon and some other work. Wepainted the second coat on the fence to day. \
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23In the morning finished painting the fence except the bottom board which we expect to paint black or dark. In the afternoon it commencedraining and increased until to night about three oclock Carpenter returned with the horse haVing tolerable success in his enterprise. In the afternoon we prepared the cornhouse and sheller for shelling corn by water power._ 25.In the forenoon shelled a load of corn Father fed the sheller and I brought it from the upper part of the mill. In the afternoon Father went to the Valley to fix Grandpa's pumpMr How Dudley Ross and Carpenter (Guests) Miss Pierce Francis Canfield and Miss Dewywere at our house and took tea by invitation. 26.In the morning Father and myself with the help of James Lewis cleaned up a load of corn and Father went to Pokeepsie. James spent the day in the peach orchard hoeing the trees. Ispent the day at the house drawing wood from the usual place in under the shade of the willows and just at night I drew three loads of unsawed wood from Uncle Daniel 1 s hill lot it being left last winter it being up set there last winter. 27.Sabbath We prepared outse1v~s in the morning for church but it commenced raining quite hard and we did not venture to go. In the afternoon Mary and myself went to meeting. Mr Wile gave us a short lecture.Carpenter returned homewith us in the evening.
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28.In the morning prepared to saw wood with the circular saw after a short time got ready and went to sawing old wood and some other wood.ge_tffaa1rly ready for operation by night. 29.Commencedearly in the morning a sawing wood. The saw worked well and we finished all but a small load of soft wood for oven wood. Wefind it required a very quick speed to do the work off nice. 30. Early in the morni~g I went to Pokeepsie to take Carpenter·to the boat on his way to NewHaven In the afternoon after returning home Father arrd myself drew away wood from in front of the mill to the pile in the willow trees (One day missed)
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31.Last night was a very cold night a heavy frost freezing quite ice in the stone by the well. We took the precaution to cover our dalias,tomatoes, and watermelon vines with paper shuch as was not too large. The papers were covered with frozen dew and were quite stiff. Shuch of our dahlias as were covered snug by boxes were safely kept some that had boxes over them but not snug showed signs of cold but not enough to injure them materially. Yesterday is not entered on in its order and therefore I will record it here. I spent the forenoon in the mill The Fishkill folks came at our house about eleven oclock Grandpa Uncle Stephen and Aunt Susan Ann and Charley were the visitors In the forenoon Father and Richard Still worked on the road. In the afternoon I took fathers place on the road Just at night while they were drinking tea Charles had a fit being subject to them quite often. Grandpa Ward and Uncle Daniel came to our house just at night to see Grandpa Monfort To day after dinner they returned home Father and Mary went to Pokeepsie They brought the pleasure wagon home with them I spent the afternoon painting the bottom board varnishing the one horse harness &
