IMH 75:2 191

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Thursday April 7th.

It froze last night, but got a good deal warmer, and be­
tween 2 and 3 o'clock it began to rain. It didn't stop either
when night came. Father went over the creek to see how the
wood was progressing. The three that worked yesterday were at
work nearly all day. He came back and worked up some more
of that oak tree into fence-slats. Alvin filed the cross-cut saw
and I split stovewood till nearly eleven o'clock when we went
up on the upper 80 got a sled-load of the top of the oak tree
before mentioned. I brought it home, and Alvin helped Pap till
noon. After dinner, we went and got a sled load of poplar for
stovewood and the rain then called a halt. Father however was
not at home till nearly night. Bill Hand came after five 0 clock
and got 22 lbs of "sow-belly;' Kivett had a big stir-off today and
a glorious run of sap.

Teaching Notes: Here is a picture and a description of how a crosscut saw was
used and sharpened. Evidently they heated their home with a wood stove and also
had a cook stove that was fueled by wood. The oak would have been used for the
heating because it burns longer. The poplar would have been more likely used for
the cooking stove because it was faster heating but did not last as long.