IMH 75:2 194

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Wednesday, April 13th

To-day the sky was clouded and no sun was seen. There
was a slight snow storm in the evening and the air was rather
raw and chilly. Alvin painted the sap buckets, which had been
put in the shop last Monday. He painted them red on the
outside. Father and I hauled manure from around the stable
door and in the stalls. That from in the stable we made a
hot-bed of in the usual place in the corner of the garden: the
rest we hauled on the field immediately below the garden. It
was very slushy nasty work. It was hauled on the sled and hoed
off it. Foster and Hand entirely finished up the wood this
forenoon and Bill came and settled with Pap about two o'clock.
There are $3.50 due him I had a slight gas with Wat who
passed through about night going home. To-day was my 26th.
birthday.

Teaching Note: A Hot Bed is a window covered frame on the ground of various sizes.
It is heated by both the sun and a layer of horse or cattle manure. of about 6" or more and then
covered. it was indeed hot and was used to start plants and vegetables before the last killing frost
which in that part of Indiana was around the 10th of May..

It is sad to note that William will die before his 28th birthday... as did both his other brothers.
The cause of his death is not known