IMH 74:4 356

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

Saturday, December 11th.

A good deal warmer but no thawing, cloudy most of the time, and the south wind began to blow
at night. I put those snowy chips in the wood-house. Alvin and Father cut some logs and after
awhile we hitched up first to the old sled and hauled up the top of the ash tree that the log sled
was made of which stood a little distance south of the stable. Then they hitched to the log sled
and hauled the body up. The next to tackle was a big beech on the hill-side just above the stable
which Alvin and I cut last spring and began to make stovewood of but quit after about using up
our ax-handles. The first log rolled a short distance down hill sled and all. The sled was then put
aside and the two logs were "snaked" down without it, but not withhout some danger. It being
eleven o clock Father started in the hack to town and I concluded I would go with him. I was up
at Uncle W. R's a short time and was charged with a bundle for Effie to be left at Wat's. I brought
it down and put it in our butter-pail before starting out. Mr. Cunningham82 thought it belonged to
one of his clerks so Father left it and we started home. I happened to find out it was not in the pail
after I was some distance out. I hoofed back, got the bundle, and came out in Aleck Stiles's 83
wagon in company with five others. Got home at 3.30 o'clock. I broke the mainspring of my watch
while winding it at night. Alvin divided his time between firewood and squiz while we were gone
and we made a lot of wood after I got home.

Teaching Notes: Making wood. You might check with your students to see if they know an
ash tree from a beech tree. (they make baseball bats out of Ash and they carve initials and hearts
on Beech trees). The likely reason that William Gregory mentions the variety of wood is that all
 wood has different properties for burning and heating. Students likely do not know because they
don't hunt squirrels and don't burn wood...although some may. Those who do will
"know their trees." When William refers to "using up our ax-handles" you can get an idea that beech
wood is tough and hard to split...but burns well. Ash is easily split but burns faster. I think the
lesson is that we tend to be more knowledgeable about things that we need or use and that makes
it important for educators to "connect" their lessons with their students lives