IMH 75:2 172

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Monday, February 14th.

It was clear this morning and the mercury stood at zero.

Thin clouds were around at night. Father went to town afoot
with the basket of butter. He was gone most of the day of
course. I passed the greater part of the day in cutting down and
trimming up a beech tree just east of the mouth of the lane or
at the corner of Bill Hand's wheatfield. Alvin and Mother
cleansed the clothes of the household once more. After they
were done Alvin and I hauled up a sled load of fodder and also
a sled load of limbs of the tree which I cut. Wat came this
evening and got Hemp the hog. The O'Neals went into the
clover patch corn to-day and began gathering it.

 

Teaching note; Going afoot to town says something about the times. It was approximatley
4 miles from their farm to town which would take about an hour and 15 minutes to walk one way.

Hemp the hog was likely a male hog.. a boar. As there was only one purpose for the male hog, it
is likely he was "borrowed" for his service from time to time.