IMH 75:2 202-203

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Friday, May 6th

A very hot day. A heavy fog hung over till perhaps nine
o'clock, then the sun came out and though masses of heavy
clouds floated over it made no abatement of the heat. I finished
the plowing the land begun Wednesday; got the stalk-cutter
and mangled the stalks on the Benge patch, then plowed that
and finally took the plow up into the N.W. corner of Hand's
wheat field and plowed up a small patch for sweet potatoes. At
night I was too hot and my head felt too bad to eat any supper.
I drank a cup of coffee and vomited it again. Alvin scratched
till five o'clock when he called it done and rejoiced in spirit
thereat. Father went afoot to town this morning. John F.
commenced breaking up his field on the side next the road. His
father sent for and got the stalk-cutter again this afternoon. I
finished and sent my letter to Grandmother this morning and
we received one from her this evening. She writes that she is in
poor health, dizzy-headed and has a bad cold. She lives almost
alone now. Mr. Silas R. Sulye who married her sister Elizabeth
died a few days ago aged nearly 80. He lived at Galena, [Ohio],
and willed be missed by those who knew him.

I have forgotten to state that Jap Foster came yesterday
morning and borrowed the fro.

Teaching Note: A fro is a hand tool.
F rom Wikipedia: "Froes are used in combination with wooden mallets to split
timber, to make planks, wooden shingles, or kindling; they are safer and more
accurate to use than hatchets because the blade is not swung.