IMH 74:4 p326

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

Thursday, October 7th

Father cut part of the buckwheat before breakfast again, after it he disappeared again till dark on his chimney building contract.
Alvin put in the day with team and wagon at working out our road tax. We hauled gravel all the time and dumped into a single
mud-hole. Miss Effie adjourned her school(19) this evening till next Monday and went home to enjoy tomorrow. Weather pretty
warm, bright and clear

Teaching Notes: This entry has two very interesting and appealing practices. First, instead of paying a road tax, one could simply
work it out by performing road repair. Often, townships had some road equipment needed like a horse drawn grader or a gravel
wagon ( a wagon that unladed by pulling slats out of the bottom) or a horse drawn slip scoop. You simply borrowed what you
needed and "worked out" your road tax. Secondly, teacher in the rural schools were in effect the principal, superintendent, and
teacher wrapped up in one package. If the teacher thought that an extended weekend was called for, then they did it. This would
happen often in the season of planting and harvest. Ask your students if they think that was a good idea!