1895

In January it “rained terrible, highest water on record.”  Josef continued to add to his equipment; finished work bench and rutabaga cutter, worked on thrashing machine wheel, made a wagon.  Went to surprise party at Graham’s.

February 1895:  Dora had a week’s stay in Rainier.  Meanwhile in her absence, Josef made a grindstone trough and “baked grindstone bread”.  During the month he finished shingling the front of the house, smoked “smelts” and set out orchard trees.  Slight earthquake.  February 17: “Mr. Morris having a bad visit at my place.”  Two days later his wife visited, possibly to patch things up??  This is the second notation of a disagreement with Mr. Morris, and as time went on their relationship did not improve. Seven years later Josef “closed off trail to Morris”.

March 1895:  Grafted trees, ploughed, grubbed, sowed oats, barley, and peas. Planted potatoes, smoked sturgeon, made Rudy a cart and a chair. Defeated as clerk at school meeting.  Made a road to shingle timber, made bolts and shingles.  Snowed several times during the month.

April 1895:  Went with road surveying party to the Beaver.  Planted trees, poled orchard trees, fixed bank below chicken house.  Spaded garden, worked on road west of house, and road to hill.  Cow had a calf.  Split flooring for porch.  On jobs during the month went to Harry Doan’s, Risher’s,  and Nelson’s.

May 1895:  Spaded garden, planted onions, set out rutabagas.  Dora went to Nelson’s.  Bob Johnson visited for two days.  Grubbed a stump in front of the house, worked on road, split rails and made a fence.  Made a seat for Rudy in the water closet [outside toilet].  Rudy first time in pants.  Made wagon ready for hay.  Killed the cats.

June 1895:  Cut wood on school ground.  4^th wedding anniversary.  Shingled west gable, looked for a cowtrail, made cowtrails.  Mowed, made hay, hauled in hay.  Hauled hay at Nelson’s and Parcher’s.  Bored some snags on the hill and cleared.  Kitchen caught fire.  First strawberries ripe on June 18.

July 1895:  Cleared on the hill, got cats from Banzer.  Walked with Rudy to town.  Eleven days later “Dora went to Rainier for Rudy”, “Dora went with the church around the cross coming home with Rudy”.  Hauled shingle bolts to shed, made shingles.  Hauled Risher’s hay at Charley Doan’s place with ox.  “Cut bolts for Harry Doan, a piece of steel struck me above the eye.”  Picked blackberries.

August 1895:  Picked blackberries for wine.  “Hot, mowed wheat, fought fire  - tremendous fire on hill west of house.”  Josef fought fires for the next several days and noted  it was “smoky” for about a week.  Went to Harry Doan’s with the cow.  Trashed and cleaned peas, barley, and dug potatoes.  Went to Harry Doan’s and Brant’s, got flour.  Hauled in last of the hay, bored and burned logs.

September 1895:  On the lst there was a belated dinner party for Dora and notation that day “got a cat from Risher’s”.  During the month Josef made a new truss for Rudy then took him to Rainier for a 6-week stay, presumably to the Winchester grandparents.  He also visited his friend “sick Mr. Beusch.”  On September 22 Dora had a bad toothache, and the next day September 23, “At 12:45 o’clock a.m., Ina born, went to Rishers, ploughed ½ acre west of the house.”  Josef is again doing “housework” for about 10 days while Dora recuperates.  During this time the kitten fell in the well.  Josef is also working out in the field sowing wheat, oats, and barley.  There is no mention of Willie, the toddler now nearly 1 ½ years old, who perhaps was helping his mother care for the new baby.  The next week Dora had a busy day with visits from Lottie Nelson, Mrs. Parcher, Mrs. Risher, and Mrs. Graham. 

October 1895:  Put up the clothesline.  Raked and burned the trash on the hill. Dug on barn lot, cut and hauled shingle bolts.  Held school meeting.  Worked for Risher, went to Wilsons.

November 1895:  Hauled manure on strawberries, onion bed, wheat ground.  Picked Seckel pears.  Dora went to Rainier with the baby.  Cut and hauled wood, burned out a stump.  Cut down a tree and made shingle timber.  Built a shingle shed.  Broke the froh, got a froh from Grahams.  Julia, Cora Bailey, Lottie Nelson, and Mr. & Mrs. Braddock all visited the same day.

Boarded cellar part of barn.  On Thanksgiving Day:  “Went to Rishers, set a tree in road afire, rested.”  The last day of the month “First water in the well since June.”

December 1895:  Harvested rutabagas, carrots, sawed wood.  “Went with Braddock for dogsalmon to Lady Creek, heavy load.”  Smoked dog salmon.  Made a halter chain for the ox.  Helped Braddock on chimney.  Went to Beusch’s for apples.  Put new maple tongue on wagon.  Risher butchered the calf.  Cut up meat and helped Dora can meat.  Hauled a dogwood tree from the other side of the hill.  Worked on new sled.  On December 31, Josef “finished sled, had a quick ride.”

Josef turned 36 years old on December 28.

“The year 1895 (the year of disappointments) has been financially very poor, extremely dry in summer and fall, extreme in thunder, high water and fire.  Road on hill completed, cow path fenced, cleared ½ acre, grubbed ¼ acre new ground, and ¼ acre meadow, shingled house.”