Carol’s observations from Josef’s journal of the 1890’s

It appears the children, one at a time, commonly stayed in Rainier, often weeks at a time, with their Winchester grandparents.  Josef was very industrious and within the first five years after his marriage, had put finishing touches on his house and outbuildings.  With the growing family, he must have needed more income so started working more at neighboring homesteads.  1899 marked the beginning of Josef’s extended work at the various lumber camps where he would carry his blankets and stay to work the week.  He continually went around looking for outside work and there are many notations of “went to. . . for nothing”.  Whether he was paid is not mentioned, but he spent considerable time building his father-in-law’s new house and walk in Rainier, and is continually “cutting wood for Dad”. 

Josef no longer is obtaining flour at various neighbors, but purchasing it in Portland on his Iralda trips.  There was a severe shortage of household water nearly every summer, lasting until November; and as Josef never mentions carrying water, it is likely Dora and the children were assigned that task.  Dora had a sewing machine, and there is a good supply of fruit jars.  Perhaps some of the kitchen fires so often mentioned were caused by having to keep a roaring hot fire in the wood stove during the canning season.

The young orchard which is poled, pruned, and grafted on schedule is just starting to produce, and they also have strawberries for a change of diet from the many blackberries that are available.