During a blizzard or unusually cold weather, father carried enough hay
into the house to last for a day or two. It was piled in one corner
of the main room of the house. After only a few winters of such heat,
or lack of it, the family all appreciated the purchase of their first
load of coal and a heating stove in which to burn it.
Since there was such a small house and so little furniture, household
chores were not heavy. There were only enough dishes for family use.
The eating utensils however, required extra care. The knives and forks
had blades and tines of steel and black handles. They had to be scoured
at least once a day. For scouring powder, dust was shaved from a soft
brick. The same kind of powder was used to polish the nickel silver
spoons once a week on the day of the weekly cleaning of the small cupboard.
During the first few years there were no window screens. Keeping flies
way from the table during the summer months was achieved by waving a
small branch of a tree above the table. For several years the only lamp
we had was a small one with a number one burner. Since it was so small
it required filling as well as cleaning almost every day.
As I stated earlier, one of the first things necessary on the claim
was a well. My father dug our well. It was about four feet square and
was walled up with boards. The water was brought up in two oaken buckets
by a rope working over a pulley. Some of the pioneers had drilled wells
and drew the water up in long pails with a windlass.
EARLY
DURING THE FIRST SUMMER, father plowed a fireguard around the entire
quarter section. He also set trees on all four sides, using cottonwood
cuttings that he brought from near the Elkhorn (river).
Since there were no fences, those having cows put them out on ropes,
took them in for watering and milking them. There were no cream separators
at that time. Milk was strained into crocks. After the cream rose to
the top, it was skimmed off and churned.
The farming was done with horses. My father had two big horses, which
he called Ned and John. This team served him for a number of years.
Using a walking plow, each year he broke a number of acres of sod.
