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Jan 24 Thursday 1895 Will and Voltie came at 6 Oclock this morning. The dance a failure on account of a slim attendance. Not going to give any more parties. Voltie went immediately to bed and did not get up till eleven Oclock AM. A cold morning and growing colder toward night. West wind. Wellie here & drew wood from the swale. Will & Charles here for one bag of their coal. Send Mart to Mrs Niles' for a butter basket. Churned to day and made 15 lbs of butter for market. Grace & Voltie going to Kingston tomorrow morning.
Jan 25 Friday 1895 Arose at 1/2 past 4 Oclock. A fine morning, bright clear and cold. Voltie and Grace gone to Kingston came back at 1/2 past 2 Oclock PM and went to Will's to an evening party. Mart went too. Stormed all night from the North wind and snow. A terrible storm. Whole party had to stay all night. Horn's team brought Voltie and Grace home in the morning at daylight. A tough time for the party from up the Island to go home. The Jimies and Archie Berry. Frank Woodman ate so much made himself sick.
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Jan 25 Saturday 1895 A stormy morning from the North. Voltie, Grace & Mart came home at breakfast time. After breakfast Grace went to bed and slept till two Oclock PM. Mart slept till dinner was on the table. Voltie called him up to dinner. Voltie worked in the shop all day. Wells Jr here to dinner. The storm increasing to the most severe winter snow storm I ever saw. Very hard work to get water enough to cook our meals. V wading in snow above his knees to get water from the river. Will came over and carried a half bushel of coal home on his back but the wind went around to the South and snowed and blew harder than ever. And continues to howl and storm all night, the hardest I ever heard.
Jan 27th January Sunday 1895 A fearful stormy morning. Wind West & blowing and snowing such a blinding snow storm cannot see a rod from the door for drifting snow banked high and continues the same all day. The more packed so hard a man can walk on top of the drifts. Will here for more coal. Frank Woodman here wants Voltie to go with him to Morgans going to try and walk up there in this storm. Voltie will not go.
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Jan 1728th January Monday A fine morning Wind W. Frank Woodman goes to lower school. Voltie & Mart draw wood from - I dont know where. Wellie here. Grandmother goes home. Voltie drives down the river for Lizzie Horn, couldn't come this eve. Clouds over cast the sky and snow falls again. continued on page 24
Jan 18 Thursday 1894 Arose very early this morning. Wells, Voltie and Grace going to Kingston. Ground bare, no snow so drive with sleigh across by Mike Obriens and so back by Johns Obriens and take the ice to Kingston. So far this Winter the ice is poor. They drove back on the ice all the way home. Will and Jen gone to the weding [sic]. Annie Gillespie and Charles Ferming married to day. Will brought the four youngsters over here while they are gone to Howe Island. Clara Woodman died this A.M. at 11 Oclock. Wells, Voltie & Grace came home quite early before dark, drove all the way home on the ice. Grace frightened ice so badly cracked. They done very well with the marketing (turkeys and butter). Wells bought me a clothes basket and 59 yds factory unbleached and 7 yd toweling, onions. Voltie left his rubbers and a new pair of pants for Mart in town.
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Jan 19th Friday 1894 A very fine day, wind North. Wells went down to Wellingtons to get sleigh bolts made and stayed to dinner. Mrs & Mrs Eben Joslin there since Saturday. They have had the grippe. Wellie came up awhile. Will and Jen came home from the Weding. Will came over for the children and they didn't want to go home. W said the weding was a dull affair. Voltie went down to the wake at Will Woodmans and did not get home till 10 AM next day. Mary Woodman and Ed Bates & Sarah Gillespie there & Wallie Niles.
[margin] Ed & Grace out skating at eve.
Jan 20th Saturday 1894. Sun shining out, clear. Clara Woodman burried [sic] to day. Afternoon Wells went over the river to see Van & found him much better. A great time for ice boating and skating. Grace, Maude, Voltie and Martin out all PM. Towards eve the wind springs up from South E and blows a harrycon [hurricane]. The ice boats fly like lightning. The skaters fly before the wind. Mart ride back on the ice boat. Frank Woodman dont get our much this winter, too dull. Ed Bates here in evening.
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Jan 21 Sunday 1894 Wind S.E. Blowing a gale and raining hard. Ground bare. Not any snow for a long time. A very bad winter so far. Ice badly cracked. Sunday PM clears up and a very fine day. No one called on us to day, not even Wellie. Wells, Voltie & Mart are sitting side by side in a row with elbows on their knees reading; Walls the Whig, Voltie the News and Mart the Yankee Blade.
Jan 22 Monday 1894. A very fine day. Wind west not very cold cold. Charley Woodman, McNeely & Voltie go to Millens Bay on Wellies ice boat, went at 11 Oclock AM, going to be gone one hour but gone till half past three. Then Voltie goes to help Wellie run sturgeon net at foot of Island & got a sturgeon. Grace & E Bates out skating in evening. Mart skating too. Maud commenced going to school this morning. Lill Niles here in evening to get subscribing for Newspaper started to go home but came back again with Grace and Maud till 1/2 9 Oclock eve. V goes home with her after they all have played and danced two hours. No snow, ground bare. Will gone again on his commissionor to Howe Island. Grace done big washing.