03/18/1849 - The Pox

March 18, 1849

Dear Reader,

It's been 2 weeks since Old Rough and Ready was sworn in as president.  Imagine - Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States.  Word is that he is as surprised by his situation as most of the voters.

We did not have much time here at home to take notice of the hoopla in Washington; father has been sick for the better part of two weeks with the cow pox.  Most of the farmers who get the pox just have a blister or two where they had a scratch infected by an ulcer on a cow's teat. But father developed a rash over his back, chest and arms that was very nasty looking.  He also ran a fever and had a great deal of bone pain.

Mother called the doctor as soon as she saw the first blisters.  He came quickly and relieved everyone that what father had was indeed cowpox and not small pox.

Over the years, Mother has been reading about the pox.  She has been convinced by her reading that cowpox really does give protection against smallpox.  She asked the doctor about the chances of giving herself, her children (myself included) and the grandchildren a case of cowpox from father's blisters.  But on seeing how sick Father had became, her enthusiasm was tempered.  That was a relief!

Mother talked with the doctor about the other method of protection, called variolation.  It involves scraping some dried-up scabs of real smallpox infections into a scratch on the back of the hand giving that person a mild case of smallpox from which the vast majority survive.  The method has been used for over a hundred years in the colonies with good success.  In fact General Washington used it to protect his troops 70 years ago.  He was convinced the method was needed as he feared he would lose more soldiers from the pox than from the British.

The fact that "most" - not "all" survived this method dampened Mother's zeal.  We reminded her that there hasn't been an outbreak of smallpox west of Boston in 30 years.  She seemed content.  Perhaps we're safe from Mother's tender mercies as well as the disease.

Father is making a full recovery and should be back in the milking barn in the next few days.

Continuing in good health, I remain

Your correspondent, 

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

02/06/1849 - School Days

February 6, 1849

Dear Reader,

It has been a very hard winter. The cows have been kept in their stalls since the beginning of January as the snows are so deep they wouldn't be able to make it to the shelter of the day-pasture woods.  But with their body heat and the deep layers of hay in the loft above them, there is always warmth in the barn. It is sometimes more comfortable there than in the house.

Each morning, Mother sweeps the chicken yard and broadcasts the feed corn.  The hens seem unperturbed by the cold air and rush screeching from their coop to greet her. We continue to have a plentiful supply of fresh eggs -- enough for Mother to sell a few to Edick's feed store in town.  At times, she barters with the old man and takes any available newspaper in trade. 

She has recently taken up the subject of education as a cause - particularly that of the local girls.

 

My older brother, Jacob Jr. and his wife, Mandana, thankfully have both their girls in school.  Mother gives them praise while worrying over the many other girls here in the valley who are kept home from school to do the daily farm work.

She is fond of rehearsing the example of the Smith family just 2 doors up the road.

"Morris and Ben Smith are in school with our granddaughters every day while those boy's sisters, Rosetta and Cornelia, are kept home. Their mother, Jane, says she has taught them to read and write a little but their father, Ben, sees 'no reason for a woman to have any learning other than how to keep a comfortable home for her husband and children.'"

And with that, Mother vigorously concludes, "And it matters not that they are black!  Many white girls will not be at a school desk tomorrow either!"

Mother has a copy of the Rev. William Holmes McGuffey's first reader of 1841. The boy in this book is prompt, good, kind, honest and truthful -- virtues taught in fifty-five lessons.  Mother has raised the possibility of sharing the book with Mrs. Smith. Father has been unusually firm in denying Mother this intent as he says it might raise color questions more than schooling ones.

At this past family Sunday dinner, Mother had fresh fuel for her fire. The Friday Utica Observer ran the following article: "On the morning of Tuesday, January 23, 1849, a young woman ascended the platform of the Presbyterian church in Geneva, N.Y., and received from the hands of the President of Geneva Medical College a diploma conferring upon her the degree of Doctor of Medicine."

Mother read the article to all assembled in the sitting room after supper and added, "Her name is Elizabeth Blackwell and she is the first woman in the entire world to graduate from a medical college. And she did it just as the men had to do -- she had to take the two 16-week courses of lectures and then submit to written and oral examinations.

"See!  That's what an education can do for a girl! And from a college just 50 miles from our front door!"

Mandana and the girls applauded.  Jacob and Father smiled and continued to suck on their pipes.

Elizabeth Blackwell

Geneva Medical College

12/20/1848 - Gold in Them There Hills

December 1848

Dear Reader,

   Leonard and Margaret Ackler were over for Sunday Supper yesterday. Father & Leonard remembered back to the day this summer when President Polk went before Congress and confirmed the truth of the rumor reported by the New York Herald in August ; there is gold - lots and lots of gold - in the streams and rivers of the new territory of California!

The Ackler's second son, George Henry has been in California in a town called Sacramento for several years.  He married a girl from Illinois he met there and they have two children. Letters take months to arrive, but George has always been faithful in keeping his family informed of his well being. He now tells of the tens of thousands of men from all over the world who have been making their way to his town planning to make their fortunes. 

   A few unattached men from here in the valley took off right after the first whisper of gold.  But then the winter set in and kept anyone else from starting the four-month walk over the western mountains to reach the gold fields.

    Few farmers are willing to consider the two alternatives to the walk: a four month sea-sick trip around the tip of South America or a two month voyage cut in two by a trek over the disease and wild animal infested isthmus of Panama.         

    Leonard says George is doing "very well" (I think he means he's getting filthy rich) during the rush selling clothes, food and mining equipment to those passing through on their way to the Sutter's Mill area about 50 miles away where gold was first found. From the safety of his emporium, George last letter told of the miseries of the "poor wretches" who have come to strike it rich with tales of death by cholera, Indian attacks, starvation, thirst, heat, cold, accidents, sea sickness, and fights over claim rights.

    In spite of these tales, many local men are whooping it up at the possibility of making the journey come the spring of '49.

    And because of these self-same tales, all the local women are admitting relief that snow and ice are keeping their husbands and sons on the farms "where they belong".

      Among those women are my mother and my two sisters who I wager will do all in their powers to make sure that father, brother Jacob and I are right here in Herkimer for next summer's haying. 

You will be kept informed.

Your Faithful Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

PS- Sam Fish was at last Saturday's social.  He continues to pay great attention to little sister, Mary. Father continues to watch.

12/15/1848 - We Lost!

Dec 15, 1848

Dear Reader,

                               The Whigs are in --- Our Democrats are out.

                             Meet your next President and Vice-President.

         

     

                   Zachary Taylor                                              Millard Fillmore

 Mr. Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready"  and Mr. Fillmore will be sworn in next March.  I guess it will be after that that we will finally find out what Mr. Taylor stands for.  He certainly didn't have much to say on matters while on the stump. But that House of Representatives member from Illinois, Mr. Lincoln, had a lot to say on slavery and is credited with bringing many electoral votes to Mr. Taylor's side. He might be a fella to heed come the next elections.

    

Sunday suppers have been rather quiet affairs since the results were announced.  Father is in a bad mood and not able to speak of the election without growing agitated. His musings on the matters of state have boiled down to this practiced speech: 

   

"Our Democrats worry about the plans these Whigs have for the economy. Their practices favor  big business, big manufacturing,  the railroad robber barons, and those damned protective tariffs.  The results will certainly lead to the rise of a bunch of bluenose aristocratic snobs.. Our party believes in the common man--the man of average wealth, who holds an honest city occupation or, as a farmer, lives on the land raising food for the nation. We must prevail in the elections to come!

    

Mother has been quiet as well.  She does not want to upset Father in any way and isn't quite sure how he would view her increasing interest in poetry.  She and my sister, Fannie, have had their heads together over a letter sent to Mother by her old schoolteacher, Mrs. Avery, who has discovered the works of a Mr. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  The piece she has copied, which was published earlier this year is called "Evangeline".  The letter is rather long but apparently the whole poem is much longer.  Mother has not felt it necessary to share with me.  This is perhaps for the best as she and Fannie are in tears every time they read to one another. 

I'm sure I will sometime in future meet a woman who I will be able to understand....

Your Dedicated Corespondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

To read the full text of "Evangeline", Click Here

Zachary Taylor                    Millard Fillmore

Mr. Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready" will take office next March.

11/07/1848 - Presidential Election 1848

             The name of this song is "OH! SUSANNA" by Stephen Foster from 1848.  American Folk Music.

Tuesday, November 7, 1848

Dear Reader,

Went into Winfield today to cast my vote for president. For the first time, all 30 states have voted on the same day so it may take a long time to count all the results.

            Presidential politics have been all the talk for the past couple months. But we had to put a stop to the topic at the (Masonic) Winfield Lodge last month as things got a bit too heated. Thought some of the men were going to come to blows.

            As part of the business of the meeting, we took up a collection for Mrs. Clapsaddle. She was recently left alone when her young husband was killed in a hunting accident. Mother, in her usual anxiety to get me married, has suggested I make my existence known to the grieving widow as she has over 200 acres of rich bottom land and a herd of healthy Holsteins. Such is the case, but she also has a brood of three young-uns under the age of five.

            We concluded the meeting with the induction of Josiah Eckler who having reached his 18th birthday and asked to be admitted to the Lodge. He is now an apprentice as he got 100% favorable vote by the members.

            After the meeting, his brother, Martin, told me of watching an outdoor Whig rally over in Utica. He said most of the speakers for (Zachery) Taylor were awfully dull except for one - the homeliest man he'd ever laid eyes on - a Mr. Abraham Lincoln.

            In the end, I believe that most of the farmers in the valley will have, as usual, voted for the Democratic Party and our candidate, Mr. Lewis Cass.

            They say President Polk has failed in health in the past few months. The war with Mexico hurt our party and must have ruined his health as well. But in the end - his war left us with thousands of additional acres of territory for our nation. But he also left us with the vexing question of whether that territory will be slave or free.

            Our party has been dangerously split on this issue; many of our members have left us to join the new third party that formed for the main purpose of keeping the new lands free of slavery.

            This past June, they held their convention in Utica and nominated our eighth past president Mr. (Martin) Van Buren as their candidate. I fear that Mr. Van Buren's Free Soil Party has taken votes from our Democratic party and given the Whigs a way into the White House.

            Mother has become more bold in speaking of things other than my marriage prospects at the supper table. This past Sunday she opined that if she, "as a mere woman", were allowed to vote, she would put her mark on Mr. Van Buren's column to "rid our blessed nation from the horrible scourge of slavery."

            Father rolled his eyes and later lectured me on the "obvious single-mindedness of women which made any attempt to let them vote dangerous to the very fabric of the nation."

            I have not given too much thought to the slavery issue. There are very few men in the surrounding counties who are slave owners and I don't know we should be telling the southern farmers how to do their business. I will have to study on the subject as I believe it will continue to well up in future elections.

Your Devoted Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

11/04/1848 - Where Does Milk Come From?

11/04/1848

Dear Readers,

     Thought you city folk needed to see what kept us in the milk barn twice a day sitting on a low three-legged stool with our forehead buried in the cows side pulling teats for the milk to make our butter, cheese and hard cash. 

     Around 4 PM  go find your Holsteins in the day pasture.  "Come bossy.  Come bossy". Usually they'll be as far away as they can get down in the woods, but with a good dog and a willing lead cow, you can get them all in a row to meander back to the barn.  

     After milking, pour the milk into standard milk cans and lower those into cold water in the spring house for overnight storage.  Then turn the herd out into the night enclosure of about a quarter acre so you won't  have go to lookin' for them in the dark  next morning around 4 o'clock. Finally, shovel the manure from behind the cows' stanchions into a stinking wheelbarrow, go out the barn, push the load up a steep ramp and dump it on your ever-growing hill of cow shit. 

    After the morning milking,  turn the herd out into the day pasture and shovel shit again.  Then gather last night's milk cans and this morning's cans together, put them on a flatbed wagon and drive the team into town to the milk processing plant.  You should be there by 7 so you'll have the rest of the day to do all the other chores that go into scratching a living from a small (32 cow) dairy farm. 

     Now here's farmer Jack to give you a little demonstration.  He should be on that three-legged stool--but then he'd be talking into the the cows udder instead to you. What Farmer Jack doesn't show you in this movie is the way this nice bossy can fill those long hairs at the end of her tail with manure and wrap it around your face.  Also there's the trick where that back leg comes up and gives you a nice hoof kick in the gut.  Nice bossy .   And the 32 hours bit he's pushing--what's he think we have all those kids for??  We start milking when about the age of five.....

10/30/1848 - Suffrage for Supper

Monday 10/30/48

Dear Reader,

    Yesterday, as usual, Fay and Sewell were here for Sunday supper--this time joined by Jacob and Delia Ackler. You might remember Delia? She's one of Henry Getman's girls. Well--while last week's gathering centered on that promised discussion on planting hops--more on that later-- yesterday's hit upon politics and the upcoming presidential election. 

    Throughout the meal, quiet conversation centered on the weather and the merits of the preacher's sermon. After the meal over coffee--things changed--and the Getman's stay was cut short.

    Seems that Delia and her elderly 65 year old mother, Caty, went to that women's meeting in Seneca Falls this past July and now Delia is passing out some propaganda sheet they signed about getting the vote for women. She didn't bring the pamphlet with her to the table but she did bring the topic. 

    Last Sunday as anticipated, Mother spoke about her reservations at being in the "spirits business". Truth be told, she did so with quiet grace. In the end however, the men-folk calmly determined it best to try the crop.

    In contrast, Father heatedly ended all discussion of Delia's topic by declaring the idea of woman voting as, "utterly ridiculous-- preposterous--not worthy of serious consideration--never going to happen --against the will of God--etc." 

    He proceeded to heap another shovelful of hot coals upon the fire when he concluded that, "Delia! A married woman should not be going behind her husband's back to attend such inflammatory meetings. And a woman of your mother's advanced age and elevated station in our community should know better as well."

    At that point, Jacob spoke up in some high dudgeon to announce that his wife and mother-in-law were not the sort of people that would sneak about--in fact he had carried them over to the meeting and had been one of the 32 men who had signed the meeting's Declaration of Sentiments.

    So saying, he graciously thanked Mother for the meal, took his wife by the arm and escorted her to his carriage.

    Father retired to the sitting room to smoke his pipe and fume while I stayed at table to finish my coffee. 

    Strangely, Mother didn't seem upset at all but rather busied herself in cleaning up with a distant look in her eye and some soft contented singing from which I caught the words of a hymn,

"From strength to strength go on,

wrestle and fight and pray:

tread all the powers of darkness down,

and win the well-fought day."

I thought of talking with her on the matter, but then thought better of it.  Perhaps  later..

Your Perplexed Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

READ MORE ON THIS HISTORY CHANNEL SITE

10/21/1848 - Making Cheese

October 21, 1848

Dear Reader,

The Getmans slaughtered a few calves for veal this past week. As before, Mother bought the dried stomachs, cleaned them thoroughly, sliced them up, added vinegar and salt water and let them stand for a couple of days. 

After she strained off the liquid through a cheesecloth, she now has enough rennet to make cheese for the winter. She is hopeful she will have enough for our needs with some extra to sell to old man Burrell. He’s coming over to Little Falls next month to buy the local farmer’s production. He stores it around here for the winter and then sends it down the (Erie) canal to Albany and from there down the Hudson to New York City. He’s making a very good living, I’d say!

Our new dairy herd is producing good quantities of very rich milk. Our hay crop this summer was the best in years. We’ll have plenty of cream for butter and cheese production. Father says Mother’s cheese is some of the best in the county and should demand a good price.

You should get to know my brother-in-law, Sewell Slade. He’s a hard worker and good support for my sister, Fannie and their three children. He also has a head on his shoulders for business and gives a lot of thought to the future of this valley. He’s been talking to some of the old Germans south of Utica about adding some fields of hops to his land. A company named Best Brewing has been making beer for over 20 years over west in Milwaukee in the new state of Wisconsin (admitted just 5 months ago). They have gotten so big, they are coming all the way to Buffalo to buy the local hops. We could easy get a crop down the canal for sale. 

Mother is not pleased with the prospect of our family helping to make spirits. Well -- Sewell and Fannie are coming for Sunday supper -- we plan to mention the subject again. Seems to me we need to keep up with the times. Father seems to understand. Perhaps Mother can be brought around.

Your Dedicated Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

07/02/1848 - Party Invitations & Summer Hay

July 2, 1848

Dear Reader,  

I have no time to write this week- the hay must be turned again. We have had heavy rain for days. If we can't get the hay dried, it will rot in the field. If we put it wet in the barn, it will build up heat and in time turn to flame to burn the barn to the ground. If it doesn't burn the barn, it can cause mold. We could kill the whole herd if we fed it over the winter. 

So father and I are not getting much rest. Mother is out in the fields as well with rake in hand. She is such a strong woman. Never complaining.

So instead of writing further, I will instead show you some other party invitations I've held for the past few years. Such wonderful music - such pretty girls! I know I will meet my future wife at one of these socials in the future!!

Your Faithful Correspondent, 

Chauncey

06/20/1848 - Erie Canal Politics Mex/Amer War

June 20, 1848

Dear Reader,

I had some business in Utica last week. Rode horseback as father had need for the carriage to go to Frankfort. The plank road to the west has been well maintained but was it was much too busy with wagon traffic. My horse was skittish and lathered after an hour so I moved off to the old tow path along the (Erie) canal. From there, the journey was quieter and very pleasant. 

I was astonished by the volume of boat traffic carrying grain to Albany. The farms to the west have more fertile soil for wheat than we do at home. They are able to undercut our prices and hurting the incomes of my family and our neighbors.

I can tell you now that father and I are were out to visit banks to get the loans to make the necessary changes in our circumstances. We were seeking monies to buy more dairy cows. We plan to move away from wheat growing into more milk and cheese production.

When I finished my banking (successful!) I went over to Whitestown. Spoke with several German old timers and went by the county courthouse to check the six federal census reports from Whitesboro. 

So I can tell Kevin that I couldn't find any of his Seckners in the region now or in the past sixty years. They may show up in the future, but perhaps with some more information on who his great grandfather and grandfather were and where they were in the past 50 years, we might have many stories to share.

Most of the talk in the cities is focused on the presidential election in a few months. President Polk is really going to retire and not seek reelection. The old man did as promised. Just four months ago he signed the treaty with Mexico that brought us Texas and the areas they called California and New Mexico. 

My family will continue to throw our support behind the Democrat party. I'll be helping the local efforts later in the fall after the hay is in. 

More on the later.

Your Exhausted Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

05/28/1848 - Travel to Albany

May 28, 1848

Dear Reader,

I have returned to Columbia from Albany. The trip was rather arduous due to the results of persistent rainy weather. The stage from Columbia to Cherry Valley took a full day due to heavy muddy conditions. I was forced to stay at one of the several inns in the town to await the stage to Albany over the Cherry Valley Turnpike the following morning. 

There were twelve of us in our local delegation. We were put up in the corn-loft of the inn -- two and three to a bed. The warmth of the fire in the hearth below had been a welcome change from the bone-breaking cold of the day's travel but during the night, the heat from our bodies mixed with the rising heat from the tavern turned our sleeping quarters into an oven. The smell of horse manure on boots, the rain soaked wool of our coats and the sweat of my companions complicated all efforts at sleep.

At dawn, with little rest, I was relieved to find that the stage to Albany was on time. We stopped every 10 miles for fresh horses and to pay the family men who serve as toll takers. The road was rough and pock-marked. My back was pained through and through by the necessary two day journey. I can report that we and all the other delegations from the western counties were successful in fighting back the proposed increased taxes on our milk production - but I fear the legislature's never-ending search for increased revenue is now turning a greedy eye towards our cheese manufacturing. 

But enough of that for now. After another two days of misery on the road, I am home in time to attend the social party that will be held in Columbia Centre this coming Friday. The Stauring and Bucklin's Band will supply the music. 

I'm content to report that Mother and Father are well. Little sister, Mary, had a chest cold while I was gone but seems well enough now to be planning to attend the social with Samuel (Fish). I believe they are serious about one another. Father and brother Jacob are keeping a close eye on him. He seems a good sort. Time will tell.

Your Faithful Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner