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

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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

03/16/1848 - Off to Albany

March 16, 1848

Dear Reader,

I have business to attend to in the capital. The state assembly wishes to impose more taxes on our local dairy production. A large delegation will be going from here in Columbia Corners and I have been asked to head the group. I will write more when I return.

Your Busy Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner

Family Photo Album

March 8, 1848

Dear Reader,

I just wanted you all to know that I'm working hard at putting together my blog and posting the pictures of all my relatives on Flickr. It's a struggle as I'm not used to communicating with other than a quill pen. But I'm getting the hang of the new ways of sharing and will let you know when there is new information for you to view. Thank you for your forbearance...

Your Trusted Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner