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Show Volume XX Issue XXIII The Ogden Valley news Page 9 March 15, 2013 The Life Story of William Abraham Chadwick: Part II Note: This is a continuation of the Chadwick biography that began in the March 1 issue of the paper. Another of the farmer’s yearly jobs was to get wood for fuel. This was often made a group project. Edmund Shaw owned many acres of river land that was covered with cottonwood trees. These he allowed to be cut. We would cut and pile the logs, and hire someone with a power saw to saw it into stove-length blocks. The blocks were hauled home in sleighs. The work was not finished until the blocks were split into sizeable pieces that could be fed into the stove or heater. Another common practice was to go to the higher mountains in the fall to get a better grade of wood for fuel. There we would get oak, maple, aspen, and sometimes pine. When we did this we generally went alone or with one neighbor. This may seem to be a simple job, but it was very hard work. Just to ride four to six miles over mountain roads in a wagon without springs would wear out any person; but after getting to a grove of trees, it was at least two hours’ work without rest to fell and trim a wagon load of wood. To load it and bind it properly required extra strength and skill. Then there were hundreds of hazards. Many accidents happened. Fortunately, most of them were not serious. We were always concerned about time. We should always be out of the canyon before dark. After we got the load home there were always some jobs to be done, although the family would have done the common chores. It took me and my family twelve long years to pay off the mortgage on the farm. Farm prices were low. It required tons of hay and grain to pay the interest and taxes and the small payment on the debt that was held by the Ogden State Bank. The income was helped a little by the occasional sale of a horse or a beef. I have always liked horses and became greatly attached to some of them and really disliked to part with any of them. Two that I would never sell were brought from Park Valley. A small bay mare, Maud, raised on Promontory mountain, and her colt Queen. Maud lived about thirty years and raised a colt every year for many years. Queen was my prize, even though she wore me out driving her. She was full of life and had a tough mouth. Perhaps one reason she was never sold to help pay the mortgage was because she was lame. When she was young she was graveled. This left a hole in her hoof that always drained, requiring a special shoe to cover the hole and protect the toe. There were always several cows to milk. These were generally of the range type. They produced a good veal each year, but the amount of butter fat and often the amount of milk was questionable. From modern dairy practices most of the herd would have been culled and sent to the slaughter house. We always kept some pigs, a small flock of chickens, and occasionally a few sheep that were perhaps more nuisance than profit. These animals and chickens furnished much of the food for the large family. By now the family had grown considerably. As I mentioned before, [our daughter] Laurene was born just four days before I left for the mission field. Then there was Ethel, John, Rae and Carl. After we moved to Liberty, Lavern, Vera, and Harold were born. Lavern died at six months of scarlet fever. Carl died at the age of 17 of a gun wound (inflicted by a neighbor boy). I made a few pretty good friends. Friendships were made as we worked together. The cattle range was owned jointly by several men, as were also the water rights. Every spring we set certain days to make or repair fence, and to clean the irrigation ditches. Although this was hard work, we enjoyed working together, unless someone loafed on the job, or took These two photos taken in Ogden Valley earlier this winter show two different bright beams of light—the one on the left seemingly reaching upwards, the other downwards. The photograph to the left was submitted by Mindy Scheer, and was captured on New Year’s Eve. The other was taken by Kerry Fuller a few days later on January 6. advantage of the others by always finding something easy to do. Every year a town baseball team was organized and Saturday afternoon was a holiday when the local boys played at home. It always seemed I had too much to do to take time off and watch the game as many others did. After the crops were harvested in the summer and fall, the threshing must be done and the hay bailed. I worked on machines for others several years. At one time about forty others and I signed a contract to purchase a threshing machine. The idea was to get our own grain threshed earlier and at less cost. Some of the men expected too much for nothing, so six of us were left holding the bag and the bill for $4,000. Another time Lewis Shaw and I bought a horse-powered bailer. This was another hard work project, but with it I did earn a little money. However, several of my friends and neighbors still owe me money for doing their bailing. In the horse and wagon days the farmers sold their hay and grain in Ogden, which was twenty miles from Liberty over dirt and graveled roads. At best these were rough, and during rainy weather became very rutted by the heavy loads. It took many long days to haul the hay and grain to market. Many interesting incidents happened on these trips to market. Occasionally a horse would get sick, or balk, or give out. It was not uncommon for the steel tire of a wheel to get loose and come off, or for a farmer to forget to grease the wheel properly. The boxing then would have to be cooled by pouring water on it. The difficult job was to get it greased with a load on the wagon. Another common disaster was for a farmer to lose part of his load of grain by not properly loading it. The grain sacks would wear through and spill the grain on the road. Tragedy for some farmers might turn to comedy for others. There were times when a driver would get drunk and let his team run away. Sometimes two friendly fellows with a bottle would have a friendly race with their teams. A tired driver might go to sleep and with no one to guide them the team, might tip the load into the river. Most of the farmers were considerate of the other fellow and would help each other with their loads. Most of the crops were hauled to market in the late fall and winter when the weather was cold and stormy. Only men who were used to hard work could be farmers. A railroad was finally built through Ogden Canyon to Huntsville with a station and siding at Eden junction. This sometimes saved long trips. Sometimes two or three loads could be hauled in a day. From The Past . . . If you can tell us about or identify any of these children, please call Shanna at 801745-2688 or Jeannie at 801-745-2879. The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna Francis at 801-745-2688 or Jeannie Wendell at 801-745-2879 if you have material you would like to share. Jeffrey D. Shepherd DMD, MSD Specialist in Orthodontics shepherdorthodontics Fast Treatment Times • Children and Adults • Flexible Payment Options Call to schedule your complimentary exam today! Eden Professional Center 2580 North Highway 162, #A EDEN Tuesday 6:00-6:30 pm Sunday 9:00-10:00 am or by appointment. 801.745.2519 South Pointe Plaza 5300 South Adams Ave, #9 OGDEN Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary, Middle School, and High School Providing a challenging, college-focused education in the proven tradition of Catholic schools, for the families of the Ogden Valley. We want to teach your children! For information on our program, financial assistance, tours, or application, please call Daniela Quintana at 801-814-8192 or 801-393-6051. 801.479.9448 Located just one block from Snowcrest Junior High Students can walk from school to appointments! shepherdorthodontics.com |