in cattle ranching, Depression era

January 4, 1934: 3 Lbs Butter, 1 Large Hen’s Egg and 54 Calves

1934, January 4, Thursday

Cold night, foggy morning, bright and warm, thermometer rose to 28 above and cool in eve again. I got up late, about 9 o’clock, had breakfast, then Will and I took an inventory of our property and I will copy it later into the Diary and I also worked at receipt book and played solitaire late p.m., after supper Maggie and I played 2 games [of] 500 rummy and it was nearly a tie. Maggie got meals, the other necessary work and ironed clothes. Fritz got a load of hay in the hills in a.m. and Ben brought us 3 lbs. butter and a real large hen’s egg, so he helped Will fix a feed-rack and they all put 54 calves in round corral to wean, then Ben went home and Will still fixed more at feed-rack and Fritz got a load of alfalfa to feed the calves. Carl Sundquist and 2 sons of Dallas, S.D. stopped at corral and talked to men. They went to John Sundquist’s where they have 40 head [of] steers wintering.

Calves in a Meadiw, Briton Riviere, 1864

Calves in a Meadow, Briton Riviere, 1864