SEGMENT: TIMBER WORK, FARM WORK, HIRED HANDS, CLOTHES
Bert Aikman>UIS Collection A's>UIS Collection, Segment 2
| <-Previous Segment | Next Segment-> |
- FARM-RELATED WORK
- Bert's dad kept all his earnings when they worked in the timber.
- FARM FACILITIES
- Discusses types of fences & new way to manufacture a new type of woven picket fences in the field. Describes hog fences. Three men could make a lot of fence in a day. Wire seemed to last longer in those days. Baling wire was not galvanized, but it lasted a long time. Had been making hog fences out of 6 inch planks nailed together.
- FARM-RELATED WORK
- Bert's dad was a "river". Describes job of river & equipment used (a froe) Discusses "work in timber". Wood needed for all of the new woven picket fences that were being put up. Describes making slats of wood, equipment used, & process. Hog fence slats were 30 inches long. Garden fence slats were about 40 inches. Wood blocks split along grain of wood, not sawed. Cannot recall number of slats made in a day. Describes stacking of slats. Worked on other people's timber not his dad's. Paid per picket. Worked in the timber all winter.
- CHILDHOOD WORK
- In spring they put in their crops on the 40 (15 acres in crops) & then hired themselves out to work on other's farms. Bert worked for .$50 a day from sun-up to sun-down. Neighbor needed help sowing oats & Bert was hired to run walking plow behind 2-horse team. Discusses work following a "walking plow" for a wk & got $3.
- CLOTHES
- He went to town to buy a suit with that $3. Bought suit from "Jew-store" in Raymond from Mr. Leemans. It was a cashmere suit.
