the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第17章

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　my　Sisters　are　situate。　I　married　Helling　the　daughter　of　Richard　Barr；　by　whom　I　have　had　3　boys　and　2　girls　all　liveing　and　healthfull。　Aylsy　is　married　to　John　the　son　of　James　Boyes　and　lives　at　Woolhousecroft；　has　no　children。　Sally　is　married　to　John　Cossins　and　lives　at　Hawnby　where　Robt。　Barker　lived。　She　has　3　children　the　two　last　were　twins　they　were　born　about　Candlemas　last　and　one　of　them　is　a　very　weakly　child；　my　mother　is　married　to　old　Rich'd　Barr　my　wife's　father　and　lives　at　Huntington　nigh　York。　I　think　we　most　of　us　live　pretty　well。　Mr。　…　has　advanced　his　land　a　great　deal　but　since　the　peace　the　times　are　pretty　good　we　have　this　summer　a　very　plentiful　crop　and　we　have　a　fine　season　for　Reaping　the　same；　but　in　the　beginning　of　haytime　we　had　an　excessive　flood　as　almost　ever　was　known　so　that　much　hay　was　swept　away　and　much　more　sanded。　Many　bridges　were　washed　down　and　in　some　places　much　chattle　drowned。　My　cousin　John　Garbut　is　married　to　James　Boyes'　widow　and　lives　at　Helm　house。　So　I　shall　conclude　with　my　and　my　wife's　duty　to　my　unkle　and　aunt　and　our　kind　love　to　you　and　your　wife　and　children　and　subscribe　ourselves　your　very　affectionate　cousins；　〃JOHN　AND　HELLING　TRUEMAN。〃

There　was　no　break　in　the　family　by　death　until　1797。　That　year　William　Trueman；　sen。；　died；　aged　seventy…seven　years；　twenty…two　of　which　he　had　spent　in　America。　The　Mauger　farm；　his　first　purchase；　was　left　to　Harmon；　his　eldest　grandson。　The　family　of　his　son　William　had　grown　by　this　time　to　six　sons　and　two　daughters；　and　success　financially；　in　some　measure　at　least；　had　been　achieved。

With　milling；　dyking　and　general　farming；　there　was　work　at　Prospect　to　keep　all　the　members　of　the　family　busy；　besides　a　large　force　of　hired　help。

It　was　decided　this　year　（1797）　to　build　a　new　house　and　barn；　and　the　site　fixed　upon　was　about　one　hundred　yards　south　of　the　Scurr　house；　where　they　had　lived　since　the　place　came　into　their　possession。　The　barn　was　put　up　the　next　year；　and　measured　eighty　feet　long　by　thirty…　three　wide；　with　thirteen　foot　posts。　A　part　of　this　barn　is　still　used　for　a　stable。　In　1799　the　house　was　built；　the　main　portion　being　made　of　brick　burned　on　the　marsh　near　by。　It　fronted　due　south；　and　was　twenty…seven　feet　by　thirty…seven　feet；　and　two　stories　high；　with　a　stone　kitchen　on　the　west　side。　The　cost　of　building　was　eight　hundred　pounds。　This　was　before　the　days　of　stoves；　there　being　six　fire…places　in　the　main　house　and　large　one　in　the　kitchen。

In　1839　the　stone　kitchen　was　pulled　down　and　one　of　wood　built　on　the　north　side。　　In　1879　an　addition　was　made；　and　now　（October　2nd；　1900）；　it　is　as　comfortable　a　dwelling　as　it　has　ever　been。　　Five　generations　have　lived　in　it。　Three　generations　have　been　born　and　grown　to　manhood　and　womanhood　within　its　four　walls；　and　they　have　never　known　the　death　of　a　child；　nor；　with　but　one　exception；　the　death　of　a　young　person。

On　the　29th　January；　1800；　Mrs。　Trueman；　sen。；　died　in　the　eighty…　eighth　year　of　her　age。　Although　sixty…two　years　old　when　she　came　to　America；　she　lived　to　see　the　birth　of　nine　grandchildren。

In　1801；　Thompson；　the　youngest　son；　was　born。　The　family　now　numbered　seven　sons　and　three　daughters。　This　year　William　Black；　known　in　Methodist　history　as　Bishop　Black；　was　one　of　the　family　at　Prospect　from　November　17th；　1801；　to　April　13th；　1802。　One　week　of　this　time　was　spent　in　Dorchester；　for　which　a　rebate　was　made　in　the　board　bill。　The　bill　was　made　out　at　the　rate　of　five　shillings　per　week。

In　1802；　Mr。　Trueman　began　to　keep　what　he　calls　〃a　memorandum　of　events。〃　The　records　chiefly　refer　to　home　work；　the　weather　and　neighborhood　happenings。　As　a　record　of　the　weather；　before　thermometers　and　barometers　were　in　general　use；　it　must　be　as　perfect　as　possible。　As　a　record　of　farm　work　it　is　quite　minute；　and　gives　the　reader　an　almost　exact　knowledge　of　what　was　done　on　the　farm　each　week　of　the　twenty　years。

To　those　who　live　in　the　age　of　steam　and　electricity；　when　it　is　possible　to　be　informed　at　night　of　the　doings　of　the　day　on　the　other　side　of　the　planet；　it　is　hard　to　realize　how　little　interest　was　taken　a　century　ago　in　anything　outside　of　the　community　in　which　one　lived。　This　accounts　in　part；　no　doubt；　for　the　scant　references　in　this　journal　to　public　events。　Only　very　rarely　is　an　election　mentioned；　even　in　the　writer's　own　county。　Only　once　is　there　reference　to　war；　although　the　war　of　1812　and　the　battle　of　Waterloo　took　place　during　the　years　of　the　record；　and　must　have　had　a　marked　effect　upon　the　trade　of　the　Provinces　at　that　time。

Mr。　Trueman　made　several　trips　to　Halifax　each　year；　and　met；　while　there；　many　of　the　leading　Methodist　men　of　the　city。　The　Blacks　and　the　Bells　were　his　friends。　His　house　was　the　home　of　the　ministers　of　his　church　during　all　his　life；　and　many　of　the　public　men　who　visited　Cumberland　were　his　guests　at　different　times。

The　first　entry　in　the　journal　is　dated　May　5th；　1802；　and　reads：　〃wind　N。W。；　cold　stormy　day。　Planted　some　apple　trees；　frost　not　out　of　the　ground。

〃May　6thWind　N。W。；　ground　covered　with　snow　two　inches　thick；　disagreeable。

〃May　8thWind　N。W。；　cold；　backward　weather。　Mr。　Marsdon　preached　his　farewell　sermon　at　the　Stone　Church。〃

〃July　5thThis　day　was　appointed　by　the　Government　as　a　day　of　thanksgiving　for　the　blessings　of　peace。　Mr。　Bennet　preached　at　Amherst　Court　House；　from　Psalm　12；　1st　verse；　to　a　crowded　and　very　attentive　audience。

〃July　12thStarted　for　Halifax　with　thirty　oxen。　Returned　on　the　22nd；　had　a　very　good　time。〃

（Ten　days　was　the　usual　time　taken　on　these　trips。　The　drovers　would　start　some　hours；　or　perhaps　a　day；　in　advance　of　Mr。　Trueman。　He　would　go　on　horse…back；　in　knee　breeches；　and　with　the　old　fashioned　saddle…　bags。）

〃Sept。　28thStarted　to　Halifax　with　twenty…four　cattle。

〃Oct。　2ndArrived　at　Halifax　Sunday　night。　Wm。〃　（his　son）　〃taken　sick　with　measles。　Monday；　and　Tuesday；　very　sick。　Wednesday；　some　better。　Thursday；　walked　the　streets。　Friday；　started　for　home。

〃Oct。　13thHigh　winds；　very　high　tides；　marshes　much　flooded。

〃Sept。　14th；　1803Stephen　Millage　died　of　shock　of　palsy。　Mr。　Oliphant；　Methodist　minister；　arrived　this　month　at　our　house。

〃Nov。　12th；　1803Election　at　Dorchester。　Mr。　Knapp　goes　in　without　opposition。〃

These　extracts　from　the　journal　will　show　the　character　of　the　record。

In　March；　1804；　there　was　a　three　days'　snowstorm〃fell　nigh　two　feet。〃　An　attempt　was　made　this　year　to　aboideau　the　Aulac　River；　where　it　runs　through　the　farm　now　owned　by　R。　T。　McLeod。

The　Aulac　at　that　time　was　one　of　the　largest　of　the　rivers　emptying　into　the　Cumberland　Basin。　It　was　a　great　undertaking　to　dam　its　waters　with　an　aboideau；　and　to　make　matters　worse；　the　place　chosen　proved　to　have　a　quicksand　bottom；　which　made　it　almost　impossible　to　build　a　firm　foundation。　For　nearly　four　years　they　worked　at　this　aboideau；　and　finally　had　to　abandon　it。　Dated　Dec。　27th；　1808；　there　is　this　entry　in　the　journal：　〃Working　at　the　aboideau。　Storming　in　the　morning。　Snow　six　inches　deep。

〃Dec。　28thWorking　at　byto；　very　fine　day。　The　hole　nigh　filled　up。〃

On　March　20th；　he　writes：　〃Concluded　to　give　up　the　Byto。〃　There　is　a　reckless　disregard　of　rules　in　spelling　the　word　〃aboideau；〃　but　doubtless　the　pronunciation　was　as　varied　then　as　now。　Being　obliged　to　let　this　work　go　must　have　been　a　great　disappointment　and　a　great　loss　as　well。　It　was　not　till　1829；　more　than　twenty　years　after；　that　the　aboideau；　now　known　as　the　〃Trueman　Byto；〃　was　built。

A　night's　experience　during　the　building　of　the　first　aboideau　was　long　remembered　by　the　family　at　Prospect。　The　following　is　the　only　reference　made　to　it　in　the　journal：　〃June　7th；　1804The　sluice　went　adrift；　was　up　to　Nappan。〃　On　the　9th：　〃Got　back　as　far　as　Cumberland；　wind　favorable　in　coming　back。〃

The　sluice　referred　to　is　a　large　wooden　box　or　waterway；　which　is　placed　near　the　centre　of　the　aboideau　and　as　near　as　possible　in　the　bed　of　the　river。　The　great　height　of　the　tides；　and　the　rapid　current　that　runs　up　and　down　the　stream　twice　in　twenty…four　hours；　make　it　a　most　difficult　operation　to　get