Monday, February 27th, 1860

To day the steam boat Queen passed Hall's bluff, bound up & the Steamer Lone Star passed down. Paid TANNER $2.25 for his labor last week. I did not work on the fence to day. Weather warm & cloudy with prospects for rain.

Sunday, February 26th, 1860

To day I went to Hall's bluff and found the river rising fast and one Steamer the Lone Star passed up yesterday. Bill & Darby split rails to day Bill got 202 & Darby 100. Weather warm & pleasant.

Saturday, February 25th, 1860

Still at work at the fence. Isaac TANNER worked to day. The weather clear but cold. North wind all day.

Friday, February 24th, 1860

Still at work at the fence. Isaac TANNER worked to day, and lost half day by sending Albert to the mill for 5 bushels of bran. The weather clear but cold. North wind blowing all day and heavy frost at night.

Thursday, February 23rd, 1860

To day commenced laying the worm* of the fence. I employed Mr. TANNER & his son, who worked one half of this day at the rate of $1.25 per day for both. The weather was clear but the wind was strong from the North and made it quite cold with a heavy frost at night.

*Worm Fence -- A fence of crossed rails supporting one another and forming a zigzag pattern. Also called snake fence, Virginia fence.

Wednesday, February 22nd, 1860

To day nothing done in the clearing. Albert still laid up with his foot. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] got 67 yds. of Texas Osnaburg's @ [13/2]? from me. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] visited Mrs. KEEN. Weather clear but rather cool.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.

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On this date . . . the 22nd day of February . . . in the year 1819 . . . James Madison Hall was born in Maryland. For some unknown reason, he does not mention his birthday in 1860, although he does make note of it in the following years.

• Osnaburg -- A coarse linen fabric that originated in Prussia. By the early 19th century cotton had supplanted linen in the production of many American fabrics. Osnaburg was applied to plain, coarse cottons made in imitation of the original osnaburg. In 18th and 19th century documents osnaburg appears as osnaburgh, ozenbrig, oznabrig.
• BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, May 31, 1862, p.1, c.5. We are informed that there are now 209 convicts in the State Penitentiary, which is now turning out near 6000 yards of Osnaburgs daily.
• BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, July 25, 1863, p.1, c.4. Bro. Lancaster of the Ranger seems to coincide with us in reference to the speculating the State is practicing on the Soldiers' families. He calls on other editors to express themselves on the subject. This call will probably be heeded by the country papers, but alas, the Houston papers are mum. Their reference for those in authority will not permit them to say a word. For two years that the war has been raging, osnaburgs have been sold to any one who could get in the first application at 18 cents a yard. But all at once it is determined to sell only to soldiers' families, and immediately the price is raised to 80 cents per yard. None others can obtain cloth now. The treatment the soldiers' families of this county have received from Gen. Besser must some day be made known.

Tuesday, February 21st, 1860

To day I returned home from Crockett and found Albert laid up from the result of an accident in cutting his foot with an ax thus stopping my field opperations [sic]. Weather clear but cool.