Union

My nephew, George, has been doing small jobs as an electrician for awhile now, but last week he finally joined a union. Now, he'll be asked to perform larger-scale jobs. I'm a little worried, though, because since he is a member of the union he gets paid the same amount as all the other workers. It's good in the sense that they're all working together towards the same goal, but George tends to work harder than he needs to. If someone is slacking and George is pulling all of the weight, they'll both get paid the same wage. I hope everything works out for him!

Interstate Highway

There are going to be a couple new highways running through Massachusetts! These interstate highways will connect the states and the people and allow them to travel throughout the country. This will hopefully mean faster shipping for me, so I can get my goods out quicker and receive new shipments sooner to be more productive. The time I have to wait before I can begin new projects will decrease drastically if all works out. Maybe I'll be able to invest in some new farming technologies if the highway system brings me more profit!

New York World's Fair

Since I figured this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I decided to take the family to the New York World's Fair this weekend. We just sent out a huge shipment that brought us in a big profit, and I think we've been working so hard we should take a break. We saw a bunch of paintings and inventions, including something called an air-conditioner. As soon as that thing comes out on the market, I am going to buy one; our house gets way too hot in the summer, and it would be wonderful to come inside to a cool house after working outside all day. I also got to contribute some carrot seeds to the time capsule that's going to be buried, to show what we used to eat to the people of the future. It was so much fun, and we all had a great time being together!

Texas Farmers

Word just reached us that the farmers in Texas are having a difficult time with the drought. Apparently, they asked the government for some money to help with their food supply, but they were turned down. The government then decided to give a ton of money in bonds to those capitalists! It makes me nervous to think what would happen to me and my family if we ever got in that kind of situation; those capitalists and their monopolies are going to really hurt us laborers!

Pullman Strike

It seems that the factory workers in Pullman Town are finally striking back against their boss. We've always viewed that man as a sort of slavemaster whenever we saw him in the news; it's a good thing his workers are taking a stand. I'm proud of those union workers at the railroads for siding with the guys from Pullman, too. I'm not sure I'd have the courage to fight against the federal troops. I feel like this strike is going to have a large impact on labor here in America; I hope something good will happen to us farmers, as well!

New Car

My wife Sally had some very interesting news when she came home from the factory today: her boss just bought his firstborn child a brand new Model T car! I guess the kid brought it to the factory and drove around the city with his mother, who was teaching him about the different parts from some manuel. Now, the family is free to travel even further than they already do. Personally, I don't believe my family and I need one of those cars. We're struggling just to get by, and I'm not sure I'd be able to control it!

Scientific Management

We're having a financial crisis; my latest shipment of crops didn't bring in as much profit as we'd hoped. Now, we may not have enough money to get by this coming winter. My wife, Sally, offered to work in a textile factory for awhile so we can earn some extra money until my next shipment. So far, she's doing okay; surprisingly, the work isn't as difficult and demanding as it used to be. Sally did tell me the work is very boring and repetitive, but I suppose most labor jobs would be. She also said a few other workers are purposely under-working. The managers are trying to make up for this by bringing in more machines. It should be interesting to see how much more efficient the factories become with the new technology. My daughter Julia and I are taking over some of Sally's jobs at home while she's away, while Nicholas is helping in the fields or studying.

Steel Plant

It was just announced that a brand new Andrew Carnegie Steel plant will be built in Boston! This is such great news. Some of the steel may be used to make agricultural tools or inventions, which will help my family and I cut back on spending. Since the plant is so close, we won't have to travel far to buy new equipment or pay extra money. I hope that by the time the plant is completed, I'll have saved enough money to buy some new tools that will improve the way we run our farm. Maybe there will even be some new technology that will make the farming process easier, which would get us some more profit!

Reforms

I really like this new religious reform; I've been thinking we needed a
stronger presence of the Church in town. A lot of immigrants from Ireland and Germany passing
through to the cities have been trying to pass along their religious ideas, and
I think it's going to set a bad example for our children. The churches of these
immigrants are too ornate and extravagant; they prove they depend on material
possessions, which is what they should be preaching against. Hopefully, this
reform will give the Church more control, so the immigrants don't become too powerful.

Erie Canal

With the contruction of the Erie Canal completed, my family and I can finally begin reaping the benefits! At first, I wasn't sure how it would help, but I've heard other farmers talking
about sending their goods further north. It would bring us more money, and we'd
have more places to sell our goods. A lot of people are saying that milk and
eggs are in high demand right now, so I'm going to purchase some more cows and
chickens with the money I get from my next shipment. With bigger profits, I can
make improvements around my home and farm, and get better educations for my
children. This is a great opportunity for me and my family; I can't wait to see
how much we benefit!

About Me

Hello! My name is Lucas Taylor, and I am a 24-year-old farmer living in a small town outside of Boston. My wife, Sally, and I have two children, Julia and Nicholas. Nicholas often helps me on our farm with the planting and harvesting. Soon, he will become an apprentice to a merchant in Boston; until then I am trying to teach him helpful skills to succeed. Julia is learning to tend to the house by her mother. She helps Sally cook, clean and sew while Nicholas and I are working in the fields. While we may not be the richest family, I believe we'll get by if we continue working as hard as we do.