This is the 1861 pre-printed pocket diary of Daniel Hewett, a laborer in Waterbury, Vermont. His brief daily entries include notes about the wind and weather, home and employed work, and occasional other remarks. While listed as a stonecutter in U.S. censuses from 1850-1900, his labor included working in a foundry, on a manufacturing die (sometimes "lettering die"), in a quarry, cutting stone (esp. quartz), and other tasks. One of his employers was the Howden, Colby & Company, at which he molded wringer handles for their patent clothes ringer; other employers included Howe & Co., J. P. Harrington, and E.S.C.
In one or two word remarks, he also noted activities such as "sap day", "went fishing", "fire company", and visits to Montpelier and Northfield. The diary entries are followed by the writer's financial accounting for the year (payments received, amounts paid, and transaction names). The volume also contains six pages of an alphabetic substitution or transposition code. Daniel's son Henry J. Hewett signed the beginning of the diary in 1863 and made a note about sending a letter.
The printed portion of the diary is titled, "The Vermont Diary containing Commercial Almanac, and Vermont Directory for 1861, between February 6 and December 31, 1861" (Rutland, Vt.: George A. Tuttle & Company, [1860]).
