Zemira’s diary resumed in May of 1875, at which time he was plowing and laying off land for planting corn, potatoes, and lucern. His first job for the Order which he mentioned was to care for the Order’s dairy. His responsibility was to build a house and a corral for the dairy, which was four miles east up the creek from town. He chopped material and hauled it, and also hauled some lumber from the sawmill 7 ½ miles up the canyon east of town. He dug a milk cellar and built a pigpen. Later he was set apart for added work at the dairy, which included caring for the stockyard.
From various early histories we learn some of the duties of the families of the pioneers there in the United Order. While Zemira was in charge of the dairy, some of his family and some other boys did the milking, and the women cared for the milk, and made butter. It was then delivered into town for the community meals, on the milk wagon driven by Joseph Allen.
As one member mentioned the youngsters could do some other kinds of work included: “We helped make tallow candles; we brought wood to boil soap. At age four, we could wind yarn into a ball or stamp on wool to clean it in a home-made tub with home-made soap, and afterward pick the dry chunks of wool to pieces. At seven we could card it into bats for quilts; at ten, card the bats into rolls for spinning; at eleven, knit socks; at twelve, spin; and at thirteen we could weave.”84
This was the environment in which Zemira and his family were now living. He availed himself of the opportunity to study Spanish, and also to vote at elections.
84- History, Elvira P. Mills
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