June 10, 1861

My wife said I should write down how to make candles since I was 
writing down how to do stuff.  I'd a', had her write it down, but 
she don't write so good as me.

When ye kill a beef or a sheep, ye gather all the fat ye can from 
inside the hide and around the guts and save it.  After ye've got 
a passable bunch of it, ye put it in a big pot and build a fire 
under it.  Not a big fire, mind ye, else the stuff may catch on 
fire its ownself.  Ye let that come to a boil and then boil it 
right easy for two or three hours.  They ye strain it through a 
crocus or burlap sack and throw out the chunks that are left.

The liquid that*,s left is called tallow except us poor people call 
it "taller" (pronounced like gal).  Ye keep that warm enough to stay 
liquid, cause if it gets cold, it gets hard like soap.

Ye take a stick and tie about 6 flax threads onto it about 2 inches 
apart.  Let one end of the threads hang down about 6 or 8 inches.  
These are the wicks for yer candles, so make 'em as long as ye want.

Hold the stick over the pot of tallow, with the strings hanging down 
and then dip the strings into the tallow.  When they're all good and 
wet, pull them out and make sure they're all hanging down straight.  
Gotta get 'em straight quick a'fore the tallow gets hard.  This is 
called dippin', the wick. 

After the tallow hardens, dip 'em into the pot again and pull 'em out 
quick. Do it quick a'fore the tallow on the strings melts off.  Let 
that harden and then keep doin', it.

Every time ye dip it into the pot, it puts on a layer of tallow.  Keep 
doin', it until the candle gets as big as ye want it to be.  Then cut 
the strings off the stick and ye've got six candles.

The rich people have got candle molds that look like a hollow candle.  
Ye open it up, put a flax string through it, close it and then pour it 
full of tallow or bees wax.  When it hardens ye've got a candle.  It's 
quicker but molds cost money.

Ye might guess that since candles take a lot of time to make, we don't 
waste 'em.  If we set up much past dark, we usually set by the fireplace 
for the light it gives off.  We save candles for company or if my wife 
has to sew something at night and can't see by the firelight.