The Poor Man of Toggenburg - Autobiography of Ulrich Bräker

19th Apr. "Monday was the Easter fair. I had work enough to make me sweat, packing my cloth pieces, collecting up my yarn and fitting myself out for Herisau, sending the pieces with a letter to Herr Schmid

30th Apr. Dissension arises in the Moral Society. One of the members, Joseph Meyer, makes a speech criticising the Society as a self-centred and self-satisfied talking-shop, whose original purposes have been forgotten. He also proposes that the Society's library should be opened to the general public, and that research should be undertaken into historical, political and economic subjects "which are more or less close to the well-being of the country", mentioning the re-examination of ancient rights and liberties. The Society resolved that this paper should be printed and distributed to members and the proposition set as an essay subject. [Voellmy, v 1, pp 54-56] Bräker thinks that the benefits of the Society are hardly yet discernible. [Chronik, p 301]

3rd May "Almost exactly the same distraction as two weeks ago. One Herr F. Luchsinger came to me a week too early. I had to pay him 10 louis d'ors. A horrifying shortage of ready money reigns everywhere, especially in trade. The greatest business houses are making the bitterest complaints, that one cannot get any cash in bills of exchange. So business has to go downhill." [Voellmy, v 2 p 251]

15th May Bräker goes to Brunnadern and from there with one Valentin Brunner on horseback to Herisau. Business is soon completed and in the afternoon he goes on to St. Gallen, where he meets with pleasant company and hears a speech by the Landrat [provincial councillor] of Mogelsberg concerning roads.

This refers to the efforts of the Prince-Abbot to improve roads in the Toggenburg; they were impassable to wheeled traffic, which had hindered famine relief in the early 70s. A road was being built, but there were disputes between the Upper and Lower Toggenburg concerning the levying of a toll to defray the costs. The matter dragged on till 1792, when it was settled by the Landvogt.

On the 16th Bräker returns home "somewhat gone in drink". On the 18th Bräker wishes that his countrymen could agree on this issue and others so as not to provide occasion for other people to make fun of them, "for indeed we Toggenburgers from time immemorial have had the reputation of a restless and rebellious people". [Chronik, p 302]

29th May Bräker has been reading and meditating about religion over the Whitsun holiday. He cautions himself against going to extremes: "for since my youth I have had a strong inclination for it - often it would not have taken much to make me one of the Inspired People - would have forsaken everything - wandered all over the world - preaching repentance". [Chronik, p 303]

3rd June A fine summer day, Bräker fears that his children will be late coming home; they return on time but Anna Katharina has brought home a young man who she wishes to marry. Neither Bräker nor Salome think very much of him, and Salome's temper is even worse than usual for some time. On the 10th he writes that she is carrying on like the Pope, wanting all authority for herself. [Chronik, pp 303-304]

12th June Haymaking begins. Bräker likes this work better than he used to, but it is more of a strain for him. On the 13th he is suffering from it, but happy that hard work keeps bad moods and fancies at bay. By the 17th, however, he feels as if he had been on the rack.. [Chronik, pp 304-5]

19th June "Off into Canton Glarus. [...] In Bilten I was very hospitably entertained by Herr Schmid and his amiable lady. I enjoyed society above my expectations. But on Wednesday, as I came home, the sky was gloomy. I took a sudden fancy to go by the river Limmat, down through