DECEMBER 1901

Sun. Dec. 1st. Cloudy and a damp breeze from W of S in morn and dark cloudy and thundered in W and SW most of eve and began to rain in slow showers at 3 1/2 in eve and got to hard ones with some rolling thunder by 6 and lasted till late in night - a big rain in all. Wiley and Rena and Bernice and Tigner and West here most of day. Clara went home in morn and she and Effie and little Bud and Dan and Buddy here awhile in eve and Seymour too. Willie and Minnie and baby returned at 2 in eve from Mrs. James'. I milked and fed in rain late in eve. Willie and Tigner staid with Pa at night.

Mon. 2nd. Cloudy and thundered and rained around most of morn and sprinkled a little here and wind changed to NW at 10 1/2 in morn and cool and cloudy from there all eve. I fixed water gap and picked about 3 pecks of eating potatoes in Gate cut and cut up some wood and shucked and shelled about one bus bread corn in morn and I picked cotton most of eve on W side of orchard and Willie picked in new ground at back of our field in eve. Jim didn't come today. Gordon staid with Pa at night. Willie put our hogs in field late in eve.

Tue. 3rd. Cloudy and quite cool from N and sun shined but very little and that in eve. Willie and Jim picked cotton all day in new ground at back of our field and left it there and I picked cotton all morn and part of eve in orchard on E side. Seymour and Tigner staid with Pa at night. He seemed worse today and called all day. I had a dull headache all eve and night too.

Wed. 4th. Cloudy and chilly from N till 10 1/2 and bright and sun shined balance of day. Willie and Jim picked cotton all day in new ground at back of our field and I hauled all picked there with Joe and cart late in eve. I picked cotton all morn and part of eve in hollow in orchard and finished all in orchard. My head ached some all morn but left me in eve. Clara here most of day. Pa was quieter today and at night and Gordon and Willie staid with him at night.

Thu. 5th. Cloudy and chilly and rained in slow showers most of morn and eve too. Willie and Jim picked cotton in new ground at back of field part of morn and didn't work in eve on account of rain. I picked cotton on hilltop of H ridge part of morn. Pa was worse in eve with hard breathing and Clara and Dan and Buddy and Gordon and Lewis here all night and Seymour too.

Fri. 6th. Cloudy and chilly some all morn and bright and sun shined most of eve. Willie and Jim and Doug hauled some wood from near Wiley's today with Ella and Frances to wagon. Wiley and Rena and Bernice and Lewis and Clara and some of her children here all day. Pa was very low all day and night too and John and Dickie C here at night and Lewis and Seymour too.

Sat. 7th. Cloudy and foggy in morn early but bright and sun shined and pleasant from SE after 10 in morn. Willie and Jim took wagon to Cohen's in morn (Willie rode Joe) and carried 2 1/2 bus corn and got meal for it and Willie got a bbl four and some other things on credit and they returned at 1. Wiley and Rena and Bernice and Lewis and Clara and Cousins Tom and Gus here today. Pa died at 4 1/2 in eve and B C and John C and Cousin Tom and Seymour here all night.

Sun. 8th. Cloudy and rained in showers from SE at 7 to 9 1/2 in morn and bright but cloudy and windy from S till dusk and we had a heavy rain with some little thunder and wind from W or NW at 6 1/2 to 8 at night. Willie and Jim took wagon to town (Willie rode Joe) at 10 in morn to 2 in eve and got a coffin and Willie saw and got Dr Hunnicutt to come out and we buried Pa at 3 to 4 in eve.

Mon. 9th. Cloudy and chilly from NW till 11 in morn and clear all eve, and calm late in eve and at night. A dead branch fell on Kitty cow near Wiley's on yesterday eve and Willie and Wiley and I killed and skinned her by 10 1/2 in morn and I fixed water gap and cut up wood by 11 3/4. Willie hauled 2 wagon loads of wood in eve and carried Frances mule home late in eve. I picked cotton on NE corner of H ridge in eve.

Tue. 10th. Clear, and a freeze and very white frost in morn, but a gentle breeze from SE and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Jim and Jack picked cotton in new ground in back of our field most of day. I picked on H ridge in morn and walked in cow pasture and got Joe and hauled cotton on cart from new ground in eve and Willie rode Joe to hunt cotton pickers late in eve. Wiley hauled a bale of cotton to Cohen's with Ella and Goulden, and returned with seed late in eve.

Wed. 11th. Bright, but cloudy some and chilly early in morn, but pleasant after 10 from S. Willie and Jim and Jack picked cotton all day in new ground at back of our field and Aunt Eliza Banyun picked too in eve. I hauled a cart load of cotton from there late in eve and left 2 baskets full there. I picked cotton all morn on H ridge and part of eve too. I had a dull headache last night and all day but it left me late in eve. Wiley hauled a bale of cotton to Cohen's in morn and returned with seed after sunset.

Thu. 12th. Warm and cloudy, but bright from S and dropped rain at sunset. Willie and Jim and Jack and Eliza B picked cotton all day in locust ground at back of field and hauled all late in eve on wagon with Joe and mule. I picked cotton all morn on H ridge and about 1 hour in eve and finished there and I picked some in old Cane hollow.

Fri. 13th. Warm and cloudy, and a damp wind from S all day, and sprinkled rain in little showers at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 and rained in hard ones after 5 1/2 and lasted all night and wind pretty high part of time and changed to NW after midnight. Willie and Jim and Jack and Eliza B and another woman picked cotton in locust new ground at back of field till 3 1/2 in eve and Willie and Jim hauled the cotton then on wagon (the rain stopped them). I picked cotton all morn and till 3 1/2 in eve in old Cane hollow.

Sat. 14th. Cloudy and no sun and cold from N and began to freeze at 3 in eve and very cold at night. I walked to Lewis' in morn at 8 1/2 to 10 and borrowed 2 gal of molasses and cut up wood till 11 1/4. Willie walked to Wiley's in morn and he rode Joe to Cohen's in eve to get him to pay our taxes and Willie's insurance. I walked to Wiley's in eve at 2 to 3 1/4 and I fed all of our cattle on cotton seed. I have been feeding them for several days, for they are poor and starving. Willie James came at dark and here all night.

Sun. 15th. Clear, and a very hard freeze in morn, and wind cold from N all day and only thawed some in sun for it is very cold weather for so early in winter. I walked to Wiley's in morn at 9 to 10 1/2 and Wiley went to his Pa's and Rena and Bernice came back with me. Willie James went home in eve and Tigner D drove old Jim mule to our buggy to Tigner Newman's in eve for Clara - she went there on last Wednesday.

Mon. 16th. A very hard freeze in morn and cloudy till 12 - but clear from NW all eve and calm and thawed good deal. We sat in house most of morn and Willie and Jim picked cotton in 3rd Cane hollow and I picked in old Cane hollow in eve. I had a dull headache all eve and night too and had palpitation and burning sensations and chilliness early in night. Tigner D and Clara came back from Tigner Newman's late in eve.

Tue. 17th. Bright, but some clouds and a hard freeze, and a cold wind from NW and didn't thaw but little all day. We couldn't pick cotton today for it was too cold. Willie and Wiley and Doug and Jim cut some wood in eve in Wiley's field to cook our molasses. I walked to Wiley's at 1 to 2 3/4 in eve and Bernice came back with me.

Wed. 18th. Bright and very cold - a hard freeze in morn - and didn't thaw much all day, although the wind was from S and sun shined most of day. Willie and Wiley and Doug and Jim cut some molasses wood in morn and Willie and Jim cut some trees on Stina branch in eve to prevent stock from crossing and I picked cotton most of eve in old Cane hollow but was too cold all eve.

Thu. 19th. Bright and cold and dry from W of N and ground still frozen. Willie and Wiley and Lewis and Jim and Doug took down the 2 strands of wire in Lewis' field and put up a 3 wire fence at back of our field so that we can put our cattle into Lewis' field and Luckett field and they finished it by 12 and Willie cut some trees on Stina branch and Jim picked cotton in eve. Aunt Susan's folks and Eliza B and Jack picked cotton part of day in 3rd Cane hollow and I picked most of day on hilltop of Luckett field and packed it home at 12 and again late in eve.

Fri. 20th. Clear, and very cold, and a hard freeze, and a cold wind from W of N and thawed but little all day. Willie and Wiley and Doug and Jim and I put all of our cattle and all of Wiley's except Ellen and her calf and the 1/2 Jersey heifer which Lewis raised (she gave birth to a heifer calf on yesterday and we put her in our calf pasture) into Lewis' field at Ray's house at 9 to 10 in morn and we cut up some wood by 11. Willie and Jim weighed up some cotton at 3rd Cane hollow and started home with it on wagon in eve but Joe balked and they left it in field. Wiley and Doug and I killed and dressed 2 young black sows at Wiley's in eve and Willie and Jim brought one here late in eve and cut it up and salted it.

Sat. 21st. Clear and very cold early in morn and a very hard freeze and white frost but a little breeze from S all day and warmed after 10 in morn and thawed good deal today. I rode Joe to Cohen's at 9 1/4 to 11 1/4 in morn and borrowed $25 and Wiley rode Goulden and Nellie and Rena and Bernice drove Bonnie to town - they started at 11 1/4 - and returned at dusk. Willie walked to Clara's early in morn and got old Frances and he and Jim hauled a load of cotton from field and hauled 2 loads of wood from beyond Wiley's by late in eve.

Sun. 22nd. Cloudy, and a hard freeze in morn, but a little breeze from S and thawed most of ground by night and warmer at night. Wiley and Rena and Bernice and Bettie Fugler and Luella and Mattie

here most of day. I walked to Luckett field to salt cattle late in eve but saw only 3 of cows - they had crossed branch and gone toward Clara's.

Mon. 23rd. Cloudy and warm early in morn but cleared off from W at 10 in morn and clear and calm and pleasant in eve. About 9 or 10 hands picked cotton in 3rd Cane hollow today and Willie hauled it on wagon with Daisy and Frances late in eve. Seymour drove Willie's mule and Legett to pine woods in eve. Willie and I made a wire gate and put up across big road opposite here today to keep cattle out of our field and in gate by 2 in eve and I went around wire fence in eve and Willie got up Joe and Frances in eve.

Tue. 24th. Foggy and wet till 11 in morn and bright and pleasant all eve. Willie and I scrapped some cotton on hilltop of Luckett field till 11 in morn and Willie rode Joe to town in eve and returned at dusk. Wiley and Rena and Bernice drove Jim (mule) to Jack D's in eve and I cut up wood and milked Wiley's cow and fed his poultry and cow and calf in eve.

Wed. 25th. Warm and cloudy, but bright and pleasant and calm. I walked to Wiley's at daylight to milk his cow and feed and I found an opossum in a holly there and called Willie and he shot and killed it. Willie went squirrel hunting in morn and again in eve. We had an eggnog at 10 in morn. I washed out a molasses bbl and our well too at 11 in morn to 2 in eve. Wiley returned from his Pa's at dark.

Thu. 26th. Cloudy and warm and calm most of day, and sprinkled rain some at 8 to 9 1/2 in morn and some in eve and wind changed to NW at 3 in eve, and turned cooler and cleared up after dark. Some hands picked cotton part of day for us, but rain stopped them at 2 1/2 in eve. Wiley and Willie and I stripped some cane (ours) in orchard to grind at 10 to 12 in morn and some in eve and Doug helped us in eve. Nellie went to B C's in morn and returned late in eve.

Fri. 27th. Bright and cool till 11 in morn and dark cloudy and calm balance of day, and rained all night. Willie hauled in a wagon load of cotton in morn and another full load late in eve - a big lot of hands picked for us today and some for Wiley. Wiley and Doug and I stripped grinding cane in morn in orchard and Doug and Wiley some in eve. I rode Goulden to Cohen's in eve and borrowed $20 for Willie and $25 for Wiley. Gussie brought Rena and Bernice home at 1 in eve.

Sat. 28th. Dark cloudy and rained all day, with a cold wind from W of N and chilly and ground very wet and soft. I walked to Wiley's at 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 in morn and Wiley and Rena and Bernice here most of day and Buddy here too to dinner. We had a turkey for dinner today which Seymour brought to us from Mrs. James.

Sun. 29th. It rained and sleeted all last night and till 8 in morn and quit and cloudy from W of N till 2 in eve and cleared off then - all of sleet melted off by late in eve. I walked to Wiley's at 10 in morn and he and Rena and Bernice came back with me and Willie James here to dinner too. Willie and Willie J walked to Clara's and back in eve and Wiley and I walked in Luckett field and saw most of our horses and cattle too.

Mon. 30th. Clear, and a freeze and white frost in morn, and a cold breeze from N but pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Wiley and I stripped grinding cane in old cow pen corner till 10 1/2 in morn and finished all of ours and I went to Wiley's and washed out 1 of our molasses bbls by 11 1/4. Willie and I stripped cane for Wiley in Coon field most of eve and Wiley stripped a little while but he rode to town at 2 3/4 to 5 1/2 for Dr. Magruder to come out to see Rena and Nellie staid there at night.

Tue. 31st. Clear, and a hard freeze and white frost in morn, but calm and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Wi


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