FEBRUARY 1897
Mon. Feb. 1st. Cloudy and cold from NW all morn and ground froze again last night where it thawed on yesterday but it cleared off at 12 and clear all eve and thawed most of sleet and frozen ground. Willie chopped in Coon field most of day. I cut some hickory wood and beech in orchard in morn and I cut down 13 bays and hollys toward Coon place for cows at 1 to 3 in eve . Willie rode Hattie to Clara's late in eve to fiddle.
Tue. 2nd. Bright, nearly clear, and a freeze and white frost in morn but sun shined warm after 10 in morn and thawed off all but very little of the sleet and pleasant in eve. Pa deadened trees in Coon pasture and Willie chopped in Coon field most of day. I hauled all of hickory and beech wood cut in orchard in 8 loads (not full ones) by 11 1/4 in morn and I cleaned and greased up old buggy and put some potatoes in 1 sack and some turnips in another and sewed oat sacks over 3 baskets to carry some chickens to Rena on tomorrow in eve. Clara and her 2 smallest children here most of day and she brought a rooster and 2 hens to send to Rena.
Wed. 3rd. Bright but some hazy clouds all day - a freeze and white frost in morn but all thawed by middle of day except a little of the sleet. Wind from S and warmer in eve and cloudy late in eve and at night. Willie cut and split wire posts in Coon field most of day and Pa deadened trees there in pasture part. I drove Hattie to old buggy to "Pinson's" in morn at 9 to 10 3/4 and carried 12 grown chickens (2 roosters and 10 hens) and 1/2 doz. half grown ones to Wiley and Rena and Nellie came back with me in eve and we returned 3/4 hour by sun. B C here late in eve and till 8 1/4 at night.
Thu. 4th. Cloudy and warmer from S all day and sprinkled rain several times in eve and thundered far off in W some in morn and in eve too and we had a heavy rain at 9 at night from W with some thunder. Pa deadened trees in Coon pasture most of day and Willie cut posts in Coon field in morn and he dug post holes there in eve. I cut a catalpa tree on Coon branch and made 4 gate posts out of butt cut and I made 21 wire posts out of balance of it in morn and I cut and split 4 mulberry rails for gates and hewed them at NE corner of Coon land in eve - made 3 wire posts there and I dug down banks of Coon branch for a crossing and I cut a bay tree out of road there in eve and a shower ran us home at 3 1/2.
Fri. 5th. Dark, cloudy and quite cool from NW and ground very wet. Pa deadened trees in Coon pasture most of day and Willie dug post holes on N side of Coon field and I hauled posts there till 12 1/2 in morn and finished hauling them and Willie finished holes and Willie set posts in eve. I hauled some mulberry and catalpa timbers from toward Coon place (3 cartloads) to make 2 gates to calf pasture in eve and I cut up wood too. Nellie walked to Seymour's in eve.
Sat. 6th. It cleared up last night and a freeze and white frost in morn but wind from S and warmer in eve - bright all day but some clouds. Willie chopped in morn in Coon field and Pa in pasture part and Willie rode Joe to Ed Ogden's in eve and returned at night. Pa walked to Clara's in eve. I dressed some poles and pickets (mulberry) for gates in morn and I drove Hattie to old buggy to Cohen's in eve and got a B Olives plow-$5 and an auger (1 1/2 inch)-50 cts. and some other things and paid for all but the auger and 25cts. of wire staples and returned 1 hour by sun. Hattie W came late in eve and here all night.
Sun. 7th. Bright and quite cool early in morn but wind from S and clouded up at 11 in morn and cloudy and high S wind at 12 to 3 and rained in showers at 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 in eve from SW and W and quit at 6 1/2. Ida and her 2 little ones here all day and Cousin Sallie and Joe and baby too and Buddy too and Hattie W too and all left before rain in eve but Buddy and he and B C left at 8 1/2 at night.
Mon. 8th. Cloudy and cold and chilly wind from NW all day and ground wet. Willie chopped in Coon field in morn and I made a hickory handle and put on my new auger (1 1/2 in.) and dressed some pickets for a gate to calf pasture in morn and I patched an old horse collar at 12 1/2 to 1 1/2. Willie and I fixed up 2 sets of gears and Willie packed the new B plow and I carried the double tree and led Hattie and Joe to Coon field and Willie began and plowed there most of eve breaking ground solidly with 8 furrows to row. I cut down some bays and hollys toward Coon place for cows at 2 1/2 to 4 and cut up wood and fed late in eve. Pa sat in house most of yesterday and today with his back (a crick, I suppose).
Tue. 9th. Cloudy and a chilly NE breeze all morn and bright and warmer in eve. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all day in Coon field. I cut some limbs and brush out of way of plowing there in morn and I packed some of gate timber (mulberry) from here in yard to calf pasture bars and worked on frame of a gate there in eve. I packed 2 turns of wood and cut up all of wood late in eve. Pa still suffering with his back.
Wed. 10th. Cloudy and cool from NE all day and no sun and began to rain slowly at dusk and rained on most of night and hard part of time in thundershowers from SW. Willie plowed all day in Coon field in SW corner breaking ground with Hattie and Joe with 6 furrows to row. I belted the 2 large water oaks and a poplar and cut some brush out of way there all morn and I packed some mulberry pickets to bars on road side and made a gate there in eve. I had a dull headache yesterday and took 2 Pierce's pills yesterday morn which worked me at dusk but I had headache all night and slept but little and I took 2 more pills early this morn which worked me at 2 in eve and headache left me then. I had it pretty bad all morn and till 2 in eve. Pa still staying in house with his back.
Thu. 11th. Dark clouds all day - no sun and smokey and foggy like all morn and a thundershower passed around from SW at 11 1/2 to 12 and sprinkled here then and misted little from NW late in eve. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe in SW corner of Coon field all day breaking ground with 6 furrows to row but the ground was rather wet. I packed about 27 sassafras posts and put along wire fence at SW corner of Coon field and cut some brush out of way there in morn. I finished and set up a gate on road side at old pasture bars and fixed fence on both sides of it in eve. Nellie walked to Clara's in morn and there all day.
Fri. 12th. Bright, nearly clear and cool from NW after 10 in morn. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all day in Coon field breaking ground with 6 furrows and Hattie had thumps late in eve and at night. I deadened some trees and cut down 2 in Coon field in morn and I packed some mulberry pickets (22) in 3 turns from here to bars on NW corner of cow pasture and made a gate there in eve. I packed 3 turns of wood and cut up all of wood in eve late. E M Tabor here most of day. Pa threshed some cotton stalks by front gate in eve.
Sat. 13th. Bright and quite cool early in morn but a pleasant day from SW. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all morn in Coon field and I dug 2 post holes with a sharpened iron in a rock bed in old road at NW corner of calf pasture and set up the new mulberry gate there and finished it all but the fence around it by 11 in morn and I cut up some wood. Wiley and Rena came at 11 1/2 and Wiley went back late in eve and Rena stayed all night. I rode Joe to Cohen's in eve at 2 to 4 1/2 and got 1 bu. meal and 10 lbs. coffee on credit and I caught 1 rooster and 3 hens and put in coop for Joe Miller late in eve. Pa walked to Clara's in eve.
Sun. 14th. Cloudy some from SW but sun shined most of day and pleasant but too cool in shade without fire and it thundered some far off in SW in eve at 2 to 3. I carried 2 hens and a rooster to Joe and Sallie in morn and John Fosselmann came in morn to get his white back steer which has been with our cattle nearly 2 years and he found him in Elmwood field and got him. Wiley came in morn and he and Gussie dined here and Wiley and Rena left at 2 3/4 and Gussie, too. Clara and her children here in eve and B C here late in eve and till 8 1/2 at night.
Mon. 15th Foggy most of morn and thundered most of morn in SW and came near then and sprinkled rain then and began to rain slowly at 2 in eve and got hard at 3 and blew up from NW at 4 with a hard shower and quit entirely at 6. Willie plowed all morn and till 2 3/4 in eve in Coon field, breaking ground with Hattie and Joe and I cut some logs and brush out of way and set some wire posts on NE side of Coon field till rain stopped me at 2 3/4 in eve. Pa walked to Schaefer place early in morn and got home at dusk nearly wet (they surveyed the N line of the place).
Tue. 16th. Clear, a very slight frost in morn but wind from S and a beautiful and pleasant day. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe in Coon field all day breaking ground and he rode Joe to Wigner's to a birthday party at night. I cleaned off ground in Coon field (logs and brush and old stumps and pine trees) all day. Pa threshed cotton stalks in Gate cut all day.
Wed. 17th. Cloudy and foggy till 10 in morn and wind from S all day and clear and pleasant in eve. Willie returned from Wigner's at daylight and he worked Donegal road till dinner time, and he plowed Hattie and Joe all eve in Coon field. I cut pines and cleaned off ground there all eve. I cut and hauled 4 cartloads of dry wood from toward Coon place in morn with Hattie. Pa threshed stalks in field all day.
Thu. 18th. Warm and cloudy all morn from SW and clear in eve. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all day in Coon field in NW corner breaking ground and I cut and rolled out a white oak log there on hill and set some wire posts in morn on N side and I set posts there all eve and finished all but one in pine thicket. Pa threshed stalks in field all day. Nellie went to Lewis' at 11 in morn and there till late in eve. Cousin Mary is sick in bed.
Fri. 19th. Warm and cloudy and dropped and misted rain some in morn from S and cloudy all eve and no sun today. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all day in Coon field breaking ground and I set 2 posts in pine thicket and rammed all of posts from there to creek (which Willie set some time ago in water and mud) and cut and fitted some braces from creek to pine thicket in morn and I cut a mulberry in hollow there in pasture part and split it and made 5 braces for NE corner of wire fence in eve. I arose with a headache and took 2 Pierce's pills before breakfast and 1 just before dinner and the headache left me late in eve. Pa threshed stalks in field most of day.
Sat. 20th. Warm and cloudy from S but bright most of day and wind high part of eve and part of night. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe in Coon field till 11 in morn and Hattie had thumps pretty bad - she has had them every day since last Thu. eve. I finished braces to wire posts on N side of Coon field and marked some of posts by 11 in morn. E M Tabor here all day and Gussie here at 1 1/2 to 4 in eve. Willie rode Joe to Pinson place in eve and carried his old blue bitch to Wiley and Rena. I packed some ashes and hen manure and stable manure in a basket and put around apple trees and chestnut trees and 2 fig trees at 1 1/4 to 4 in eve. Pa walked to Clara's in eve.
Sun. 21st. Warm and dark and rainy clouds from W of S all day and a damp wind too and it sprinkled rain some at 8 1/2 at night. Cousin Sallie and baby here all day and Joe at Clara's most of day and Buddy and B C came at 3 in eve and Willie returned from Pinson place at 3 1/2 in eve. Nellie looked all day for Gussie to come for her to stay 2 or 3 days with them but he didn't come.
Mon. 22nd. Warm and cloudy and a damp W of S breeze all morn and began to rain slowly at 1 1/2 in eve and lasted till 5 and quit and wind changed to NW at dark. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe in NE corner of Coon field all morn and till 3 1/4 in eve and I cut some limbs out of a beech and cut some out of way there all morn and till 3 1/2 in eve. Gussie came there in field at 3 and rain ran us home at 3 1/2 and Gussie left his mare here and he walked to Seymour's to stay all night. Pa threshed stalks in field most of day till rain in eve.
Tue. 23rd. Cool and cloudy from N all day but bright and sun shined most of day. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe all day till 4 in eve and finished breaking last of ground in Coon field then (in NE corner). I dug up some fig and peach and apple trees for Gussie early in morn and he came from Seymour's then and put his mare to Dixie's buggy and Nellie went home with him to stay a day or two. I cut some limbs out of 2 beech trees and cleaned off ground in NE corner of Coon field all day till 4 1/4 in eve. Pa threshed stalks all day in field. Our young curly sow gave birth to 7 pigs by cowpen this morn but one of the pigs was a runt and nearly dead so I finished it at 1 in eve.
Wed. 24th. Cloudy and chilly from N of E all day and dropped rain most of day and sprinkled hard several times in eve and again at night. I led Hattie to cart to Cohen's in morn and got 3 spools wire and 10 lbs. staples (for Coon field) and I got one bushel potatoes to plant and 4 yds. lowell's, all on credit, and I returned at 11 3/4. Willie cut limbs out of 2 beeches in Coon field in morn. I carried the 3 spools wire to Coon field on cart just after dinner and Willie and I put up one spool which went all the way on N side to creek once and about 70 or 80 yards back on 2nd wire line (and we got sprinkled pretty well with the rain). Pa threshed stalks in field most of day.
Thu. 25th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool from N all day and a pleasant day. Willie and I put up the other 2 spools of wire on N side of Coon field (one weighed 88 and the other 94) and they went all the way to creek twice with the one we put up on yesterday -it weighed 103- went over, making 3 strands all the way and we took down the big gate in SE corner of Coon field and packed it to NE corner by 11 3/4 in morn and Pa and I patched the gate and set the post and hung it in eve. Gussie brought Nellie home at 11 in morn and Johnnie D came with him and Willie went with him and they caught Hattie's colt "Rex" in eve and Gussie took him home to work him. Dixie and Willie drove Hattie to Ed Ogden's to a party at night.
Fri. 26th. Clear and quite cool and a very cool and dry E of N wind all day. B C drove Dixie home at daylight (just before sunrise) and Willie came 3/4 of an hour later from party. Willie and I sawed down a tall white oak in SE corner of Coon field and sawed off 2 cuts for wire posts by 10 in morn and Willie came home then to sleep a little and I split up 1/4 of butt cut by 11 1/2 and came home and we sawed off 4 more cuts (all of tree) in eve and split up balance of butt cut and 1 more and made 70 posts out of the 2 cuts. Pa worked in field most of day.
Sat. 27th. Clear, a frost and slight freeze in morn but seemed warmer in eve - wind from E. Willie and I split up all of white oak in Coon field by 11 in morn and it made 177 wire posts. I took cart out there early in morn with Hattie and brought back a load of wood at 11 1/2. I drove Hattie to old buggy to Cohen's in eve and Willie rode Joe to town and got the deed to Coon land which has just been recorded and Willie paid for recording (one dollar). Pa worked in field cleaning off ground im morn and walked to Clara's in eve.
Sun. 28th. Bright but some hazy clouds and wind from SE and chilly all morn but no frost. Misses Cook and Grace C came at 10 1/2 in morn and Wiley and Rena came at 11 1/4 - Rena driving one mule to buggy and Wiley riding another and I gave Wiley 1 1/2 pks. yellow boat corn to plant (home saved) and 1 bu. eating potatoes. Miss Grace went back with Rena in buggy late in eve. B C here late in eve and till bedtime.