JUNE 1903
Mon. Jun. 1st. Bright and quite cool all day from NW but pleasant in sunshine and no rain. I drove Joe to buggy to town in morn and got some things from M and C and got 100 lbs of ice from McKeithen for the picnic on tomorrow and got home at 12 1/4 and rode Joe in cow pasture at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 and drove up Strawberry with a red bull calf and I hoed some in garden till 5 1/2. Willie barred off cotton in new ground toward Luckett field and on hilltop of Luckett field all day with Ella and Howard scraped cotton in hollow in Sims' corner today. Nellie and Minnie cooked most of day for the picnic on tomorrow.
Tue. 2nd. Bright and quite cool all morn and hazy cloudy all eve and warmer and rained some slowly in night. All of us went to the picnic on creek near Ogden's store in morn. Howard drove Ella and Jim to wagon and Minnie and Willie and baby drove Joe to buggy. I came home at 3 1/2 and rest of them at 5 1/2.
Wed. 3rd. It rained some slowly last night and began again at 8 1/2 in morn and lasted till 10 and bright in eve. Howard scraped cotton in Sims' corner till 9 in morn and rain stopped him and he scraped there all eve. Willie and I plowed corn in SW corner in morn and I came home at 9 and Willie at 10 1/4 - nearly wet - and we plowed there again all eve.
Thu. 4th. It rained a good slow shower last night and bright and pleasant from NW today. Howard scraped cotton in Sims' corner all day and Jack scraped with him in eve. Willie and I plowed corn in SW corner till 8 1/4 in morn and finished there and last of our corn in home field. Willie sowed some peas in corner in lower part of Luckett field and I harrowed them under with Shawnee harrow and Joe by 11 1/2. The ground there had been broken some time ago. Willie barred off cotton on hilltop of Luckett field after 10 in morn. I harrowed cotton middles in Gate cut most of eve with Joe to Shawnee harrow running twice to row.
Fri. 5th. Bright and pleasant from NW and no rain in sight. Howard and Jack scraped cotton in Sims' corner today and finished there late in eve. Willie finished barring off last of our cotton in new ground toward Luckett field by 8 in morn and put a handle in a new hoe and killed 3 hawks by 9 1/2 and he rode Joe to Surgett's to hire hands at 10 to 12. I harrowed cotton middles with Joe till 9 1/2 in morn and most of eve and finished Gate cut and hilltop of H ridge and some in Sims' corner. Nellie was sick today with flux and I have had a kind of diarrhea and sick stomach for more than a week.
Sat. 6th. Bright and cool early in morn but warm and dry from NW and no rain in sight. Howard and Jack scraped cotton on hilltop of Persimmon cut all morn and Willie scraped there awhile but had a toothache and headache most of day. I harrowed cotton middles and my watermelons and tomatoes in Sims' corner till 10 1/2 in morn and quit then and I didn't work in eve except to get wood and water. I had a running off of my bowels all day and was feverish all eve and night with it but rested well all night and Nellie has flux too but was up all day.
Sun. 7th. Bright and warm and dry from NW and no rain but thundered far off most of eve. I walked to Wiley's early in morn and Leggett brought Myrtis Ogden and he took Lila to College in Woodville to hear Bishop Galloway preach. Wiley and Rena and 2 children and Myrtis and Miss Ellen D and Gussie dined here. Nellie and Willie lay in bed all day. Willie had a pain in head and sick stomach and vomiting and Nellie had flux and Wiley rode Joe to town for Dr. Magruder and he came out at 5 and Seymour and Cousin Mary and Clara here late in eve. Gussie took Miss Ellen D home in eve. My bowels are still running off but better today. Nellie and Willie rested pretty well at night.
Mon. 8th. Bright but cloudy some all day and warm and dry but rained around some in eve in thunder showers but none here. Howard scraped cotton today and Net too and Rose too in eve in home field. Nellie and Willie are both better today and up in eve. Rena and her 2 children here all day and Wiley dined here too. I hoed all of my watermelons and tomatoes in Sims' corner by 9 1/2 in morn and my bean patch in orchard by 11 and I hoed all of okra in orchard in eve by 5 and got wood and water. My bowels seem to be better today but still running off.
Tue. 9th. Cloudy and rained around in thunder showers some early in morn but none here and bright and warm at 10 in morn till 3 and rained around some in eve but only sprinkled here a little. Willie molded cotton in Gate cut and hilltop of H ridge today with Ella. Howard and Rose and Net scraped cotton today in Cherry cut. I harrowed cotton middles with Joe in Sims' corner today - twice to row. My bowels seem to be better but are still running off.
Wed. 10th. Cloudy and calm and warm all morn and rained around in thundershowers at 12 to 3 in eve and we had a little one at 2 1/2 to 3. Howard and Rose and Net scraped cotton in home field today. Willie and I began early in morn to work late corn in Luckett field and worked there most of day. I ran Shawnee harrow once between rows and Willie molded corn with Ella to B plow leaving very little middles.
Thu. 11th. Bright and a cool breeze from NE and pleasant and no rain in sight today. Howard and Rose and Net scraped cotton today in 3rd Cane hollow and in new ground at back of our field and Willie molded corn in Luckett field and I harrowed middles ahead of him running twice most of day and I finished harrowing all of corn (about 8 acres) by late in eve and Willie finished molding all but the little patch under hill by dead cottonwood tree.
Fri. 12th. Bright and cool and dry from NE and no rain in sight. Howard scraped cotton all day in new ground at back of our field. Willie sowed peas on middles in corn in Luckett field early in morn and then he plowed patch of the corn below hill by dead cottonwood tree with 4 furrows and finished it by 11 1/4 and I harrowed under peas sowed on corn middles there all day with Joe to Shawnee harrow running only once to row most of time but I ran twice part of time in eve in lower part of main body of field and Willie sowed last of peas early in eve which went over most of corn and he plowed out some middles on lower side and met me and we finished last of it by 5 in eve. Cousin Mary and Nellie and Carmell drove Rosa to town in eve.
Sat. 13th. Cloudy and quite cool and no sunshine - wind from NE -and dropped rain some most of eve. Willie molded cotton in Sims' corner with Ella most of morn and drove Joe to buggy to town in eve and returned at dusk. Howard scraped cotton in new cotton in back of our field in morn. I hoed Willie's watermelon patch in hollow on S side of 3rd Cane hollow by 10 in morn and I picked a bucket of blackberries in calf pasture by 11 1/4. I made a screen frame for Nellie and fixed a table at dairy and got wood and water and fed and milked in eve. Nellie and Carmell went to Wiley's late in eve and stayed there all night.
Sun. 14th. Cloudy and quite cool and no sun today and rained in little showers after 9 in morn and hard ones late in eve and wet ground well and was much needed too. I gathered some beans and Irish potatoes early in morn and walked to Wiley's and Bernice and Carmell came back with me and Nellie and Rena and baby came on after us and here till late in eve. Wiley went to his Pa's in morn. Buddy here most of day too. Willie and I fed and milked in rain late in eve and got nearly wet.
Mon. 15th. Cloudy and cool but bright most of morn and sprinkled rain at 1 to 2 1/4 in eve and dark cloudy all eve with a very damp and cool E breeze and drizzled rain late in eve. Howard scraped cotton all day in new ground at back of home field and Willie molded cotton with Ella in Sims' corner till 10 in morn and again all eve and I harrowed cotton middles with Joe in Sims' corner till 10 in morn and again in eve and I finished there at 3 1/2 and harrowed on hilltop of Cherry and Persimmon cuts till 5 1/2 - running twice to row all day. John Fosselmann came at 10 in morn with 2 yellow boys and Willie rode Joe and I walked in cow pasture with them and Willie sold 3 red bull yearlings to John for $20 and we drove the 3 bulls and 3 head more of John's cattle out of pasture on creek and they took them away.
Tue. 16th. It sprinkled rain at 3 to 4 1/2 in morn slowly and cloudy and warm all morn and very little sunshine all day and a thundershower came up from SE at 1 1/4 in eve and we had a big rain at 1 1/2 to 2 and another little one at 5 1/2 in eve which I think wet ground thoroughly and was much needed too. Willie molded cotton all morn in Sims' corner with Ella and Howard scraped cotton in cut where Cap's house stood and they went to scrape there again in eve but it was too wet. I harrowed cotton middles in Cherry cut twice to row with Joe till 11 in morn and gathered all of our onions in garden and packed them in 3 sacks full to potatoe house and I dug and packed in the 6 rows of Irish potatoes (about 1 bu in all) in old cow pen corner in eve.
Wed. 17th. Cloudy and wet till 10 in morn and bright and warm and sun shined balance of day and a breeze from N and no rain in sight today and ground dried good deal before night. Howard scraped cotton where Cap's house stood today and Willie thinned corn in Luckett field and some in home field today. I dug Irish potatoes in garden early in morn and got about 2 bus. there and I hoed over all of garden and planted some white pole beans and some bush beans and set out some pepper plants by late in eve. Wiley and Seymour and Charlie Banford got some yam vines in morn.
Thu. 18th. Bright, nearly clear, and sun shined all day and no rain in sight today. Howard and Jack scraped cotton on hilltop in Luckett field and in new ground by it today and Lucy Banford scraped there too in eve. Willie hoed grass out of planted cane in 2nd Cane hollow in morn and didn't quite finish it and he molded cotton in Sims' corner and a little on hilltop of Persimmon cut in eve with Ella. I hoed and hilled up potatoes in patch E of hayhouse most of day in Queens in lower side of patch. Gordon here at 1 to 2 1/2 to get Willie to go with him to a barbecue at Newtonia on tomorrow. Rena and her 2 children and Mrs. Deloach here most of eve.
Fri. 19th. Bright, nearly clear, and quite warm all eve and rain clouds in sight and thundered far off in eve. Willie and Gordon drove Joe to buggy and Buddy and Tigner rode on horseback and went to Newtonia to a barbecue in morn and Willie got home before dark. Howard and Jack scraped cotton on hilltop of Luckett field today and finished there and last of our cotton by late in eve. I hoed potatoes in patch E of hayhouse most of day and got wood and water and milked cows (3) late in eve. I had a dull headache all day and night too and Willie had it bad through night and Minnie bathed it with hot water at 10 1/2 to 11 1/2 and relieved it some.
Sat. 20th. Bright and warm all day and a thundercloud in sight in NW late in eve but no rain here. Willie molded cotton on hilltop of Persimmon and Cherry cuts in morn with Ella. Howard drove Goulden and Jack to wagon and Wiley rode Joe and went to town in morn and got some meal and flour for us and Wiley and some oats for Wiley and they got 30 lbs of ice and returned at 11 1/2. I hoed potatoes all morn and we didn't work in eve and had ice cream at 2 to 4 in eve and Wiley and family and Howard here.
Sun. 21st. Bright but some clouds all morn and warm and a slow thundercloud passed around on W and S sides of us from NW at 12 1/2 to 2 and rained a little here then (at 1 to 2) and we had another good hard one at 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 and we had a big rain at midnight from a thundercloud that seemed to pass just S of us from NW. I picked some pole beans in orchard early in morn and carried part of them and some green apples to Wiley's and Carmell went with me and Bernice came back with us by 9 and she and West dined here and all of us and Wiley's folks went to Sunday School in eve and Bro. Ferguson (the Campbellite) preached for us and it rained most of time while we were at schoolhouse and we came home through mud and a light sprinkling rain but didn't get wet only muddy.
Mon. 22nd. We had a heavy washing rain last night and ground very wet and soft in morn but dried some by late in eve and cloudy some all day but sun shined some and a little breeze from NW. Willie suffered all day with a swollen jaw and rode Joe to Clara's in eve and got some antiseptic to bathe it with. Howard and I set out gaps in the 7 rows of red potatoes in orchard by 10 1/2 in morn and we set out gaps in part of the red potatoes in patch on E side of hayhouse at 2 to 4 1/4 in eve. We set draws mostly. Minnie and Bernice and Carmell and I picked some blackberries in calf pasture late in eve and I got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk.
Tue. 23rd. Bright, nearly clear, and sunshine and warm all day and a little breeze from NW and no rain in sight. Willie and Howard hilled cotton on hilltop of H ridge and in Gate cut today (it is too wet to plow). I scraped the 7 rows of red potatoes in NE part of orchard by 9 in morn and hoed and picked grass out of yams and red ones in patch on E side of hayhouse balance of day. Four Negroes got potatoe vines. Willie suffered all day and part of night with gumboil and he opened it in night.
Wed. 24th. Bright and warm till 2 in eve and clouded up then and a slow thundercloud passed around SW and S from NW and we had a little hard shower at 3 1/2 and pleasant late in eve and cloudy. Howard hilled cotton in Gate cut most of day and Willie too in morn and Willie molded cotton in Cherry cut with Ella at 2 to 3 in eve and again after rain at 3 3/4 to 6. I hoed grass out of potatoes, yams and red ones, in patch E of hayhouse till rain at 3 in eve. I set out gaps in 6 rows of red ones there after rain. Two Negroes got potatoe vines today.
Thu. 25th. A thundercloud came up from NW at sunrise and we had a hard shower at 5 to 6 and bright and warm with a pleasant SW breeze till late in eve and another thundercloud came up from NW but only sprinkled here then. Willie and Howard hilled or cut grass out of cotton in Sims' corner most of day - too wet to plow today. I put some clay and board around our well curbing early in morn and got some beans and okra in orchard and hoed around 17 peach trees in hollow in orchard by 11 and got too warm and I set out gaps in 8 short rows of red potatoes in patch E of hayhouse in eve and finished last of them.
Fri. 26th. A thundercloud came up from NW early in morn and rained here slowly at 6 to 8 3/4 and bright balance of day from NW. Willie and Howard hoed in cotton in Sims' corner at 9 to 12 in morn and again all eve. I hoed around some peach trees in hollow in orchard and 3 red fig trees on W side of barn and 3 more fig trees on NW side of barn at 9 to 12 in morn and I hoed and picked grass out of yams on E side of hayhouse in eve. Clara and Effie here in eve.
Sat. 27th. Bright and warm till 3 in eve and began to rain around in slow thundershowers then from NW and lasted till late in eve and rained slowly here at 6 1/4 to 7 1/4. Nellie and Minnie washed in morn and Nellie and Rena and her 2 children and Carmell drove old Jim mule to old Aunt Mary's in eve. Willie and Howard hoed in cotton in Sims' corner in morn and Willie part of eve. I hoed and picked grass out of yams on E side of hayhouse in morn and I hoed most of garden over in eve at 3 to 6.
Sun. 28th. Foggy and wet till 9 in morn and bright and warm balance of day and no rain in sight and a breeze from NW and ground dried a good deal by late in eve. I got some wood and water early in morn and rode Joe all over our crop by 9. Jesse Dawson came at 10 and here till late in eve and went to Lewis' then. Wiley ate breakfast here and rode Dan to old Aunt Mary's early in morn and he and Nellie and Rena and her 2 children and Carmell returned from there just after sunset. Sims hurt his hip last night by a drunken fall and rang his bell and called for Willie and me at 11 and Willie rode Joe and found Cleve and sent him to town for Dr. Therrell at 12 and he came out to see Sims at 4 1/2 in eve and Jesse D and I were at Sims' at 3 1/2 to 5. Willie and Minnie and baby went to Suday School in eve.
Mon. 29th. Bright and warm and no rain but thundered far off in eve. Howard harrowed cotton middles with Joe to "Shawnee" in Cherry cut and Pine corner and Willie molded cotton behind him with Ella all day. I hoed and picked grass out of yams in patch on E side of hayhouse most of day.
Tue. 30th. Bright and warm and no rain but a rain in sight in S in eve and cloudy and very little sunshine in eve. Willie molded cotton in Pine corner and in 3rd Cane hollow all day with Ella and finished all in home field. Howard harrowed cotton middles with Joe in Pine corner and 3rd Cane hollow in morn and in new ground toward Luckett field in eve. I hoed and picked grass out of yams on E side of hayhouse all day. Nellie sent to town by Leggett for some ribbon in morn and he brought it at 12 and dined here.