MAY 1882
Mon. May 1st. Bright and quite cool. I laid up and suffered all day with a very severe headache and sick stomach till late in eve. Nellie and Dixie hoed corn in Dewberry cut in morn. Nellie rode to Pa's in eve. I found guinea's nest with 10 eggs in pasture late in eve.
Tue. 2nd. Bright and cool and getting dry. Dixie and I hoed corn in Dewberry cut, and finished it - which is the last of my corn by 10 1/2 in morn. Dan and Alice went to town in morn and stopped here at 11 1/2 and dined. Alice got a dress for Nellie. I threshed out most of cowpens in barn at 2 and got about a bu. I barred off cotton on H ridge balance of eve and got most of old cotton there barred off.
Wed. 3rd. Bright and pleasant, wind from E. Dixie and I scrapped cotton on top of H ridge by road in morn. First we have scraped this year. I finished barring off oldest cotton on H ridge and barred off some in Gate cut in eve and hauled a load of wood (Nellie and I) late in eve from Cherry stump.
Thu. 4th. Warmer and cloudy some all day, wind from S. I finished barring off Gate cut by 11. Nellie and Dixie washed at the spring in morn. I scraped cotton on H ridge where I put stable manure in eve. I shelled some white peas at noon today.
Fri. 5th. Cloudy some all day, wind from S, and warm in eve. I scraped cotton most of day on H ridge. Nellie cooked for tomorrow's picnic just after dinner. I drank cup of coffee late in eve and hauled a load of wood from by Cherry stump. Mrs Sims came by here and out to where I was getting wood.
Sat. 6th. Cloudy and damp, SE wind all day and thundered around some in morn and eve but only dropped rain here. All of us went to picnic at church and there all day. I took the cart.
Sun. 7th. Cloudy and high S wind till 3 in eve and then it commenced to rain from SW and rained a heavy rain from W with some wind and rolling thunder which lasted till after dark. All of us went to Sunday School in morn and came back home to dine but Dixie - she stopped at her Pa's. Nellie, children and I went there at 1 1/2, but cloud ran us home at 3 in eve.
Mon. 8th. Warm, cloudy and windy all day, but sun shined most of day. I fixed the spring and watergap early and belted some bay trees and cut 1 bay and a lot of vines NW of orchard in morn. Nellie and Rena walked to Pa's in eve. I fixed fence on E and W sides of orchard and some of cowpen fence in eve and hauled load of wood from Pine corner late in eve.
Tue. 9th. Cloudy and some high S wind all day , but sun shined most of day. I layed by patch of corn on E side of our road by front gate in morn with 4 furrows and finished it by 11. Nellie and Dixie washed in morn. I made a muzzle, beat out my whipperwill peas, put my white peas out to sun and barred off patch of cotton on W side of our road and scraped 4 rows of it late in eve.
Wed. 10th. We had a heavy rain from S and W. just before day with a great deal of thunder and lightning which washed the ground badly and bright and warm, and S wind all day. I cut some bushes and trees on W side of Dewberry cut in morn and straightened up and thinned 1/2 of Cherry cut of corn in eve. I drank cup of coffee late in eve and went to get hands to scrape cotton. I saw Harrison beyond old gin and he and hands promised to come tomorrow.
Thu. 11th. It thundered and threatened last night and did rain light shower from W and turned cool and clear from N today. Harrison and his 3 children scraped cotton for me on H ridge and Gate cut in morn and Charles helped them in eve and they finished Gate cut late in eve. I commenced to plow out Cherry cut of corn in morn by path. I beat out my white peas by 1 1/2. Miss Jennie Chambers came in eve (and stopped me from plowing at 5.) to get me to show her about sums.
Fri. 12th. Clear and cool from NW. It clouded up from NW at dusk and sprinkled rain. I layed my corn in Cherry cut with 4 furrows most of day. I had my plow sharpened at 9 in morn. I hauled a load of wood at sunset from by Cherry stump.
Sat. 13th. Clear and cool from NW, some clouds in eve and thundered in W at 2 and 3. I layed by corn with plow in Cherry cut in morn and finished plowing it by 12 and broke my clevis when I had just 5 middles to plow out. I went over all of Cherry cut with my hoe and finished it by 5 in eve. Nellie came out there wanting to go with her Pa to Tom Mc. Mrs. Chambers is sick there. I would not consent. F. Coon borrowed my cart at sunrise and sent us a nice piece of beef by Annie in morn.
Sun. 14th. Bright and very cool, wind from N. Dixie, children and I went to Mr. D's to go to Sunday School but Bud came there and told us that Mrs. Chambers was dead and we didn't go. I went on to Pa's and got a clevis and returned at 10 1/2. Nellie, Cousin Dosia, and Lewis went to Tom Mc's at 12. Dixie, children and I went to burying in eve. Nellie didn't come home.
Mon. 15th. Bright and cool, wind from N. Nellie stayed at Tom Mc's last night and Mr. D brought her home at 10 in morn. I plowed out patch of corn below oats in morn. I went up by Tom Mc's in eve and on to burying of little Willie Chambers. Nellie, children and I all went. Mr. Ash brought Nellie and Dixie part way on hack and got bu of cow peas from me in eve.
Tue. 16th. Bright and cool in morn, warmer in eve. I plowed and finished cut of corn below oats by 9 and went over it with hoe and Willie and I cut and put some brush in a wash there and finished by 11 1/2. I plowed out sugar cane with 4 furrows and barred off some cotton by Cherry stump and hauled a load of wood from there late in eve.
Wed. 17th. Clear, cool and N wind and getting dry. I barred off cotton E of Cherry stump and by persimmon and finished 2nd planting of cotton by 11 1/2. I went to see Harrison at 1, paid him $1.50 for scraping cotton last Thu. I still owe him $1.30. Nellie and Dixie helped me to shell some white peas at 2. Clara and Susanna came at 3. I barred off Willie's cotton and some of that on H ridge in eve. Willie went home with Clara.
Thu. 18th. Bright and cool, wind from SE. I finished barring off youngest cotton on H ridge by 8 in morn, which is the last of my cotton (all being barred off), I then plowed corn in Dewberry cut balance of day and dropped white peas in corn drill. I hauled a load of wood from by Cherry stump late in eve. Julia is unwell and did't eat her dinner or supper.
Fri. 19th. Cloudy and damp, SE wind all day. I plowed corn in Dewberry cut and finished laying it by at 4 1/2 in eve. A fruit agent came here at 10 and stayed untill after 12. I subscribed for $265 worth of trees and strawberries. Nellie rode to Pa's late in eve. Harrison, his 3 children and Charles scraped cotton for me in Persimmon cut in morn and Ann, the 3 children and Charles scraped on H ridge and Willie's and finished all my cotton in eve.
Sat. 20th. Cloudy but cool, S wind till 1 and then it began to rain slowly from S and lasted all eve and all night which is much needed. I went over patch of corn here by front gate and all of Dewberry cut with hoe and hauled a load of wood by 10 1/2 in morn. I fixed to go to Morgan's in eve but rain prevented me.
Sun. 21st. It rained slowly all yesterday evening and last night and most of today from S with very little wind and no thunder and just enough to thoroughly wet the ground which was quite dry. None of us went to Sunday School. All at home all day. Dan here most of day and saw my crop. Pa came by on way to Morgan's. He has been staying there for a week. Our Lizzie cow got in Mr. D's field at 3 and boys brought her home through the field.
Mon. 22nd. It turned cool from N at dusk last night and cool , cloudy and drizzled rain from night till 10 in morn and bright and cool in eve. I carried a bu cow peas to Pa's early in morn and Dan loaned me a bu of oats. I tried to mold cotton on H ridge in morn and then tried to harrow middles but it was too wet. Mr. D came at 10. I harrowed all of middles in oldest cotton on H ridge in eve but it was very wet. Nellie, Dixie and children went to F. Coon's in eve.
Tue. 23rd. Clear and cool from N. I molded cotton on H ridge and plowed out the middles of all that I molded till 10 in morn. Pa came by going home from Morgan's at 8 1/2. I ate dinner at 11 1/2 and went to Morgan's and got a $50 draft. I returned at 3 and molded some cotton on H ridge and hauled a load of wood late in eve.
Wed. 24th. Bright, cool in morn but warm in eve. Willie and I went on cart in morn. I paid Kaiser the $16.95 that I have been owing 3 weeks and promised to pay. I got 1 bbl of meal, 1 sk of corn, 1/2 bu of salt, 11 pds pork, 10 pds coffee and 4 of sugar, 25 cts worth soap, 1 box blacking, 1/2 doz thread, 10 yds bleached and 10 yds brown domestic, 1 mild pan with handle, and 1 wash pan and paid for all. Returned at 12 1/2. I molded some and plowed out some middles in oldest corn on H ridge in eve.
Thu. 25th. Foggy till 9 and bright and warm in eve. I walked to Harrison's early and paid him $4.45 which I owed him for scraping cotton last week. I finished molding and plowing mids in old cotton on H ridge and molded balance of day in Gate cut. Nellie and Willie went to Pa's in eve.
Fri. 26th. Warm, some cloudy all day from S and it showered around at 3 and 4 in eve and a little here. I molded cotton all day in Gate cut and hauled a load of wood late in eve.
Sat. 27th. Cloudy some all day, warm and damp S wind and thundered and showered around most of eve and rained a light shower at 4 in eve. I went to F. Coon's early and got 5 pds mutton and Harrison and boys helped me to mark our calves. I finished molding cotton in Gate cut by 10 and plowed out some of mids there untill 11 1/2. I replanted nearly all of Gate cut of cotton in eve. The rain stopped me. I had slight pain in left side of my head yesterday and in right side all today which wore off at night.
Sun. 28th. Bright till 2 from SW and had a hard rain from W or NW at 2 1/2 and bright late in eve. All of us went to Sunday School in morn. Mr. Brown preached, then came home to dinner with us. I went with him to Surgett's in eve. He preached there. His sons, Wilson and Paul, there.
Mon. 29th. Foggy and very wet till 8, and bright and warm balance of day. I cleaned out spring and fixed watergap before breakfast and fixed all 3 of cowpen gates early after and hilled some of oldest cotton on SW side of H ridge with hoe but it was very wet. I took 2 alt pills last night which worked me well today. I cut some oats for Julia at 11, the first I have cut as they are rather green. I tried to plow road in front of house in eve but Julia cut up so I didn't plow it well. I molded 5 rows of cotton by front gate and hauled a load of wood late in eve. Dan came late and got 3 pks corn for oats which I borrowed.
Tue. 30th. Alice and baby and Clara here all day. Scott and Susanna came in eve. I plowed out midddles in Gate cut of cotton in eve and finished all but little of them. I was feverish at night.
Wed. 31st. It began to shower from SW just at daylight and rained a hard rain between 7 and 8 in morn. Mr. Sims came by at 9 to tell me that Dennis had come. I took my plow to shop at 9 1/2 and had it pointed and sharpened and returned at 11. I cut large lot of trees beyond Cherry stump all eve. Nellie rode Julia to her Pa's in eve.