NOVEMBER 1897
Mon. Nov. 1st. Clear till after sunrise and clouded up from NW with a chilly wind from there all day and cloudy all day. Willie drove Joe to Dixie's buggy and carried Mrs Baker to Fred Leak's (to teach school) early in morn and Willis Johnson carried her 2 trunks on his wagon. Willie returned at 10 in night. Pa walked to Alice's in morn - she is sick - and he packed up some beech wood at 10 to 12 and again in eve. I rode Hattie to Clara's early in morn and castrated Buddy's old white boar and 3 small ones and returned at 10 1/4 and hauled nearly a full cartload of corn from new SW corner by 12 1/2. E M Tabor dined here. I rode Hattie to Cohen's in eve to see about ginning and got some flour, 30 lbs, and 5 of rice and 5 of sugar and 1/2 lb of tea for Pa (for Alice) and paid for all.
Tue. 2nd. Clear and quite cool early in morn - I think near about cold enough for a little frost - and wind from NW all day but pleasant after 10 in morn. Willie and I threw back some cotton seed in cotton house early in morn and fixed up some rails around W end of Pa's gallery (which we packed from hog-pen at corner of garden) and took some of Pa's cotton out of corner of cotton house (about 300 lbs) and put on Pa's gallery by 9 in morn and we picked big peas in hollow of Pine corner at 9 to 11 1/2 and again in eve and finished big peas there at 3 and picked some more big ones in old turnip ground part of SW corner (which I got from Tigner N) late in eve. Pa rode Hattie to Alice's in morn early and carried the things which I got on yesterday eve and he picked peas with us at 10 to 11 1/2 and he threshed peas most of eve and we finished filling 1 bbl (our first one) of big ones and we didn't thresh out but a very few of what we picked today but I hauled those picked on last Sat. morn back to field just after dinner and we threshed all of them in eve.
Wed. 3rd. Bright, nearly clear, some little hazy clouds and frost in morn (little) but sun shined all day and pleasant after 10 in morn and calm. Pa picked cotton in orchard all morn and Willie and I picked cotton all morn in new 2nd Cane hollow and Willie and I picked "Tigner peas" (big ones) in old turnip ground part of new SW corner most of eve and we helped Pa to thresh some late in eve. He threshed most of eve and finished threshing out all picked on yesterday (which we left out in field last night under the bushes in sacks) and we threshed all picked this eve and we hauled peas and hulls on cart late in eve and the peas filled our 2nd bbl of seed ones lacking about 1 peck.
Thu. 4th. Bright but some clouds and pleasant from S. Pa, Willie and I got the muley, rickety heifer (which we sold to John Fosselman 2 weeks ago) our of a sink hole NW of cowpen early in morn and we looked all day for Cohen to send for our cotton but he didn't and Pa picked cotton most of day in orchard and Willie and I in new 2nd Cane hollow. I took Hattie and cart to field in eve and hauled all of cotton that Willie and I picked late in eve. I had a dull headache all day but if left me late in eve. I didn't take any pills for it - the 1st time that I haven't in a long time - more than 2 weeks. I believe Bro Breland and his wife and Miss Lula Gibson of Natchez came to Lewis' on yesterday and he preached there last night and Dixie and Willie went but I didn't feel well and I didn't go and all 3 of them were here this evening and to supper. I paid Bro Breland $5 on his salary and Dixie and Willie and I walked to Lewis' with them at night and had preaching (at 7 to 9 1/4).
Fri. 5th. Bright and pleasant from SW but some dark spots of clouds all day. Pa walked to Alice's early in morn and found her a little better and he picked cotton in orchard balance of day. Willie and I picked cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow all day and I hauled all late in eve with Hattie and cart. Dixie and Lucy washed in morn. Willie rode Joe to Chapel at night. Breland preached there.
Sat. 6th. Cloudy some but bright and sun shined most of day and pleasant and calm. Pa picked cotton all day in orchard and Willie and I picked in new 2nd Cane hollow all morn and I hauled a full cart load of corn from new SW corner with Hattie and grabbled some yams on H ridge in eve and Willie rode Joe to Cohen's in eve. Wiley came from (Woodville) just before dinner and left at 2 1/2.
Sun. 7th. Bright and pleasant from S. Pa and Gordon walked to Alice's in morn - she is still sick in bed. Lewis and cousin Mary and Chunk and Earl went in buggy to Aunt Mary's early in morn and West and Lila and Edna here most of day and I knocked down some pecans by Pa's room just after dinner and gave the children about 1 peck and Dixie and Willie and I and children walked to Lewis' at 3 1/4 to 5 and held Sunday School and Seymour came at 3 and went with us.
Mon. 8th. Cloudy and damp from SW all morn and sprinkled rain at 11 1/4 and a dark cloud came up from NW at 12 1/2 and rained a heavy and washing rain at 12 1/2 to 2 1/4 with some little wind and no thunder and it began to rain slowly from SE at dusk and lasted till late in night. Pa picked cotton all morn in orchard and Willie and I in new 2nd Cane hollow and hauled our cotton with Hattie and cart at 12. Jim came from Pinson place at 11 1/2 in morn with a note for me to come and bring Clara (Rena gave birth to a daughter early in morn) but we didn't go on account of rain. I picked up some pecans and fixed water gap and picked few peas for "Chester" and cut up wood in eve. Willie rode Hattie to Clara's in eve at 2 1/4 to 6 1/4 and they caught a fox.
Tue. 9th. Cloudy and cool from N all day and no rain and sprinkled rain some in early part of night and cleared off in night. Pa packed up some wood in morn and picked some cotton in orchard in eve and Willie picked peas most of day and left them in field. I drove Hattie to Dixie's buggy to Clara's early in morn and carried her to Pinson place by 10 3/4 (to stay till day after tomorrow) and Lewis and Cousin Mary went there too and I brought old Mrs Hernandez to Mrs Kendrick's on my way home. I got home just before sunset.
Wed. 10th. Cloudy but bright and chilly in morn and sun shined all eve and pleasant from SW. Pa picked cotton most of day in orchard and Willie and I picked in new 2nd Cane hollow all morn and Willie all eve and I picked some there late in eve. I hauled a full cart load of corn from new SW corner at 1 to 3 1/4 in eve. I had a dull headache all day but it got better after sunset but lasted all night but I rested pretty well.
Thu. 11th. It rained a little at 2 in morn and foggy and wet till 9 in morn and bright and pleasant from NW balance of day. Willie and I began to pick cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow early in morn and Cohen sent 3 wagons (2 with seed to exchange) and Pa, Willie and I helped to load up the 3 wagons out of new barn (and we put heavy loads on them by 10 in morn and 2 of the wagons came back at 2 1/2 and got all of Willie's and my cotton and we borrowed 700 from Pa to finish out load. We borrowed about 40 on 1st ginning making 740 in all that we owe Pa). Pa picked some cotton in orchard today and Willie some in new 2nd Cane hollow. I put away the bbls of cotton seed and winnowed a bbl of seed peas at 10 3/4 to 12. I grabbled some yams on H ridge at 12 3/4 to 2 and I pulled a basket of hay in orchard late in eve and spread on floor in new barn and put some peas and hulls there and drew water and cut up wood late in eve. Dixie and Edna drove Hattie to Pinson place early in morn and returned late in eve and brought Clara home from there.
Fri. 12th. Clear and cool early in morn but wind from SE and pleasant after 10 in morn. Pa walked to Alice's early in morn (she is still in bed) and he picked cotton in orchard balance of day. Willie and I picked cotton all morn in 2nd Cane hollow and brought our cotton home on Hattie and Joe at 12 1/4. Willie rode Joe around by Surgettt's and Belle View in eve to hire hands to pick cotton. I picked an oat sack of big peas (Tigner ones) in old turnip ground part of new SW corner in eve and finished them (for seed).
Sat. 13th. Clear and quite cool early in morn but wind from SE and warmer in eve. Pa picked cotton in orchard in morn and part of eve and Willie picked peas in Pine corner most of morn and put up in hull to feed on. I drove Hattie to cart to Cohen's in morn and they had ginned our 4 loads of the cotton carried there on last Thu. but had 1 load in house unginned and I sold the seed out of 2 loads (2140 lbs) for $4.25 and I borrowed $5 to replace that which I paid to Breland on the 4th inst. and I got a bbl of flour on credit and I returned at 12 1/2 and Gussie came from Cohen's with me and E M Tabor here to dinner and Wiley came too at 1 1/4 and Jim and Bailey brought Wiley's potatoes at 12 1/2 and we put them in bbls in stable to old barn by 2 1/2. Wiley returned at 3 and Willie rode Joe and went with him and Willie returned at 9 at night.
Sun. 14th. Bright and pleasant from S but some clouds. Pa walked to Alice's in morn - she is still sick in bed - and Pa went on to Clara's and there till late in eve. I picked up some pecans in morn early and some in eve. Lewis and West and Chunk here awhile in morn. B C came at 1 1/2 and he and Dixie and Willie and I walked to Lewis' in eve at 3 to 5 and had Sunday School.
Mon. 15th. Bright and warm from S all day. Pa picked cotton in orchard all day. Willie and I picked peas all morn on NE corner of Persimmon cut and put up in hull. We looked all morn for hands to pick cotton but none came but Lucy Randolph and she picked cotton all day in old Cane hollow and got 90. Willie and I hauled in 3 full cartloads of corn from new SW corner between drain and wire fence in eve and got all there.
Tue. 16th. Bright and warm from SW till 9 1/2 in morn and a dark cloud came up then from NW and blew and rained a little shower and turned quite cool and windy and dropped rain most of eve from W of N and cleared up just at good dark. Pa picked cotton in orchard most of morn and packed up some wood in eve. Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner by wire fence till 9 3/4 in morn and rain ran us home at 10 and we went back and picked peas in Persimmon cut till 11 3/4 and we hauled in 2 full cart loads of corn from new SW corner and cut up some wood in eve. Anthony Randolph and Lucy and George Atkins and 2 boys picked cotton in old Cane hollow till 9 3/4 in morn and rain stopped them for today. Lila and Edna here most of day.
Wed. 17th. Clear, and a cold, dry N wind all day. Pa packed up some wood early in morn and picked cotton in orchard after 10 in morn. Willie and I cut and ricked all of our sugar cane in NE corner of orchard and finished late in eve and were very tired (a hard day's work). Anthony and son and Lucy Randolph picked cotton in old Cane hollow most of day and I hauled their cotton with Hattie and cart late in eve.
Thu. 18th. Clear, a little frost, and a slight freeze in morn but not enough to kill vegetation much and pleasant after 10 in morn. Pa, Willie and I began and dug potatoes all morn on H ridge. I plowed them up with Hattie and Willie and I hauled them in 3 piling cartloads in fertilizer sks, about 45 bu. in all, in eve and put them in flower pit and Pa picked cotton in orchard in eve. Cousin Sallie and baby here most of day. Anthony and son and Lucy Randolph and George A and stepson picked cotton in old Cane hollow most of day and I hauled it in 2 cartloads in eve and we paid to Anthony $1.25 -all owing him- and we finished putting on Pa's gallery the 740 borrowed from him and put 155 in cotton house.
Fri. 19th. Clear, a little frost in morn, but calm and pleasant after 10 in morn. Dixie and Lila drove Bonnie to Pinson place in morn and returned before sunset. Pa, Willie and I dug potatoes all morn on hilltop of H ridge. Lucy helped to pick up potatoes most on morn and Pa picked cotton in orchard in eve and Willie and I hauled in the potatoes in 3 1/2 cart loads. We put the eating ones in flower pit and the seed ones in cotton house. George A and stepson and Lucy Randolph picked cotton most of day in old Cane hollow and finished there all but some thin ones on hillside and I paid them up for all picked late in eve - $1.45 to Lucy and $1.30 for George - I paid $1.25 to Anthony on yesterday eve.
Sat. 20th. Clear and quite cool early in morn but a calm and pleasant day and dry. Pa, Willie and I dug potatoes on hilltop of H ridge with Hattie till 11 in morn (Willie and I cut the vines off with hoes) and Willie and I hauled them in 3 full cart loads in eve and we put 1 load of eating ones in flower pit and 4 full bbls. in old stable and we put some seed ones under cotton house and some in sacks for hogs. George A and Sidney picked cotton at 8 1/2 in morn till 2 in eve in Cherry cut on W side and I hauled their cotton and paid them 50 cts. for it (125 lbs.). Pa walked to Clara's in eve. Willie gave Lewis about 6 bu. yams to carry to town for Breland's in morn.
Sun. 21st. Clear and cool early in morn but a little breeze from S and a beautiful and pleasant day. Pa walked to Alice's in morn and found her still sick in bed. I drove Hattie to Pinson place at 8 1/2 to 10 1/4 in morn and carried some turnips and pecans and a jug of milk. Gussie and John D came there too at 11 and Mr. Kendrick came too at 2 1/2. I got home just after sunset. I had a dull pain in right side of my head all day but it went off late in eve. William McGraw and wife here in eve till dusk and B C till 8 1/2 at night. Willie rode Joe to Union church at night to hear Jackson preach.
Mon. 22nd. Bright, but some clouds and pleasant from SW. Pa, Willie and I dug potatoes on hilltop of H ridge till 9 3/4 in morn and finished and Willie and I hauled cartload (in sacks) by 11 1/2 and another heaping load just after dinner - about 35 bu. in both loads - we made at least 175 bu. in all and Willie and I hauled a full cart load of pine straw from Sims' field and put on our potatoes and I hauled 2 cart loads of cotton from NW side of new 2nd Cane hollow (late in eve) which George A and Sidney and Lucy and Anthony Randolph and son and John Haywood picked in new 2nd Cane hollow today. Pa picked cotton in orchard after 10 in morn. Bro. Breland and wife came late in eve and stayed all night.
Tue. 23rd. The wind changed to N just before day and cool and dry and bright (nearly clear) from N all day. Pa picked cotton most of day in orchard. Willie and I picked peas all morn in new SW corner between wire fence and drain and got about 115 (at least) in hull and Willie and I hauled in 2 full cart loads of corn from new SW corner in eve and I hauled 2 cart loads of cotton from SW part of Cherry cut (late in eve) which George A and Sidney and Lucy and Anthony Randolph and son and John Haywood picked there today and I paid up all of hands - I paid them $4.45 in all for yesterday and today and I paid them $4.50 last week making $8.95 in all paid out. Bro. Breland and wife here all day and at night again.
Wed. 24th. A little frost in morn and bright, but some clouds all day but sun shined most of day and warmer from S in eve. Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner between wire fence and drain all morn and hauled them home on cart at 12. Pa packed up some wood early in morn and picked some cotton in orchard and Pa and Willie picked cotton on H ridge all eve. I rode Hattie to Cohen's in eve and returned 1 hour by sun. Mrs. Breland and Dixie drove Breland's horse and buggy to Wiley's in morn and returned just before sunset. Bro. Breland walked to Lewis' in morn and returned in eve and he and wife stayed here again at night.
Thu. 25th. Cloudy and dropped rain some in morn early and we had a little shower from SW at 2 in eve and bright and calm late in eve and clear at night. Bro. Breland and wife went to Lewis' in morn. I paid him $2.50 making $7.50 altogether that I have paid this year. Pa picked cotton on H ridge most of day. Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner all morn and we hauled nearly a full cart load of corn from there at 12 1/2 to 2 1/4 in eve and we left about 3 sks of corn which we didn't gather on account of rain and Willie and I picked peas in Pine corner cut at 2 1/4 to 4 1/2 in eve.
Fri. 26th. Cloudy and sprinkled rain several times in morn from SW and bright and warm all eve and blew up from NW at dark with a sprinkle of rain and windy and cool from N all night. Pa picked cotton in H ridge all day and Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner all morn and we gathered 3 sks of corn there too -our last -making only 8 cart loads in all (about 40 bbls) which we put in barn. Our corn crop is very poor this year (about half crop). Willie and I picked peas all morn on SE corner of Persimmon cut.
Sat. 27th. Bright, but some clouds all day and a cold N wind all morn but sun shined most of day and more pleasant in eve. Pa packed up some wood in morn and Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner all morn. Wiley came in morn and brought Miss Berta Kendrick to stay a few days. Buddy and Gussie here awhile after dinner. Willie rode Joe to Cohen's in eve. I gathered some okra and butter bean seed in eve and cut up wood and drew water.
Sun. 28th. Dark, cloudy and began to rain slowly from E at 9 in morn and lasted all day and part of night - the wind changed to NW at 1 1/4 in eve and rained hard then with some little thunder - the air was chilly all day and at night too. Pa walked to Alice's in morn and came back at 11 and got partly wet. Cousin Tom walked here from Lewis' at 8 1/2 in morn and here balance of day and stayed all night. Lewis here awhile in eve. Willie and I milked cows (3) in a slow rain late in eve. I cut up wood early in morn just before rain.
Mon. 29th. Cloudy and chilly from N all day till 3 1/2 in eve and cleared off then. Pa packed up some wood in morn and some in eve and Willie and I cut and split some beech and holly wood toward Coon place till 11 1/2 (to cook molasses) and I picked up about 1 1/2 bu. yams on hilltop of H ridge (where we dug a week ago) at 11 to 12 for hogs and Willie and I patched up orchard fence at bottom of it, from N corner to cowpen, in eve to keep out hogs. I had a dull headache all day but it left me early in night and I slept well. I have a cold in head and throat and have had it since last Wed. morn.
Tue. 30th. Bright and frost and a very slight freeze in morn but not cold enough to kill vegetation much. The sun shined most of day and pleasant and calm in eve. Gordon and Tigner came early in morn and they and Pa picked cotton most of day. They finished H ridge at 2 in eve and picked balance of eve on upper side of Cherry cut. Willie and I picked peas all day in Pine corner cut in morn and in Persimmon cut in eve and we got 170 lbs. all day which we put away in hull. Dixie and Miss Berta Kendrick walked to Estina in eve.