NOVEMBER 1903
Sun. Nov. 1st. Bright and pleasant from SW and no rain in sight today. Willie rode Joe to Clara's early in morn and borrowed some flour. Nellie and Carmell came back from Wiley's at 9 1/2 in morn. I got wood and water and grabbled some yams and gathered nearly a peck of pecans in old cow pen corner in morn. All of us went to Sunday School in eve and Dr. Hunnicutt preached for us and I paid him $10 for church. Miss Mamie Johnson brought Miss Jennie Jeter out from Woodville to teach school at 3 in eve and Dr. H. returned to Woodville with Miss J. I rested well at night (Gussie brought Viola to go to school).
Mon. 2nd. Bright and pleasant and dry but some clouds and calm. Willie drove Joe and Ella to wagon to town in morn to get some provisions for us and for Wiley too and he returned at 11 1/2. Howard and I picked cotton all morn on hilltop of H ridge and finished there and we picked in Gate cut near road in eve. Willie picked too part of eve and he rode Joe to try to get Fayette's boys to help us to dig potatoes on tomorrow, but couldn't get them. Nellie and Carmell at Wiley's most of day. Miss Jeter began school today and Viola and Bernice went. Lewis began in morn and made molasses today. I was feverish and my head stopped up and didn't sleep well at night.
Tue. 3rd. Bright and dry and cool wind from N and a pleasant day. Willie and Howard and I began early in morn and dug potatoes (Queens and reds) in patch just E of hayhouse till 11 1/2 in morn. Willie plowed them up with Joe and Ella to B plow and Howard and I picked them up and we hauled all in 4 cart loads with Ella in eve and put them in potatoe house and finished before sunset. I rested well at night.
Wed. 4th. Bright and quite cool early in morn but a calm and pleasant day and very dry. Willie and Howard and I dug potatoes (red ones) most of morn as on yesterday and we hauled all in 4 cart loads in eve with Ella and put eating ones in house and the small and cut ones in barrels under wagon shed to feed on. Jack D and his wife came to Wiley's on yesterday eve and Jack working at Ogden's today putting up his cotton press. Mrs. Deloach and Viola and Rena and her 2 children here in eve. Willie shot twice at back of our orchard in night to frighten away coon hunters and we didn't sleep well at night.
Thu. 5th. Bright and cool and dry from NW till 2 in eve and rained around in thundershowers from NW at 2 to 5 and rained slowly here at 4 to 5 and bright at night. Willie and Howard and I dug yams on E side of hayhouse all morn as on yesterday and we finished at 11 3/4 and hauled all of them in 2 big cart loads with Ella in eve by 3 and Willie and Howard hauled a cart load of pine straw by 4 1/4 and I packed and cut up some wood at 3 to 4 in eve. Edna was quite sick early in morn and Lewis and West both went to town and Dr. Woods came out there at 11 1/4 in morn. Nellie at Lewis' all morn. I rested well at night.
Fri. 6th. Cloudy and damp and cool from N all morn till 11 1/2 and bright and sunshined all eve and a very cool breeze from N. Willie and Howard and I dug the 7 rows of red potatoes in NE corner of orchard and hauled them in 2 cart loads by 10 in morn and finished last of our potatoes. We hauled in 12 cart loads in all (about 130 or 140 bus. and about 100 of good eating potatoes). Willie and Howard cut and ricked some cane for seed in old cow pen corner after 10 in morn and I packed and cut up wood at 10 to 12 and I picked cotton in Gate cut all eve and got 50. I rested well at night.
Sat. 7th. Clear and some frost in morn and a cold and dry breeze from N most of day but pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Howard pulled and hauled in 2 loads of corn from Luckett field in morn and 1 in eve. Ray helped them in morn and Willie shot some hogs there in corn in morn. Wiley drove Joe to buggy to town in morn and brought Mary James out here from College to stay till Monday. I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and picked 42 of cotton in Gate cut by 12. I got wood and water and gathered a few pecans in eve. I didn't sleep well at night - my head has been stopped up at night for more than a week and I had hot and chilly sensations till late in night.
Sun. 8th. Clear and some frost in morn but a breeze from S of E and a dry and pleasant day. Wiley went to his Pa's in morn and Rena and children here today. Joe Miller dined here too. Willie and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and I picked up some pecans and brought a brown hen from hayhouse with 8 chicks which she hatched on hay and put them in coop. Minnie and Mary James and Willie and Bernice and I walked to Sunday School in eve. My head was stopped up at night and I only rested tolerably well.
Mon. 9th. Clear and very cool early in morn but a little breeze from S and a pleasant and dry day. Willie and Howard took wagon to Luckett field early in morn with Ella and Jack and pulled a big load of corn and last there and got home with it at 12 3/4. Howard was sick and didn't work much in morn and they pulled and hauled another big load in eve from SW corner. Nellie carried Mary James to College early in morn and took Bernice and Carmell to town with her too. They drove old Jim mule and returned at 2 1/2. I picked cotton in Gate cut at 8 1/2 in morn till 12 and again at 3 to 5 1/4 in eve and got 77. I didn't rest well at night. I got up at 11 1/4 and made some coffee for Minnie - she was suffering with toothache - but I slept again at 12 1/4 to 3.
Tue. 10th. Foggy and wet till 9 1/2 in morn and bright but cloudy some balance of day from S and pleasant. Willie and Howard pulled corn all morn in SW corner and hauled in 2 loads in eve and hauled a load of split pine wood late in eve. Wiley hauled in 3 wagon loads of his corn in morn. I picked cotton in Gate cut all day till late in eve and finished there and got 99 and picked 5 more in Sims' corner. My head was stopped up all day and night too but I rested well at night.
Wed. 11th. Warm and cloudy from SW but bright all morn and a thundercloud came up from NW at 1 and we had a good hard shower at 1 1/4 to 2 - which made ground muddy - and bright from NW after 2 1/4 in eve. Howard didn't work today. Willie pulled corn most of morn in SW corner and took wagon there in eve to haul it but Jack balked and Willie got old Jim and he and I got load of corn home by sunset. I picked 50 of cotton in Sims' corner in morn and I packed poles to cow pen and put at bottom of wire fence (to keep young calves in) most of eve. Rose gave birth to a red heifer calf (Devon) last night in cow pen. I rested tolerably well at night.
Thu. 12th. Clear and pleasant with a breeze from SW all day. Howard rode his mare to town in morn and got a bottle of Reed's Chill cure for himself and returned in eve. Willie and I cut and ricked seed cane in old cow pen corner till 9 1/2 in morn and finished enough for seed and Willie pulled corn in 2nd Cane hollow balance of day and left it there and I picked cotton in Sims' corner at 9 3/4 to 12 and most of eve and got 70. I rested and slept well at night but my head is all stopped up and my throat was wheezy some early in night.
Fri. 13th. Cloudy some all day and warm from SW and dropped rain some early in morn but bright and sun shined most of eve. Howard picked cotton part of morn and all of eve in Sims' corner and Willie and I picked there at 10 1/4 to 11 3/4. Willie and I hauled in 2 loads of corn from 2nd Cane hollow by 10 in morn with Jim and Ella and Willie hauled pine wood from Sims' corner to mill at Lewis' (for molasses) in eve and I picked cotton all eve in Sims' corner and got 45 and Howard got 37. I rested well all night.
Sat. 14th. Warm and cloudy some but bright and calm and sun shined most of day and clear at night. Willie and Wiley cut and stripped cane in 2nd Cane hollow part of morn and all eve to grind and Howard picked cotton in Sims' corner in morn and didn't work in eve. I rode Joe to town at 8 1/2 in morn to 12 1/4 to get some coffee and I dropped it near Sims' field gate and spilled it but picked up all of it. I got wood and water in eve and threshed a few pecans near big road and Howard helped me to pick them up and I got one peck to my share. Nellie and Carmell went to Wiley's late in eve and staid all night. My head was stopped up and my throat was wheezing at night but I rested well.
Sun. 15th. Bright and warm from SW. I shaved early in morn - first time for a long time. Wiley and family and Seymour and family and Leggett and Buddy all dined here and Buddy left at 1 and all rest of us went to Sunday School in eve. I rested well at night but head was stopped up some and my throat was wheezy some too.
Mon. 16th. Warm and cloudy some all day but sun shined most of day and a pleasant breeze from S most of day and clear late in eve and at night. Willie began early in morn and hauled cane most of day to Lewis' from 2nd Cane hollow and I carried Joe and Dan to mill at 9 1/4 in morn and Jack fed mill and Wiley helped Lewis to cook and Howard and I cut and stripped cane in 2nd Cane hollow most of day. I ahd wheezing and choking in early part of night and didn't sleep well all night.
Tue. 17th. It rained a hard little shower form NW at 4 1/4 to 5 in morn and wind cold from N all day and no sunshine and rained a little shower at 9 1/2 in morn and cleared off just after dark and cold all night from N. Willie hauled cane and one load of wood to mill most of day with Jim and Ella. Willie hauled cane from 2nd Cane hollow and Howard stripped cane there most of morn and I stripped there too awhile in morn and rain stopped me at 9 1/2 and Willie and I helped Howard to strip cane awhile in eve and we finished all in 2nd Cane hollow at 3 in eve. Wiley helped Lewis to cook molasses all day and Jack ground with Joe and Dan. I covered all of our potatoes in house with pine straw late in eve and fed all of our cattle at cow pen with peahay and a few cotton seed. I had wheezing some and stopped up head and was not quite warm enough most of night and didn't sleep well.
Wed. 18th. Clear and a cold NW wind all day and ice early in morn and in shade most of day. Willie hauled all of cane from 2nd Cane hollow in one load from NE corner of orchard to mill today and he hauled a load of wood to Wiley's and one here in eve. Wiley and Jack at mill all day helping Lewis. They ground with Joe and Dan. Ray and Howard stripped and cut cane in NE corner of orchard in morn and Ray put dirt on Wiley's seed cane and Howard put on one rick of ours in old cow pen corner in eve. I packed some green beech wood from out E of fig orchard and cut it up till 9 1/2 in morn and I threshed one pecan tree SE of garden and got 1/2 bu from it by 12 and picked up 1/2 peck under some other trees too and I threshed the top of the big pecan tree toward road and got 2 1/2 pecks in eve by 4 - making 5 pecks in all gathered today. I slept on bed with Nellie and Carmell at night but didn't sleep well. I had wheezing and rattling in my throat and stopped up head and pain in left side of my head.
Thu. 19th. Clear and a hard killing freeze in morn and ice in shade all day and a cold breeze from NE but a little warmer late in eve. Willie hauled 3 loads of cane from NE part of orchard to mill - 1 early in morn and 2 in eve - and he hauled in corn most of day from old Cane hollow in SW corner. Dan and Gordon and Tigner gathered the corn and they dined here and finished all by late in eve. Wiley and Jack took Joe and Dan to mill early in morn but the cane was frozen and they couldn't grind but they ground all eve till after dark. Ray and Howard cut and stripped cane in NE part of orchard most of day and Jack cut too in morn. I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and helped Willie to unload corn and threshed one pecan tree in old cow pen in morn and got 1/2 peck and I threshed one just SW of barn in eve and got one peck. My head was stopped up and I had wheezing in my throat at night but I slept and rested well all night.
Fri. 20th. Cloudy and very little sunshine today and ice early in morn and a cold breeze from N all day. Willie hauled cane from orchard to mill all day with Jim and Ella and some wood too and he finished last of it by dusk. Wiley and Jack at mill all day helping Lewis to cook and they finished all by midnight. Willie and Howard and Jack at mill at night. Ray and Howard finished stripping and cutting our cane by 2 1/2 in eve. I packed and cut up wood early in morn and helped Willie to load up cane every load and gathered about 1/2 bu of pecans toward big road through the day and had bad wheezing most of night and didn't sleep well.
Sat. 21st. Bright, nearly clear, and ice in morn and a cold breeze from N all day and very smoky and sun shined dimly all day and chilly too. Wiley got wagon early in morn with Goulden and Jack and he and Ray hauled in all of his cotton in field, about 2600, in morn and he hauled a big load of his cane to mill in eve and he and Willie hauled 2 bbls of our molasses home by sunset. Willie drove Joe to buggy to town in morn and returned at 12 1/4 and he rode Joe to B. Chambers and let him have 20 gals of molasses which he got late in eve at mill. Lewis cooked there all day for negroes. I got wood and water and took up manure at cow pen by 9 in morn and threshed a pecan tree near big road and got about 5 pecks by 2 in eve and carried 1/2 bu of pecans to Cousin Mary in eve and came back and drew water and got some wood and fed by dusk. I had wheezing early in night but slept and rested well.
Sun. 22nd. Clear, but smoky all day, and a frost in morn and a cold breeze from N all day. Wiley and family and Nellie and Carmell walked to Clara's in morn and returned late in eve. Willie rode Joe to Clara's in morn and got mail. Madison T came at 10 1/2 in morn and brought $25 to Willie for Kitty cow which he got by mistake on last Mon. and I walked in cow pasture with Madison to get their cow bought from Willie last July or August. Tigner D dined here and he and Willie and Minnie and baby and I walked to Sunday School in eve. I had a bad wheezing spell at 9 to 10 1/2 at night but slept well after then.
Mon. 23rd. Clear and frost in morn but calm and dry and a pleasant day after 10 in morn. Wiley and Ray ground and cooked molasses at Lewis' today. Willie and Howard and I picked cotton in Sims' corner in hollow most of day. Cherry gave birth to a dark red or brown bull calf (Jersey) in calf pasture last night. I had wheezing and difficult breathing all last night but slept some but not well.
Tue. 24th. Bright and I think cold enough for a little frost in morn but calm and pleasant after 9 in morn and some dark clouds all day. Willie and I and Howard and Hannah picked cotton in Sims' corner most of day and hauled all late in eve with Joe and cart. Nellie and Minnie washed in eve. I had wheezing and choking in early part of night and couldn't sleep and I made and drank some coffee at 1 in night and slept at 2 to 4.
Wed. 25th. Warm and foggy till 9 in morn and blew up then from NW and drizzled rain some and cold and cloudy from W of N balance of day. Willie and I and Howard and Hannah picked cotton in Sims' corner till 9 1/2 in morn and some in eve and finished all there but a little thin one in hollow. I threshed the pecan tree just NW of kitchen at 10 1/4 in morn and Willie and I picked up nearly 3 pecks there by 11 and I got about 200 from a tree near cow pen and picked up some under some other trees. I had wheezing and rattling and nervous choking most of night and didn't sleep sound at all. I made and drank some coffee at 11 in night but it didn't relieve me much and I got up at 2 1/2 in night.
Thu. 26th. Bright, but some clouds, and smoky some and chilly with a cold wind from N all day and clear and calm at night. Willie and Howard and Hannah picked cotton part of day in 3rd Cane hollow but it was too cold all day in sunshine to pick well. I got wood and water, some in morn - and some in eve, and I gathered one peck of pecans in morn and one in eve. Wiley hauled a bale of cotton to Cohen's in morn and returned early in eve with seed. Rena and her children here late in eve. I slept some at 10 to 12 and again at 1 1/2 to 4 but had wheezing and choking and nervousness bad at 8 to 9 1/2 and again at 12.
Fri. 27th. Clear and a white frost and freeze in morn but calm and dry and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Wiley hauled another load of cotton to Cohen's today. Willie and Wiley put some of our cattle and Wiley's in Coon field early in morn and Willie and I got some wood by 9 1/4 and I carried 2 1/2 pecks of pecans to Wiley's at 9 1/2 and put balance of our cattle in Wiley's field and got some wood and picked up some pecans before 12. Willie and Howard and Hannah picked cotton part of day (or most of it) in 3rd Cane hollow and Willie hauled all picked late in eve with Joe and cart. I picked 16 in Gate cut (scraping) at 1 1/4 to 3 1/4 in eve. I suffered good deal at night with wheezing and difficult breathing and nervousness but slept some.
Sat. 28th. Clear and a slight freeze in morn but wind from SW and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Howard and I killed and dressed a sow shoat early in morn and Howard didn't work today. Hannah washed some for Minnie in morn. Willie rode Dan to town in morn to sell him to Metzger and returned at 3 1/2 in eve. I picked up some pecans in morn and some in eve - about 1 peck in all. I suffered some through the day with nervous tremors and wheezing and choking and had it bad in night till midnight and slept some after midnight. Nellie and Carmel staid at Wiley's at night.
Sun. 29th. Clear and very cool and dry from N but smoky. Wiley went to his Pa's in morn and Rena and her 2 children and B C and family here most of day. Willie and Minnie and Carmel went to Sunday School in eve. I had wheezing and nervous tremors some through the day and night too and slept but little at night.
Mon. 30th. Clear but very smoky and ice and white frost in morn and a breeze from N most of day but pleasant in sunshine and very dry after 10 in morn. Howard sick and didn't work today. Hannah and 3 of Addie Lee's children picked cotton in 3rd Cane hollow most of day and Willie scraped cotton in long staple (Allen) in Sims' corner and in Gate cut most of day. I packed and cut up some wood and drew some water and picked up pecans through the day. I had wheezing and coughing and nervous tremors through the day and night too and slept but little and sat up in rocking chair most of night.