OCTOBER 1886
Fri. Oct. 1st. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool wind from N. Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in cut by front gate and finished there by 11 1/2 and Willie and I picked in new ground all eve. Nellie and Dixie washed, scoured and cleaned up most of day.
Sat. 2nd. Clear and quite cool from N. Willie, Rena and I picked 35 pds of cotton in Willie's and 35 in new ground by 11 and grabbled some potatoes and gathered some corn by 12. Dan came at 11 1/4 and dined here and left at 1 1/2. Willie and I went on cart to Cohen's in eve and got 1/2 bushel of fresh meal, 3 spools thread, and 3 pds shot on credit and brought home the other coal oil bbl which I got some time ago. We returned at sunset.
Sun. 3rd. Clear and quite cool - wind from N. We stopped the Sunday School at our little church and none went today. Dixie went in buggy with her Pa to town to Methodist Church in morn. Pa, Ma and Babe came in morn and here all day. Aunt Mary, Lucy, Lewis, Cousin Mary and Gus here in eve.
Mon. 4th. Bright, some clouds and cool N wind. Willie, Rena and I picked 100 pds cotton in new ground in morn and we picked a 100 there in eve. Nellie rode old J to Pa's in eve.
Tue. 5th. Clear and cool from N. Willie, Rena and I picked 100 pds cotton in Persimmon cut and 40 in Willie's cotton in bottom of Gate cut by 12. I had a dull headache in right side of my head all morn and it got better by noon. I rode old J to Cohen's in eve to see about ginning my 2nd bale and got a bucket of lard and 8 yds calico for Rena and a pr stockings for her and 3 spools thread and paid for all. I returned before sunset.
Wed. 6th. Bright, some clouds and pleasant. Fayette came early and he and Davis hauled my 2nd bale to Cohen's and they ginned and pressed it by 1 1/2. The bale weighed 511 and I got them to ship it. I got a saddle for Willie for $5 and some gray cassimere to make him a suit and a pr of pants for me, 8 yds in all at 60 cts per yard and I got a pair of Brogans for myself -$1.50- and a saque for Rena - 70 cts- and 1 pd soda, 2 pr socks for Willie and 2 yds birdseye -35cts- , 2 spools black thread - 10cts- making $11.95 on credit. We returned at 4 1/2 in eve and Fayette brought seed home then. He broke wooden part of front axle in morn going down.
Thu. 7th. Bright, some clouds and pleasant wind from SE. Old Bill mule got into field through Mr. D's fence toward Coon place last night and I drove him out by Sims' and fixed fence by 9 and dug some potatoes and Willie, Rena and I picked 40 pds cotton in bottom part of Willie's cotton (in grass) by 12. Willie and I pulled and hauled in 3 cartloads of corn from front Gate cut by dusk (about 15 bushel).
Fri. 8th. Bright, some clouds and pleasant wind from SE. Willie and I pulled and hauled 3 cartloads of corn from Gate cut in morn and 2 in eve (about 26 or 27 bbls). Aunt Tilda here in morn and again in eve. Nellie made Willie's suit of cassimere on yesterday and she made a pair of pants and vest for me of same today.
Sat. 9th. Bright, cloudy some all day - showered around some in eve late and sprinkled some here late. Willie and I hauled 1 cartload of corn from Gate cut by 9 in morn making 9 cartloads in all from that cut about 50 bbls from the 2 acres (a good crop) and we hauled a light load from H ridge and finished last of corn by 10 1/2 making about 55 bbls hauled in. We got up young J by 12. I rode old J to Cohen's in eve and got some things on credit and returned before sunset.
Sun. 10th. Bright, nearly clear and pleasant wind from N - no signs of rain. Nellie, Dixie and Rena drove old J in buggy and Willie rode old Dunn and I rode young J and Mr. D, Seymour and Gus all went to Methodist church in Woodville and Adams preached. J. Chambers came back with us and here till sunset. We got Clarissa to stay here all morn. We returned at 2. Mr. Sims, Bev and Shelly Percy stopped late in eve and got some sugar cane.
Mon. 11th. Bright and pleasant and dry - cloudy late in eve - wind from NE. Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton most of day in cut by front gate all morn till 3 in eve and balance of eve in new ground on E side.
Tue. 12th. Bright, but cloudy some all day. Showers passed around all eve and rained a hard little shower here at 5 in eve and high SE wind most of day and most of night. Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in new ground till rain at 5 and got 180 pds nearly done in new ground. Tom C came at 10 1/2 in morn to tell us that Charlie Combs was dead. He died yesterday.
Wed. 13th. Cloudy and high S wind. It rained in slow showers from S most of day. Willie, Rena and I picked 20 pds cotton in new ground and finished that cut and picked 65 in Willie's cotton in poor E end of Gate cut by 10 1/2 and rain stopped us. Willie and I walked and got up young J by 12. Nellie and I rode to Mrs McNamara's burying in eve and got home at dark. Clara S here all eve and all night.
Thu. 14th. It rained a little shower just at daylight from SW and cleared off and clear and pleasant from W all day. Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Persimmon cut most of day. Clara S here last night till late this eve. Clara and babe here in eve. I rode to Mr. Sims' and on to see Steve at 1 to 2 1/2 but didn't see Steve.
Fri. 15th. Clear and cool from N all day. Willie and I walked to Sims' at daylight and got some butter and paid them for all except what I got this morn. Willie, Rena and I picked 100 pds cotton in Persimmon cut in morn and picked 100 there in eve.
Sat. 16th. Clear and cool from NW. Willie, Rena and I picked 100 pds cotton in Persimmon cut by 10 and finished that cut. I dug some potatoes by 12. I rode old J to Cohen's in eve and got some things on credit and paid for some. Dan came at 1 1/2 and here all eve.
Sun. 17th. Bright and pleasant. I rode young J and Willie and Rena rode old J to Sunday School and preaching at Methodist church in town. Dr West preached and administered sacrament. We returned at 2. Bud here all day. Nellie and Dixie stayed home. Nellie sick with a cold all last night, today and at night.
Mon. 18th. Bright, some clouds and pleasant - SE breeze. Willie, Rena and I picked 80 pds cotton in Cherry cut by 10 1/2 and 30 by cut in front gate on E side of our road by 12. We began to pick peas in eve and picked and threshed nearly 1 bushel in Dewberry cut.
Tue. 19th. Bright, some cloud, wind from NE. Willie, Rena and I picked 100 pds cotton in Cherry cut and 25 in cut by front gate on W side by 12. We picked and threshed nearly 5 pks peas in Gate cut in eve.
Wed. 20th. Bright and pleasant - wind from NE. Willie, Rena and I picked 80 pds cotton in Cherry cut and 30 in cut by front gate next to garden by 12. We picked and threshed 1 bushel peas in Gate cut in eve.
Thu. 21st. Bright and pleasant and dry - wind from NE. Willie, Rena and I picked 80 pds cotton in Cherry cut and 20 in cut by front gate by 11 1/2 and finished both cuts. I rode old J to Surgetts' to exchange beef for corn and saw Steve out in field. I returned at 3 1/2 and put the cartwheels in branch to swell. Willie, Rena and I picked 20 pds cotton in new ground late in eve.
Fri. 22nd. Bright and pleasant and dry. Willie, Rena and I picked over all of Willie's cotton except a little by 12 and got 80 pds. Steve came in eve and we butchered Kate's little red steer and got through by dusk. I had a dull headache, vomited all night and slept but little.
Sat. 23rd. Bright, pleasant and dry. I lay in bed till 2 and suffered with headache. Lewis and Willie took the beef on cart to Surgett and traded it for 17 1/2 bbls of corn and returned by 12. I got up at 2 but sick till night.
Sun. 24th. Bright, pleasant and dry. I rode young J, Willie and Rena rode old J, Dixie rode Fannie and John C and Seymour went with us to Sunday School at Methodist Church in Woodville and to preaching at Presbyterian Church. We returned at 2 1/2. Buddy, Clara S and Seymour here in eve.
Mon. 25th. Bright, but cloudy some all day. Thundered in NW all day and a dark cloud blew up from NW late in eve but only sprinkled here and again after dark. Willie, Rena and I picked 70 pds cotton in new ground in morn and Willie and Rena picked by front gate in eve. I rode old J to Cohen's in eve to see about ginning my 3rd bale and got a few things and paid for all. I returned before sunset and packed some wood.
Tue. 26th. Cloudy early in morn but bright and cool from N most of day. Fayette and Dave hauled my bale to Cohens' and got through there by 1. The bale weighed 498 and I got Cohen to ship it. I got some things on credit. Willie and I got home at 2. Fayette brought my seed and I sold him the beef hide for 50 cts on credit. Willie and I picked 17 pds cotton by front gate late in eve.
Wed. 27th. Bright and quite cool - wind from N. Willie, Rena and I picked 115 pds cotton in Persimmon cut by 12 and we picked and threshed 3 1/2 pks peas on H ridge in eve. Clara S came in eve and here all night.
Thu. 28th. Clear and cold - a white killing frost in morn and wind cool from N all day. Willie and Rena rode old J and I rode young J by Cohens' and I got $4 from them and Mr. Newman went from store to Fair with us and we were there till late in eve and got home at dusk.
Fri. 29th. Clear and a white frost in morn - wind from N. I cut and ricked all of purple cane and part of Creole by 4 in eve. Willie, Rena and I picked 30 pds cotton in new ground late in eve.
Sat. 30th. Clear and quite cool early. Pleasant through the day. Seymour took wagon and I rode old J and we got 10 1/2 bbls of corn from Surgetts' (in exchange for the beef sold on last Saturday) and got home by 12. Willie and Rena picked 30 pds cotton. Dixie and Rena went to Mr. D's. Willie Hastings came back with them and here from 3 to 4 1/2. I got some wood in eve.
Sun. 31st. Clear and pleasant. Willie and Rena rode old J to Methodist Church in town and Dr West preached. We got home at 2. Dixie and Rena went to Mr. D's in eve. Gus here all eve.