OCTOBER 1899
Sun. Oct. 1st. Bright, but some hazy clouds and cool and dry from NE. I cut and packed some green corn stalks for hogs and calves and cut up some wood and fed Wiley's hogs and chickens and horse early in morn. Nellie and Willie and Miss Minnie Comfort walked to Seymour's in morn and Willie and Nellie returned late in eve. Buddy here in morn awhile and again late in eve. Lewis here in morn and Pa found 8 head of Lewis' cattle in Wiley's field and Lewis and I drove them out and fixed wire fence at 10 1/2 to 12 in morn. I fixed dinner for Pa and myself and I salted cattle in eve. Wiley and Rena and baby returned at sunset.
Mon. 2nd. Bright and cool in morn and dry from E but some clouds in eve from SE and warmer. Pa and Lucy picked cotton here in field most of day and Willie picked all day with Wiley and Doug in Coon field and I picked there too in eve. I rode Joe to Cohen's in morn and August paid me $2.50 for the doz. chickens carried to him on last Friday and I sold the 4 bales of our cotton (2 bales ginned on last Sat. and 2 ginned on 15th of last month) to Cohen at 6 1/2 cts. and paid all of our account and 400 lbs rent, too and left $21.70 at Cohen's to go on our land note and I bought some things which I paid for and I got home at 11 1/2.
Tue. 3rd. Bright and pleasant from E but very dry. Pa and Lucy picked cotton here in field most of day and Willie and I picked all day in Coon field with Wiley and Doug. Nellie and Rena quilted here most of day and Nellie kept the baby here most of day.
Wed. 4th. Bright and pleasant but dry till 2 in eve and dark clouds most of eve from E. Pa and Lucy picked some cotton here in field (most of day). Rena walked to Dixie's in morn and returned in eve and Lucy helped her to carry baby going and coming. Willie and I picked cotton all day in Coon field with Wiley and Doug.
Thu. 5th. Bright with a cool and very dry wind from N. Pa and Lucy picked cotton here in field most of day and Willie and I picked in Coon field all day with Wiley and Doug. Will Ford and Kirk Morris and Gussie came late in eve to buy cattle and Ford and Morris staid all night at Wiley's and Gussie went home.
Fri. 6th. Bright, nearly clear, in morn and quite cool and a dry N breeze and some dark clouds in eve and warmer. Wiley rode Goulden to town in morn to see about ginning his cotton on round gin. Willie and Doug gathered corn most of day in new SW corner, in sacks, and I cleaned out our barn, and fixed some cotton seed under shed on W side of cotton house and I hauled in 5 whole cart loads of corn in morn and 5 in eve (about 50 bbls.) and put in our barn. Pa and Lucy picked cotton in morn and Pa in eve and Lucy picked peas most of eve in Gate cut for hogs.
Sat. 7th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and very dry from NW. Willie and Doug gathered corn in new SW corner all morn and I hauled in 6 cart loads with Joe (about 30 bbls.) by 12. Rena and Lucy washed in morn (Nellie is unwell) and Wiley rode Fanny to town in morn with a load of his cotton which Steve Brown carried and Steve brought the seed back by 12 1/4 and he and Robert Earlycut carried 2 more loads to town in eve and ginned it on round gin. Willie and I helped them to load wagons and Willie rode Joe and Wiley Goulden and went to town at 3 to 7 1/2 in eve. I hauled a cart load of wood with Fanny from NW of Wiley's at 3 1/4 to 4 1/2. Nellie kept the baby here at night and Wiley and Rena went home at 8 1/4 at night.
Sun. 8th. Bright and cool and very dry from N. I arose with a dull headache and had it all day and night too but it got better late in eve and I slept well at night. I got a 1/2 bucket of Persimmons in our field and grabbled some yams by roadside early in morn. Lewis here awhile in morn and Gordon here most of day and Wiley and Rena and baby too. Willie rode Joe to Kendrick's in eve. Mr. Sims dropped his knife and stuck the little blade in the top of his foot and thought an artery was cut and sent for me and Wiley and I went there at 3 to 4 1/4 in eve but it stopped bleeding before we got there and didn't seem to be cut much. Willie and I put old Rose's little heifer calf into orchard early in morn.
Mon. 9th. Bright and cool and dry in morn but wind from S and cloudy in eve and warmer. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow in morn and she picked peas in eve in Gate cut for hogs. Willie and I walked to Lewis' early in morn and helped him to drive 11 head of cattle down the creek and into Seymour's field and we picked peas (our first) in Luckett field (on SW corner) balance of day after 9 in morn. Willie didn't come home to dinner. I brought the peas at 11 3/4 and carried dinner to Willie and I brought most of our peas again at sunset with Joe and cart. We couldn't put all that we picked in eve in our sacks and we left some there in eve on ground. We picked about 250 and put in barn in the hull. My headache left me entirely in eve.
Tue. 10th. Cloudy and warm from S and sprinkled rain several times in eve and some at night and we had a good rain at 2 in night with some little thunder from NW. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I picked peas all day in Luckett field and got 490 in hull. I hauled our peas with Joe and cart at 12 and again late in eve. I put the top sides on cart early in morn and we filled the body of cart mostly full of peas and sacks full on top and tied them down with a rope (both times) and got all picked home at sunset.
Wed. 11th. We had a good slow rain at 1 1/2 to 5 in morn and wet the ground some and was very much needed for the ground was very dry and warm and bright from SW but thundered around S and SW of here most of eve. Lucy picked peas in Gate cut for hogs in morn and she picked cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow in eve and Pa picked cotton most of day. Willie and I picked peas all day in Luckett field and I hauled them at 12 with Joe and cart and carried dinner to Willie and hauled them again at sunset. We got 360 all day.
Thu. 12th. Warm and cloudy most of day but bright most of eve and thundered in S and SW most of eve and the rain clouds in sight but only dropped rain here at 12. Pa and Lucy picked cotton in field most of day and Willie and I picked peas all day in Luckett field in SW corner and we got 360. I hauled the peas at 12 with Joe and cart and again late in eve and I carried dinner to Willie at 1.
Fri. 13th. Cloudy and wet early in morn and bright and warm and dry in eve. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I picked peas all day in Luckett field and hauled the same as on yesterday and we got 350. I grabbled some yams by roadside early in morn and got wet with the dew. Willie and I finished picking peas in SW corner of Luckett field and picked in middle part of field (after 10 in morn) and we put all that we have picked in barn.
Sat. 14th. Bright but some dark clouds and pleasant from E. Nellie and Lucy washed in morn and Pa picked cotton in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve. Willie picked peas most of day on hilltop of Persimmon cut and Doug picked with him for 15/c. I hauled a cartload of wood from NW of Wiley's and fixed flower pit for peas (and Willie put all picked today in it) and I cut up some wood and shaved in morn and Nellie and I drove Joe to Wiley's old buggy to Cohen's in eve and took the baby with us and we got home just after sunset.
Sun. 15th. Bright and pleasant most of day but some dark clouds in eve and dropped rain at 3 1/2. I got some Persimmons in field (in a bucket) and grabbled some yams by roadside. Wiley went to his Pa's in morn and returned late in eve and Rena and baby here all day and Buddy too and Gussie and Viola and Mattie Deloach here at 10 in morn till 4 1/4 in eve. Our 2 old sows and 4 big shoats broke out of old water gap in eve and Willie and I got them back just before night. Our bob tail young sow gave birth to 4 pigs on night before last.
Mon. 16th. Cloudy and damp early in morn and bright and warm from S after 9 1/2 in morn and we had a good showers at 7 1/4 to 8 1/4 at night from S. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked peas most of day on hilltop of Persimmon cut and Willie and I and Bristoe and Violet and Phillis and 2 children picked peas most of day in Luckett field and I hauled the peas in 4 cart loads with Joe - 2 in morn and 2 in eve - nearly 800 in all and put them in flower pit.
Tue. 17th. Foggy and wet till 9 1/2 and bright and warm from SW till 2 1/4 in eve and a cloud came up from NW at 2 1/2 and we had a big rain at 2 1/2 to 4 in eve, which I think wet the ground pretty well and was much needed. Pa picked cotton till rain in eve and Lucy picked peas in Gate cut till 2 1/4 in eve and Willie and I picked in Luckett field all morn and Bristoe and his folks came there at 11 and picked till 2 1/2 and Ray and his folks picked peas all morn for us on hilltop of Persimmon cut and Cherry cut. I hauled all of the peas that Willie and I picked in morn at 12 1/4 and went back and weighed up and hauled all that Ray's folks picked and put them in flower pit and ate my dinner at 2 and went back to Luckett field and hauled that Bristoe's folks picked and rain began just as I began to load up peas and Willie and I came home through the rain all the way and got soaking wet. Willie and I shucked and shelled some bread corn late in eve. Gordon and Tigner picked peas for Wiley yesterday and today on halves.
Wed. 18th. Foggy and wet till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and warm from SW balance of day. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked peas in Gate cut and Ray and his folks (5) picked peas all day in Persimmon cut and Pine corner and Bristoe's folks (all but him) and Mahalah Mabry and Willie and I picked peas in Luckett field most of day and I hauled all in 5 cart loads and we put all picked in morn in barn and all picked in eve in flower pit and got both places full.
Thu. 19th. Foggy and wet till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and warm from SW balance of day. Cohen sent wagon with seed (to exchange) in morn and carried all of cotton out of cotton house to gin. Willie and I helped to load wagon. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked peas in Gate cut most of day and Bristoe and folks picked peas most of day in Luckett field and Willie and I picked there too and Ray and folks picked peas all day in Pine corner and in new SW corner and I hauled all of peas with Joe and cart in 5 loads - 2 in morn and 3 in eve - and we put all picked today in cotton house - about 1300 - we got 1400 yesterday.
Fri. 20th. Foggy and wet till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and warm from W balance of day and rained around some in little showers late in eve, but none here. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked peas in Gate cut and Ray and folks and Bristoe and folks picked peas most of day in Luckett field. I hauled all of peas in 5 cart loads with Joe - 2 in morn and 3 in eve - and put all in cotton house and Willie paid up all of hands late in eve - about $12.50 in all.
Sat. 21st. Bright and warm and pleasant and the grass is green and growing nicely everywhere and has been for more than a week. Pa picked cotton awhile in morn in orchard and walked to Clara's and back in eve. Willie picked peas for Wiley in morn and rode Goulden to town in eve and rode Dan fox hunting at night. Nellie and Lucy washed in morn. I drove Joe to cart to Primm place to mill in morn and returned at 10 3/4 and put away some cotton seed under shed on W side of cotton house and nailed some boards around flower pit by 12 and I hauled a cart load of wood from N of Wiley's and hauled 16 new rails from 3rd Cane hollow in field and set up 3 tall stakes to Pa's gallery for a pen to hold cotton and I put up a few of the rails and cut up wood and drew water and helped Rena to milk and to carry baby home late in eve and helped Wiley to unload a wagon load of peas at dusk.
Sun. 22nd. Bright and pleasant most of day from S but some clouds late in eve and dropped rain at dark. I got some Persimmons in field in a bucket and grabbled some yams by roadside early in morn and carried some of the Persimmons to Wiley's and I salted cattle and Wiley and Rena and baby came back with me at 10 1/2 in morn and here balance of day. Nellie walked to B C 's and back in eve. I threshed pecan trees near barn at 2 to 3 in eve and Willie and Wiley and Rena picked up the pecans. Wiley and I milked late in eve. Willie's Joe Miller sow gave birth to 4 pigs last night.
Mon. 23rd. Bright and pleasant from SE. Willie rode Dan foxhunting early in morn - to chapel and returned at 11 and I rode Joe to Cohen's early in morn and sold our 5th bale weighing 594 (ginned last week) to Cohen at 6 3/4 cts. which left $56.84 at Cohen's to our credit. I returned at 11 1/4. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day. Willie and I picked peas on hilltop of Luckett field in eve and hauled them with Joe and cart and put them in cotton house (about 110 lbs.).
Tue. 24th. Bright but some dark clouds most of day and a damp kind of breeze from SE all day. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I picked peas all day on hilltop of Luckett field and we hauled them at 12 and again late in eve with Joe and cart (280 in all). Our curly sow got out of calf pasture some time in the day and Willie and I got her back at dusk with the dogs. I had a dull headache all day and pretty bad all eve and at night but slept right well.
Wed. 25th. Bright and pleasant from SE but some dark clouds most of day. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I picked peas all day in Luckett field and hauled them at 12 and again late in eve with Joe and cart (240 in all) and put them in cotton house. My headache got better early in morn but lasted all day and night again.
Thu. 26th. Bright and pleasant from S but some dark clouds most of day. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I picked peas all morn in Luckett field and finished all there but a little and we threshed peas out of barn all eve and got nearly 2 bbls beat out.
Fri. 27th. Foggy and wet till 10 in morn and bright till late in eve and some dark clouds then from S and rained some in little showers in early part of night. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked in morn and swept off yard in eve. Willie and I picked peas all morn (Willie picked in Luckett field about 1 hour early in morn and finished there) and we threshed peas out of barn all eve and the air was damp and the peas too and we didn't thresh many. We only filled 3 bbls with what we threshed on yesterday eve.
Sat. 28th. It rained in slow showers at 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 in morn from SW and came up from NW at 6 1/2 and rained some from there till 8 1/4 and misted some till 12 and cool and bright in eve. I walked to Wiley's early in morn (in rain) and carried some sewing to Rena and 4 figs to baby and we packed and cut up some fig wood and Willie and I put the young bobtail sow with her 5 little pigs (she lost one on yesterday) in hog pen, to keep the older pigs from sucking her, by 10 in morn. We hauled 2 big cartloads of beech wood from NW of Wiley's by 12 and we hauled 2 cartloads of rails (about 40) from 3rd Cane hollow and Willie put up a 3 cornered pen on S side of hog pen (by garden) and we fixed up a pen for cotton on end of Pa's gallery in eve. Pa walked to Clara's and back in eve and had a fire in his room at night - the first this Fall.
Sun. 29th. Clear and quite cool from N all day with a N wind most of day but sun shined warm. I got some Persimmons in field in a bucket and grabbled some yams by roadside early in morn and carried some of the Persimmons to Wiley's at 9 to 10 in morn. Lewis here awhile in morn and Nellie and Rena and Wiley and baby walked to his house in eve. Willie rode Joe to Clara's in morn and returned late in eve and he and I milked cows.
Mon. 30th. Clear and nearly cold enough for frost in morn and a cold N breeze all day but sun shined warm. Pa picked cotton most of day in field. Nellie and Lucy washed in morn and Willie and I picked peas in new SW corner awhile in morn and finished all by 10 1/4 and we threshed peas out of barn balance of day after 10 1/2 and got nearly 2 3/4 bbls beat out by late in eve making 5 3/4 bbls with what we threshed last week. We finished picking last of our peas in morn and we got about 8450 lbs in all or about 105 5/8 bus.
Tue. 31st. Clear and nearly cold enough for frost in morn and a cold breeze from NW all day but sun shined warm. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day in field. Willie rode Joe to Belleview early in morn and engaged Fayette Linton to carry some hogs to town on tomorrow and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn (Pa helped me). Willie and I began at 7 1/2 in morn and threshed peas out of barn all day and finished last of them (in barn) by late in eve. We filled 6 bbls in barn (with what were threshed before) for seed and we put 10 bus. in a barrel and a large box and a sack under shed on W side of cotton house (to sell) and we fixed hog pen back of garden late in eve to catch hogs in on tomorrow morn.