FEBRUARY 1904
Mon. Feb. 1st. Clear and a frost and hard freze in morn but a little breeze from S and pleasant after 10 in morn. Wiley began to break land in morn in turf near creek. Willie and Howard clearing ground out E of here today. I made 3 steps to E room in morn and nailed some barrel staves on N side of room to keep out chickens from flower ground in eve and got wood and water and fed and milked and shucked corn in eve. Miss Jennie Geter came to Lewis' on yesterday eve and taught school today (first time since Christmas).
Tue. 2nd. Bright but some clouds all day and quite cool early in morn but pleasant after 10 in morn. Willie rode Joe to B C's hunting his mule and returned at 12 with her and he broke ground on H ridge all eve with Joe and mule. Howard and Hannah cleaned up ground out E and SE of here all day. I made and put up a little gate at NE corner of E room in morn and finished it by 12 and I got wood and water and milked and fed in eve and got some timbers for another gate to put up in calf pasture fence W of hayhouse.
Wed. 3rd. Bright and cool from E and pleasant weather. Willie broke ground on H ridge and in Gate cut most of day with Ella and Joe. I got wood and water for Rose to wash early after breakfast and we put our calves in calf pasture to prevent them from sucking through wire fence and I rode Frilby to hunt old Rose's youngest heifer (she didn't come home last night) and I got back at 10 but didn't find the cow. Brother Powell (the Woodville preacher) and Joe Stutzman here awhile in morn. I put together a little gate in morn at 10 1/2 to 12 and I set it up in calf pasture fence W of hayhouse in eve and got wood and water and fed and milked. Howard and Hannah threshed cotton stalks in Sims' corner today.
Thu. 4th. Bright, but some clouds, and smokey and quite cool early in morn but a pleasant day - wind from E. Willie broke ground in Gate cut today with Ella and Joe. Howard cleaned up ground in Sims' corner. I walked over Sims' field and hunted missing cow in holes most of morn but didn't find her and I got wood and water and nubbed some seed corn and dressed one sassafras railing for cart body and fed and milked in eve.
Fri. 5th. Warm and cloudy and a damp breeze from S till 2 1/2 in eve and began to rain slowly then from SW and lasted till 4 1/2 and hard part of time and warm and cloudy all night but didn't rain. Willie broke ground in Gate cut and on poor hillside below there till 3 in eve and got nearly wet. Howard and Hannah cleaned up ground till 3 in eve. I patched up big gate by road and put out all of catle and drew good deal of water and dressed some timbers
for cart body in morn and I cut wood and water in eve by 2 1/4. Rena and her 2 children here most of eve and Wiley too late in eve and Bernice staid all night.
Sat. 6th. Cloudy and warm and a damp breeze from SW all day and drizzled rain in little sprinkles in morn at 10 to 12 and some in eve and at night and no sun all day. Wiley and Howard drove Ella and Jack to wagon to town in morn and returned at 1 in eve. Willie rode Frilby in morn and again in eve to hunt old Rose heifer but didn't find her. Wiley brought 1 bu of Floradora cotton seed for Willie from depot. I worked on cart body in morn and some in eve. Nellie and Carmell and Bernice went to Wiley's late in eve to stay all night.
Sun. 7th. Warm and cloudy and a damp breeze from SW all morn and rained a little in sprinkles at 9 to 11 and bright and quite warm in eve. Nellie and Carmell and Rena and her 2 children came at 9 in morn and Wiley went to his Pa's. None of us went to SS in eve.
Mon. 8th. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool early in morn but wind from E and warm in sunshine after 10 in morn. Willie and Minnie and little Marion drove Joe to town in morn to have Marion's picture taken but artist had gone to Centreville and they returned at 12 1/2. Howard cut trees out E of here in morn and Hannah gathered moss there most of day. Willie and Howard cut trees in big hollow SE from hayhouse in eve. Wiley hunted and found 3 head of his cattle and old Rose's youngest heifer in morn. I worked on cart body part of morn and some in eve.
Tue. 9th. Warm and cloudy and rained in little sprinkles most of morn and eve too and thundered around some (from SW). Willie and Howard cut trees in big hollow most of morn and cut some trees out E of here in eve. I worked on cart body part of morn and I got wood and water and nubbed some seed corn and fed and Willie milked in eve.
Wed. 10th. It rained good deal last night and cloudy all today and no sun and a chilly wind all day from N and misted rain a little most of morn. Willie and Howard split and cut up wood just E of fig orchard most of morn and I hauled good deal of it on baby wagon and put on gallery and dressed 2 shafts for cart (locust) by 3 in eve and drew water and fed and Willie milked. Wiley got Ella early in morn and he and Ray hauled wood to his house all morn. Nellie and Carmell at Wiley's in eve late.
Thu. 11th. Cloudy some early in morn but cleared up at 11 in morn and clear all eve and night and a cold breeze from N all day but not quite cold enough to freeze. Willie and Howard and Hannah cleared in big bottom in Sims' field today. I got good deal of wood and water and worked on cart body most of day and I fed and milked late in eve. Nellie took Carmell to Wiley's in eve and Marion too.
Fri. 12th. Bright, nearly clear, and a freeze and white frost in morn but a little breeze from SE and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Howard cleaned up ground in 1st Sims' corner all day and Hannah too. Willie and Minnie drove Joe to town in morn and carried Marion and had his picture taken and they returned at 12 1/2 and Willie worked with Howard in eve. I worked on cart most of day and took irons off old body which was a hard job. Old Neats' white leg heifer gave birth to a heifer calf early in morn.
Sat. 13th. Bright, nearly clear, in morn and a white frost but a breeze from S and warmer and some clouds in eve. Nellie and Rena and her 2 children drove Bonnie to Jack D's in morn and Wiley dined here. Willie and Howard cleaned up in 1st Sims' corner in morn and Willie plowed up garden with Ella in eve and rode Frilby to Clara's late in eve. I got wood and water for Rose to wash in morn and worked on cart body till 12 and I cleaned off garden and packed 2 barrels of ashes in there and spread over whole garden after it was broken and got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk late in eve.
Sun. 14th. Bright and pleasant in morn but cloudy from SW or W all eve and dropped rain a little late in eve. Buddy and Gordon and Tigner D dined here and Willie and Gordon and Tigner walked to SS in eve and Buddy went home. Cousin Gus and family at Lewis' today. I got wood and water and fed in eve. Nellie and Rena and her 2 children and Wiley returned from Jack D's late in eve. Wiley rode Frilby there in morn.
Mon. 15th. Bright, nearly clear, till 3 in eve and clouded up then from SW and cloudy all night. Willie plowed Joe and Ella all day breaking ground in old land and Howard cleaned up ground. I worked most of day in garden and planted 1 peck of G potatoes and some onion sets and sowed some mustard and I got wood and water and fed and milked in eve. Nellie and Minnie worked most of day in flower yard.
Tue. 16th. Bright, but cloudy some all day, and cool from E. Willie plowed Joe and Ella all day breaking ground and Howard and Hannah cleaned up ground in morn and didn't work in eve - Howard sick. I planted some turnips and lettuce in garden by 9 in morn and worked on cart body part of day and got wood and water and fed and milked late in eve.
Wed. 17th. Cloudy and cool early in morn and a damp breeze from SE and warm in eve. Willie plowed Joe and mule all day breaking up old land and Howard and Hannah cleaned up ground. I worked on cart body most of day and got wood and water and fed and milked late in eve.
Thu. 18th. Warm and cloudy and calm and damp most of day and a thundershower passed around NW of here from SW at 3 in eve and sprinkled here several times in eve. Willie broke old land with Joe and mule most of day and Howard and Hannah cleaned up ground. I got wood and water for Rose to wash early in morn and worked on cart most of day and milked and fed late in eve. Minnie and Marion and Rena and little Wiley went to Lanehart's in eve and Mrs. Ogden and Katie and her 2 youngest children here awhile in eve and Clara and Edna too.
Fri. 19th. Cloudy all day and no sun and chilly from E of N and misted rain till 9 in morn. Willie broke old land all day with Joe and mule and Howard cleaned up ground in big bottom in Sims' corner. I worked on cart most of day and got wood and water and fed and milked late in eve. Nellie and Carmell and Marion went to Wiley's in eve and Bernice came back with them and here all night.
Sat. 20th. Cloudy and chilly from NE all day and no sun and misted rain late in eve and at night and rained in showers late in night. Willie broke old land all morn and Howard cleaned up ground and Willie rode Frilby to town in eve and returned at night. I worked on cart most of morn and till 2 in eve and finished it then and I got wood and water and a sack of pine straw from field and made some new hens' nests and set one (our first) and fed and milked late in eve. Nellie and Carmell at Wiley's all night.
Sun. 21st. Cloudy all day and no sun and rained and misted till 9 1/2 in morn and chilly all day and night too from W of N. Willie rode Frilby to Clara's in morn for mail and I walked to Wiley's in morn and Nellie and Carmell and Wiley and Rena and their 2 children came back with me and here till late in eve. None of us went to SS in eve - weather too chilly and muddy too.
Mon. 22nd. It cleared off at daylight and bright, nearly clear, and very cool from N all day but sunshine warm after 10 in morn. Willie broke old land all day with Joe and mule and Howard and Hannah cleaned up in big bottom in Sims' corner today. I cut some sumac and sassafras poles and some locust stakes (short ones) to repair fence from garden to water gap, most of morn, beyond road in Sims' corner and I made some boxes for hens' nests and set one and got wood and water and fed in eve.
Tue. 23rd. Bright, nearly clear all day, and very cool early in morn but a breeze from SW and warmer in eve. Willie broke old land all day with Joe and mule and Howard and Hannah cleared up ground in big bottom in Sims' corner. I cut and packed out (short) locusts stakes and poles beyond road most of morn and I made 2 new boxes for hens' nests and got wood and water and fed and milked in eve.
Wed. 24th. Cloudy and warm and calm and dropped rain a little at 10 to 11 in morn and very little sun all day. Willie broke ground in first Sims' corner all day with Joe and mule and Howard and Hannah cleared in big bottom of Sims' corner. I split up 2 sassafras poles and made a sassafras gate and put it up on inside of cowpen by 12 and I patched up the outside gate of cowpen in eve and got wood and water and milked and fed in eve.
Thu. 25th. Warm and cloudy from SW but bright most of day and dry. Willie broke ground in hollow in Sims' corner all day with Joe and mule and Howard and Hannah cleaned and burned off new ground just E of fig orchard all day. I packed 22 short locust stakes from beyond road in Sims' ground to garden and put them and all of rails in old hog pen around garden on pasture sides to keep out hogs and finished it by 11 3/4 in morn. I walked around calf pasture fence in eve and fixed some of it and got wood and water and milked and fed. Beulah Smith and her 2 little children stopped awhile here in eve and Rena and her 2 children here in eve.
Fri. 26th. Bright, but some clouds, and quite warm from SW and dry. Willie broke ground in Sims' corner all day with Joe and mule and Howard and Hannah cleaned up and burned off new ground out E of fig orchard all day. I cut off a big beech log in hollow N of cowpen that had broken off and lodged on a high stump above wire fence and I lifted and worked at it over 2 hours before I got it on ground in morn and I put in 9 new posts (or big stakes) and fixed wire from in hollow to cowpen by 3 1/2 in eve and got wood and water and fed and milked late in eve. Bernice here all night. Carmell and Marion and I have colds.
Sat. 27th. Bright and warm and dry from SW. Willie broke ground in Sims' corner with Joe and mule in morn and Howard and Hannah cleaned up new ground E of fig orchard in morn. I fixed up a little of calf pasture fence near branch in morn. Wiley drove Gould and Jack to wagon to town in morn and returned by 1 1/2 in eve. Dan came at 2 and he and Willie fired the 2 cane hollows cut down in Sims' corner SE from hayhouse and they burned out well. I planted some radishes in garden in eve and got wood and water and fed and Willie helped me to milk late in eve. Carmell and Marion were sick with severe colds today and at night too and I have it too but rested well at night.
Sun. 28th. Bright and warm and dry from SW. I walked to Wiley's at 9 1/4 in morn and Rena and her 2 children came back with me. Wiley rode Frilby to his Pa's in morn. Willie and I walked to Lanehart's in eve and returned late in eve. Carmell had high fever and hard breathing with her cold late in eve and all night and none of us slept but little at night. Marion seems to be better in eve and at night and had no fever. I coughed some today and night too with my cold.
Mon. 29th. Bright and warm and dry from SW. Willie and I and Howard and Hannah planted sugar cane today in 2nd Cane hollow and finished late in eve. Howard and Hannah stripped the cane in morn and I hauled 4 cartloads with Joe in morn and 5 in eve and Willie opened ground and broke up on cane with Ella and we finished late in eve. Cousin Gus dined here and got some fig sprouts just after dinner and left. Carmell is better today and Marion too. I coughed good deal in night but slept pretty well.