JANUARY 1895
Tue. Jan. 1st. Cloudy, a hard freeze in morn but wind from SE and warmer and all thawed in eve. Willie and I walked and found our hogs at Sims' and tolled them home and shut them in calf pasture by 9 1/2 in morn and I rode Hattie to Cohen's at 10 to 12 1/4 and got 1 bu salt and some other things. All walked to Clara's in eve to eggnog but me. I packed and cut up wood and drew up water and fed.
Wed. 2nd. It rained in slow showers from SW till 10 in morn and wind changed to N then and rained hard and quit at 11 and cold and cloudy from N all eve. We did nothing in morn on account of rain. We cut a dead beech on NW side of old cow pen corner in eve and Pa and I packed up some wood from there and Willie went rabbit hunting.
Thu. 3rd. Cloudy and chilly all morn but calm and bright and cool in eve. Pa, Willie and I killed and cleaned and cut up and salted down 3 hogs all day. We killed our smallest half Chester sow (1 given to us by Primm) and we killed 1 black and 1 blue barrow - the sow weighed about 184 and the barrows about 100 or 110 each. One of Andrew Porter's white sows died suddenly just outside of our cowpen in eve and Willie rode Hattie over and told his wife about it. Wiley D here a while at night.
Fri. 4th. Bright in morn and a freeze and a very white frost, but wind from E and warmer and cloudy in eve. Willie rode Joe fox hunting early in morn and returned at 1. I put a new handle in Pa's axe and packed up some beech wood from orchard in morn and I rode Hattie down in Veal's field hunting our cattle in eve and found all of them. Nellie, Dixie and Rena washed and scoured and cooked lard today.
Sat. 5th. Cloudy and rained in little showers from S at 10 to 11 in morn and bright all eve and sun shined and warmer from SW. Pa walked to Alice's in morn and Willie walked hunting. I drove Hattie to new buggy to Cohen's in morn and carried 1 bu potatoes to Mrs. Johnson but she did not pay for them. I got a new axe handle for myself (95 cts) and returned at 12.
Sun. 6th. Bright and warm from SW but some rainy looking clouds all eve. Gussie got our new buggy in morn and carried Helen and baby home and Wiley D here all day untill after supper. I rode Hattie to Scott Sims' in morn at 9 to 11 1/4 and found all of our cattle in his field. Pa and I walked to Clara's in eve.
Mon. 7th. Cloudy and warm from SW and sprinkled rain some before daylight but sun shined some through day and thundered around in eve and blew up from NW at 9 at night and rained on through the night. Pa and Willie went to Lewis' early in morn and got their axes ground and we cleared land in field most of day - Willie and I in 2nd big hollow and Pa by wire fence. I resalted our meat at 12 1/2 to 2 in eve.
Tue. 8th. Cloudy and a high cold N wind and rained and sleeted some in eve and at night. Willie and I cut a dead beech on W side of orchard for wood and we packed up some by 11. We put our 6 shoats in calf pasture early in morn. I burned out a blow gun for Gordon at 11 to 12 and I rode Hattie to Cohen's at 12 1/2 to 2 1/2 and got 3 pecks salt and some other things. Gussie and Wiley and Leroy DeLoach and Bud here all eve and till bedtime.
Wed. 9th. Cloudy and chilly from N all day. Some ice all morn -the sunset clear. Pa, Willie and I killed and dressed and cut up and salted down 3 shoats, 2 sows and a barrow (our last to kill) by 12. I guess they weghed about 105 or 110 apiece. Wiley D here to dinner and he and Dixie and Rena walked to Estina in eve. I made a blowgun for Tigner in eve. Pa walked to Clara's.
Thu. 10th. A hard freeze in morn but bright, nearly clear and sun thawed all by 12. Pa and Willie cleared in field most of day. I had a dull headache all yesterday and last night and today and it left me late in eve. I reburned out a blowgun by 9 and cut some briars and bushes in Pine corner and got some pine knots there at 9 to 12. I packed up beech wood most of eve from orchard ( W side) and cut it up. Lucy McGraw here most of day and all went to Gussie's for a sociable at night but Nellie and myself. Pa at Clara's all night.
Fri. 11th. Bright, nearly clear, a freeze and white frost in morn but all thawed by 12 and pleasant in eve from NW. All returned from sociable at 5 in morn and Bud and Wiley and Leroy D and Lucy McGraw with them. Pa cleared in SW corner by wire fence most of day. I finished the 2 blowguns by 10 in morn and got some pine knots in Pine corner by 12 and I hauled a cartload of pine from there in eve and Willie and I packed and cut up some wood late in eve.
Sat. 12th. Bright, a slight freeze in morn and a cold N wind all day. Nellie drove Hattie to Hill place in morn and Lucy McGraw went from here with Nellie. I rode Joe to store in morn at 9 to 11 3/4. Pa and Willie cleared in field a while in morn and they walked to Clara's in eve. I packed and cut up wood most of eve from W side of orchard.
Sun. 13th. Clear and cold a hard freeze in morn and didn't thaw in shade all day. All of us home all day. Misses Cook and Grace Chambers here all day and Wiley D too. Bud and Beau C and Leroy D came in eve and Wiley and Leroy stayed till 8 at night.
Mon. 14th. A hard freeze in morn but cloudy from SE and rained in sprinkles most of morn and most of eve and some at night. Pa, Willie and I cleared in field all morn and part of eve. The rain stopped us at 2 1/4 in eve and rained pretty hard till 4 and slacked up then.
Tue. 15th. Bright some but cloudy and warm from S and sprinkled rain some in eve and thundered in W and N late in eve and at night. Pa, Willie and I cleared in field in morn and Pa and Willie in eve and I rode Hattie all over Sims' field hunting Joe in eve but didn't find him. Uncle Bill brought him home at dusk.
Wed. 16th. Cloudy and cool (quite) from N all day and a fine mist all morn. Pa and Willie cleared in field all day and I all morn and I hauled 2 cartloads of wood with Hattie from 2nd Cane hollow and packed some stove wood and cut up in eve. Bud and Gussie here in eve a while.
Thu. 17th. Cloudy and cool all morn and bright in eve from E. Pa and Willie cleared all day in field and I in morn and I packed and cut up wood most of eve. Dixie and Rena drove Hattie to Primms' in eve and returned just before sunset.
Fri. 18th. Cloudy and cool in morn but warm and dark clouds from SW in eve. Pa and Willie cleared in 2nd Cane hollow most of day. I cut canes and bushes there in morn and drove Hattie to cart to Cohen's in eve and got a bbl of flour on credit and some other things which I paid for and returned just before sunset. I had a dull headache all eve and it grew worse all night.
Sat. 19th. Warm and bright but some dark clouds from S. Pa packed up wood in morn and Willie walked hunting. I began to vomit with headache at daylight and lay on pallet and vomited till 1 1/2 and drank cup of coffee and biscuit then and got up and headache left me in night. Seymour and Ida and baby came at 1 3/4 and all here at night.
Sun. 20th. Bright and warm from S and no rain. All of us home today. Seymour and family and Gussie and his family and Bud and Wiley D here to dinner and Clara and her children here in eve and all left late in eve but Wiley D. He and Dudley W here to supper.
Mon. 21st. Cloudy and warm from SW and sprinkled rain in showers till 10 in morn and blew up from NW and rained a hard shower then and bright and pleasant from NW in eve. Pa and I cleared in 2nd Cane hollow till 10 in morn and again in eve at 12 1/2 to 2 and finished there and we walked over cow pasture hunting board trees but found none and came by Lewis' late in eve and he gave us some. Nellie at Gussie's in eve and Seymour and family there at night.
Tue. 22nd. Bright, a little frost in morn, but a beautiful and pleasant day. Pa, Willie and I cut a board tree (white oak) down by Lewis' "mound" early in morn and we sawed and bolted there balance of day. Gussie and Wiley helped us all eve. Seymour and family left at 11 in morn. I was feverish and felt bad late in eve and at night.
Wed. 23rd. Cloudy some but bright and cool in morn and cloudy and dropped rain some in eve and rained slowly at 6 1/2 to 8 at night from SE. Pa, Willie and I worked at board timber beyond the Lewis' most of day. We finished 1 tree and cut down another. Bud and Wiley D here to supper and played fiddle till 9 1/2.
Thu. 24th. Cloudy and blew up from NW at 8 1/2 in morn and rained till 10 and quit and bright but some dark clouds and wind from SE in eve and at night. Pa, Willie and I walked to board tree beyond Lewis early in morn but rain ran us home at 9 and we packed and cut up some wood at 10 to 11 1/2 and worked at board timber all eve beyond Lewis'. We sawed off 4 cuts from 2nd tree and bolted up three of them. Pa packed up all of bolts and put over wire fence.
Fri. 25th. It began to rain in thundershowers at 4 in morn and lasted till 10 from SW. A very great fall of water in all and wind changed to NW at 10 and bright and quite cool from there in eve. I sewed on a new Lowells cart breeching at 8 to 10 and fixed spring and measured up a bu of potatoes by 12 and carried them to Julius Zoller's with Hattie and new buggy in eve and water was all around store.
Sat. 26th. Cloudy and cold from N all day and a little ice in morn. Pa, Willie and I sawed and bolted board timbers beyond Lewis' all morn and finished (for new barn) and Willie and I hauled 3 cartloads of wood from field in eve with Hattie.
Sun. 27th. Cloudy and a chilly NE wind all day - a little ice in morn but warmer in eve. All of us home to dinner. Nellie walked to Gussie's in eve and Willie to Clara's. I hunted our dry cattle in morn and again in eve and found them in eve in Elmwood field (I walked both times).
Mon. 28th. It began to rain at 7 in morn and changed to NW and blew and rained till 12 1/2 and very chilly. No rain in eve but dark and cloudy from NW. I sewed on a new Lowell's cart breeching all morn and finished it at 11 1/2. Pa, Willie and I cut and packed out logs for new barn most of eve in field.
Tue. 29th. Cloudy and chilly from NW. Pa, Willie and I cut and packed out logs and rafters for new barn in morn and we split out flooring and lathing in eve and Pa packed it out. Willie walked to Sims' late in eve and found our hogs there.
Wed. 30th. Cold and bright from N but not quite cold enough to freeze. Sun shined most of day. Lewis hauled board timber and some logs for new barn all day. I hauled 2 cartloads of wood from field from 11 to 12 and I hauled 7 loads of flooring and lathing (all of it) in eve. Willie helped Lewis most of day. Nellie and Rena walked to Estina in morn and there all day. Mrs. Katie and Bessie Ogden and Clara and her 2 little children dined here and Wiley D here at night a while.
Thu. 31st. Clear, a freeze and white frost in morn, but calm and a beautiful and pleasant day. Lewis hauled in last of logs for new barn by 11 1/2 in morn and dined here. Pa and I cut and hauled a full cartload of poles from field in morn and put up a scaffold to smoke our meat and we finished it by 3. Nellie and I washed and strung the 1st killing of meat in eve. Willie rode Hattie to Cohen's for coffee in eve.