JANUARY 1898
Sat. Jan. 1st. Clear and a hard freeze in morn and a cold N wind all day. It didn't thaw in shade all day. Wiley and Willie hauled timber for Wiley's house most of day with Lewis' mules and wagon and they brought home a load of wood late in eve and Wiley carried mules and wagon home. Pa packed up some wood in morn and walked to Clara's in eve. I rode Hattie to Cohen's early in morn and borrowed $40 and rode on to town and paid Judge Van Eaton the $40 interest on land note and returned at 1 1/2 and cut up wood and drew water in eve.
Sun. 2nd. Clear and cold - a very hard freeze in morn and didn't thaw in shade all day and a gentle but cold breeze from NW most of day. All of us home today. Lewis here awhile in morn and he and all of his family here again in eve. I found 2 hens' nests with 6 and 7 eggs in them in woods in morn and I walked to Sims' at 1 to 3 1/4 in eve. B C here in eve and till bedtime.
Mon. 3rd. Bright, nearly clear, and a very white frost and hard freeze in morn but wind from SW and pleasant after 11 in morn. Pa scraped a little cotton in orchard in morn and in eve too. Wiley and Willie and Buddy and Tigner D. packed all of Wiley's board out of hollow to where they could haul them in morn and they finished and came here (all of them) to dinner at 1 1/2 in eve. I hauled all of blocks (catalpa) from creek to Wiley's building place in 4 cart loads with Hattie in morn and brought home a load of holly wood by 11 1/2 and I hauled 2 more cart loads of wood at 1 to 3 in eve and I gave Wiley a bu of yams and a gal of new syrup to take to his Pa's at 3 1/4 in eve (on his buggy).
Tue. 4th. Bright but cloudy some all morn and dark clouds most of eve from S of W and pleasant today. Willie barked poles for Wiley's house in morn and I helped him at 9 3/4 in morn till 11 3/4 and I worked there all eve. I cut up good deal of wood and shucked corn early in morn and looking for Cohen's wagons to haul our cotton but they finished hauling Lewis' cotton in morn - they hauled some of it on yesterday. Willie rode Dan to Woodville in eve and got a bottle of rhubarb for Rena's baby and saw Dickie about buying 2 head of cattle (the stag and the Sims' cow). Pa cut some wood over toward Coon place today. Wiley returned from his Pa's in eve.
Wed. 5th. Bright and pleasant from SW but some dark clouds all eve and rained some slowly in night. Wiley and Willie took Rachael and Hattie early in morn to Estina and worked on Donegal road awhile and they and Seymour hauled a load of boards from Estina woods to Wiley's house at 1 with Lewis' wagon and Seymour's mule and Flirt and Hattie and Rachael. They broke down 1 wheel of Seymour's wagon in morn and went back and got another load of boards in eve and broke down 1 wheel of Lewis' wagon at Roy's house. Pa and I barked poles most of day at Wiley's building place.
Thu. 6th. It rained enough last night to make ground very muddy this morn and bright and cool from NW in morn and clear and pleasant in eve and at night. Pa and Wiley barked poles in morn and Willie rode Dan to Cohen's in morn and got 7 wagon spokes (on my account) and Seymour put them in Lewis' wheel (which they broke on yesterday) at 11 to 1 in eve and Seymour and Willie hauled 2 loads of boards in eve from Estina. Buddy dined here and he and Wiley sawed ends off logs at Wiley's house in eve and Gordon and I barked poles all eve. I cut up wood early in morn and hauled a cart load of wood from toward Coon place and brought the 1/2 spool of wire from Coon field by 11 1/2 in morn.
Fri. 7th. Clear and pleasant from SW all day and some dark clouds late in eve and at night. Willie and Seymour hauled 2 big loads of boards from Estina woods to Wiley's house by 1 1/2 in eve with Rachael and Hattie and Flirt and Seymour's mule to Lewis' wagon and finished hauling all of wood and we fed team there in woods. Wiley and Pa and I hauled 2 wagon loads of lathing timber from down toward creek late in eve with Rachael and Hattie. Pa and Wiley and I sawed off ends of logs and barked poles and logs all morn and till 2 1/2 in eve and finished them.
Sat. 8th. Bright and warm but some clouds from SW. Wiley rode Rachael and Willie Dan and drove up the Sims' cow and Wiley's red cow and their 2 heifers from toward Schaeffer place by 11 1/2 in morn and put them in cowpen till late in eve. Willie looked all day for Dave Dickey to come to buy his Sims' cow and the old Stag but Dickey didn't come. Pa packed up some wood from calf pasture in morn and walked to Clara's in eve. I hauled 2 piling cart loads of wood from back of our field with Hattie by 10 1/2 and cut up wood till 11 1/2 and I drove Hattie to Dixie's buggy to Cohen's in eve. Gussie here to dinner and took Wiley's buggy home in eve to bring Helen and baby on tomorrow.
Sun. 9th. Warm and cloudy from SW all day but bright in eve and pleasant and rained a little in night. I walked to Sims' in morn and I found 2 hens sitting out and Pa found one -30 eggs in all- and I set them under 2 hens here (one in old colt stable and the other under shed on W side of cotton house) and I found 2 other nests with good eggs in them (11 in all). Gussie and Helen and baby came in Wiley's buggy at 11 in morn. Dixie and B C were married here at 3 in eve by Rev. Jackson (the Campbellite preacher) and they went in buggy to Lewis' at night.
Mon. 10th. Quite warm and cloudy and rained in little sprinkles and showers from W of S all day and some at night and thundered in W at 3 1/2 in eve. Wiley and Willie and Pa worked at Wiley's house most of day and got the foundation laid. Seymour helped them awhile in morn and Lewis in eve. I rode Hattie around in Sims' field and in Elmwood and found our horses near Randolph graveyard and caught Dick and led him home and got all of cockle burrs off him by 11 1/2 in morn and I rode Hattie and led Dick to Cohen's in eve to sell Dick to "August" but he didn't buy, but I sold him to Sims for $40 and left him in Sims' lot, but Sims didn't pay for him but is to pay in a few days.
Tue. 11th. Bright, nearly clear, and warm from S all day. Lewis and Gussie helped us on Wiley's house in morn and Lewis again in eve and both dined here and Helen and baby too and Gussie and Helen and baby left at 2 in eve and I gave them a sk of yams and 1 gal syrup. They gat the sills and sleepers of Wiley's house all laid and leveled today. Pa walked to Schaeffer place (B.F McGraw's) to see Alice's two children in eve and returned at deep dusk. I fixed up orchard fence at bottom on E side all way from SE corner of yard to NE corner of orchard to keep out hogs at 2 to 3 in eve and I resalted all of our meat at 3 to 4 and cut up wood and drew water.
Wed. 12th. Warm and cloudy from SW till 10 1/2 in morn and a dark cloud came up then from NW and rained till 1 1/2 and cooler and dropped rained some in eve and at night. Wiley rode Rachael and Willie Dan to town early in morn and returned in eve. I walked to Sims' early in morn and I gathered up pine knots from our and Sims' field at 8 1/4 to 10 1/2 in morn and I hauled them (nearly a cart load) with Hattie at 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 in eve. Dixie here all day and Gussie here at 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 and brought Wiley's buggy home.
Thu. 13th. Cloudy and cool, but bright in morn and dark cloudy and began to rain from SE at 2 1/4 in eve and lasted all eve and part of night. Wiley rode Rachael to Cohen's in morn and got 65 lbs of nails and Pa and Willie split some lathing at Wiley's house. I burned up 3 hens' nests full of lice and cut up some wood and hauled a cart load in morn and I drove Hattie to cart to Cohen's in eve and I got a bbl flour and one bu meal on credit and some other things which I paid for and I came all way home through the rain but didn't get wet myself, nor anything else.
Fri. 14th. Dark, cloudy and warm and rained in showers all day and part of night from SW and rained hard at 7 1/2 at night from NW. Wiley and Willie and I drove Willie's "Sims' cow and heifer" and old Stag from cowpen and put them in Coon field early in morn and we worked most of day on Wiley's kitchen and put up body of it by late in eve and we were nearly wet all day - my feet were soaking wet all day - and I had a dull headache all day but it went off in night and I slept well.
Sat. 15th. Cloudy and cool and ground very wet and dropped rain till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and cool from NW in eve and at night. Wiley and Willie cut and split some water oak lathing in Coon pasture by creek in morn. Wiley rived them in eve and Willie rode Rachael over the creek to hunt our chester boar but only heard of him in eve. I shelled some big peas till 9 1/2 in morn and I cut some wood in calf pasture till 11 3/4 and I hauled 2 big cart loads from there in eve and I took cart down to back of our field and I got nearly 1/2 cart load of pine knots in Elmwood field at 2 to 4 in eve.
Sun. 16th. Clear and a white frost in morn, but warmer and calm in eve. Wiley drove Rachael to his Pa's in morn and returned at dark. Rena and baby fixed up to go with him but it was too cold in morn. Willie rode Dan to chapel in morn and Leroy D came back with him at 2 in eve and they went to Ogden's late in eve. B C and Dixie and Gussie and Mr. Kendrick here to dinner and Joe Miller and Sallie and baby and some of Lewis' children here in eve.
Mon. 17th. Cloudy and chilly from SE all day. Wiley got Lewis' wagon and 2 mules and put old Rachael and Hattie in lead and drove to Huff's Sawmill (2 mi. beyond Woodville) in morn and Leroy drove his Pa's wagon (with 4) and they got here at 9 at night with 1000 ft. of plank and we fed all of teams in tubs and boxes in dark and Roy staid all night. Jack D and Gussie came at 10 1/2 in morn and they and Pa and Willie and I worked at Wiley's house in eve. Jack leveled the foundation and fixed posts for plates. Gussie went to Lewis' at night and Jack staid here. Willie rode Dan in morn to hunt our Chester boar but didn't find him and Pa and I packed and cut up some wood in morn.
Tue. 18th. Dark, cloudy and rather chilly from SE and began to drop rain at 9 in morn and got harder toward noon and lasted all eve and part of night without ceasing and wind pretty hard at night from E. Wiley and Leroy carried the 2 wagons of plank to Wiley's house (from front gate here) early in morn and didn't go back to sawmill on account of rain. They worked some on Wiley's house in morn. Cohen sent 3 wagons with seed at 8 1/2 in morn and carried Willie's and my 2 bales and Pa's 1 to gin. They left here at 10 1/2 and went all way to gin in a slow rain. Buddy and Gussie here all day and Buddy went home late in eve in rain and Gussie and Leroy and Jack D here at night.
Wed. 19th. Dark, cloudy and rained in little showers most of morn from S and rained hard at 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 with a hard S wind and bright after 2 in eve from SW and clear and cool from W at night. We did nothing in morn but feed and cut up some wood. Gussie went home at 10 in morn and Jack and Wiley and Leroy and I put up posts and plates to Wiley's house in eve and Willie rode Dan to Braxton's and traded his gun to Buck for a cow and calf and 8 bbls of corn in eve.
Thu. 20th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool from NW. Jack D and Wiley and Leroy worked all day on Wiley's house and Willie drove Hattie and old Reuben to Braxton's in morn to Lewis' wagon and carried 4 bu of yams and exchanged for 4 bbls of corn and got the 8 bbls boot between cow and calf and gun (12 bbls in all) and returned at 12 1/2 and Willie rode Dan to Braxton's in eve and brought home the cow and calf. Pa and I cut down a dead bay E of fig orchard in morn and Buddy came at 9 in morn and told me that he had found our Chester boar at Elmwood and I walked and went back with Buddy and we found the boar just beyond Elmwood houses and caught him, by scratching him, and drove him home with a line by 11 1/2. Pa packed up wood in morn and some in eve and I rode Hattie to Cohen's in eve and returned before sunset, 3/4 of an hour.
Fri. 21st. Cloudy and a damp S breeze all day and sprinkled rain some in eve and some at night and a cloud passed around E from S at 10 to 12 at night with heavy thunder SE of here, not far off, but only sprinkled rain here. Wiley drove Lewis' wagon and 2 mules and Hattie and Rachael and Leroy drove his 3 mules and Reuben to sawmill (2 miles beyond Woodville) early in morn and they returned at 4 1/4 in eve with about 1000 ft. of plank. Jack D and Pa and Willie worked at house in morn and I helped them in eve and we put up extension rafters across house. I packed and cut up some wood most of morn.
Sat. 22nd. It rained in showers from S all morn till 11 1/4 and changed to NW then and rained hard and wind blew hard for a few minutes and bright, nearly clear and cool from NW in eve. Leroy D and his Pa left here at 9 in morn to go home. Leroy drove his wagon and his Pa rode Reuben. We didn't work in morn on account of rain. Wiley and Willie cut some green beech wood near Wiley's house in eve and I hauled 3 cart loads of green one and 1 of dry with Hattie in eve. Pa helped us with wood in eve.
Sun. 23rd. Bright, nearly clear, in morn and some frost and cloudy some in eve and warmer from SE. Nellie and Wiley walked and Rena rode Rachael to Clara's in morn and there till late in eve. B C borrowed old Hattie early in morn for Dixie to ride to Mr. D Chambers and he brought Hattie back late in eve. Willie rode Dan to Union church in morn but there was no preaching and he returned at 1. Pa and I here all day and I cooked part of our dinner.
Mon. 24th. Dark, cloudy and dropped rain most of morn and misted some and misted all eve and rained in hard little showers from SE and part of night too. Wiley and Willie and I worked at Wiley's house and kitchen most of morn. We put 4 sleepers in shed room and we put 4 joist on kitchen and sawed out 2 windows and a door to kitchen. We didn't work in eve on account of rain.
Tue. 25th. It sprinkled rain from SW at 8 in morn and changed to NW then and bright after 9 1/2 in morn and all eve and cool. I hauled 2 cart loads of green beech wood from by Wiley's house with Hattie at 9 1/2 to 11 1/2 in morn and I rode her to Cohen's in eve and sold 7 bales of Willie's and my cotton and Pa's last bale to Cohen at 4 5/8 cts. for Pa's bale and 4 1/2 cts. for our last 2 bales and 4 7/8 cts. for 5 heavy bales of ours (ginned in November). Wiley and Willie cut and split some board timber to ceil kitchen after 9 1/2 in morn. Jack D came at 2 in eve to work on Wiley's house.
Wed. 26th. Bright, but some clouds and chilly from N all day. Pa had fever last night with a cold but up all today and had fever again at night. Wiley and Willie worked Donegal road in morn and weatherboarded on Wiley's house in eve. I helped Jack there in morn and some in eve. He put in 3 window frames and put on some weatherboarding and I hauled a cart load of wood from there late in eve and cut up wood and drew water. Bob Fugler here at night (from Seymour's).
Thu. 27th. Bright, nearly clear, and a little frost in morn and a gentle breeze from N all day. Wiley drove Lewis' 2 mules and wagon and Rachael and Hattie in front to sawmill (2 miles beyond Woodville) early in morn and returned at 7 at night with team. The wagon broke down in bottom beyond Surgett's. Jack and Willie weatherboarded on Wiley's house all day. I drew water for Aunt Margaret to wash and cut up some wood early in morn and helped on Wiley's house awhile in morn and some in eve. Gordon and Tigner and West and I helped Gabriel Hillary to get his wagon load of seed cotton out of mud hole in Lewis' field at 1 to 2 1/2 in eve. I had a dull headache all day and bad at night but didn't vomit and rested tolerably well at night. Pa was in bed part of day with cold and fever.
Fri. 28th. Cloudy some but bright and sun shined most of day after 9 in morn and quite cool in morn early and at night. My headache got better after breakfast awhile and left me in eve. Jack D and Gordon weatherboarded on house all day. Wiley, Willie and I took Lewis' 2 mules and Rachael and Reuben and Hattie to Surgett's and borrowed Fayette Bently's wagon and went on to pond beyond there and Wiley brought 1/2 of load of plank with the mules to Fayette wagon and Willie brought Lewis' wagon with Rachael and Reuben by propping hind axle on a pole (the right hind wheel was broken down) and we got home at 11 1/2 and Wiley hauled the other 1/2 load of plank in eve with Fayette's wagon. I rode Hattie to Cohen's in eve at 2 1/4 to 5 and got 14 spokes to fill Lewis' wheel and I got some plowlines and 2 singletrees and 2 laprings on credit. Pa lay in bed most of day but seems better today.
Sat. 29th. Bright and cool most of day but cloudy late in eve and rained some in night. Jack and Wiley and Willie and Gordon worked on house till 3 1/4 in eve and Wiley went home with Jack late in eve. I hauled some lathing from near the creek for Wiley's house in morn (4 cart loads) and I hauled a load of wood by 12 and I hauled one more load at 3 1/2 in eve. Pa was up today and walked to Clara's in eve. Buddy and Tigner D here in eve.
Sun. 30th. It rained in slow showers some last night till 9 in morn from SW and cloudy till 3 in eve and bright and pleasant balance of eve from W and clear at night. Willie rode Dan to Clara's in morn and got Salome's mare colt from beyond there and brought her home in eve and we put her and Joe in cow pasture at dusk. Nellie and Rena and baby and I walked to Lewis' in eve and Lewis and I walked below Roy's hunting our sows and we stopped at Seymour's awhile but didn't find hogs but 3 of the sows came up late in eve and 1 did not - I think she has pigs. Jack D and Wiley and Hamp McGraw came late in eve to work on Wiley's house on tomorrow.
Mon. 31st. Clear and cold dry N wind all day. I found our young 3/4 chester sow out NW of orchard with 6 pigs (from our Henderson boar) early in morn. Seymour here till 2 in eve and filled Lewis' wagon wheel and I helped him some and cut up some wood. Jack D and Wiley and Hamp McGraw and Buddy and Willie covered on Wiley's house all day and got over 1/2 covered. Gordon and Tigner packed up boards all eve. Pa packed up wood in morn and some in eve.