JUNE 1888
Fri. June 1st. Bright and pleasant. I plowed corn all morn, laying by in Cherry cut with 4 furrows with old J and harrowed all of middles below stump Cherry in that cut twice to row and plowed little corn late in eve. Willie and Rena finished thinning Willie's cotton in Cane hollow by 9 in morn and Willie thinned all of corn in Cherry cut in eve. I had a dull jaw ache in eve and pain went into right side of head and I suffered all night and slept but little.
Sat. 2nd. Bright and pleasant and thundered and showered in N in morn and again in NW late in eve far off. I lay in bed and vomited and suffered with headache till 9 in morn and ate something then and got up at 10. I plowed corn all eve in Cherry cut. Willie went fishing on Bayou Sara in eve.
Sun. 3rd. Bright and nearly clear and pleasant from N. All of us home all day. Lewis, Cousin Mary and their 2 children and Buddy here all day.
Mon. 4th. Bright, nearly clear and pleasant. I walked with Willie and Rena to school house early in morn and trustees met and Mrs Baker began school. I returned at 8 1/2 and plowed some in Cherry cut from 9 till 12 and again in eve till 5 and finished it and last of corn. I barred off some cotton on H ridge late in eve. The children returned at 4 1/2 from school.
Tue. 5th. Bright and pleasant from S. I barred off cotton all day. I barred off H ridge by 10 and balance of day in persimmon cut. I engaged some hands from Jim Parker early in morn and 4 women and Nels came in eve and scraped cotton on H ridge all eve. Willie and Rena went to school.
Wed. 6th. Bright and warm from SE till 2 1/2 and we had a good shower from S then. I finished barring off last of Persimmon cut of cotton on SE corner by 9 3/4 in morn and harrowed cotton middles on W side of new ground till 11 1/2. Jim Parker's 5 hands and Andrew Porter's 3 boys scraped cotton till 11 1/2 and finished last of my cotton then (except Willie's cotton). I rode old Matt to town in eve and rain met me at Sims' gate and I got under a gum tree and put a sack around me and got nearly wet but I went on to town and got some books and slate for Willie and Rena and a bonnet for Nellie from Mrs Habig at $2.50 and I returned before sunset.
Thu. 7th. Bright and warm and no signs of rain (from S). I harrowed all of sugar cane and cotton (E of cane) middles twice to row by 9 and molded and plowed middles out of all cotton W of cane by 12 1/4. I hoed 6 rows of cane on W side of Patch (scraping both sides of rows) in eve.
Fri. 8th. Bright and warm from S. I molded and plowed middles out of last of cotton in new ground all E of cane and finished by 12 1/2. I drove old J to Cohen's in cart in eve and got some things I paid for and got a bbl of flour, 4 yds jeans, and a pair of pants for myself on credit. I returned at sunset.
Sat. 9th. Cloudy but bright and warm from SW. I hoed and finished rescraping sugar cane by 10 in morn. Willie cut about 20 bundles of oats by 9 1/4. I put buggy wheels in branch by 11 1/4. Willie and I walked to Mr. D Chambers in eve and I saw and bargained for his black mare colt. We returned an hour by sun.
Sun. 10th. Bright but cloudy some and warm and showers passed around in morn and in eve from SW. Nellie and I went on buggy and Dixie rode old Matt to chapel in morn and there till late in eve and had basket dinner. Willie and Rena stayed home all day.
Mon. 11th. Bright and warm till 2 1/4 and we had a good soaking rain from SE from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. I began and plowed more than half of Dewberry cut of whipped peas with 4 furrows by 11 1/4. I rode old Matt to Cohen's in eve and rain met me and I got under a gum tree and put sacks around me but got nearly wet. I rode on to store in slow rain. I got a shoulder of meat on credit and borrowed $10 from Cohen to pay Mr. D Chambers for mare.
Tue. 12th. Cloudy some but bright and warm till 3 in eve and we had a heavy shower then from E. I finished laying by whip peas in Dewberry cut by 8 1/2 in morn and barred off part of peas and corn on hillside on poor E end of Gate cut till 11 1/4. Dan came at 8 in morn and I gave him a plow point. I rode old Matt to Mr. D Chambers at 3 and paid him $50 for a black mare colt named Salome and John and Willie and I got her in Grave's pasture and brought her home before sunset.
Wed. 13th. Cloudy all day but bright. Thundershowers passed around some in eve but only sprinkled here late in eve. I broke up nearly half of oat patch on roadside in rows early in morn and plowed up nearly half of oat ground on E side by front gate in lands and sowed and harrowed under peas and all plowed by 11 1/4. I hoed whip peas and corn on poor E end of Gate cut on hillside all eve. Willie cut some oats late in eve. Nellie, Dixie and Rena drove up Nora with a red bull calf in eve.
Thu. 14th. Cloudy and wind from S and showers passed around most of day but only dropped here several times. I plowed and finished breaking oat ground in lands by front gate on E side by 9 and sowed all plowed (this morn) in cow peas and harrowed under by 11 and cut some oats by 11 1/4. I barred off all of old watermelon patch hollow and poor hillside above and end this way of Willie's cotton and whip peas in eve. Willie cut some oats late in eve.
Fri. 15th. Bright and warm from S and thundershowers passed around far off all eve but none here. I barred off last of Willie's cotton in bottom of Gate cut and last of corn and whip peas just above there by 9 1/2 in morn and hoed 2 rows of peas and cut some oats by 11 3/4 and hoed in corn and peas there all eve. Mary Turner scraped all day in Willie's cotton in old watermelon patch hollow on hillside above.
Sat. 16th. Bright and warm most of day and thunder showers passed around most of eve but only sprinkled here at 2. I walked early to Mr. Sims' and Mr. D and I appraised a mule and heifer (Estrays) and I borrowed a reap hook and returned by 7 and Willie cut last of my oats on roadside by 9. I finished hoeing whip peas and corn on poor E end of Gate cut and hoed around watermelon hills in Cane hollow by 10 1/4. Willie went to creek fishing in eve and I hauled in the oats cut in morn (1 cartload) and went over cut of corn by front gate on W side and nearly half of Gate cut with hoe in eve.
Sun. 17th. Cloudy all day and rained in slow showers from SE at 12 to 2 1/2 in eve but not enough to run. None of us went to Sunday School in morn. Willie and I walked to Pa's in morn and back by 11. All of us walked to school house in eve but Mr. Jones didn't come to preach. We stopped a while at Clara's and got home before sunset.
Mon. 18th. Cloudy all day and dropped rain some in morn and a dark cloud passed around SW of here at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 in eve but only sprinkled here. I drove old J to Cohen's in cart and got some things in morn and sent for Dorcas magazine. I got back at 11 1/2. I harrowed all H ridge of cotton middles, twice to row except where I had potatoes on hilltop in eve. The rain ran me home at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2.
Tue. 19th. Cloudy but bright all morn and a cloud came up from S at 1 and rained till 5 - a good soaking rain and needed on corn. I began on hilltop of H ridge and molded and plowed middles out of cotton there untill 11 1/4. Tom Netterville stopped here at 1 out of rain and here till 5 3/4. I did nothing in eve. Willie and Rena went to school yesterday and today.
Wed. 20th. Cloudy and showered around some in morn and some in eve but only sprinkled here at 2. I plowed up about 2/3 of oat ground on roadside (and last of it) in rows and rebedded the other 1/3 (12 rows) next to H ridge with old J by 11 1/2 and drew up 10 rows in eve wtih hoe (1 side only) and Willie and I set them in yams and Spanish Vines.
Thu. 21st. Bright but cloudy some and warm. Damp S wind but no rain. I drew up and planted 2 rows in potatoevines by 8 in morn and hoed in Cane hollow in Willie's cotton till 10 1/2. I harrowed cotton middles all eve in Persimmon cut twice to row with old J. I had pain in left side of my head all morn and went into right side in eve and I ate nothing at night and suffered all night and slept but little. Rena went home with Mattie M and Lucy Mc. in eve.
Fri. 22nd. Bright and warm all morn and showered most of eve from SW. I lay on pallet and vomited with headache till 10 and drank cup coffee then and got up at 11. Old Lucy dog died at 12 and I buried her at 1 to 2. I harrowed cotton middles in Persimmon cut about 1 hour after dinner and rain stopped me. Willie came home sick from school in eve.
Sat. 23rd. It rained a heavy shower from W at 7 to 8 1/2 in morn and bright balance of day. Seymour came at 10 and he rode Salome colt (first time) and I rode Larry to Graves' place and back by 12 1/4. I thinned corn in Gate cut about 2 hours in eve and finished that cut and Rena and I got some slippery elm bark for Willie in eve at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2. He is quite sick with hot fever and vomiting. Tom Netterville came in eve and fixed Nellie's machine. Dan and Gordon here in eve.
Sun. 24th. Warm and cloudy and a dark cloud came up from W at 12 and we had a heavy shower with some wind. Bright and warm in eve. I rode Larry to town for Dr. Magruder and he came to see Willie at 10 1/2 to 11. I got some medicines from Robinson and paid for all and got some ice and lemons from Schlesinger and paid for them. I returned at 11 1/4. Dan here all day. Seymour rode Salome to chapel and brought her home at 3. Willie's fever went down late in eve.
Mon. 25th. Cloudy some all day but bright from SW and no rain. I hoed all of the 2 patches of late whip peas and scraped last of Willie's cotton (except bottoms) on poor hillside and end of Cherry cut next to persimmon tree and finished there late in eve. It was too wet to plow (I hoed all day). I rode Salome first time to Lewis' and back at 1 to 2. Willie is better today with no fever. Rena went to school by herself.
Tue. 26th. Cloudy and damp, SE wind and showered at 9 to 10 in morn and again at 3 to 5. I molded some cotton on H ridge till 8 in morn but it was too wet. I harrowed cotton mids in Persimmon cut till 9 1/2 and rain stopped me. I barred there again in eve at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 and finished that cut and began to harrow oat ground (broken for potatoes) by rod and rain stopped me at 3. I hoed some cotton in new ground late in eve. Nellie went to her Pa's and Lewis' in eve. Dan here late in eve. Buddy is sick.
Wed. 27th. Cloudy some but bright from NW and no rain. I hoed cotton in new ground all morn and harrowed all of poor E end of Gate cut of corn and whip peas twice to middle and some of cotton middles on H ridge (which were harrowed last week but are very grassy) in eve. Willie is better but still in bed. Nellie walked to Pa's in eve.
Thu. 28th. Bright and quite warm and no rain, wind from W. Lewis came early in morn and molded cotton all day with Larry. He finished H ridge by 9 and molded most of Persimmon cut by late in eve. He dined here. I harrowed cotton middles ahead of Lewis (which were harrowed last week) till 10 and harrowed mids in Willie's cotton and whip peas on poor hillside of Cherry cut next to persimmon and watermelon patch hollow and finished by 5 1/2 in eve and hoed 4 rows of cotton in new ground till late in eve.
Fri. 29th. A thundershower came up at 1 to 2 this morn and again at 5 from N and we had a hard shower both times - bright and warm balance of day. I plowed and drew up slip ground on roadside till 11 1/4 and set out all drawn up in queen and red vines in eve. Willie got up today. He has been in bed just 1 week. Rena went to school all the week alone.
Sat. 30th. Bright and warm and no rain. Lewis came early and finished up molding cotton in Persimmon cut and all of poor hillside and watermelon patch hollow of Willie's cotton and whip peas and I plowed all of poor E end of Gate cut of corn and whip peas with (laying by) old J by 11 3/4 in morn. Lewis dined here and I paid him $2.25 for 1 1/2 days plowing. I didn't work in eve. Tom Netterville stopped awhile on way to town in eve.