MARCH 1898
Tue. Mar. 1st. Bright and nearly cold enough for frost early in morn but wind from S and turned warmer and cloudy in eve and began to drop rain at dusk and lasted most of night and hard part of time. Pa threshed cotton stalks in field most of day. Willie finished plowing turf in Coon pasture at 9 1/2 in morn and broke ground balance of day on H ridge with Joe and Dan. Jack D and Wiley and I worked on Wiley's chimney in morn and till 3 1/2 in eve and finished putting it up and Jack and Wiley made and put up steps to house balance of eve. I packed and cut up some wood late in eve.
Wed. 2nd. It quit raining at 7 1/2 in morn and we had a cold E of N wind all day and all night and cloudy and chilly. Willie plowed Joe and Dan all day in Cherry cut some and some on H ridge breaking ground for corn but the ground was rather wet. Jack D and Wiley worked all morn at Wiley's house and about finished it and Jack went home in eve. Pa cleaned up around Wiley's house most of day. I cut down briars and bushes in hollow by spring gate and put up a new post and fixed gate and repaired fence there most of morn and part of eve. Wiley and I packed and cut up some wood in eve.
Thu. 3rd. Cloudy and nearly cold enough to freeze all morn and bright all eve and sun shined most of eve and a cold E of N wind all day. Pa cleaned up around Wiley's house most of day and Willie plowed Joe and Dan most of day on H ridge and on Cherry cut breaking ground for corn. Wiley drove Rachael and Jim (mule) to Lewis' wagon and I went with him to brick kiln in Surgett field and we got a load of half bricks to line Wiley's fireplace. We left here at 9 1/2 in morn and returned at 2. Wiley walked on down to store and back while I dug our bats. We hauled the bats on to Wiley's house at 2 3/4 to 4 in eve. Dixie here today and B C in eve and moved her things on Seymour's wagon.
Fri. 4th. Clear and a frost and a freeze in morn and a breeze from N all day but sun shined warm all day. Willie plowed Joe and Dan all day breaking ground for corn in Cherry and water hole cuts. Wiley plowed up ground for Irish potatoes in old cowpen corner with Rachael (some in morn and some in eve) and he and Pa and I planted 1 bu of bought ones and about 1/2 bu of home raised and we finished them at 3 1/2 in eve and Wiley plowed up garden in eve and I packed and cut up some wood.
Sat. 5th. Bright and a pretty hard freeze in morn but sun shined most of day and warmer after 10 in morn and some hazey clouds all day. Willie plowed Joe and Dan all morn in Cherry cut, breaking ground for corn and Pa and Wiley and I planted our sugarcane in NE part of orchard. Wiley opened ground with Rachael and Pa and I stripped the cane and laid it in the rows and Wiley broke up the ground on it and we replanted the gaps in stubble part there and finished all by 11 1/2 in morn. Pa walked to Clara's in eve and Willie and Wiley hitched up Salome's mare colt by side of Joe and dragged a pole first and then hitched them to plow and plowed awhile in eve. Gussie here awhile at 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 in eve. I packed and cut up some wood in eve.
Sun. 6th. Bright and a freeze in morn and frost, but dry and calm and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn but some clouds and too cool in shade all day. Buddy here all day and Wiley rode Rachael to his Pa's in morn and returned after sunset and drove home his cow (Ocean) and heifer from toward Schaeffer' place and we put them in cow pen to put in cow pasture on tomorrow. I packed up some wood in morn and Pa and I walked in Elmwood field in eve and saw and salted all of cattle.
Mon. 7th. It began to rain slowly just before day and lasted all morn and till 2 in eve and quit then and brightened up at 3 and clear late in eve and at night. It was chilly all morn. Wiley and Willie put fastenings to Wiley's doors and windows in morn and I patched 2 old horse collars by 11 1/2 in morn. Wiley and Willie brought some sand from creek to Wiley's house on Joe and Dan at 1 1/2 to 2 3/4 and they got Lewis' wagon then and hauled a load of pine brush (or started to haul them) and wagon broke down (one front wheel) by Dewberry cut. I hauled a cartload of half bricks (about a dozen whole ones among them) from Steve Luckett's old house to Wiley's house with Rachael at 2 to 3 1/2 in eve and brought home a load of green beech wood. Pa helped me to get the brick bats and then he walked to Sims' late in eve and got 2 1/2 lbs of coffee.
Tue. 8th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool early in morn but a pleasant day after 10 in morn and warmer and some clouds in eve from SE. Wiley drove Rachael and Dan to Seymour's wagon to his Pa's in morn and got a stove, which his Grandma gave him and returned at 2 in eve and he and Willie hauled some pine brush late in eve and put in washes in old Cane hollow cut. Willie cut some trees in Coon field in morn. Pa and I worked most of day on Wiley's fireplace, lining it with brick bats and got more than half done. Rena and baby went to Dixie's at Estina early in morn and Nellie went in eve and they returned 1/2 hour by sun.
Wed. 9th. Bright and pleasant from SE. I arose with a dull headache and had it bad late in eve and vomited once, but rested well in night. I worked all day on Wiley's fireplace and finished it at 4 in eve. Pa helped me in morn and threshed cotton stalks in eve in old Cane hollow. Willie plowed Joe and Dan all day in Cherry cut and in old Cane hollow and Wiley plowed Rachael and Salome's black mare colt (first time together) all day with Willie breaking ground.
Thu. 10th. Bright and pleasant from SE but cloudy late in eve and a damp breze. My headache got better after breakfast but lasted all day till late in eve. I trimmed peach and pecan trees in orchard most of morn and Willie plowed Joe and Dan, and Wiley plowed Rachael and Salome's colt all morn and broke ground in orchard and Willie finished in eve and Wiley worked at his house in eve and Pa cut briars in orchard and I drove Rachael to cart to Cohen's in eve and got a bbl flour and 2 bus. meal and 1 bu of boat corn - 1/2 white and 1/2 yellow - (to plant) and some other things and returned at deep dusk.
Fri. 11th. Cloudy some, but bright and pleasant from S all day and dropped rain at dark. Wiley and Willie and I planted corn (our first) most of day. Willie opened ground with 1 furrow to row with Dan and my A plow and I drilled corn and Wiley covered with Joe to harrow. We planted orchard in white boat corn by 10 1/2 in morn and we finished H ridge by late in eve. We planted about 2/3 of H ridge in yellow boat corn and the SE circle of it in our native corn. Pa covered corn behind harrow with hoe in orchard and he cut corn stalks in Gate cut balance of day. B C brought old Hattie and got cart and carried away about 200 of sugar cane which I gave them in morn and Charlie Chase came late in eve and got balance of cane (350 stalks) which Cohen is to pay for.
Sat. 12th. Bright, but cloudy and wind pretty high from E of S most of day and rained in hard showers after 10 at night. Pa walked to Clara's early in morn and on to Cohen's and returned at 2 in eve and Tigner and Mary and Clara and her little children came with him and they went on to Wiley's house. Nellie and Rena and baby were there. Wiley and I moved Wiley's furniture on car with Rachael all morn and till 3 1/2 in eve and finished all and we set up stove and pipe and covered and put mortar around it and Wiley and Rena and baby stayed there first night. Willie plowed Joe and Dan in old Cane hollow breaking ground all morn and Willie rode Joe to town in eve and got some nipples for baby. Lewis came at 8 1/2 at night for Nellie and I walked to his house with her and returned at 9 1/2 and slept very little.
Sun. 13th. We had a good rain last night and cloudy and a little cooler from NE all morn and bright and warm from SE in eve and rained some late in night. I cooked breakfast in morn and Nellie came home from Lewis' at 8 in morn. Cousin Mary gave birth to her 4th boy last night. Willie rode Dan to Clara's in morn and I rode Joe to Seymour's and carried them 4 pieces of cured meat and went on in Elmwood and Sims' fields and found Dixie's red heifer with a calf and Wiley and I walked in eve and drove the cow and calf home. Wiley and Rena and baby here most of day.
Mon. 14th. Cloudy and warm from SW but bright most of day and showered some late in eve and at night and ground very wet. Wiley took down wire from posts and pulled up posts on N side of Coon field and Willie dug post holes on N side of turf broken there (to enlarge field) most of day. Pa threshed cotton stalks in new 2nd Cane hollow most of day. I cut and split a slim bay just NW of cow pen, to keep young calve in, most of morn and till 2 in eve and I rode Joe and found Neat's red heifer with a red heifer calf (nearly a week old) in William Walker's field and drove them and 5 head more home by 5 in eve. Seymour came in his wagon late in eve and carried away his young sow which I gave him. I put her in pen early in morn.
Tue. 15th. It rained in slow showers most of last night and in little sprinkles most of this morn from SW and warm, bright and sun shined most of eve. Pa worked all day in hollow in orchard cleaning up a bean patch and getting poles for an arbor. Wiley and I hauled all of posts from wire fence on N side of Coon field (on cart with Rachael) to line on N side of turf part (enlarging field) by 11 1/2 in morn and Willie dug some holes and set most of posts in morn and He and Wiley dragged most of wire to new line in eve with Rachael. I made a new hickory singletree and ironed and shaped out another by 4 in eve and B C came then and I walked and helped him to drive Dixie's red heifer and young calf to Estina by 5 1/2 in eve.
Wed. 16th. Bright and warm from SW and no rain today. Willie plowed Joe and Dan and Wiley plowed Rachael and Salome's mare colt most of day and listed ground in Luckett's field near Estina Branch. Pa and I cut bushes and briars there ahead of plows in morn and Pa in eve and I put away our meat in corn shucks in eve and fixed up colt's on W side of old barn to feed a horse in.
Thu. 17th. Bright and warm from SW and no rain. Willie plowed Joe and Dan part of morn in old Cane hollow and balance of day in new Cane hollow breaking ground for corn. Wiley plowed Rachael and Salome's mare colt part of morn in old Cane hollow and balance of day on SE part of Persimmon cut breaking ground for corn. Pa and I worked all day in new 2nd Cane hollow knocking up old stumps and cut sprouts and briars.
Fri. 18th. Bright and warm from SW with a steady wind from S most of day. Wiley and Willie and I planted corn all day - we planted all of old Cane hollow and part of Cherry cut. Willie opened with Dan (1 furrow with A plow) and I drilled corn and Wiley covered with Joe to harrow. Pa worked in new 2nd Cane hollow in morn and put up his bean arbor in hollow in orchard in eve. Nellie and Dean washed in morn and Rena and baby here all day and Nellie kept baby here at night so that Rena could sleep well.
Sat. 19th. Bright and warm from SW and no rain. Pa planted his beans in orchard in morn and Wiley and Willie and I planted corn in Cherry cut in water hole and fence row part till 11 in morn and finished there and quit then. Pa walked to Clara's in eve and Wiley put up some shelves at his house in eve and I put some more mortar around Wiley's stove pipe and made a Hickory singletree and put some old irons on it in eve. Buddy here in eve awhile and Willie rode Joe off with him to hunt cattle late in eve and returned in night.
Sun. 20th. Bright and warm from SW (real April weather) and trees and vegetation putting out very fast. I fixed Lewis' wire fence by where old Persimmon tree stood early in morn and went on to Wiley's house and he and I walked all over cow pasture and Coon field and found Ocean with a red and white heifer calf and drove them into cow pen by 9 in morn and I found our old speckled hen killed by a hawk in briar hollow in Sims' field and set the steel trap at 11 3/4 in morn and caught the hawk late in eve. Buddy here most of day and Wiley and Rena and baby here in eve and all but Pa and I walked to Lewis' in eve. I found 4 hen's nests today and burned out 1 setting hens nest in eve. B C and Dixie drove up all of dry cattle from Elmwood field late in eve and I put them in cow pasture.
Mon. 21st. Bright and warm from SW and no rain. Wiley plowed Rachael and colt in Pine corner all day and Willie plowed Joe and Dan in new 2nd Cane hollow most of day and finished breaking it. Pa threshed cotton stalks and cleaned off ground in Coon field all day. We put our 2 milk cows, Rose and Lillie, in cow pasture early in morn and I worked on calf pasture fence on side next to cow pasture most of day, repairing it.
Tue. 22nd. Bright and warm from SW and no rain and wind pretty high part of day. Wiley and Willie and Pa and I planted corn in new 2nd Cane hollow and the hollow in Pine corner with Joe and Dan and finished both hollows by 10 in morn and Willie put a round in his B plow and Wiley and I tightened up handles on my A plow by 11 and I shucked and selected some seed corn and feeding one by 11 3/4. Lucy McGraw came on horseback at 11 in morn and here all night. Wiley plowed Rachael and colt and Willie Joe and Dan all eve in Coon field, breaking ground for corn, and Pa cleaned off ground there. I made some oak rails by N pasture gate (calf pasture) and repaired fence there in eve.
Wed. 23rd. Bright and warm from SW till late in eve and began to rain in thundershowers (from there) at 5 3/4 and we had a hard one at 6 1/4 to 7 from NW and some wind and showered little on through night. Wiley and Willie broke ground in Coon field for corn all day and Pa cleaned off ground there all day. I arose with a headache but I cut and split some rails on branch in cow pasture (to repair calf pasture fence) till 11 in morn and came home quite sick with headache and took some soda and peppermint and laid down awhile and my headache got better at 1 but it lasted all eve and all night. I didn't work in eve but packed and cut up wood and drew water and walked to Sims' late in eve and got a gal of coal oil. Lucy McGraw's gray mare jumped out at 12 today and we suppose she went on home. Clara and Sally and baby here in eve and Nellie and Lucy and Clara walked to Estina hunting the mare at 3 to 5 -she had jumped the wire fence and gone on and Lucy here again at night.
Thu. 24th. Cloudy and chilly from N or E of N all day and dropped rain at 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 in morn. Wiley and Willie worked on wire fence on N side of Coon field most of day, putting up the wire which they moved to new line. Pa cut and packed canes to stick his beans in orchard in morn and he cleaned off ground in Coon field in eve. I fixed up water-gap to calf pasture (it had washed down the branch apiece) at 7 to 8 1/2 in morn and I rode Joe to William McGraw's at 9 to 12 and brought back the bay mare that jumped out here on yesterday and Lucy Mc went home in eve early. I packed and cut up some wood just after dinner and I set poles and hung gate to Coon field on new line at 2 1/2 to 4. B C and Seymour came then and drove away all of Dixie's cattle.
Fri. 25th. Cloudy and chilly early in morn, but wind from SE and warmer after 10 in morn and bright and sun shined most of eve and warm. Wiley and Willie worked on wire fence on N side of Coon field all morn putting up wire and finished all but little of that line and they plowed all eve in Coon field breaking ground for corn with Joe and Dan and Rachael and colt. Pa cleaned off ground in Coon field all day. I drove Rachael to cart to Cohen's in morn and got some things which I paid for and I got 4 1/4 bu corn there for the $2.25 which Charles Chase owes me for cane and I got 2 bu meal and 5 lbs. wire staples on credit and I got a pair shoes for Rena and gal coal oil for Wiley on his account. I got home at 12 and I worked on fence on S side of cow pen and SW of there (I put in some posts and tightened wire and fixed rails at bottom) and I cut down a bay there to make some rails there most of eve.
Sat. 26th. Cloudy some but bright and warm with a pleasant SW breeze all day. Wiley and Willie plowed most of day in Coon field breaking ground for corn and Pa cleaned off ground there ahead of plows most of day. I cut and split about 50 bay rails just W of cow pen in morn by 11 1/2 and I repaired all of fence between cow pen and branch in eve by putting in some stakes and tightening wire and putting new rails at bottom and I put some new bay rails on manure pens and some on cow pen fence. Nellie and Dean washed in morn and Rena and baby and Wiley dined here. Dixie here in eve and Bro. Mose, the new preacher, here awhile in eve (first time).
Sun. 27th. Cloudy and a damp SW breeze all day and very little sunshine and rained some late in night. Wiley rode Rachael to his Pa's early in morn and returned at dusk. Willie and Rena drove Joe to Wiley's buggy to Union church in morn and returned at 2 1/4 in eve. Pa at Clara's most of day and Nellie and I and baby here most of day and Nellie and Rena and baby walked to Lewis' at 3 1/4 to 5 1/2 in eve.
Mon. 28th. Dark, cloudy and chilly from E of N and rained all day slowly and in hard little showers sometimes and drizzled all night. I went down in cow pasture on branch to split rails at 9 in morn but it rained so hard till I went on to Wiley's house and Willie and Wiley and I cut down 2 beeches and a bay by Wiley's house and Willie and I came home at 11. I shelled some seed corn and some big peas in eve and packed and cut up some wood in rain.
Tue. 29th. Dark, cloudy all day and chilly in morn from NE and rained slowly till 9 in morn and quit then but ground very wet all day and little warmer in eve from E. Willie and I cut and packed up some wood early in morn (in rain) and Willie and Wiley worked on wire fence around Coon field most of day after 8 1/4 in morn. Pa packed some wood in morn and cleaned off ground in Coon field in eve. I cut and split rails on branch in cow pasture most of day after 8 in morn. I cut and split up a cherry tree in morn which made 34 rails and I finished splitting the poplar cut last week and I cut a water oak in eve and cut off butt cut and made a maul.
Wed. 30th. Dark, cloudy and showered at daylight and wind changed to N and misted till 8 in morn and quit and chilly and cloudy from N all day. Wiley and Willie and I cut and split rails in cow pasture (on Sims' land) most of morn and Pa packed up some wood. Wiley and Willie listed ground on Estina branch (Cohen's land) with double teams most of eve and Pa cut bushes there. I cleaned out flower pit and set 2 hens in there and packed up 8 turns of wood and cut it up in eve.
Thu. 31st. Bright and some little sunshine today and quite cool (or cold) early in morn but warmer in eve and rained some in night. Wiley and Willie listed ground in Luckett's field most of day with double teams and finished listing there late in eve. Pa cut bushes there most of day. I cut and split wood for rails in cow pasture most of morn and I worked our road (hill) where it goes into big road just after dinner and I repaired 8 panels of fence just beyond garden and packed and cut up some wood. Dixie and Wiley and Rena dined here.