MAY 1883
Tue. May 1st. Bright and warm. I cut some poles and fixed some of fence toward Luckett's. I finished last of it by 10 and then finished cleaning off Dewberry cut by 11 1/2. Alice, Clara and baby here all day. I rode to town in eve and got some things for Clara, and a hat for baby and some things for Nellie. I got the $ from Mrs Bradford which she owed me. I opened my finger in morn.
Wed. 2nd. Bright and warm. I finished breaking Dewberry cut with Julia and Hunter by 11 which is all except orchard. Mrs Haines died last night. All of us went to Pa's at 1 1/2 and Dixie, children and I went to burying. We got home after sunset.
Thu. 3rd. Bright and warm. I harrowed all of Dewberry cut and lower half of Cherry cut by 10 1/2 and opened some in Cherry cut till 12. I planted the lower half of Cherry cut in cotton in eve and finished it at sunset and was very tired. Mary Turner and Winnie hoed corn all eve in persimmon cut.
Fri. 4th. Dark, cloudy all day. It began to shower slowly with thunder from W at 8 in morn and lasted all day till dark. I barred off the youngest corn on H ridge and finished by 9 in morn. Mary Turner and Winnie hoed corn in Persimmon cut till 10 and then hard shower stopped them. I washed out my gun in eve and shaped out a hoe handle late in eve.
Sat. 5th. Bright and pleasant, wind from N. I thinned corn on H ridge and finished it by 11 which is last of my corn all being thinned. I dressed a handle and put in my largest hoe in eve and packed up and cut some wood. Dan here all eve.
Sun. 6th. Clear and pleasant, wind cool and from N. We borrowed "Dan and Larry" from Mr. D and Nellie, Dixie, Dan, Dick, Clara and I rode to Methodist Church in Woodville and Dr West preached. Dan stopped for dinner and stayed till late in eve. I carried the 2 horses home at 3 and Cousin Dosia, Mr. D and children came back with me.
Mon. 7th. Bright and pleasant weather. I began early in morn and planted all of Dewberry cut in cotton and finished 3/4 of an hour by sun. I had my plow sharpened at 2 to 3. Mary Turner and Winnie hoed in morn and finished hoeing last of my corn by 11.
Tue. 8th. Bright and warm and S wind and some dark clouds late in eve and dropped rain then. I made a muzzle and sharpened my harrow's teeth and harrowed all of corn middles in patch by front gate and all of Gate cut and half of Persimmon cut and was very tired. Cousin Dosia went to town in eve for Nellie.
Wed. 9th. Dark, cloudy and rained a hard shower from S at 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 and began again at 2 and lasted all eve - a heavy rain. I began to harrow corn middles in Persimmon cut early and finished all of that but 7 rows when rained stopped me at 8 1/2. I hoed 5 rows of sugar cane (scraping it) from 10 to 12. I did nothing in eve.
Thu. 10th. Bright and warm till 3 in eve and then a heavy cloud came up from NW and rained till 5 1/2 with some wind and thunder (we had a hard wind from SE last night just after dark which blew down the corn very badly). I rode to Mr. Sims early in morn and got a few Ozier cotton seeds. I cleaned off part of E side of patch in morn, trimming peach trees and knocking up old stumps and some brush. I began again in eve but rain stopped me at 3.
Fri. 11th. Dark, cloudy and misted till 10 from N - bright and pleasant balance of day. Lewis and Jack came at 8 in morn and helped me to clean off new ground till 11 1/2. Nellie and Dixie cooked for picnic (tomorrow) in morn. I tried to burn some brush in back of patch in eve but it was too wet to do much. Nellie and Willie rode to Pa's in eve.
Sat. 12th. Bright and pleasant wind from N. All of us went to Sunday School picnic and there all day. I rode back home at 12 to see about the house.
Sun. 13th. Bright and pleasant weather, wind from S. Dixie, Rena and I went to Sunday School and came home to dinner. Nellie and Willie stayed home. Willie has a crick in his neck. All of us went to Mr. Batey Chambers in eve and I went up to Pa's awhile.
Mon. 14th. Bright and warm, wind from SW. I plowed up the E side of orchard by 11 1/2 in morn and was very much worried and began to take headache at 10. I harrowed all of corn mids on H ridge in eve. Nellie and Rena walked to Pa's in eve.
Tue. 15th. Bright and very warm, wind from NE. I suffered all last night and today with headache. I did nothing in morn. I laid down most of morn, I vomited a good deal early. I took 3 alt pills at 10 which acted well late in eve. Dan brought his horse over for me to plow early in morn. I rode to Jim Parkers at 1 1/2 to get hands to work but couldn't. He paid me $1 on sugar cane which leaves him still owing me $3. I planted the E side of orchard (which I plowed up yesterday) in cotton in eve. Nellie and Dixie scraped some of sugar cane in eve late.
Wed. 16th. Bright, cool in morn but warm in eve. I plowed out cut of corn by front gate next to fence by 10 in morn and barred off most of patch of cotton on L by front gate by 1 1/2 . An agent (Gore) came here at 12 1/4 with a fine stove. He dined here. I rode to Sims' place at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 to get hands to scrape cotton. I plowed Dan's horse all eve. I finished barring off patch of cotton by front gate and barred off on H ridge.
Thu. 17th. Bright but some dark clouds and damp S wind all day. I plowed corn in Gate cut till 11 3/4 in morn - began at road. I barred off cotton all eve. I finished that on H ridge and barred off about a 1/2 of cut below oats. Mary A and Anne scraped cotton all day for me. They scraped patch by front gate first. Aunt Margaret, Emma, Chloe and Cornelia scraped all eve and they finished all of H ridge and a little below oats.
Fri. 18th. Bright and pleasant S wind, some dark rainy clouds all day. I barred off cotton below oats and on in Cherry cut and finished all of oldest cotton by 3 1/2 in eve and plowed balance of eve in corn in Gate cut. Mary A., Anne, Cornelia and Emma scraped our sugar cane and potatoes by 9 in morn and balance of day in cotton. They finished cut below oats and nearly all of oldest cotton in Cherry cut.
Sat. 19th. Bright, but showers passed around from S at 8 and 9 in morn, but none here. I plowed corn in Gate cut till 4 in eve and then finished that cut. I washed all over and drank some coffee late in eve.
Sun. 20th. It began to rain from SW at 6 in morn and lasted till 9 - a very seasonal shower and was much needed. It cleared off cool from NW at 11. Dick D came for us to go to Pa's at 11. The creek was nearly swimming when he crossed but we had no trouble in crossing it. It had fallen some. They barbecued mutton at Pa's and had a good dinner.
Mon. 21st. Bright and quite cool wind from N. I cleaned out springs early and barred off sugar cane by 8 and trimmed peach trees in garden by 9. Dan came by then and Willie and I went to shop with him and had our plows sharpened (I talked with Dan at shop). I returned at 10 and replowed garden by 12 1/4. I planted it in cotton in eve and planted some on end of sugar cane rows by cowpen and by Lyn stump.
Tue. 22nd. Bright and very cool wind from N. I barred off our potatoe patch early in morn and began and plowed in Persimmon cut of corn all day - sowing peas and plowing it out with 4 furrows. Willie was sick all day and Rena was sick yeasterday and today with cold and hoarseness.
Wed. 23rd. Clear and quite cool wind from SE. I plowed in corn in Persimmon cut in morn and finished all of that cut but little. I walked to George A's house at 1 1/4 to get hands to scrape cotton. I barred off watermelon patch and most of old cotton on lower side of Cherry cut in eve.
Thu. 24th. Bright and pleasant, damp S wind. I finished barring off young cotton on lower side of Cherry cut in an hour and a half in morn and plowed in corn till 11 and finished Persimmon cut and plowed little of latest corn on H ridge. I burned brush in patch here till 4 in eve and then F. Coon and I rode to Surgett's. Mrs Johnson was hunting Emma's heifer yearling but did not find it. I had very sore throat in morn but it went away in eve.
Fri. 25th. Bright early in morn but clouded up at 9 from S and cloudy and sprinkled rain some in eve and very damp S wind. I plowed in corn on H ridge and finished it by 10 in morn which is last of my corn all being laid by with plow. I rode to Jim Parkers' at 10 to 11 1/2 to try to get some money but didn't. I burned brush in patch here all eve. Nellie, Dixie and I are nearly sick with colds.
Sat. 26th. We had a good hard rain from NW at 6 in morn and rained slowly till 10 and another shower at 12 and quit at 1. I did nothing in morn but patch Julia's collar. I went to town on cart in eve. I started at 2 and returned at dusk. The road was very wet and heavy. I paid Kaiser the $3.60 which I have owed him for a month and got some other things from him which I paid for and got a bbl of flour on short time $8. I was feverish all eve and had fever and sweated all night with my cold which I have had since last Wednesday.
Sun. 27th. Bright and pleasant wind from N. All of us went to Sunday School and Mr. Brown preached. Dixie has sore throat and hoarseness. All of us dined at Mr. D's. Bud there too. I was feverish with my cold at night but didn't sweat.
Mon. 28th. Bright and pleasant, S wind all day. I hoed up grass after sowing cotton seed on the ground from corner by Lyn stump up to NE corner of sugar cane (all along N end of sugar cane) and quit at 5 in eve. I am very unwell with cold. Mary A. and Anne scraped cotton in Cherry cut in eve - began after dinner. They finished old cotton and scraped some of young one. I took 3 alt pills at night. I had some fever and sweated great deal.
Tue. 29th. Bright and warm but pleasant S breeze. Several showers passed around in eve but only dropped here. I had some fever and sweated profusely last night and arose with a dull headache which lasted all day and all night. I took 3 alt pills last night and 2 doses cin today. I barred off Dewberry cut of cotton and finished it in 1 hr. after dinner (by 3) and suffered all balance of eve and night with headache and vomiting. Mary A and Anne scraped yesterday eve and till dinner today and finished all of Cherry cut. Dixie and Willie hoed watermelon patch in eve.
Wed. 30th. Cloudy all morn from SW. We had a heavy rain from SW with winds from N. and some thunder from 12 to 2 . I harrowed cotton middles here by front gate and on H ridge running twice on a row till 10 1/2 and shower stopped me. I did nothing in eve. Cass Smith and family came at 3. I went to Creek with him late in eve and he crossed but rest of them stayed all night here.
Thu. 31st. Bright but warm and dark rainy clouds from 11 to 6 in eve but no rain. Cass Smith (J. Chambers with him ) came for his family at 7 1/2 in morn. I had my plow sharpened at 8 to 9 and planted some cotton in NE corner of patch till 12. I went over patch of corn by front gate and all of Gate cut with hoe in eve. I was feverish late in eve and at night.