NOVEMBER 1899
Wed. Nov. 1st. Bright, nearly clear, and nearly cold enough for frost in morn but sun shined warm most of day and some little clouds late in eve and a little warmer. Pa and Lucy picked cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow most of day. Pa and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn. Fayette Linton came with his wagon early in morn and carried 6 young hogs to town for Willie. We got one of them at Wiley's and Willie rode Joe to town and sold the hogs to John F at 3/c gross. The 6 weighed 640 here and 630 in town. Willie returned at 2 in eve and lay down most of eve with headache. I gathered some dry beans and some dry butter beans for seed in garden by 12 in morn and I shelled and put away the beans by 2 and grabbled some yams by roadside and put Willie's Joe Miller sow with her 4 young pigs into hog pen with the young bobtail one which we put in there on last Sat. with her 5 pigs (in eve).
Thu. 2nd. It sprinkled rain a little last night and blew up cold from N at daylight and a cold N wind all day and no sun and very chilly all day and cleared off at sunset. Pa and Lucy tried in morn and again in eve to pick cotton in new 2nd Cane hollow but it was too cold to pick and they got only about 50 in all. Willie pulled down corn all day in Luckett field and I hauled in 5 cartloads with Joe in morn and 4 in eve (about 45 bbls). I was cold all day.
Fri. 3rd. Bright, nearly clear, and a white frost and a killing freeze in morn and a cold breeze from N all day but sun shined warm after 10 in morn. Pa and Lucy picked cotton part of day in new 2nd Cane hollow. Wiley and Willie cut down our sugar cane (in orchard) and Doug and I packed it out and ricked it in cotton ground most of morn and they finished it by 2 1/2 in eve and I dug a row of yams by roadside at 1 to 2 1/4 and we killed and dressed and salted down a sow shoat at 2 3/4 to 4 in eve.
Sat. 4th. Bright (some hazy clouds) but sun shined all day and a white frost and a killing freeze in morn. The freeze on yesterday morn killed all vegetation. It was pleasant in sunshine after 9 1/2 in morn but getting very dry. Pa picked cotton most of day in new 2nd Cane hollow and Willie and I gathered corn all day in Luckett field. Willie pulled and I hauled with Joe and cart. We got in 8 cartloads all day - 4 in the morn and 4 in eve -about 40 bbls. Lucy helped Nellie to scour amd clean up about house all day. Wiley rode Goulden to town in morn and returned at 2 in eve. Mrs. Henderson and 2 of her girls were here late in eve.
Sun. 5th. Bright, nearly clear, and a slight freeze and some frost in morn but sun shined warm after 10 in morn and very dry from N. Wiley rode Goulden to his Pa's in morn and returned in eve. I walked to Wiley's at 9 to 10 in morn (after we packed and cut up some wood) and Rena and baby came back with me and here till late in eve and Buddy and Joe Miller dined here too and Joe left at 2 in eve.
Mon. 6th. Bright, but some hazy clouds all day, and a frost in morn, but seemed warmer in eve. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day in new 2nd Cane hollow and Willie, Gordon and I dug our slip potatoes on NE corner of Persimmon cut by 11 1/2 in morn. I plowed them up with Joe and Willie and Gordon picked them up and we hauled all of them in 2 piling cartloads, one of eating and one of seed, with Joe in eve and put them in our potatoe house and I put a partition in potatoe house late in eve to separate seed from eating potatoes. Willie and Gordon cut some vines off patch of planted potatoes on roadside. B C came for Nellie late in eve and she walked there. Dixie is sick (in labor) and B C came again at midnight and Willie rode Joe to town then for Dr. Magruder.
Tue. 7th. Bright, nearly clear, and frost in morn but calm and very dry and sunshined warm most of day. Pa picked cotton most of day and Willie and Gordon and I dug potatoes (planted ones) on roadside by H ridge all morn and we hauled all in 2 1/2 loads in eve and put in potatoe house and Willie and I packed and cut up some wood in eve. Rena and baby staid here last night and all today and at night again.
Wed. 8th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and dry and calm but sun shined warm after 10 in morn. Willie and Gordon and I and Wiley and Doug dug potatoes nearly all day on roadside. Willie dragged off vines and plowed them up with Joe and Wiley and Gordon and Doug picked up and I hauled with Fanny mule to cart after 9 1/2 in morn and I hauled 2 cart loads of eating ones by 12 and 4 loads in eve -2 of eating and 2 of seed and hog potatoes - and we finished all by sunset (or a little after). We hauled in 10 piling cartloads in all - about 140 bu. Willie paid Gordon $1 for helping us 3 days. Nellie came home in eve and Rena and baby went home at night. Pa picked cotton most of day by front gate in morn and in orchard in eve.
Thu. 9th. Clear and cool and very dry and calm. Pa picked cotton most of day and Lucy picked in morn and staid at house with Rena and baby in eve. Nellie walked to B C's in eve and staid there at night and Rena and baby here at night. Willie and I pulled and hauled corn from Luckett field all day (on lower side). Willie pulled and I hauled 4 cartloads in morn and 3 in eve (7 in all). I had a dull headache all day and night too.
Fri. 10th. Clear and dry and pleasant from SW. Pa picked cotton all day and Lucy and Rena washed in morn. Willie pulled corn all day and I hauled in with Joe and cart. I hauled 4 loads from Luckett field in morn and 2 in eve and finished that field and we hauled a load from hilltop of Persimmon cut late in eve. We hauled in 30 cart loads in all from Luckett field (about 150 or 160 bbls). My headache left me at noon. Nellie stayed at B C's last night and tonight too and Rena and baby staid here.
Sat. 11th. Bright but some dark clouds from SW and dry and pleasant from SW. Pa picked cotton most of day and Willie and I hauled in 4 cart loads of corn from Persimmon cut and Pine corner by 11 3/4 in morn and Willie rode Dan to Cohen's and on to town in eve and Wiley rode Goulden to town in eve too and back before sunset. I hauled a big load of pine straw from toward Luckett field and put on our potatoes in house in eve by 4 and I packed and cut up some wood and drew water and fed everything.
Sun. 12th. Cloudy and foggy most of morn and clear and pleasant from N in eve. Wiley and Rena and baby came early in morn and Nellie and Rena cooked some birthday cake for baby in morn and we had them for dinner. Wiley rode to see Dixie and baby in eve. Miss Minnie Comfort and Bob F and Lewis and family here awhile in eve. Pa walked to Clara's and back in eve.
Mon. 13th. Clear and pleasant from S of E but very dry. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day and Willie and I hauled in 4 cartloads of corn from Pine corner and new SW corner in morn and finished last of our corn. We hauled in 30 loads from Luckett field in all and 25 loads from field here in all making 55 cart loads altogether - about 275 or 300 bbls. in all. Willie and I packed some new rails out of 3rd new Cane hollow (about 150) and Willie fired and burned out the hollow in eve and I hauled 2 cartloads of rails (38) with Joe to orchard to make a pen around our sugar cane. Nellie walked to Dixie's in eve and Rena and baby stayed here at night.
Tue. 14th. Foggy till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and pleasant from SW balance of day. I hauled 2 cart loads of rails from by 3rd Cane hollow to orchard to pen cane early in morn and I hauled 2 loads of wood from there by 11 in morn. Willie cut some of the wood and he stripped cane most of day to grind. Our cane had all of eyes killed by the freeze while standing but the juice is not hurt. I stripped cane too after 11 in morn and Wiley and Doug helped us all eve and we got all of it stripped and penned (ready to grind) by sunset. Pa and Lucy picked cotton most of day. Rena and baby here all day and at night too. Nellie at Dixie's.
Wed. 15th. Bright and pleasant but very dry from NW. Willie and Wiley and Doug and I marked all of our little pigs (22) and left 2 little sow pigs unmarked which I couldn't get into pen and I castrated 2 boars too, nearly 1 year old, (early in morn) and Pa and Willie and Lucy picked some cotton today. I drove Joe to cart to Cohen's at 9 to 12 1/2 in morn and got 1 bbl of flour for us and 1/2 bbl. for Wiley and 1/2 sk of salt and 1 gal of coal oil and 1/2 bu of meal all on credit - $7.75 in all. I picked some cotton in orchard in eve. Rena and baby here all day and at night too. Nellie still at Dixie's.
Thu. 16th. Bright and quite cool early in morn but a pleasant day after 9 in morn and very dry. Willie rode Joe to the Fair in morn and returned at dusk. I put all of our hogs in field early in morn and Pa and I scraped cotton most of day in new 2nd Cane hollow and got about 45 lbs. in all and finished there. Nellie came home from Dixie's in morn and Rena walked there in eve and stayed all night and we kept the baby here.
Fri. 17th. Bright but cloudy some all day and a damp S breeze and dropped rain at 9 1/2 in morn. Willie rode Joe to the Fair in morn and returned at dark. Pa scraped cotton in old Cane hollow most of morn and I helped him some and we finished it, and last of our cotton by 11 1/2 in morn. Willie and I shelled some breadcorn early in morn and Nellie and Lucy washed. Rena came home from Dixie's in eve and Nellie went back to stay till Sun. Pa and I packed some sassafrass poles (4) and put on orchard bars and stopped pig cracks in orchard fence on yard side in eve and Wiley and I put all of our dry cattle into field (through calf pasture) late in eve. Gussie D came at dark and here all night.
Sat. 18th. Cloudy some all day and a damp S breeze, but dry and pleasant. Gussie left in morn and Wiley rode Joe to Cohen's and back in morn and I drove Fanny mule to cart to Primm's place early in morn to mill but Wade was not grinding and I went to Nolan Veal's and he was not grinding and I drove on to Cohen's and got 2 3/4 bu. meal for our corn, and 1 for Wiley's, at the mill and I got home at 1 3/4 and I hauled a cart load of red oak wood from NW of Wiley's in eve with Joe. Wiley killed 3 squirrels late in eve and Willie drove up our milk cows (5) from field late in eve and Rena milked them by dusk.
Sun. 19th. Cloudy, and a damp E of S wind all day and night too. It dropped rain early in morn at daylight and again at 2 1/2 in eve. Lewis and West and Chunk here awhile in morn. Nellie came home from Dixie's in morn. Wiley and Rena and baby here all day and the baby was sick after 11 1/2 in morn - Nellie said she had a little fever but she was better late in eve. Rena and baby went home late in eve - Buddy here most of day. Lucy left here at dusk to live with Ben Stewart.
Mon. 20th. It began to rain at 5 in morn and lasted till 7 1/2 from S and we had a good hard rain and much needed too and bright and warm from S after 8 in morn. Willie got up Dan from field and rode him to Clara's in morn and there till dusk helping Buddy to put some new logs in his kitchen. I cut and hauled 2 cart loads of red oak wood from NW of Wiley's at 8 to 11 1/4 in morn and cut up some wood by 12 and Pa and I walked to Coon field and helped Wiley and Doug to pick cotton most of eve.
Tue. 21st. Cloudy some all day but bright and warm from S and thundered in S and SE late in eve and the cloud was in sight. It passed around SE from SW and it rained a hard shower here late in night. Pa, Willie and I walked to Coon field early in morn and helped Wiley and Doug to pick cotton till 11 1/4. Wiley and Willie and Doug went to Seymour's and sawed down 2 dead beeches and cut up the wood and I hauled 6 cart loads of it to where they are to cook our molasses and Seymour and Bob F were setting up pans and mill there. I washed out a molasses barrel just after dinner. Wiley and Doug brought Lewis' wagon here late in eve with Fanny and Lewis' mare mule and we kept the mule here at night.
Wed. 22nd. Bright in morn and nearly clear in eve from NW and pleasant. Wiley and I hauled all of our sugar cane in 4 big wagon loads in morn with Fanny and Lewis' mare mule to Lewis' wagon and Willie and Doug at Seymour's all day grinding cane with Joe and Dan and they ground and cooked more than 1/2 of cane and I was at mill most of eve and brought home 1 gal new syrup late in eve and helped with cows. Pa picked cotton in Coon field most of day and dined at Wiley's.
Thu. 23rd. Bright, nearly clear, and cool early in morn but a beautiful and pleasant day and warmer in eve. Wiley and Willie went to Seymour's early in morn and ground cane with Joe and Dan till 11 1/2 and finished last of our cane and Doug and I waited here till nearly 9 in morn, waiting for Cohen to send for the last bale of our cotton but he didn't send and we drove Fanny mule to Seymour's at 9 1/2 and helped there. Bob F cooked our molasses most of day and finished late in eve and we made 55 1/2 gal in all and we got 45 and brought it home with Fanny mule late in eve. Pa picked cotton in Coon field most of day and dined at Wiley's.
Fri. 24th. It began to rain slowly at 7 in morn and lasted most of morn and a chilly breeze from NE all day and it dropped and misted some in eve and began to rain slowly at dusk and lasted nearly all night. I walked to Wiley's at 8 1/2 to 9 3/4. Wiley and Doug brought their keg here on slide at 10 1/2 in morn and got it nearly full of the new syrup. Willie rode Dan and Bob F rode Willie's young black mare in eve to break her. I cut and hauled 3 cartloads of wood from near Wiley's with Joe in eve and Pa cut one load of it.
Sat. 25th. It rained most of last night - a big fall of water in all - and wet ground thoroughly and cold and cloudy all day from W of N and no sun and misted rain some early in morn and again late in eve and at night. Pa walked to Clara's in morn and returned in eve. I rode Joe to Cohen's in morn at 8 to 11 1/4 and got 2 woolen undershirts and 3 yds. of jeans on credit (for myself) - $2.70 in all and some other things which I paid for. Wiley came for Nellie at 12 1/2 to go see the baby and Nellie and I went but she seemed to be a good deal better when we got there and we came back and I fed and salted all of our hogs by roadside (in potatoe patch) and salted all of our dry cattle by front gate late in eve and I gathered a sk of pine straw in Sims' field for hens' nests at 3 1/2 to 4 1/4.
Sun. 26th. Dark, cloudy all day and no sun and a little chilly from NW and misted rain most of day and at night some but not enough to wet any. I walked to Wiley's at 8 1/2 to 9 3/4 in morn and Willie rode Joe to Clara's and back in morn and Buddy came back with him and here till late in eve. Nellie and I walked to Wiley's at 2 and Wiley and Rena and baby came back with us and here till late in eve. Wiley and I milked in eve (late) and on yesterday eve too. Lewis here awhile in morn and Lila and Edna and Earl here awhile in eve.
Mon. 27th. Dark, cloudy and a little chilly from NW and no sunshine all day. Willie walked to Clara's early in morn and he and Buddy tried to saw and split some dry beech wood for Cohen but the logs were not sound enough. Pa helped Wiley and Doug to pick cotton in Coon field most of day and dined at Wiley's. I made some hens' nests early in morn and hauled 2 cart loads of oak wood from NW of Wiley's and cut up some by 12 and I helped Wiley to pick cotton in eve. The baby had a hot fever late in eve and at night and Nellie staid at Wiley's at night and Willie and I walked there and back at 6 1/2 to 8 at night.
Tue. 28th. Cloudy and a little chilly from NW all morn and bright and warmer in eve and sun shined most of eve. Willie rode Joe fox hunting with Buddy and Bob Ferguson early in morn and returned late in eve. Wiley rode Fanny mule to town and got some medicine for baby from Dr. Murdock early in morn and returned just before 9 in morn. I paid Lewis $5 early in morn and Willie paid him $3 and Wiley paid him $2 last night for Bro. Crisler (our church dues). Cohen sent 2 wagons at 9 in morn and 1 of them brought our seed out of the first 2 bales of cotton that we ginned (planting seed) and that wagon went on to Wigner's for a load of cotton and the other wagon brought seed to exchange and got the last bale of our cotton and left at 11. Pa helped Doug to pick cotton in Coon field in morn and dined at Wiley's and I helped Wiley and Doug to pick in eve and we finished last of Wiley's cotton late in eve. I put away some cotton seed under shed on W side of cotton house and some peas too and took down the pen on Pa's gallery (where we had the bale of cotton) at 11 to 1. Nellie came home from Wiley's at 10 in morn and the baby didn't have any fever today and seemed better in eve.
Wed. 29th. A little frost in morn and foggy and wet and chilly till 9 1/2 in morn and nearly clear and pleasant balance of day from W. Wiley went to Cohen's in morn to see about ginning his last 2 bales of cotton. I hauled 3 cart loads of rails from by 3rd Cane hollow and hauled out all of those where we penned sugar cane in orchard in 4 cart loads and put them in yard to repair back yard fence by 11 1/2 in morn and cut up wood till 12 and some just after dinner. I walked to Wiley's early in morn and again at 1 in eve to see about baby and she seems getting all right again. I arose with a dull headache and had it all day and it went off in night. I hauled a full cart load of pine straw from toward Luckett field at 2 to 4 1/4 in eve and put over our potatoes in potatoe house and Wiley and I milked late in eve.
Thu. 30th. Bright and pleasant with a steady wind from SW and high part of day and rained some in night. Willie cleared some in 3rd Cane hollow in morn (in far corner of it) and Pa repaired some of fence between yard and orchard today and I rode Joe to Cohen's in morn at 9 to 11 3/4 and I carried the baby some crackers and candy at 12 1/2 to 1 1/2 and I winnowed some peas most of eve. Buddy came in morn and he and Willie rode around in Sims' field in eve to look at the oak timber - they are going to cut some cord wood for Sims.