NOVEMBER 1900
Thu. Nov. 1st. Cloudy all day and no sunshine and cool from E of N and misted rain a little in morn. Pa picked a little cotton in his by front gate today and Willie and I picked peas most of day in water hole cut (for hogs) and got about 270 lbs in all. We hauled them with Joe and cart at 11 in morn and again late in eve. Willie dug some potatoes late in eve and I cut up good deal of wood. I picked up more than 1/2 pk of pecans in orchard at 11 1/2 to 12.
Fri. 2nd. Cloudy and no sunshine and cool from E all day. Pa picked cotton for us in Gate cut most of day and Willie and I picked cotton in SW corner of Luckett field most of day and hauled it as on yesterday. Nellie and Minnie washed and cleaned up today. Willie caught an opossum toward Luckett field in morn and skinned it to bring home, but it got full of flyblows and he threw it away. I had a dull headache all day and night too.
Sat. 3rd. Bright, nearly clear, and a very cool wind E of N all day, but pleasant in sun shine. Nellie and Rena and Bernice drove Bonny to Jack Deloach's in morn and Wiley drove Joe to cart to Cohen's in morn and returned at 12 1/2. Willie and I picked cotton in SW corner of Luckett field in morn and finished that corner and I hauled out cotton in eve with Joe and cart and hauled a load of wood from near Wiley's. Pa picked cotton (for us) in Gate cut in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve. Mrs Hughes and Loella here most of day. My headache lasted till in eve and left me. Willie rode Dan fox hunting at night.
Sun. 4th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool from E of N but pleasant in sun shine all day. Wiley ate breakfast here and rode to his Pa's and Nellie and Rena and baby came back with him late in eve. I picked up pecans (nearly a pk) early in morn. Mr. Kendrick and wife and Clara and her 3 children here most of day and Buddy and old Uncle Tom Floyd here in eve.
Mon. 5th. Bright and quite cool early in morn and cloudy all eve and warmer in eve. Pa picked cotton (for us) in Gate cut most of day and finished that cut and Willie and I picked all day in SE corner of Luckett field and hauled our cotton at 12 and again late in eve with Joe and cart. Miss Mollie Tucker came to Lewis' in morn (from Woodville) and taught school there today.
Tue. 6th. Cloudy some all morn but bright and calm and cool and nearly clear in eve. Pa picked cotton in his in orchard today and Willie and I picked in SE corner of Luckett field. We hauled our cotton at 12 1/4 and Wiley got Joe and cart at 1 and hauled in some of his potatoes all eve. He began to dig in morn and had 2 hands helping him. We left our cotton that we picked in eve in Luckett field in sacks. I had sore throat and was feverish late in eve and at night but rested well at night.
Wed. 7th. Bright, nearly clear, and calm and cool. Nellie and Minnie drove Daisy (Seymour's mare) to Kendrick's early in morn and returned at dusk and Rena and Bernice here all day and Wiley dined here. Pa picked cotton in his most of day. Willie and I picked all day in SE corner of Luckett field and hauled our cotton at 12 1/4 and again late in eve with Joe and cart. Cousin Gus brought his mill to Lewis' in eve to grind cane and he and Lewis and West here at 7 to 8 1/2 at night.
Thu. 8th. Bright, nearly clear, and a cool and dry wind from N all day and night too. Pa picked cotton (for us) most of day in Pine corner and Willie and I picked all day in Luckett field on SE part and left all of our cotton there. Wiley had Joe and cart in eve hauling his potatoes.
Fri. 9th. Bright, but some clouds, and quite chilly early in morn but not quite cold enough to freeze and a chilly NE or N of E breeze all day, but sun shined brightly most of day, and pleasant in sun shine after 10 in morn. Willie rode Wiley's new horse to Surgett's early in morn and got Ed Ward Sr. to come and haul Pa's cotton out of potatoe house to Cohen's and bale weighed 505 and we left it there unsold. Willie rode Wiley's new horse to Cohen's at 11 3/4 in morn and returned before sunset and Ed Ward brought the seed home late in eve and I put them in bbls under buggy shed at barn to feed to cows. I hauled our cotton, picked on yesterday, from Luckett field with Joe and cart early in morn and hauled a load of oak wood from toward Luckett field at 10 to 11 1/4 in morn and another load at 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 and grabbled some yams and cut up some wood in eve. I had a dull headache all day and part of night.
Sat. 10th. Bright, and nearly clear, in morn and a slight freeze and frost, which scorched vegetation good deal and cloudy late in eve and at night. Pa picked cotton in new 3rd Cane hollow in morn and Willie and I picked on hilltop of Luckett field in morn and Willie drove some horse from there to Elmwood and told negroes to keep them out of our cotton. Willie and Minnie rode Joe to Jack Deloach's in eve. I got burrs out of Joe's mane and tail at 1 1/2 to 2 and Bernice and I gathered about 2/3 pk of pecans toward big road and I cut up wood and milked in eve.
Sun. 11th. Bright and cold with a dry N wind all day, and some dark clouds - but not cold enough to freeze. Lewis here awhile in morn and Wiley and Rena and baby here most of day and Nellie and Rena baked a birthday cake for Bernice - her birthday came on last Thu. I gathered some pecans in morn outside of front gate and some in orchard too and Pa helped me and I picked up some in orchard in eve - about a pk in morn and in eve too. Willie and Minnie returned from Jack D's at sunset.
Mon. 12th. Bright, nearly clear, and a white frost and slight freeze in morn and killed vegetation and a cold breeze from N or W of N all day and dry. Pa packed up some wood early in morn and picked a little cotton in orchard and a little in field today. Willie and I put our 6 calves into orchard early in morn and drove them out at 1 in eve. Willie and I began at 7 3/4 in morn and dug yams on hilltop of H ridge till 12 and till 2 in eve and hauled in all in 2 cart loads of eating ones and one load of seed ones (about 30 bus in all) by late in eve.
Tue. 13th. Clear, and a white frost and slight freeze in morn, but wind from S of W and warmer in eve. Pa picked cotton (for us) in 3rd new Cane hollow most of day and Willie and I dug yams on hilltop of H ridge all morn and hauled them in eve in 3 cart loads (with Joe) - about 1 3/4 loads of eating ones and 1 1/4 of seed ones and we put them in potatoe house and we finished nearly 1 hour before sunset and we cut up wood and drew water and milked.
Wed. 14th. Clear and a little frost in morn but calm and pleasant in sunshine after 9 in morn. Pa picked cotton (for us) in 3rd new Cane hollow most of day and Willie and I dug potatoes on hilltop of H ridge all morn. Willie plowed them up with Joe and I picked up and we hauled all in eve, with Joe, in 2 piling cartloads of eating and 1 piling load of seed, at least 35 bushels, and put them in potatoe house. Nellie and Rena and baby walked to Seymour's in eve, they are cooking molasses there. Willie and Minnie walked there after supper.
Thu. 15th. Bright, but cloudy some all day, and warmer. Pa picked cotton for us in new 3rd Cane hollow most of day. Willie and I dug yams on hilltop of H ridge till 9 3/4 in morn and finished all and we hauled in a piling cart load of eating ones by 11 1/4 and we hauled a cart load of seed just after dinner - making 11 cart loads in all, about 130 bu. in all and we hauled a cart load of pine straw from toward Luckett field and Nellie and Bernice rode in cart and Minnie walked and went with us. I ditched around potatoe house late in eve and Willie and Minnie walked to Seymour's and borrowed a spade to cover our sugar cane on tomorrow.
Fri. 16th. Clear, and cool and dry, and wind from E. Rena and Minnie drove Bonnie to Woodville and on to Mr. Kendrick's in morn and returned at dusk. Nellie kept Bernice here all day. Willie drove up young Rose with a red heifer calf (1/4 Jersey) from cow pasture early in morn and he covered our 2 ricks of seed cane, in orchard, with dirt today. Pa and I picked cotton in 3rd new Cane hollow most of day and I hauled it (about 100) with Joe and cart late in eve. Wiley had some hands on yesterday and today picking cotton for him and Fayette hauled his cotton home for him.
Sat. 17th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and dry, and beautiful and pleasant weather. Pa and Willie and I picked cotton in 3rd new Cane hollow in morn and Pa walked to Clara's and back in eve. Lila here most of day and she and Minnie and Willie walked to Wiley's in eve and got some huckleberries. Gussie dined here too. I hauled a cart load of wood from N of Wiley's in eve. I put our hogs (6) in field early in morn. Robert and Mary James came at dusk and stayed here all night and Willie and Robert and West and Tigner D went coon hunting at night.
Sun. 18th. Bright, but some clouds, and warm with a pleasant S breeze. Robert and Mary rode to Seymour's in morn and home late in eve. I walked to Wiley's in morn and he and Rena and baby here most of day. I gathered some pecans in morn and some in orchard in eve, more than a peck in all, and I gave Wiley 1/2 bu late in eve. I sent 1 peck to Sims' by Pa early in morn.
Mon. 19th. Dark cloudy and rained in thunder showers in SW before daylight and blew up from N of W a dark cloud at sunrise and we had a hard little shower then and quit at 7 1/2 and cloudy all day and warm and thundered in W most of day and began to rain in little thundershowers from SW at 3 in eve and lasted till after dark - a good rain in all and needed. Pa picked over all of his cotton in orchard today and Willie cleared land in morn and cut up some wood in eve. I rode Joe and went with Sims to town in morn and we qualified as commissioners to divide some land on old Stewart place between Cohen and the Bethleys on next Thu. We got home at 2 1/4 in eve.
Tue. 20th. Warm and cloudy some all day, but bright, and sun shined some and a pleasant wind from W of S all day and thundered and lightened in NW at dark but didn't rain here at night. Willie and I picked cotton all day in new 3rd Cane hollow and hauled our cotton at 11 1/4 and again late in eve, with Joe. Pa finished his cotton by front gate by 9 in morn and he picked with us at 9 to 11 3/4 and he picked in eve in Persimmon cut.
Wed. 21st. It rained a heavy rain from W at daylight and slowly till 7 1/2 in morn and quit and bright and warm, but some clouds, from SW all morn and sun shined all eve and quite warm too. Willie rode Dan to Clara's early in morn and returned at 11 3/4 and he and I picked cotton in Luckett field all eve and Pa picked in Persimmon cut all eve. I threshed 4 pecan trees toward road and the one back of Pa's room in morn and Pa and I got nearly 5 pks of pecans in all. Pa and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn. I had a dull headache all morn but it went off in eve.
Thu. 22nd. Warm, and cloudy, and a damp breeze from SW all morn and bright and sun shined most of eve. Pa scraped cotton in Persimmon cut and in Pine corner most of day and Willie picked in Luckett field and left his cotton there in sacks. I rode Joe by Sims' early in morn and he and I rode over to old James A. Stewart place and met August Metzger and Henry Johnson and Lawrence Ventress there and we rode over Bethley land, and divided it, giving 60 acres to Cohen on W side of Donegal road. I got home at 3 3/4 in eve.
Fri. 23rd. Warm and cloudy from W of S all day, but bright from 10 in morn to 3 in eve and rained around some in little showers at 3 to 7 at night - but only sprinkled here. Pa scraped cotton in Pine corner in morn and in Gate cut in eve and Willie and I picked cotton in Luckett field all morn and till 4 1/4 in eve and cloud ran us home then. We hauled our cotton at 12 and again in eve with Joe and cart.
Sat. 24th. Warm and cloudy some, but bright early in morn and rained in little showers at 9 to 12 SW and W of here and we had a little one at 9 1/4 and it began to rain slowly from NW at 1 1/2 with distant thunder and got hard at 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 in eve and in night too - a big rain in all. Nellie washed in morn. Pa scraped cotton in Gate cut part of morn and Willie and I picked in Luckett field all morn. We got under cart (out of showers) at 9 1/4 and picked on till 12. Pa walked to Clara's in eve and returned in rain late in eve. I cut up some wood and gathered a few pecans in a slow rain and milked and fed in a pretty hard one and got wet some late in eve. Willie walked to Wiley's late in eve and returned after I had milked the cows.
Sun. 25th. Cloudy, and no sun, and a cold wind from W of N all day, but cleared off just after dark and calm and clear all night. Willie and Pa and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and I picked up some pecans in morn and some in eve (which the high W wind blew down last night at 10) - about a pk in all. Nellie walked to Wiley's in morn and there all day. Lewis here most of morn and Buddy here most of day. I walked to Sims' at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 in eve and to Wiley's at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 in eve.
Mon. 26th. Clear and cold early in morn - a slight freeze and frost - and a breeze from N all day, but pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Pa and Willie and I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and Pa and I picked cotton in 3rd new Cane hollow part of morn and part of eve and finished there. Willie took Joe and Dan to Seymour's in eve and ground cane for Buddy most of eve. I found a yellow hen hatching E of here and drove her and 7 chicks to house and put them in a coop late in eve.
Tue. 27th. Clear, a slight freeze in morn and a white frost, but a breeze from SE and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn and warmer in eve. Pa packed some wood in morn and he picked cotton in Luckett field in eve. Willie took Joe and Dan to Seymour's early in morn and ground Buddy's cane all morn and they finished grinding it by 12 1/2 and Dan came back to dinner with him and they finished cooking the molasses by late in eve. Nellie and I drove Wiley's "Leggett" horse to town and on to Kendrick's by 12 and I left Nellie there to stay till next Fri. (Berta is to be married on Thu. next). I had a headache all last night and today and my stomach was sick some too and the headache left me late in eve. I got home at 2 1/4 in eve.
Wed. 28th. Bright, but some clouds, and wind from S and cool in morn early, but sun shined most of day and pleasant after 10 in morn. Pa stayed about house most of day with Minnie and Willie and I picked cotton all day in Luckett field and Dan and Gordon helped us all eve. Wiley had some hands picking cotton for him today. We hauled our cotton at 12 and again late in eve with Joe and cart.
Thu. 29th. Cloudy, and a cool breeze from NE, and no sunshine all day and began to rain slowly at 11 1/2 and lasted most of eve and part of night. Wiley had some hands today and on yesterday too and they finished all of his cotton but a little scrapping by 2 1/2 in eve. Pa , Willie and I and Dan and Gordon picked cotton in Luckett field all morn and Dan and Gordon came home to dinner with us and they went home at 1 1/2 on account of rain. Rena and baby here most of day and Rena and Minnie had a nice Thanksgiving dinner today and Wiley here to dinner too. I cut up some wood and picked up some pecans in orchard, in eve, in a slow rain.
Fri. 30th. Cloudy and cool from NE all day and sun shined a little in morn and began to rain slowly at 3 in eve and lasted till in night. Pa, Willie and I picked cotton in Luckett field all morn and till 3 1/2 in eve and rain stopped us then. We looked for Dan and Gordon to come to help us, but they didn't. Wiley drove his Leggett horse to Kendrick's in morn and brought Nellie home in eve.