SEPTEMBER 1884
Mon. Sept. 1st. Bright and pleasant - wind cool and from NE. I covered other half of cotton house left from last Sat by 10 1/2
and cleaned it out by 11. Willie and Rena picked about 25 pds cotton in cut by front gate in morn. Willie, Rena and I picked about 50 in eve and finished that cut. I picked 12 in Gate cut late in eve. Lewis rode Nell to chapel at night.
Tue. 2nd. Bright till 10 in morn and clouded up from S and rained a heavy shower from SW at 11 to 11 1/2 with some little wind and thunder. Cloudy some and thundered and showered far off all eve. Nellie, Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 10 1/2 in morn. I cleaned out spring at 2 - got some wood and corn at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. Nellie, Dixie , Rena and I rode to chapel at night and Dr West preached. I rode Rosa, Lewis rode Nell and Seymour and Gussie stayed here all night.
Wed. 3rd. Bright and warm till 12 1/2 - showered from S from 1 to 2 and again at 5 and again at dusk (7 to 8). Nellie, Dixie, Rena, Willie and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 10 1/2 and got about 150 pds. It was too wet to pick in eve. I gave Harrison some potatoe vines at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 and Willie, Rena and I walked hunting but only killed 1 squirrel and rain ran us home at 4 1/2.
Thu. 4th. Bright and warm till 2 and a cloud came up from SE at 2 and it rained a heavy rain from 2 1/2 to 4 and a slow one till night. Nellie, Dixie, Rena, Willie and I picked about 150 pds cotton in Gate cut (which was wet some) by 10 in morn. Dick D came at 10 1/2 to 11. I did nothing in eve but get some corn and wood. We intended to go to chapel to preaching at night but rain prevented it. There was no preaching there last night on account of rain.
Fri. 5th. Bright and warm. It thundered far off in eve but no rain here. I cleaned out spring and fixed inside cowpen gate and fence between it and cotton house by 12. I didn't work in eve except to get wood and corn. Nellie, Dixie, Willie and I rode to chapel late in eve but there was no preaching. I rode Nell. Rena went to Mr. D's with Ada Wigner and stayed all night.
Sat. 6th. Bright and warm till 4 in eve and showered at 4 1/2 to 5 from SE. Willie and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 10 in morn. Dixie and I rode to preaching (I rode Nell). Brother Cecil preached at 4 to 5. I suffered all day with a dull headache and suffered all night with a very severe headache and slept but little.
Sun. 7th. Bright and warm till 1, showered 2 or 3 times in eve from SE. Dixie rode Julia and Willie walked to Sunday School in morn and Beau Chambers and Miss Lucy and Dickie came home with them and here all day. Ada W here all day. Bud and Scott N here all eve. I suffered till 10 in morn with headache and then it began to go off.
Mon. 8th. Bright and pleasant, SE breeze all day (no rain). I went early in morn to Pa's on cart and he and I hauled 10 loads of manure in garden and finished by 11 1/2. I came home by 2 1/2 and Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in new ground in eve and got 40 pds. Ada W stayed here last night and went to Mr. D's in morn and came again late in eve and stayed all night. Mr. D's folks went to chapel to preaching at night.
Tue. 9th. Bright and warm but pleasant SE breeze. No rain. I rode early in morn to Cohen's and got 1 bu meal, 1 pd soda, 4 pds coffee and paid for all. I returned at 9 1/2 and picked 1 sack of cotton in new ground and Dixie and Willie picked all morn there untill 10 3/4. Nellie washed in morn. I rode Nell and Nellie and Willie rode Julia and Dixie rode Rosa to chapel at night. Dr West preached.
Wed. 10th. Bright and warm - no rain. Willie and I picked cotton in Gate cut in morn. Rena picked a little. She stayed at Mr. D's last night. I got some grapes in a bush in far side of pasture at 11. Dixie, Willie and I picked 25 pds of cotton in new ground in eve. Rena went to chapel with Mr. D's folks late in eve. I walked to Coon's late in eve to see 2 cows which Mr. Sims bought from him and offered to loan us (Coon will move tomorrow). I loaned Julia to Seymour to ride to chapel late in eve.
Thu. 11th. Bright, warm, no rain. Nellie, Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 10 1/4 in morn and Willie and I picked a sack apiece in new ground in eve. Nellie rode Julia, Dixie rode Rosa and I rode Nell to chapel at night. Dr West preached (last time at night). Willie and Rena went to Mr. D's to stay all night.
Fri. 12th. Bright and quite warm most of day. It thundered and showered NW of here in eve and sprinkled here at 1 1/2. Nellie,
Dixie and I walked early in morn to Coon's place and tried to drive the 2 cows here but couldn't. Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in new ground till 10 1/2 in morn and Willie, Dixie and I picked about 60 in patch by front gate next to fence in eve. Nellie and Rena rode Julia to Pa's in eve. I took 1 cathartic pill at 8 1/2 in morn and 1 dose of quinine then and 1 dose at 12. I had a dull pain in my head all eve. Nellie, Dixie, Willie, Rena and I went to Coon's late in eve and drove the 2 cows and calves into the garden and left them there.
Sat. 13th. Bright and warm till 3 in eve and rained a light shower from E at 4 - just enough to run off house good. Dixie, Willie and I went early to Coon's and brought the 2 calves here and put them in cowpen. Then we picked and finished cotton in new ground (2nd time) by 9 1/2 and Willie and I picked 20 pds in cut by front gate next to fence by 10 1/2. I grabbled a sack of potatoes by 11. Willie and I rode Julia hunting down the Bayou Sara and up the Estina but didn't kill anything. The rain caught us down by Ed Lewis's - we got under some trees and only got sprinkled. We tried to drive the 2 cows from Coon's late in eve but couldn't.
Sun. 14th. Bright and warm - no appearance of rain - wind and clouds from S. Dixie, Willie and I tried to drive the 2 cows from Coon's but couldn't and 1 of calves got out of pasture and we turned the other out and let them go early in morn. Dixie and Willie went with Mr. D's folks to Sunday School. Nellie and Rena rode Julia and I rode Nell to Pa's and Rena and I went on to Sunday School. All of us dined at Pa's.
Mon. 15th. Bright and warm - no sign of rain - wind and clouds from SE. Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Gate cut in bottom in morn till 10 1/2 and got 120 pds. I got some grapes for children in pasture at 11 to 12. Willie, Rena and I picked 75 pds cotton by front gate next to fence in eve and finished that cut by sunset. Nellie and Dixie quilting in eve and some in morn.
Tue. 16th. Bright and pleasant - wind and clouds from SE - no sign of rain. Willie rode Julia and I rode Nell to Cohen's store and on to his house to see about ginning a bale of cotton. We returned at 10. I picked the Mammoth cotton and Rena and I brought home some watermelon at 11 1/4. I rode to Mr. Sims' at 2 to 3 1/2 and to Jim Parker's from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 in eve.
Wed. 17th. Bright and pleasant - no sign of rain. Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 11 in morn and Willie and I picked some in new ground in eve. I dug down bank where our road goes into big road in front of house late in eve.
Thu. 18th. Bright and pleasant and getting dry. Jim Parker came early in morn and hauled 1600 pds seed cotton to Cohen's (Willie went with me and we returned at dusk). It made a bale weighing 492 and I sold to Cohen at 9 1/2 cts. I paid my account there and got 3 yds of jeans for myself and 40 cts cotton rope, 1 bu meal, 3 pds sugar, and 10 cts worth cakes. Jim brought my seed home at dusk.
Fri. 19th. Bright and pleasant - no sign of rain. Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Gate cut till 11 in morn. We grazed Julia and Nell in old oat patch on H ridge at 12 1/2 to 1 1/2. Willie, Nellie and I picked cotton in new ground in eve.
Sat. 20th. Bright and warm - no rain. I hoed the oldest turnips in 3/4 hour early in morn and Dixie, Willie and I picked 70 pds cotton in new ground and finished it (3rd time) by 10. Willie, Rena and I got some muscadines in pasture at 10 1/4 to 11 . I turned Julia and Nell loose in new ground at 10 to 12. Willie rode Julia and I rode Nell to town in eve and got a pair cable screwed shoes for Dixie and 4 pds coffee, 25 cts soap, 1 pd pulverized sugar, 1 doz pants buttons, 1/2 doz thread from Schaefer. We returned at sunset.
Sun. 21st. Bright and pleasant - wind cool and from N and getting dry. Dixie rode Julia and I rode Nell to Sunday school in morn. Willie walked and went home with Dickie C. I held Sunday School. Mr. D left last Wed for New Centerville. Dick D and Clara here all day, Dan here all eve. We got some grapes in back of pasture late in eve. Beau C came late in eve and here till 8 at night. I took 2 cathartic pills at bedtime.
Mon. 22nd. Bright, cool early but warm in eve. Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked 115 pds cotton in Persimmon cut by 10 1/2 in morn. Willie, Rena and I got some muscadines toward spring at 11 to 12. Willie and I picked about 40 pds cotton in patch by front gate in eve.
Tue. 23rd. Bright and warm and damp - SE breeze all day and general appearance of rain. Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked cotton in Persimmon cut on hilltop till 11 in morn. Willie, Rena and I picked 35 and finished cut by front gate and picked 20 in new ground in eve. I suffered all morn with a pain in left side of my head and sick stomach and had pain in right side of my head all eve and night with sick stomach.
Wed. 24th. Bright and warm but pleasant S breeze and damp. Thundered and showered around most of eve but only sprinkled here at 11. I suffered all night with headache and vomiting. I ate my little breakfast and Dixie, Willie, Rena and I picked about 135 pds of cotton in Persimmon cut by 11 in morn. Ma, Alice, and baby here all day. I didn't work in eve but got some grapes for children in pasture.
Thu. 25th. Bright and warm - thunder showers passed around all day from SW and a dark cloud came up from SW late in eve and we had a good rain from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 which was much needed. Willie, Rena and I picked about 100 pds cotton in Persimmon cut and finished that cut by 11. Willie and I picked about 20 in new ground in eve.
Fri. 26th. Bright and warm till 3 in eve and showered here from 3 1/2 to 7 (a good shower). I cleaned out spring early and I rode Nell and Willie rode Julia to Cohen's and got 4 pds lard, 3 of sugar, 10 yds of calico, and 1/2 bu salt and paid for all. We returned at 10 1/2. I pulled some green hay and cut some sorghum for calves and got a sack of corn on H ridge at 11 to 11 1/2. Willie, Rena and I picked 20 pds cotton in new ground and finished there by 3 1/4 in eve and rain stopped us.
Sat. 27th. Bright and warm most of day. Thundershowers passed around all eve from SW but didn't rain any here. Willie, Rena and I picked about 70 pds of cotton in Gate cut by 11 in morn. I got a sack of corn on H ridge and some sorghum and grass for calves at 11 1/4 to 12. I rode hunting in my field and Elmwood field in eve but didn't kill anything.
Sun. 28th. Bright and warm and damp S wind in morn and thundered and rained S of here at 2 to 3 and thundershower passed around most of eve but only a light sprinkle here at 3. Dixie rode Julia, I rode Nell and Willie walked to Sunday School (I held School). Beau C and Bud came home with us. John and Tom C came home with Lewis (Cousin Dosia gone to Bayou Sara since Friday last). Lewis and John and Tom C and Seymour and Gussie here all eve.
Mon 29th. Bright and warm, damp S wind all morn. Thundershowers passed around from S most of eve but only sprinkled here at 3. Willie, Rena and I picked 80 pds cotton in Gate cut by 11 1/2 in morn. I got some grass, peavines and sorghum for Nell and calves at 11 1/2 to 12. I hauled in 2 cartloads of corn (1st) in eve from H ridge and poor end of Gate cut by it. Nellie and Dixie quilted most of day.
Tue. 30th. Bright and warm - wind from SE - no rain today. Willie, Rena and I picked 80 pds cotton in Gate cut by 12 in morn. Nellie and Rena walked to Pa's in eve. I hauled in 1 load of corn from H ridge and 1 from poor end of Cherry cut by path in eve.