January 29-31, 1888 in Charleston, Illinois

29. Sunday, 7 A.M.   Ther.  28.  47.  33.
Nearly clear, wind S.W.  Phebe croupy in night.  Maggie cold better  She went to Sunday School.  Mostly clear day with SW wind thawing fast.  Buy  hier (?) syrup at Calverts.  Look over apple a/cs.  Have about 50.00 of them which will collect next week.  Foggy at night wind N.  Phebe croup in night.  Go bed 10 P.M.

30.  Monday.  6.30 AM.  Ther. 40.  46.  42.
Cloudy, Wind S.W.  Mrs. Rogers comes but doesn't wash.  She decided to wait until Wednesday.  Maggie went to school.  Sold Mrs. Warren old lumber $2.95.  Troy R. cleans up after busted bottles up at store.  Comer in town.  Called to tell me the R.R. had recd. all the switch ties 720 and 17 cross ties.  Went down to look at them.  Throwing pretty fast all day.  Same came out before more wind westerly.  N.W. toward night. E. Easton gives me order from Cerrun 1.55 which I credit on his a/c forward, says he is going to making ties tomorrow.  Everybody has bad cold.  Gobed 10 P.M.

31  Tuesday, 7 AM  Ther.  33.  40.  32.
Cloudy, wind W.  Tue got up and made fires this morning.  Sell  W. Cayler 1/4 Cd wood on cr.  He has paid for 1/2 got sometime ago in delivering.  Riley Eastin brought in 24 posts which pay him for.  Clears off afternoon.   Maggie and Phebe went to school.  Uncle John down to dinner, took a dress out to Aunt Deal.    Stop at F. Knock's shop a while in P.M.  Settle up orders at Dick Bails.  Pleasant day clear day P.M. wind W or NW.  Thawing out pretty fast indications are that this weather will continue.  Clear night with frozen fog or mist.  Phebe cries with earache.  Baby  restless and stopped up with cold.  Go bed 10.30 PM.

December 19, 1912 & 1887 in Coles County, Illinois

1912

19.  Thursday.  6.30 AM.  ther.  30.  42.  36.  = 36.

Part cloudy.  W. 3. ice 1/4.  Tue got long letter from  Buddy yesterday and one from  Phebe this morning.  She expects to start home Sunday from Ann Arbor, Mich.  Will come via Chicago.  Too cool for me to try Loxa trip.  I hitch up about noon and drove down to  Whalens elevator.  Order load Linton coal.*  Tue wrote girls mailing letters PM.  Learn that Dick Stoddert (Harry's) is dead at Kankakee.  Order at Geo Gray's pair shoes as have been using for 12 years.(sic)  Mostly clear day Southwesterly light winds.  Go bed 9.

*

1887

19.  Monday.  6.30 AM  Ther.  35.  48.  42.

Partly clear. at sunrise.  Wind S.E.  Fresh wind all night probably S.E.   Ed. Eastin calls for step ladder.  Finish up the  pork and sausage in  morning.  Bert was in and ate dinner. Uncle John in town.  Tue went up town PM to get some things for Christmas.  Renew  note with H.G. 65.00 for 90 days.  Thought there might be some lumber come up but didn't hear of any.  The roads are probably pretty bad.  Mostly cloudy day,  wind mostly south.  Tue not feeling very well.  Took medicine at night.  Uncle John says Aunt Deal** is worse than usual.  Mrs. Davis over at night, she is making dress for Ma.  Gobed 10.30

**Aunt Deal is Uncle John's wife and Tue's mother, Eliza Cordelia Amidon.  Sadly, Cordelia was marked insane in several census.  In this entry she is also referred to as Ma.  Cordelia was beloved by the family.

December 7, 1912 & 1887 in Coles County, IL

1912

7.  Saturday.  6.30 A.M.  Ther.  24.  44.  32.  = 33 1/3

Clear W.1.  wh. fr. ice 3/8.  Alfred comes to chore.  He did not come  as agreed yest.  Learn that Frank Spitter died yesterday.  I hitch up P.M.   I drove down to Electric Plant for two  Masda(sic) lamps.  The first of selling room lamps gave out last night.  Part cloudy day with fresh W and SW winds.  The roads are said to be fine.  No signs of cold weather yet except in almanac.  I retire very early, say 7.30 P

1887

7.  Wednesday.  6.30 AM  Ther.  39.  49.  36.

Raining wind S.  Snider stopped a while.  Is going to take Aunt Deal up home tomorrow.  Jim Hill settles for apples.  Gave Doc Dunbar Notice of Fan's  death &c.  Coal Co. pays me for lumber in full to Dec.1.  $140.73.  Post up Comers afc to date as nearly as possible.  Baby seems some better today as also does Tue.  Mrs. Eastin pays me in full 3.50.  Mrs. Knock was over a little while P.M.  The apple note was due today (338.00)  Phebe not yet going to school.  Some rain AM.  but cleared off before night.  signs of pleasant weather.  roads bad.  Go bed 8.30 ~