August 15, 1892 and 1903 in Coles County Illinois

August 1892

15.  Monday 6 AM.  ther  63,  87,  69
Clear NE wind.  Drove with Tue and Marie out to Emmett Glasco place  getting a basket of  large lepiota,  L. Morgani Poison same as I thought made me sick several weeks ago.    Try some for dinner and no bad effects.  Father also ate more than self with no unpleasant effect  To day has been rather warm  The last lots of cecropias are spinning    Nine of the lots began Sat.  Trade rather quiet for Monday, clouds up toward night with some signs of rain but clear off.  Wind N.E.  Maggie spent night with Maunie Lang.  Gobed 1030

August 1903

15.  Saturday 6:40 AM.  Ther  62.  77.  66.  =  68 1/3

Mostly cloudy. E. wind.  Over slept ourselves this A..M.  Drive up to timber getting fine mess of  A. abruplus.  Gave some to Bill Hill some to Nick   Jack Colby thinks Bill Decker will get money of home party to buy my land next week.  Saw Bill and he seems hopeful.  Very heavy thunder shower and rain 1 PM till 3 P.M.  I slept through most of it and did not get up town to get plows  left at Pugho for sharpen.   It cleared off toward night.  Jo Walton pays 50.00 rent up to Sept 10 check.  Drove with Tue around town awhile after dark.  Gobed  11.30 P.M.     [shorthand]

At the side of page:  Tue got card from Maggie  Says she and Hannah will go to Geneva Sunday.  They were at Niagara on Friday.  

February 18-23, 1890 in Charleston, Illinois

February 1890

18.  Tuesday.  7 AM  Ther  39.  40.  36.  =  38 1/3

Cloudy and growing cooler.  Wind NW.  Uncle John and Hen were down to dinner.  Hen got locked up at night.  Surveyor Green did not come sown till night so I did not go to  timber as intended.  Will go tomorrow if does not storm.  Mostly cloudy day with NW wind.  Cobble rode mare a while.  Uncle tells me he will want team to break up some new land.  Gobed 11 PM.

19.  Wednesday.  7 AM.  Ther  35.  432.  35.  =  37 1/3

Cloudy wind E. Began to rain about 9.30 AM continuing till 1 PM  Much thunder with it.  Heavy rain & hail between 12  and 1 P.M.  Wind SE to NW.  Green and self decide to  postpone trip to timber for a while.    Package of things from  Berlin recd.  Hen still where they put him last night.  Dwyer says will let him out tomorrow morning.  says will let him out tomorrow morning.  Phebe not well yet and has not been to school since quitting  Gobed 12

20.  Thursday 6.30 AM.  Ther 23.  25.  18.  =  22

Cloudy and windy, NW.  Bim got out in morning and Tue got his breakfast.  Came down and stayed all night.  Hyman drummer in town.  Surveyor Green gets done here and goes home, says  will do our work next week if possible.  Cloudy day NW wind clears off night.  Trade light  gobed  11 PM.  

21.  Friday.  7 AM.  Ther   9.  27.  22.  =  19 1/3

Mostly clear, Wind NW.  Phebe feels better but did not go to school.  Pay up Chambers & Parker 17.00 Ck C Griffith a/c wood 3.75  Learn that Drake and Simons are moving today  H.G. very cranky at night  Mostly clear day cloudy at night  Trade rather light.  Go bed 10.30 PM.

22. Saturday.  7 AM.  Ther.  22.  28.  32  = 27 1/3

Cloudy and  snowing quit about 8 AM and lightly at times during day.  John Simons up about 11 AM.  Reports sheep doing badly as last two ewes and lambs since I was there Feby 13  He took out grass seed bought of Bill Hill and some feed for sheep, also condition powders  Trade light.  Tue  went to show at night: left baby with dad.  Gobed 11 PM ~  The girls staid(sic) all night with Maunie  Cloudy.

23.  Sunday,  7.30 AM.  Ther.  33 - 42 - 41 =  38 2/3

Foggy AM.  Girls brought Maunie  home with them and she stayed all day.  Cloudy day but warms and snow all goes off by bedtime  I made batch of doughnuts toward night.  Wind S.  Gobed 8.30 PM  

October 30- November 1, 1889 and 1900 in Charleston, IL

October 1889

30.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther

Cloudy and getting ready to rain which began about 8 o.c. AM.  Ring three sows noses  Two more pigs missing this morning, one in spring.  Boy work while I sawing store wood and quit working a while P.M.  Milt repaired roof some and went out hunting in P.M.  Rained at intervals a;; day but not heavy.  Gobed 10 PM

31.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther           56.  50.  =

Cloudy but not raining  Ride down to river bottom  Cut L board tree in S. Hollow which wouldn't work.  Look for  more which couldn't find find boys cut one in little Fritz hollow P.M. which we think all right  Start home at 3.30 PM arriving at 6 P.M.  Roads very muddy and slow driving.  Mist and fine rain PM and night  Gobed at 10.30 PM~  Trade has been light this week.

November 1889

1.  Friday.  7 AM.  Ther  55.  65.  53  = 57 2/3

Cloudy and rain at spells all day.  Interested going to woods.  Pay Popham per load of hay. 3.00 .  HG will start for Ark. next Tuesday, with hunting party.  Trade not very lively, am somewhat discouraged about my shed and feed for sheep.  Have done but little toward it for two weeks on account of  rain.  Gobed 11 PM 

October 1900

30.  Tuesday  5.30 AM.  Ther.  63.  78.  65 = 68 2/3

cloudy.  Southerly wind.  The other Mrs. Owens comes to wash.  Tue  and Lillie move Miss Ford into east room. (shorthand)  Learn at Gaines' that Irene was expected home today.  The roads excepting paved streets are very muddy this morning   Lend Deffenbaugh abstract for ranch.  They are  getting their pipes together in front of Perkins lot.  on way to square with steam heat.  Simons did not come up with corn as intended.  Hatton has not shown up this week.  Went out to Gaines' 2 P.M.  Jo. shucking shock corn.  Has got 14 loads in to  elevator.  They  have only paid 29 cents for past week.  Get a  basket full of vegetables and start home 5 P.M.  Partly clear day slightly cooler than yesterday.  Got pretty good mess of Caprinus comatus at Bill Hill's which which have for dinner.  Jo Gaines has shucked about 750 bush corn to date.  I did not visit Loxa today.  HOme in time  for supper  Gobed 8.30 P.M.

31.  Wednesday 5.30 AM.  Ther 63.  78.  60  =  64

Drove up to Dicks AM and beyond No mushrooms in sight.  See Teo Sefton about coal.  Take Bill Campbell down to his place AM.  They are digging ditch for heat pipes in ally back of store.  Lilly ironing.  CD Mitchell gives me bill for 1200 feet more lumber.  Saw Hatton crossing overhead bridge AM.  They have had saw mill on Decker land north of spring a week or two.   T. Armstrong out of common corn.  P.M. load still in barnyard.  Got a letter from Charley Popham saying need not bring rest of his bill.  Showers P.M. with heavy rain toward night and after dark.  Take Marie over to Weyths after supper to Halloween party.  Corn 30 cts here am entirely out of corn except sweet.  Gobed 9 P.M.

November 1900

1.  Thursday. 5.30 A.M.  Ther.  50.  60.  50  =  53 1/3

Mostly cloudy.  N.W. wind.  Clears off before 9  A.M. and clear day.  tue and Lillie making pumpkin pie AM.  Shave AM. Cr.  Sent draft $120.00 to Loan and Trust Co.  John Simon and Warren up with wood.  Says Ira does not intend to sow any more until after after the election.  Give Bob Chapman key to Perkins room for station purposes.  Charge no rent.  Harry Stoddert wants lot of 2x4 - 12 and 14.  Dun Evans for small bill due.  Tue  sends some shirts to Phebe in newspapers.  Bill Hill called with Caprinus comatus while we were at breakfast.  John Simons calls after dinner and give him bills amounting to some 3600 ft.  Saye Brown in town.  He called P.M. and we settled for all collected by both of us, self to pay hauling.  Give Ira ch for $19.04  Simons not very well satisfied with Tom's management.  Pick balance of quinces.  Had about  1 1/2 bu on three trees.  Fair day westerly wind.  Tue over at  Groves at night.  Gobed 9 PM.

October 28-29, 1889 and 1900

October 1889

28.  Monday,   6 AM.  Ther  40

Cloudy.  Got a lot of groceries for Drake and start down there about 10 AM.  Milt and Warren hauling logs.  Sent them over to Pophams after load of hay in afternoon.  I drove over east and down to Diona looking for hay.  There seems to  be lots of hay east of here.  The boys got in after dark with their hay.  H. Rogers and Riley Decker fill up old wells.  My horse was sick this P.M.  Gobed  10 P.M:

29.  Tuesday 5.30 A.M.  Ther

Part cloudy.  Henry and Rile saw wood ash logs all day.W. & M.  hauled up four loads lumber from Mill.  Was down to Milts toward night  strong SE wind all day looks like rain at night and sprinkle in night,  Have got up a little over 3000 feet of shed lumber  Gobed 9.45 PM.

October 1900

28.  Sunday. 5.45 AM.  Ther.  62.  84.  65.  =  70 1/3

Fog.  Calm.  Jessie Parker and friend call us up 1.30 AM.  Some men scared them.  Went far as Bill Hills home with them.  Old mare mare in front of stalls:  fault of Simons & CO.  Tue gets letter from Pyles (Reder) girl saying she  cant come to work for her  EE Mrs. Reese but she cant come tomorrow  Start for  ranch 9.30.  John and I went over to cornfield and back on ridge before dinner.  Find fine Hydruem irnaceum on S side main ridge.  John has shucked out four loads for me and two each for himself and Warren.  Mine  is is put stick crib in John's barnyard.  we walked out to end of ridge where we could look down on sawmill, but didn't go down there  Decide to have wood cut back of corn field also along road near Wallace Defenbaugh place.  I went home "River" road getting there about dark.  Warm mostly clear southerly wind.  Tue and Marie ate dinner with Mrs. Grove.   Mary Davis here on visit.  Gobed 9.30 P.M.

29.  Monday. 6 AM.  Ther 64.  82.  60  =  68 2/3

Partly cloudy with light shower about sunrise.  An alarm of fire about 1 AM. was Malone's house on State St.  Saw Lillie Beck who says she will come to work for Tue after dinner.  Had part of  Hydnum E, for breakfast  Very good dipped in batter and fried.  better than stewed as heretofore  take one of the three sections to Normal for Prof Colum(?)   Hatton failed to come this AM as promised.  Lillie Beck came P.M.  I start for Loxa 2.30 P.M.  Began to rain before got to Fairground.  Heavy showers till after dark.  Return home remaining there all P.M.   Alvin Talbat orders 1000 feet pl. for township and will want some for himself.  Mostly cloudy day Gobed. 8 30 PM

March 14-18, 1889 In Charleston, IL

March 1889

14.  Thursday.  6 AM. Ther.  48.  68.  60.  =  58 2/3
Fair start for timber at 8.30 after buying some more wire.  Got there about 11 AM.  R. & S. clearing other boys make fence.   Warren hurt finger and did not work PM.  Bob about sick and not rushing very much.    Gobed 9 PM


15.  Friday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  57.  73.  57. = 62 1/3
Mostly clear S. wind.  Bob hauls out lumber in morning.  Warren hauls load of slats to town.  Enoch Johnson began at noon working with fence gang.  Fire got out about noon and we had warm work to stop it.  R & S clearing doing good job making wood.  Warren brought down 3 reels of wire and some other things  I start home about 4.30 P.M. leaving for all hands to cut brush tomorrow.  Got home  7.30  found Tue feeling much worse and all in bed but Father.  The cow came home herself today.  Pleasant day and  S.  wind, brisk.    Roads dry all the way.  Gobed 8.30


16.  Saturday. 6 AM.  54.  72.  50.  = 58 2/3
Fair - smokey.  Tue not feeling so well this AM.  Phebe coughed and vomited in the night and is about sick in the morning.  Sent for Patton who prescribed for both.  Meddy made Phebe sick all day.  I made a rake to use in clearing.  Oil and clean on buggy P.M.  Grows colder toward night.  Went up town  about dark to get some meat &c.   Mrs. Davis over after dark.  Warren Decker hauls Taggart 1/2 cd wood.  Paid John Kink 6.00 on ties.  Uncle John in to dinner.  Hen has gone again taking a good horse, they found the horse however say he will let us have all on a post office checking as soon as we get a place for them.  Paid Riley and Steve Decker up in full.  Plant in hot bed some yellow and red tomatoes.  Tue looking better at night.  Gobed 9 PM.


17.  Sunday.  6 AM.  Ther.  39.  64.  48.  =  50 1/3
Foggy, clears off before noon.  Tue feels badly yet but appetite some better.  Made another rake for use in brush.  finish getting buggy for trip tomorrow.  Drove with girls down to Kickapoo for some elm bark for Tue.  Tue feeling badly all day.  Kate Myers was over toward night.  Gobed 8:45 PM  N.E. wind toward night.


18.  Monday.  Monday.  6 AM  Ther.  46.  53.  45.  =  48
Cloudy, wind about E.  Began to sprinkle  about 6.30  AM.  Tue complains of feeling some better this morning.  Baby had some fever all night.  Rain most of AM. heavy for an hour or two,  thunder afternoon.  Tell Bill Hill  to order me  2 bush orchard grass seed @ 1.40.  Got some old cloth over store for hot bed.  Bought some pea and radish seed  at Ben Mitchell's.  Pay Sam Ray 15.00 which leaves 83.85 still due.  Cloudy all day.  Baby was sick all day  having light fever.  Tue good deal better but still bad cough.   Gobed 9 PM.  Wind N.E.

November 2-16, 1888 in Coles County Illinois

November 1888

2.  Friday.

3.  Saturday.   Big Rep rally at Mattoon today good many went.

4.  Sunday.  

5.  Monday.  

6.  Tuesday.  Worked on election board all day and until 2 oc. Wednesday AM.  going home to dinner and supper.  Got to bed at 2:30  Wednesday morn.  There was an alarm of fire about dark stirred us up pretty (?).

7.  Wednesday.  County went Republican all round.  The reports today all point toward Harrison's election.  http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/United_States_presidential_election,_1888.html

8.  Thursday.  

9.  Friday.  Hat was here all day  she and Tue made a flag of some old stuff.  There is to be a great republican jollification tomorrow.  I cut up some glass into some 8 x 16 P.M.

10.  Saturday.  The ratification did not come off.  Harrison is elected beyond a doubt and the whole country and state tickets.  The Post Office was moved today or yester to N. room in Johnstons new block.

11.  Sunday.

12.  Monday.  Tue got letter from Aunt Mata.

13.  Tuesday.  Father and I put out flag in morn.  Mr. Wright and Jarvin at work.  Jarvin fell from Hay loft after dinner hurting himself sot that had to  quit work.  The ratification was a success  in noise and fireworks.  Big crowd and lots of fun.  Maggie and Phebe stayed up till 9 oc.

14.  Wednesday.  Jarvin was not able to work.  The hunting party started for  Ark.  

15.  Thursday.

16.  Friday.  Friday.  6.30 AM.  Ther.  34.  40.  30.

Cloudy and light snow flying most of AM.  about an inch fell which mostly went off before night.  This the first snow.  Got letter from B Boll and one from Uncle Laut asking me to sell car load of apples for him.  Telegraph and write him that I can't.  Revisit Don(?) $3.75 for quinces Huleman 4.40 in full and E(?) 200 for some been got last summer.  Buy some buckwheat flour of Bill Hill sent him half a bushel of quinces.  Buy bale of hay for cow.  Loggart calls P.M. to say to dlivy (sic) him two cords or more of wood as soon as I can.  Tue sewing on shirts for father.  Began clearing.

Charleston, Illinois, on October 11 & 12, 1887

11,  Tuesday, 6.15,  AM.  Ther 45.  54.  48.
Almost clear.  Fresh N.W. wind.   Tue thinks she has ague and takes tonic.  Mrs. Dickenson sends word again that she can't come till tomorrow.  Eastin and Decker bring two loads green wood  for Mrs. Robinson which she refuses to take, so put it on the yard.  Bill Hill unloading car load of potatoes, get samples.   Paid Easton 1.00.  Very raw day.  Wind nearly North considerably cloudy P.M.  Tue buys undershirts and hose at Chambers.     Mits for girls at Frommell.  Buy socks at McCravys.  went up town at night to see Sol Meyers.  Go bed 9 PM . . . .

12, Wednesday,  6.30 AM.  ther.  36.  57.  47.
Clear.  Heavy white frost.  No word from Dorsey yet wrote him last Thursday.  Mrs. Dickenson washes.  Comer up town.  He and John Huffman talk a while in my place.  Tue went up to  Mrs. Norfolks while in P.M.  Collect several dollars of different parties.  Have been taking ice for a few days.  Clear day with W, S.W. wind.  Gobed 9 P.m.