September 3 -4, 1892 and 1903.

September 1892

3.  Saturday, 6 AM.  Ther  55.  84.  68.

Mostly clear southerly wind.  Self and girls got breakfast  Mrs. Norfolk paid me for 9 cords wood 27.00  Warren hauling 4 cord's to Albert Anderson.  Chut Bennett finished Fluhartys Received 80.15 from W. H. White for ties and culls  Uncle John was down to dinner  Warmer day clouds and more signs of rain than lately  Get some hay of Uncle John which Oliver Frisbie will deliver next week.  Trade only moderate.  The dust is immense.  Tue finished her first lot of plums today.  occulation [sic] of Mars and Moon to night go bed  11 P.M. ~

4.  Sunday,  6.30  AM.  Ther 64.  84.  55

Some clouds wind southerly  Intended to start for timber early but as hot and dusty postpone till towards night.  Sign of rain all day, sprinkle a little at 4 PM  Go to ranch about 6 P.M.  JW and wife had been over the river just got home. Began raining about 7 AM and rained lightly about 2 or 3 hours.  Gobed 9 PM

September 1903

3.  Thursday.  6.30 AM,  Ther  55.  85.

Clear calm.  Mrs. Owens ironed.  Drive up and tell "Mercantile" Smith that will keep buggy.  Get bu of corn at Griffins for which I owe him 55c.  Have talk with A Richter about coal.    He will report price Hillsborough in day or two.  Tighten up wheels on new buggy.  Putting on washers.  Kellogg did not show up this morning.  They are putting a new metal roof on the Theater.  The old house is to be sold Oct. 1.  People are at work decorating the Public Square for the Street Fair which will begin Sep 14.  Nest Monday there will be great Labor day celebration Mattoon and Charleston combined.  Buy buggy jack at Mercantile Cr 50c.  Look at timothy seed.  I.B. Mitchell's.  It will cost me 2.00 per bu for the best.  take Maggie for for drive about 3 PM getting back 6 P.M.  Went down by Woodson place and across and across River.  No incident.  No mushrooms.  Today is Maggie's birthday. 25.  At night drove around town alone a while with new buggy.  Helen here at night first time in good while  Heard that N.M. got in Calabrasi today.  Clear day Southeasterly wind 2  Gobed 10 PM~

4.  Friday.  5.30 AM.  Ther. 60.  84.  71.  =  71 2/3

about clear southerly wind 1.  I drove out to Gaines AM getting home 1 P.M.  New buggy.  Old mare very clumsy.  Old Sorrel better and Sam Owens began plowing with him today.  think they will finish this evening.  Jo is out of old corn and is feeding new.  Will begin harrowing down piece tomorrow - may bring me load of hay (baled) and take out timothy seed.  Roads dry and smooth  New buggy all right but springs too stiff.  Geo. Kellogg says will saw eaves off shed for me in morn.  Drove down to Hen's.  He talked somewhat abusive and I left.  Edith Bates there.  After supper drove round with Tue. E and south.  Mostly clear day, light variable wind.  Jim Pugh will fix old buggy Monday.  Gobed 10.30 P.M.

August 16, 1892 and 1903 in Coles County Illinois

August 1892

16.  Tuesday.  6 AM Ther 63.  87.  68.

Clear wind N.E.  Tue has been thinking some of buying or renting Mrs. Eastin place.  Mrs. R.  washed this morning.  Settle in full with Warren Decker.  Chut Bennett bought load of 61 posts.    Sell Burgner two  94 posts.  Clear Day with NE wind  gobed  1030

August 1903

16.  Sunday,  6 AM. Ther. 64.  79.  68.  =  70 1/3

Clear N.E. wind 2.  I hunt up Pugh and he gets me plows from shop for which I owe him 50cts.  I drove down to Woodson place and around by Wrightsville.  Find nice lot of  A abreption on Stoddert land.  Arriving home to dinner.  All sorts of fungi- are growing, some A Cuepestries in front yard.  After dinner toward night Drove with Nick to Dice Woods where we gather the finest lot of A abrupties  I ever saw.  We quit because we could not bring them home.  I give Bacon a mes and put some in my ketchup jar,  He thinks he will have to set his house back about  20 feet on account of street in front.  Montz and Kate over at a/c water melon.  Mostly clear - some cumuli-  with northerly wind self not feeling pretty well.  Gobed, 9.30 P.M.

July 7- 11, 1891 and 1902 in Charleston, IL

 July 1891

7.  Tuesday.  Ther  70  76  67  =  69 1/3

Mostly cloudy with S wind.  Brownfield hoes garden AM.  First  lot of cercropius coming out of second molt today  they are yellow with two rows of blue horns on both sides two rows of yellow ones on back and four red horns on head.  The last lot have finished hatching and  have about half died through neglect.  Nick reports his baby better today and he is at store.  Brownfield and self clean up buggy wheels P.M.  Sprinkle rain  9 30 AM light shower about noon, heavier rain   S.E. Chut Bennett brought up load of ties 15.  Mostly cloudy wind variable S to W AM. but settled in NE about 1 PM and blew strong all day and night.  Gobed  10 15 PM~

8.  Wednesday,  6 AM  Ther   55,  69  55  =  59 2/3

Cloudy fresh N wind.  Nicks baby getting better.  Mrs. Rogers washed  AM and ironed P.M.  Uncle John was down to dinner.  Oce  Bennett brought in 15 ties  Says they will finish hauling in my rye today.  Trade light.  A. Frieberg gets in at night.  Gobed.  11 P.M.

9.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther  50.  80.  62 = 64

Clear  E. wind   Freiberg drummer in town.  Trade him 5 Bbl of Matingly spirits for  Draling paying him 2 1/2 cts to boot.  Renew demand note at 2nd National Bank for 600.00 charging interest from 8 to 7% to agree with new law.  Learn that Jim Cassady will thresh my rye.  H.G. informs me that he has to go down to Grose Nest tomorrow.  Clear day with easterly wind gobed 11.30

10.  Friday.  6 20 AM.  Ther  60

Clear, E. wind.  Learn that, Cassady will thresh Jo Handlys wheat tomorrow.  Would have gone down there but over son and Hat went to  Grose Nest  He got back at night.  Mostly clear day  SE wind  gobed  11.30 P.M~

11.  Saturday,  6 AM  Ther               87.  70

About clear, wind S.  Start for ranch 7 AM went to Jim Cassaday, learn that they will not cross river today with machine so turns round and back home by 11AM.  Sell uncle John bal of bacon for 1.00  learn that R.R. has inspected ties went down.  They have spotted pile of 177, Culling 9 and leaving one (?) Rec. check from White 64.84 for 168 ties.  Chut brought up 14 which are un-inspected.  Buy 3 gal. blackberries @2.00  Trade only fair.  Go bed midnight

July 1902

7.  Monday.  6 AM.  Ther.  74.  90.  75.  =  79 2/3

Mostly clear, light SW wind.  Mrs. Golladay washes.  Meet Harry Hagen first time since he quit work for me.  Maggie suffered much from toothache in night.  E. Garrison pays me $10.00 on rent thus settling up to June 14,  Deposit Richter check 17.73 +5.00 = 22.73 at 2nd National Bk.  Sort over some papers A.M.  Ch. Fitzsimmons clears out closet at store - Pay him 50c.  Tue and I start to Loxa 5.30  Taking some eggs to Hen.  Hen and I take drive up through corn.  Think Shirleys shows up best. plows too deep near corn.  Shirley on war path very offensive  The worst case I have had.  Gate post down at end of street.  We start home about 8 P.M.  Not quite so warm as yesterday.  Mostly cloudy.  SW wind  Thunder about 2 P.M. but no rain here  Gobed 10 P.M.

8.  Tuesday.  5.30 A.M.  Ther.  70,  90,  76,  =  78 2/3

Partly cloudy, Light S.W. wind.  Shave and haircut at Brown's after breakfast,  Up to  J.H. Marshall's office and to C.H. with  with him at adjusters and Board of Review.  The cancel all back taxes J.H.M. advises me to avoid Shirley as much as possible.Windows need putty &c at store.  Thought to go out to Gaines P,M, but will wait till morning.  Helen went out home after supper to stay a while.  Marie went with her.  Fred took them out  Mostly clear day with light SW wind,  Lightening NW at night.  I drove up town after supper  Gobed 10 P.M.

9.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther  74.  88.  72.  =  78

Clear SW wind.  Start to Gaines 9AM.  Met Chas. Talbott at gate and he drove through Jo's corn with me.  Jo  having out sweet corn.  Is not very well; has had diarrhea all week.  His corn looks better.  I did not go to Loxa.  Stay to dinner at Jos.  He went to work for Talbott in hay P.M.  Charley thinks can cut my hay tomorrow.  I start home 3 P.M. in front of storm which overtook me near Salem Church  It didn't rain much   I drove up to Decker woods and waded across creek to sawdust  Phebe went picnic.  I took Maggie over to Sefton's and drove SW of town looking for fungi.  Everett McKee rode in with me, occasional light shower PM till after dark.  Mostly clear AM. good deal of wind with first shower SW to W.  Tue has bad pain in side supposed lifting.  Gobed  10 AM

10  Thursday 5.45 AM.  Ther.  60.  75.  58.  =  64 1/3

Clear.  Much cooler.  N.E. wid.  Phone from Loxa that Jo is sick, early.  Mrs. Baird had a girl baby about 6 A.M.  They occupy Mrs. Eastin's house now belonging to the city.  I started out to Gaines 10 AM.  Find him in bed thinks will be up tomorrow.  I ate some crackers and cheese on  road for dinner.  Jos folks did not get any  I stay till about 2 P.M.  Feeling badly today  Think ate too much "force"  Tue about sick.  Helen and Marie came in a while from Sniders.  Mostly clear day with cool N.E. wind.  Gobed  9 P.M.

11.  Friday  5.30 AM.  Ther  50,  80,  63.  =   64 1/3

Clear N.E. wind.  Look round for a hay rack in morning but didn't find one.  Will have to build one.  Had another talk with Jack Scott.  I got home about 2 P.M.  Tue feeling badly today.  Ed wells works all day about the place mostly mowing yard will work tomorrow.  Self feeling badly with toothache PM and night.  Mostly clear day with variable light wind.  The roads are good and crops look fine.  My harness (girth) broke down south of town and near caused a wreck AM. get it repaired.  Gobed 9 P.M.