December 26, 1912 and 1887 in Coles County, Illinois

1912

26.  Thursday.  6.30  A.M.  ther.  30.  44.  36.  = 36 2/3
Clear. S.3. Wh. Fr.  .  Ice 1/4.  Soon clouds up with light rain or mist at times during day.  Mostly cloudy day with moderate S.W. wind.  I get along without tobacco today very well.  The booze, however, is about out.Tue feeling very poorly   but does not send for Dr.  Helen was in bring some pressed chicken.  Alfred did not show up and we have to do choring.  I hitch up and drive out by Crinm's.  Dark day but clears up at night.  Gobed. 8 P.M.

In margin of journal:

•  Got new pair Seltz shoes of Gray N0. 89593.  Size .665, Ordered last week.  weight 24 1/2 0z.  Cost at present unknown.   Seltz Royal Blue Shoes
• Furnace Grate is uncoupled and I work an hour or two at trying to  fix same.  Tue helped.  Cottingham is away so no use,  have to let it go.

1887

26.   Monday.  6.30 AM  Ther.  23.  34.  32.

Cloudy.  Easterly wind settle with C. Mason, Nettie Perrill called about noon..  Will start for California tomorrow with Mrs. Lietch.  Learn that several  loads of lumber @ area up today.  Settle with Chas. Donsch in afternoon from way back owed him 15.40, he  owed some 11.60.    Dark cloudy day  wind varible mostly southerly.  Roads dry and getting dusty Maggie complaining at night.  Took medicine.  Tue has had toothache..  Gobed.  10.30 PM

December 2, 1912 & 1887

1912

2.  Monday.  6.30 AM.  Ther.  44.  42.  30. = 38. 2/3

Mostly  cloudy W. 6.  Cottingham's man came to put in new grate and finds it a misfit and one piece lacking.  It didnot work well and they will return in morn to remedy it if possible.  Mostly cloudy with high  wind W to NW diminishing late P.M.  Clear at night ~~  Tue got  tickets to show at Opera House at night and took Mrs. Brooks.  Alfred came late P.M. and tinkered round a while.  I did not hitch up.  I read at night with good fire  in grate went to bed before Tue got home.  Gobed. 10.  I did not hitch up nor visit town.

This is a link to a furnace of the time.  I suppose theirs was similar.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh382yeKUmFnO_Nusi-JSFVEa39J-pWLdPxdd5TdXCiVKnYBBBxcvp-IjEImP8BOJJSH_jBXa95BQy3KmJ3k3FBv_r-kzSlfRP2-auGFWbsFj-pIiPdl3CcchfBeNtpGNsqflZmtEKXbX0/s1600/14+Furnace+Room_1912.jpg

1887

2. Friday.  6 A.M.  Ther.  37.  40.  42.

Cloudy and raining lightly.  Fresh S.E. wind.  Was up with Phebe good deal in night.  Baby not well this morning.  C.G.(him) still has slight cold in throat.  Went over to (Dr.) Patton's forenoon says Fan* very bad.  Nobody there.  Tue went down to see Mrs. Nott.  Couldn't go Mrs. Dowling said she would go. I took her down after dinner.  Found Fan very low.  Saw Dr. at night after he had been there.  Didn't  give any encouragement.  Mrs. Davis and Kate Myers were over at night.  Doctor Phebe with fatbacon &c  at night and she was not so bad as usual.  Misty damp.  P.M. roads pretty bad.  gobed 10 P.M.

*Fan is Tue's younger sister.  Fan has three children and had a stillbirth in November 22.  She is 27 years old.

November 27, 1912 &1887 in Charleston, IL

1912

27.  Wednesday.  6 A.M.  Ther.  26.  36.  30. = 30 2/3

Clear.  W. 2.  Rhoda came to wash, irons a while and stays to dinner.  Tue gets cards from Phebe and Helen.  Helen is in  S.W. visiting.  The furnace leaks again but stops.  We are good deal worried about it.  Cottingham came P.M. taking away misfit grate, says right one has come and he will put it in soon.  Thinks like of leak in furnace.  Nickles bill for board mare is 18.00.  I did not hitch up today.  Clear and cool brisk N.Westerly  wind.  Tue got her vacuum carpet cleaner, and uses it much of P.M.  We did not hear from Muggs today and feel quite anxious about her.  I order third sack  wood plaster sent to Loxa for West's house.  Tue went to Grove's 8 P.M.  Self gobed 9 P.M.

Interesting links:

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/housework.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_cleaner

1887

No entry

November 3 - 8, 1912 in Charleston, Illinois

3,   Sunday.  5.45  Ther.  28.  52.  44.  =41 1/3
Clear S.2.  First real heavy frost:  ice 1/3 in.  tub.  Had thoughts of going to ranch.  Too cold.  Shave early,  Bert's Helen called and Tue goes home with her on 11:45 car.  I did not hitch up till 4 P.M. and then drove out to Huffman's.  Tue returns on 5.30 car.  Grace was here to dinner, which had 2 P.M.  Mostly clear day with fresh to strong southerly wind.  Some cloudy toward night with signs of rain at sunset.  The roads are good ~ Grove's were over about time I hitched up.  Tue has engaged Mort to repair lot of little things.  Go bed 9

4.  Monday.6 AM  ther.  42.  60.  52. = 51 1/3
Mostly cloudy.  S.3.  R.7. A.M., only trace.  Tue up town A.M.  I fill cracks in WC ciel.  Tue gets can paint at Briggs which exchange.  Mostly clear P.M. Very high southerly wind all day diminishing at night.  Mostly worked P.M. at odds and ends put broken glass in coal room &c.  I drove east of town to exercise mare.  Jim Turner drove piece with me going.  Merritt returning.  Having plenty feed keep mare in stable nowadays.  Tue over Groves at night.  Muggs has decided to accept MO posish at 85 and will leave about 15th.  Promise fair day for election tomorrow.  Gob 8.30

5.  Tuesday. 6 AM.  Ther. 50.  60.  56. = 55 1/3
Mostly cloudy, S.2 general election day.  Taft, Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson running for president.  I voted the republican ticket.  Pet Dickens held mare.  Met Abbot and Steve Decker.  Light rain 11 A.M.  It began to rain about 11 AM and continued the day.  Grace Sefton here to dinner. R to 6 P..50  I did not go up town again  Maggie and grace went to Lelas to spend the night.  Muggs came home to bring dog.  After we retired.  Cloudy day light southwind.  Alfred did not come.  Drizzle rain much of night.  Go bed 9.

6.  Wednesday, 6 AM.  Ther.  56.  62.  50. = 56
Cloudy. still raining S.1. R. to  7 a.30  Woodrow Wilson Dem was elected President.  Dunne for Governor   Nearly everything went democratic of course.  I did not hitch up till late P.M. and then drove up to Dicewoods looking for fungi.  Nothing appearing ~  came near getting caught in shower.  cloudy light rain at times Southwind becoming N. P.M. Gobed 9

7.  Thursday.  6 A.M.  ther 44.  56.  40. = 46 2/3
Cloudy N.3.  I drove over to see Jo Hatton.  He couldn't work.  Saw Mr. Fritz and Emmett will come tomorrow morn.  Cottingham and hand work at W.C. AM and again PM.  We have a slight  hitch when  go to move wash basin from Kitchen to W.C. but they  soon went to work again.  I drove E. up town late P.M.  they are scraping down the Westfield Road.  clear day ex. morn, light northwind  Gobed 9  Mrs. Gaines called 6 P.M. waiting for car.

8.  Friday.  6 A.M.  ther.  40.  60.  46.  =48 2/3
Clear. W.2. Emmett came and worked all day in cellar ~ Cottingham and Fleming work most getting the job about finished.  I don't like the way it is done in the basement.  Tue went to R.C. P.M. at W.E. Hill's.  Emmett quit at 5.30 and will return in morning.  High wind most of the day with high westerly wind.  Maggie gets letter from MO library and need not go until week after next.  Tue has recently had a letter from Mary Sayre  the first for several months.  reports Fahys folks going to Florida for winter.  Go bed 9. 

November 1 -2, 1912 in Charleston, IL

1, Friday.  6 A.M.  38.  48.  40.  =42
Cloudy N.3. Maggie finished painting the  radiators today.  I did not hitch up nor go to town.  I let mare in pasture P.M.  Tue attends R.C. at A. Alexander.  She is talking of giving up the R.C.  Grace was here to supper and Muggs went home with her.  Cottingham has not appeared to do work on W.C.s and furnace.  Much cloudy day strong northerly wind.  Gobed 9

2.  Saturday.  6 AM,  Ther.  30.  42.  30.  =34.
Clear.  N.W.2.  White Frost.  Thin ice - Tub.  Alfred worked hour or two AM fix celery and carrots.  Harman with Paul bring 6 bales hay 2.88 2 bu oats 50 and 1 bu corn  my half .20  Was about out.  I drove E. + S. of town say 4 P.M.  The roads good, little mud.  Maggie gets letter from Mo Library accepting her offer of 85 per if she will come at once or by middle of month.  She has not yet decided to go.  Tue spent evening at Dr. Brook's, Maggie out till 9 mostly clear clouding at times sp rain 4 P.M.  strong northerly wind, clear night and freezing by 8 P.M. gob 9

October 29 - 30, 1912 in Charleston, Illinois

29.  Tuesday 6. AM.  Ther.  54.  74.  56.  = 61 1/3
Part cloudy, red. S.3.  Hitch up and start Loxa 9.30.  Drove through Loxa Mrs. Gaines says Retha was married Aug. 4 but has just divulged it.  Saw Alva Armstrong and promise to send over at once sack wood plaster for patching Loxa house.  Expected to see Harman shucking in "pond" but they had finished it.  Drove up to B.C. shed.  The  BC is baled and lies in shed on west.  After driving round the field an hour or so drove up to premises and made a stand on Harmans house.  He soon came over and after talking a while about  selling BC at 100.00 said he had to go and take Lola to  Dr. Preston & Co had gone to field and were shucking on south side NE of W 40'.  Preston says they have been shucking to feed and today J.V.H. consented to take a few loads.  My part of their shucking.  I got nearly  a sack from Preston's wagon.  It began to rain and I start home say 1.30 P.M. getting there about 3 P.M.  The rain just lays dust.   Jack went.  We ate dinner S. of house N end B.C.  The roads good.  Clear till toward noon with light drizzle much of P.M. - Over take Geo. Veach & Co. with big drove cattle at Loxa school house.   Muggs painting radiators also upper walk in W.C.  She was out with friends at night.  Gob 8 P.M.
I offer Perkins lot to Burbeck per Bill Scott for 1000.00 400 down.

30.  Wednesday.  6 A.M.  Ther.  34.  60.  58. = 49 1/3
Clear. W.1.  White frost.  Expected Cottingham to to complete WC conections.  He did not come Rhoda washed and  Alfred came to chores P.M.  Mrs.  Grove over much of P.M.  Harman hands me check  for 16,30 for my half of part of clover seed.  There will be a few dollars more.  He says threshers had 8 3/4 bu.  I pay half machine charge 100 per I hitch up late P.M. driving up town and around leave order Andrews & CO for sack wood fiber to be sent Alva Armstrong, Loxa.  Sebert will  come for my horse tomorrow morn  to shoe.  Maggie has been painting (gold) the radiators.  Read Trilby gobed 10 P.  Part cloudy day signs of rain P.M.

October 8, 1912 in Charleston, Illinois

18, Friday.  6 AM.  ther.  62.  74.  66.   67 1/3
Cloudy. S.2.  Light showers after midnight continuing till say 9 AM.  Cottingham's man brought new grate for furnace.  It will not work and he put old one back and will have to  order again.  Tue and Muggs finish ironing left by Rhoda.  Tue to R.C. P.M.  Get hair cut at Brown's.  Ed Wiley there.  Grace Sefton  here to supper.  Maggie went home with her.  Mrs. Sefton not so well.  Mostly cloudy day with light southerly winds clears off after dark wind shifting to westerly.  The rain barely laid the dust.  I drove late P.M.  SW.  Gobed 8.30

September 21, 1912 in Charleston, IL

21, Saturday  6 AM.  Ther.  62.  70.  58.  = 63 1/3
Cloudy light showers toward morn. (05) to 7 AM.  Take mare to Nickles last night, first since  25 ult?  It sprinkled and threatened rain all day but did not measure much at night. (03)  Phone  JE Mc for gal Monarch which got A.M.  I felt bad all around today with rheumatism.  Met Frank Wickham.  He is in Oklahoma on Alex Briggs"ranch".  Cottingham  thinks will have to take down furnace to stop leaking.  Cloudy day light southerly winds.  Rains lat at night with thunder.  Go bed 8.30 PM

September 17,1912 in Charleston, Illinois

17, Tuesday,  6 AM.  Ther.  64.  72.  66.
Cloudy and raining.  N.2.  The rain (.63) began 4 A.M. with thunder.  Light rain much of the day wind becoming southerly with heavy rains (1.05) at night 1.68 inches in all.  Tue's company came The party consisted of Miss T. Moore of Col.,  Mrs. J.E. Curd,  Mrs. LeRoy, Hat and Mrs. Mrs. W. A. Campbell.  I did not drive them was at barn repairing old buggy.  I did not hitch up.  H.G. came for Hat at 5 P.M.  Cottingham called A.M. looks over our plans for W.C. and makes some good suggestions.  His man puts door on furnace P.M. also repairs smoke flu.  The pieces for grate have not come.  Cloudy day with heavy rains dark till say 10 P.M.  Gobed 9.  Tue got letters from Mugs and Bud.