November 20 - 23, 1889 and 1900

November 1889

20.  Wednesday, 7.15 AM  Ther  43.  55.  47   = 

Cloudy but clears away.  Grand Jury adjourn AM.  They did nothing with self and others returned for working on Sunday.  There are indictments against several liquor men in town for selling to minors.  Went down to depot in morning, Sefton says road is not going to buy any ties this year.   Phebe came home PM   with head ache.  Start 6.30 for ranch about 3.45 P.M.  Got there 6.30  Took lantern which was much help  Gobed at Milts 10 PM  Comer presents bill to date $49~  Henry Meyer here.  buy Bby,

21.  Thursday 6 AM.  Ther at C.  42.  53.  45  = 46 2/3

Cloudy, Sprinkle rain light good part of day.  Milt and self work in barn building partition.  The roof I find finished in pretty good shape.  Sheep feeling better.  Start home about 4 P.M. raining most of way home, and very muddy.  Mrs. Rogers washing today leaving clothes out all night.  Strong NW wind at night  Gobed 10.30~~

22.  Friday 6.30 AM  Ther 35.  48.  35  =  39 1/3

Nearly clear and clearing.  Wind strong NW.  Tue got up early to take in clothes.  Mrs. Rogers ironed.  Get shave at night at May's.  Kelly washes and fills lot of bottles P.M.  Remit Bernbi(?)  B & U. 165.50 and Mullaney & H 7.00  Loan "Neighbor" a V.  Send receipt for 5.00 to Mattergly for 5 (ink spot)  Whisky  The  first really pleasant day for long time  Go bed 11.PM

23.  Saturday 7 AM.  Ther 29.  55.  58 = 45 2/3

Clear.  N. Wind.  Gets into south.  Decide on amt of John VanMeters hay 25 x20 x 20 ft  600 cubic feet to ton.  Uncle John in to dinner,  Has not decided to trade with Burgers for Gage place.  Drake comes in and starts out between 4 and 5 PM.   Frank came with him Abbott will saw some wood for us Mondays, Mostly clear day, trade rather dull.  Fresh south wind.  Stay at store till midnight figuring  Go bed at 1 AM.

November 1900

20.  Tuesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  60.  70.  62  = 64

Cloudy misty or fog.  southwind  Charlotte Sprorch  sewing for Tue.  Mrs. Owens washing.  Plumber takes pump to send away for repairs.  Went out to Gaines after fork after dinner.  Jo has only 30 shocks of corn to schuck.  Mrs. G complaining  I brought home two  gallon jar of pickles.  Mostly cloudy day.  Print lot of pictures for Lillie  She is going to stay and do ironing tomorrow.  No rain today.  Roads bad except where graveled.  Tue over at Groves' at night  Dun Wall for rent to date but they didn't buy.  Gobed 9 PM.

21.  Wednesday.  6 AM.  Ther.  42.  45.  45.  =  44

Mostly cloudy.  Storm of wind and rain in night with sudden change.  Stopped yesterday again to see Maggie  Dlisorn and think can get her to help us when Lillie leaves.  Lillie irons.  Tone and mount some pictures for her.  AM.  Ther was down to 37 about 9 AM.  Charlotte Sproule sewing all day.  Took Lillie home about 4 P.M.  Charley Black says is talking of buying out Wall.  Wall has not paid last months rent.  Mostly clear P.M. and growing warmer.  Weather report saus cold wave  Mort fixed shelf for Tue in pantry    Mort and Kate over at night after I go bed 8. P,M.

22.  Thursday.  5.45. AM.  Ther.  49.  74.  55  =  59 1/3

Pretty clear.  Southerly wind.  Charlotte sewing A Barner sends for spooler for Mr. Gaines machine.  Pay Bartors a/c in full 55 cts.  J.W. Evans pays me on lumber bill 85 c. leaving  40 c. due.  Wall pays rent to  20 inst cash. No chk.  Have talk with Tredene Arnold about saw mill.  Shave at Browns Paid.  Paid up last week.  Richard Walker wants to rent Perkins room.  I start for Gaine's after dinner thinking to get Drihre girl to work at house.  Didn't see her start home late and return staying all night.   Playing seven up till bed time  House cold as a barn and damp.  Jo finished shucking corn today making 1513 bu sold for 446.74*  Including fed and in cribs 1820 bu from 35 a.  Much lightning S & SW at night and change of wind to north and cooler in night  Gobed 9 P.M.

* With inflation, that amount would be about $12026 today.  However, today's farmer would get about $7350 for that amount of corn.  According USDA - The 2014 average U.S. corn yield is now estimated at the record level of 174.2 bushels per acre, 

23.  Friday 4.30  AM.  ther 37.  42.  39.  = 39 1/3

Mostly cloudy NE wind.  Jo hauls in fodder.  I put glass in door taking till 9 o'clock  Intended to take tickets to Loxa and make and make a draw but mailed on time there after I got home.  Find I  injured buggy shaft running into wagon on way home Tuesday night.    Lillie called PM she will start for Spokane Tuesday.  Tue writes to Phebe.  Miss Ford gone to Paris institute for day or two.  It began raining and sleeting 4 P.M. wind N.E.  Jo came in after stove and took out some planks for platform at well.  He brought in big jar of pickles, and some pop corn.  He took potatoes down cellar.  Gobed 8 P.M.  .

At the top of the page:  Fir. Noble Cafee & others fined of stick of Dynamite 3 P.M. One of the three sent him by Express Monday

November 9- 14, 1900 in Charleston, IL

November 1900

9.  Friday 5.45 AM.  Ther  23.  42.  36.  =  33 2/3

Clear. S.W. wind.  Warner reported yesterday nothing going on at milt  They  have Jackson St. closed at alley  below 5 & 6th and 6th bet Jack & Van B. putting in Steam heat pipes.  Tue feeling badly.  Abbott worked till about 4 P.M. getting wood in cellar and several odd jobs done.  Mostly clear day.  NW wind.  Thought to go to Loxa but did not get off soon enough.  Tue attended R.Circle.  I sort and cut out pieces from big lot of Records AM & PM.  Mort and Kate over at night till 9.30  Tue and Lillie went after Marie at party at Gannaway's about bed time.  Gobed 9.30 PM

10.  Saturday.  6 AM.  ther.  36.  50.  45= 432/3

Cloudy Southerly wind.  Snow flying several times AM.  Buy two bridles at Shoemaker Cr. 3.25  Start out to Gaines 10 AM  taking them and old harnesses repaired  Jo shucking.  Get home 12.30 P.M.  Warren and Simon brings up two loads of corn.  Own in crib 31 bush other sold to Rickter 28 bu @ .30  $8.40  use check in pocket.  Their Simon's corn is not going to  time out as well as expected.  May make 50 to the a(?)  Tue feeling badly.  Lillie does not satisfy her.  Pay up Abbott for work 2.25   in full.  Light  rain about dark  Mostly cloudy day.  Went up after supper for shave.  Frank May got sick before finishing.  Driving ran.  Roads good.  B.C. better price.  Gobed 9.30  P.M.  Pay up Mountjoy at night

11.  Sunday.  6.15 A.M.  Ther 30.  42.  32  =  36.

Cloudy, N.W. wind.  have five loads corn from Simon's in crib about 160 bu. One sold A. Richter 28 bu.  also 17 bu first load = 205 fr. ranch.  Mort Grove and sister Mm. Wilson called about noon  Find Ferd here most of the day.  He and Tue went down to HG after dinner.  Took Ferd home from there and back after Tue.  Garrett  Wall in town,has been west. Mostly cloudy day  Snow flying in AM.  Marie and Lillie make taffy.  Gobed 9 P.M.

Shorthand on the top of the nest page.

12.  Monday. 5.30, A.M.  Ther.  25.  50.  40.  =  381/3

Clear heavy white frost.  Southerly wind.  Haven't had letter from Phebe for long time.  Pay  Wilton & Tittaltion bal 21.65 check.  I figure the rent on room to June 20 some 4.25 more than they did.  Lillie Beck talking of leaving for Washington State sometime this month.  Went out to Gaines PM getting there about 3.30 P.M.  Jo has shucked eleven  loads since settlement.  About 406  bushels.  Thinks he has a week work left on it yet.  Get home 6.   Mrs. Grove over after supper.  Mostly clear day NW wind.  Gobed 9 P.M.

13.  Tuesday.  5.30  A.M.  Ther  38.  50.  27.  =  38 1/3
Mostly cloudy SW wind.  Pay Benkely & Tooke Ins. on store 10.40  Try to find woman to wash but didn't.  Went over to see Mrs.Balch  towards night.   Mrs. Knock over P.M.  Says is going south and will sell most of her stuff   Mostly cloudy day growing colder PM. wind getting to N.W.  We cover up potatoes at night in old house.  Self not feeling very well  Gobed 9 P.M.

14.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther 16.  40.  32.  =  29 1/3
Clear. NW.  Mrs. Owens sends two women here to wash AM  Tue gets long letter form Phebe first in sometime get check from JO Linder for 406 40/70 bu corn all up to Monday night of Gaines' corn.  Get dictionary for Flora Gaines.  Clear AM but cloudy toward night.  Charley Pinstel says will come and put a new pipe on furnace at 7 AM tomorrow.  Mrs. Grove over at night  Gobed 9 P.M.

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.