March 4-8, 1901 in Coles County Illinois

March 1901

4.  Monday, 5.30 AM  Ther.  36.  49.  26.  =  37
Partly clear southwest wind but clouds over.  Clara got up about 4 A.M. to wash.  Ground slightly frozen on surface this morning.  Tue trying to work, but not able to, but feeling much better.  Wind whips round to north about noon and grows colder all P.M. snowing lightly with high N. or N.E. wind.  Intended to go to Loxa but will wait for warmer day.  Tue over at Grove's at night.  Self been chewing some since yesterday.  Coal and wood both getting low and can't stand many days such weather.  Gobed  9.30 PM      about 1/4 inch of snowfall.

Top of page:  Thursday Mar 7.  McPherson paid me 10.00  Dec. 23 1900 and 15.00 today give him Rec. for $25.00 for both.

5.  Tuesday,  5.30 AM.  Ther  12.  21.  8. = 13 2/3
Clear mostly with strong N.W. wind  One of the worst days this winter.  ? matters to keep house warm a few days more it will exhaust all our fuel.  Self feel badly all day.  chewing tobacco which decides to quit.  Clara ironing.  Her brother Russel came P.M. staying all night.  The family except for Clara start for Indiana tomorrow   Strong NW wind all day sun shines and snow squalls  Gobed 10 P.M.

6.  Wednesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  8.  33.  25.  =  22 2/3
Clear westerly wind, Clara went to train to see her folks off about noon.  Learn that Mr. Shortess' father has just died.  Courier states that J.W. Gaines and wife were in town.  Set word to Jacob Trobaugh to come tomorrow.  I was feeling badly all day  sleepy.  Perhaps from quitting tobacco yesterday.  Go bed soon as got through supper.  Mort and Kate over at night.  Clear day, westerly wind.  Gobed 7.30 PM.

7.  Thursday.  5.30 AM.  Ther  25.  50.  40. = 38 1/3
Clear S.W. wind.  Jack cleans out ashes &c.  AM. pay him all 40 (ink smudge).  Thought to go out to Gaines' before noon but get to talking to with Evans and Pinnell and others.  Start about there 2 P.M. find Jo laying a/c of grip, his wife still down with toothache.  Took their clock out.  Jo has finished burning hedge trimmings.  He rode to Loxa with me and will drive cow to Newby's in morn to dehorn.  Van Heu wants to sell me his team. McPheron pays 15.00 give him receipt for 25.00.  He still owes 26.85 to Mar 15.  John Gaines and wife still at Jo's.  I get home before dark.  Mostly clear southwind.  Cards at night - Tue Marie and Clara  Gobed  10.30 PM

Shorthand at top of page

8.  Friday.  5.30 AM.  Ther  38.  54.  51.  =  47 2/3
Cloudy southerly wind.  Clara scrubs front porch AM.  Went up to Lietchs office for Gaine's.  Doc gone to Loxa getting back 2 P.M.   John and wife likely to be there till 16th.   I drove out to place finding Jo had not been able to drive cow to Newbys.  He will try her again tomorrow.  Tue feeling badly but went to R.C. at Pophams P.M.  I got home 6.  Mort and Kate over at night, first time in good while.  Cloudy day with southerly wind  Light rain at night.  Roads pretty good P.M.  Self not very well chewing tob. again  Gobed 10 P.M.

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

October 25-27, 1889 and 1900 in Charleston, IL

October 1889

25.  Friday.  6 AM.   Ther  53.  57.  54.  =  44 2/3

Cloudy and  Damp, wind N.E got a lot of things for Milt and Jo Handly  Start at 9 getting  then before noon.  Milt hauling logs Warren helps in PM.  Henry and Frank saw lot of logs for  long posts.  Begins to rain fine before 10 AM. and kept it up  all day.  Mort began sawing logs.  Tom Spurgen started hauling in P.M.  Wind fresh from NE  Gobed 10 P.M.

26.  Saturday 6 AM.  Ther at C.  47.  45.  43 = 45

Cloudy N. wind Old Mare lost her colt last night and Milt buried it.  She has not been well for sometime and what little we have worked has seemed to hurt her.  Started for home about 8  AM.  went to Wilbers on Fox Ridge, but no hay   Feed of all kinds is scarce on east side in the thin sod diet.  Warren and Milt want to 'work' on logs.  Got home about 11 AM.  Cold damp day.  Trade duller than usual  Mrs. Clark and Hat here at night.  Gobed 11 PM.

27.  Sunday.  6.30 AM.  Ther   44.47.  44.  =  44 1/3

Cloudy NW wind.  Tue and self went to ranch got there about noon  Ate dinner by burning  brush heap.  Warren and Geo Martin there  went by  Walkers and back by Pophams  Popham will sell me a stack of hay  Can get straw of  Jim Cassady.  Cloudy  all day and chilly  Got can oysters at night at Shenens.  Roads nearly dry some muddy places one near Mt Zion  Gobed 10 PM

October 1900

(Top of page shorthand)

25.  Thursday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  53.  78.  62  =  66.

About clear wind S.E  Had fine lot of oatmeals for breakfast from Jack Colby.  Bill Hatton still working at wood.  Drive down to H.G.'s and to Rictus Elevator  Corn 30c today, here.  Richter will sell me Hillsborough nut coal @ 2.00.  Theodore Arnold unloading car.  T.A. speaks of buying out Ira Brown.  Simone and Warren went through with loads (2) of lumber for Popham.  Pay C. Wiley Calves check $10.00  He claims mistake in my favor of $5.00 and returned $5.00.  Pay S.H. Record check for tile 18.20  Pay Binkly bill at stable for clipping horse last spring, 1.75.  Walk down 5th St. where they are putting in heating pipes.   Fifth St has been blocked for a week or so with this  business.  Girl Lillie Beck Calls AM to hire.  Order 10 to 12 tons coal of Richter, Hillsborough nut.  Democratic rally at gospel tent tonight,  was up town till 10 P.M.  (A smudge?) 30 c at Loxa.  Al Newby tells me  Jo is at work shucking  Clear day southerly wind  Gobed 10.30  

26.  Friday  6 AM.  Ther  60.   84.  62  =  68 2/3

Mostly clear.  fast load coal comes before done breakfast.  I had to shut them off on the slack.  They then claimed to screen it.   7 loads running about 1 1/2 ton to load.  Bill sawed wood all day getting done with sawing.  Took Tue  over to Reading Circle at G.B, Griffins P.M.  Maggie gets ready  and starts for Chicago on excursion starting 2.40 AM (27)  She stayed at Mrs. Blairs till train time  Many went.  Fare only two dollars.  Tue feeling badly all day.  Clear day SW wind.  Repub rally at night.  I was up town till nine O's Mort and Kate over.  Tue drives down to Martha's but couldn't get her to work for her.  Monday.  Gobed 9.30 P.M.  

27.  Saturday.  5.30 AM.  Ther 60.  84.  64.  = 69 1/3.  

Heavy fog.  Calm.  Alarm of fire in night, Starrs Restaurant.  Bill worked at wood getting Kindling into cellar settle with him P.M. 6.85  He will put in the wood Monday  Simons has been shucking corn this week.  He and I went to Briggs to count up fences  Met Ira Brown and we have a sort of settlement only partially and no money paid.  Pay Simon One Dollar on hauling from pocket.  I drove out SW of town looking for mushrooms.  Found nothing but Armillaria Melleus  or something resembling it.  Pay coal oil bill $1.55  John and Warren brought up lumber part going on yard.  Gave Ira Brown book for his accounts.  Clear day light southerly wind.  Gobed 9.30 PM~~  Take Tue to  Hats after supper and went after her 8 PM  

October 16-19, 1889 and 1900 in Charleston, IL

October 1889

16.  Wednesday.  5.30 AM.  Mostly clear.  white frost.  Milt helped  about logs today with horse and we get nearly two thousand feet cut and down hills.  Milt loads wood so as to start early tomorrow .  Riley Decker and old man have been burning brush this week and have nearly finished.  Gobed 9.30 PM.

17.  Thursday, 6 AM.  Ther.                               64.=

Cloudy and signs of rain.  Decide to have Milt help today.  Cut walnut blocks and head up to house  boys cut red oak tops getting several good logs  Settle on site for  shed after dinner.  Leave Milt to put in gate posts west of house  start home about 4 PM with Frank Drake arriving about 6 P.M.  Find that Maggie has been sick all the week with  hives  Hat here to supper.  Business has been dull since I left on Monday morning.  Mostly cloudy day and warm  Gobed 10.30 PM ~ 

18.  Friday 7 AM.  Ther    60.  66.  43.  =  56 1/3

Mostly cloudy.  Milt brought up load of stove wood.  Warren finishes Coopers  8 cent and puts some on yard.  Milt took goats and kids down  He and Warren will haul logs tomorrow if they can get Comers wagon.  Drove out to Uncle John's P.M.  but didn't see him   got black pup at Shirleys  Trade dull.  Maggie had light chill, has one every day this week.   Newly had runaway at night while unharnessing.  Uncle John is building house on Hawkins place.  Fresbie doing work  go bed 10.30 PM.

19.  Saturday.  7 AM.  Ther  43.  71.   54  =  56

Clear  Pleasant day.  Maggie had a chill but lighter than yesterday.  The gang was up and paid off.   Milt hauled load of wood to Anderson and got drunk leaving stable for home at 10 P.M.   Bought  52 bushels of oats of Jo Whelan @ 26 c.  Uncle John in town after lumber.  Trade good and one of best Saturday we have had.  Kelly worked most of day at house and store  Walk round after shutting up looking for Mat think he didn't go home.  gobed 11.30 PM

October 1900

16.  Tuesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.

Cloudy northerly wind.  Went to Mattoon to see Irene about H.G. place but train too late to talk much got home 2 P.M. went out to Gaines to take rods for wagon  He has shucked  two loads today. finest.  Mrs. Owens washed A.M.  Saw Bert in Mattoon.  Tue fired Clyde Ashby A.M.  He was no count.  Buy two cords wood of Henry Newell @ 3.25  Tue about sick with her eye.  Thought of going for doctor at night  Gobed 8 P.M.

17.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther   30.  60.  42.  =  43

Clear very heavy white frost first hard frost.  Newell hauls the wood and settle with him.  J. Simons and Warren bring lumber for Weth & Hardin.  Geo Weyth pays 30.00 for bill of lumber to W.&H., all delivered in car here  Mrs. Owens irons  Tue in bed most of day and feeling very badly.    Don't milk but once per day now  Meet Emmet Balch up town AM  Gobed 8 PM

18.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther  30  70  50  =  50

Clear Easterly wind.  Look for Newell AM for more wood but didn't find him.  Tue  feeling some better today.  I drove out to  Loxa P.M.   May not at home when I get there 2 P.M.  Jo Shucking corn has two hundred bushels shucked up to tonight.  Yield hardly as good as expected  They will take it at Loxa Saturday @70lb  H.G. and Hat here at night: first time in good while  clear day and slightly warmer.  Pick lot of string beans out at Gaines.  Simons not in today  Gobed 9 PM  Pay off Winter note at First Natt. Bank 211.58 using Renes check 200.00

19.   Friday 6 AM.  Ther  40.  75.  60  =  58 1/3

Clear SE wind.  Buy another cord of wood of Newell.  Simons and Warren stop on way to Pophams with lumber.  Tue's eye better but she is still feeling very bad and wants to get a girl.  Corn selling for 30-70  Sent picture of her house to Rene in Oklahoma  Try to find some body to cut wood PM. but didn't.  Went to show at night taking Seph McClasky.  Gobed.  10.30 PM

May 12-14, 1913 in Charleston, Illinois

12.  Monday.   5.30 AM.  Ther.  44.  80.  64.  =  62 2/3
Clear S.3.  I don't know but what I am getting worse-can't get better.  I got hitched up driving up town.  Got lot of stamps . at P.O. and mail letter to H.G. Phelps with 58.50 check for buggy.  I soon drove home.  John Simons, he had just called to see Dr. Patton, called P.M. and talked a while, says has cleaned out our fence row west of him.  Tue busy most of  day cleaning in D. Room. I went up toward night and got sack of corn and bale of straw at Mitchell's.  Tue spent evening at Grove's.  Self take a B.M. pill.  Clear day fresh southwind [sic]  gobed 10

13.  Tuesday.  5.45 AM.  Ther.  58.  88.  74. = 73 1/3
part cloudy S.2. haze.  Learn that Dr. W.R. Patton died last.  Harman phones has about 35 acres corn to plant wants me to come out.  Can't do it.  Tue drawing party today alone P.M.   and drove to see Ray Bennett getting home after 6 about time Tue.  Ray will help me all forenoon if needed. Tue went over to Mrs. Curds after supper.  Part cloudy day with fresh to strong southerly wind.  Gobed 10 P.M.

14.  Wednesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  66.  90.  74.  =76 2/3
Part cloudy.  Slept fairly well but still carry pain on right side with some fever.  Rhoda wash AM and worked PM at cleaning.  Ray came  and cut wood for an hour pd. 10c.  I went up early and get shaved.  Feel unusually tough AM.  This the hottest day to date.  Mrs. Grove and Mrs. Heeb called P.M.  I drive late P.M. to country N.W.  I went north to town line W to Pophams S. to R.R. and home S. road.  Many people  planting corn -  some breaking.  The roads are very dusty.  Some clouds today.  Bureau predicts  rain not many signs here.  Mostly clear with strong southerly wind.  Tue worked most of day and went to bed early pretty tired.  Gobed 9.30

April 14, 1913 and 1888 in Charleston, Illinois

1913

14.  Monday.  5.45  AM.  Ther.  34.  62.  46.  = 47 1/3

Clear.  N.8.  White Frost.  No ice.  Ray did not come as expected and had to carry up coal ourselves.  Look over some old papers &c. A.M.  Tue went over plantsthing(sic) me what she didn't want me to do.  I got my mare 10 A.M.  but did not use her till after dinner. 1.30 P.M.   start out to settle with some of my  creditors.  Mare too foxy so don't drive near the depot.  Met Al Latta cor Div. and Madison where he has rooms.  I drove out by fairground up by John R. Hills to town there west to  Popham road then south to R.R. and home.  Most of the farmers up that way are clearing out their pastures especially buck brush.   Note  Dr. Pattons, Sodderts and Popham's.  They have cut most of trees and brush and plowed the ground.  We get another letter from tenant Oakley at Loxa needing repairs &c.  on house.  Order balehay (sic) bu oats from I.B.M. P.M.  Have had mare at Nickles service last Thursday night.  Gob 8.30

1888

14.  Saturday.  6 AM  Ther.  47.  65.  50.
Clear and  pleasant day.  Driving round 4th ward in forenoon trying to connect up hold list.    Good many in town P.M.  Bert called while eating dinner.  Pay Rutherford 1.25 PM.  W. Decker 9.45 for wood cut @ 60.  Still owe him 6.00 (?) having cut 40 3/4 cord.  Comer in wants me to come down and divide lumber.  The "Citizens" convention in 1st. ward nominate W.H. French to run against M. White Rep.   Politics talked a good deal on streets today.  Went up to French Davis office at night to take poll book.  Settle with Bill Meyers for ham bought last week.  Meyers says he will work Monday.  Talk for license a good deal mixed .  Go bed 10 PM.

March 14, 1913 and 1888 in Charleston, Illinois

1913  

14.  Friday.  6 AM.  Ther.  54.  68.  42. = 54 2/3

Clear, hazy. S.4.  There was strong S.E. or S. wind all night.  I hitch up AM.  Drive down to B.P. Andrews to see about account .  Harman phones about kitchen chimney at farm.  It must be fixed.  Tue went to R.C. at Pophams.  Monticue wants to buy bill board.  I went to Brown's for shave and haircut P.M. pd.  He cashed 5 ch for me.  Pay Ray up to last Thursday .70.  Tue went up to see Mrs. Brooks before supper.  Later she got riled and over to Groves ? where she stayed till after I went to bed.  She  is worried about  the young men.  Wants to get them out this week.  Harman did not appear.  Get letter from Mr. Oakley of Loxa calling for  fence paper &c  on house at Loxa.  Part clear day and the  warmest since Nov. 11.  It grew colder late P.M.  Sp rain 1 P.M.  Gobed 10 P.

1888

14.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther.  23.  34.  25.

Partly cloudy.   Carlo has been gone since last Saturday, we think he has been poisoned.  They have been killing dogs lately,  I sowed nitrate on strawberry bed.  Trimmed some peach trees in the AM.  Don't feel right though.  Frank McGurty was fined 85.00 and put in jail 10 days by Judge Hinley for selling whiskey without  license.  Comer was up says he has turn up getting ready to move mill.  Mrs. Perrill and Kate called toward night.  Tue working on dark blue dress for Maggie which she finishes.  Gobed 10.30 ~ clear day E. wind.