August 20-23, 1891 and 1902 in Coles County, IL

August 1891

20.  Thursday  6 AM  70  87  74 = 77

Cloudy W or SW wind  Mostly cloudy day occasional thunder shower heavy about noon damp and sultry.  

21.  Friday, 6 AM.  66  80  65 =  70'

Mostly clear N.W. wind some cooler.  Nick still remains at home  sent up word that he thought he would be able for duty next Monday.  I remain at store all day in fact have not been able to write up this record this week.  gobed 1030

22.  Saturday,  6 AM,  62.   .  60  = 

Mostly cloudy went down to RR to see Sefton about Bbl of whiskey which came last Monday with only 12 gals in it.  Walked down to tie pile count 149.  18 of them are John Whites.  Have heard from Woods once or twice this week.  Warren brought up load of 11 ties.  Chut load  70 posts  Report John Simon pull onions  Monday dig potatoes Wednesday cut sprouts other days and probably work at ties rest of the time.  Uncle John brought basket of Poocerus mushrooms which prove to be good eating.  Say at store all day.  Trade good  Hat was down to supper.  31 silk worms have began to to spin.  Had on hand in all this AM 124.  Change 23 on hillside to another limb  Part cloudy day  N wind and growing cooler.  Gobed  10 30 PM

23.  Sunday.  7 AM.  Ther 54,

Mostly cloudy.  Was sick in the night but don't lay it to mushrooms rather to watermelon eaten yesterday P.M.  Starts to ranch at 2.30 P.M. getting there before night and went over to east field boys have not made much headway sp...ding this week.  Clover looks fine.  Warren decided he can't break my wheat ground.  Had 22 BushVictor potatos [sic.] and about 25 bush onions all in barn.  Sp Rain about dark  Gobed 8 P.M.

August 1902

20.  Wednesday  830 AM.  Ther  65.  90.  67 =  74

Mostly clear.  I had sore throat keeping me awake most of night and lay in bed till long after breakfast.  Drove east of town A.M.   Get lot of young Leoiota procerus which gave to Mrs. Dr. Patton also several other kinds clitoeybi  and Trichicholoma. Very close and warm  Sold Sam Weyth 10 1x6 - Paid $1.25  I drove out to Fairground toward night getting back just in time to escape thunder shower with light rain from 5 P.M. till after dark.  Feeling very badly self today  Tue and girls sewing.  Florence Moore went away tonight.  Gobed 8.30 P.M.

21.  Thursday.  5.30  m.  Ther  62  88.  67  =  72 1/3

Mostly cloudy.  Phebe up early to go on excursion to Marion, IN.  Tue wants to allow Marie to go to Indianapolis Sunday on excursion.  Start to Gaines 9 AM.  Jo mowing weeds along branch.  I did not stay to dinner but went to Loxa calling on Mrs. Bridges for rent which didn't get.  Return Gaines through place.  Mash of corn looking well.  I didn't eat any dinner today.  Very sultry somewhat cloudy day.  Stay at Gaines till about 4 P.M.  Stop at Talbotts.  He gave me about 1/2 bush fine potatoes.  Got home before 6.  Oran Pierey rode part way too  town with me,   Took home a lot of corn beans cabbage tomatoes &c from Joe's.  Pay Jo check  18.00 on month wages.  Self feeling badly all day.  Roads good.  The rain on Monday morning was heavy at Loxa.  Met Shirley hauling BC[broom corn] for Downey  Gobed 8 PM.

22.  Friday  6 AM.  Ther  58.  84.  56.  =  66

Clear N.E. wind.  Tue had toothache all night.  Helen and Maggie got breakfast.  Phebe did not  come home last night, staid [sic] at Montgomery's.  Get Reasor to put in new  hydrant at barn which they finish 2 P.M. but pump in cellar does not work.  Tue feeling badly went back to bed in P.M.  I drove down south of town P.M. getting big lot of ?Psalliota two kinds, also a lot of puff balls.  I   left mess of PBs at Dr. Pattons.  Mrs. Patton sick.  Warm  AM but cooler and cloudy P.M.  There was a fall of 10 degrees in temperature between 1 P.M. and 2 P.M.  I went up after dark talk while with Garrison but didn't get   rent.  Gobed  9.30 PM

23. Saturday.  6.15 A.M.  Ther.  52.  80.  56  =  62 2/3

Partly cloudy.  Tue felt badly all night with tooth ache &c.  Thinks she ate too much for supper.  Fix her up some bitters after breakfast.  Drive up by  Dice's woods but didn't find any  mushrooms worth saving.  Jim Decker up and  I go on his note for 100.00 for 90 days to harvest B.C. [broom corn]  Marie and Helen went to party at Straley's at night.  I drove uptown for some grub so many buggies I couldn't tie up, so didn't stay long.  The Salvation Army are still preaching at 3rd and Monroe.  Couple fellows rode down there with me.  Partly cloudy day with easterly wind.  Jim thinks will begin cutting B.C. Monday.  Tue kept her bed all day today.  Gobed 9.30 PM

August 1-17, 1902 in Charleston HIGHLIGHTS

August 1902  

1. Friday.

Buy some tools at Yellow Store square 90  Level 70  File nails &c and start for ranch about 8 am.  John Simons grunting.  I got whip last time down  I drove  to river to water horse.  The stream is not fordable at Handley's Ford.  I go tangled up in the brush on point could hardly get out.

2. Saturday.

The Normal summer students mostly left today.  they have began moving the Maples.  Have it south about 20 feet which is near half way.

3.  Sunday 5.30 AM.  Ther  71.  96.  78.= 8812/3

Miss Celia Ford preparing too leave tomorrow  Ferd here to dinner

4.  Monday.

Miss Ford left P.M.  Maggie had visitors at night.

5.  Tuesday

[Coming home from a day at the ranch]  Had to face storm of wind and light rain for last two or three miles coming home.    The boys   Jim Riley   Steve & Ike began on shed at noon and had posts all up when I left.  Kentuckian rides with me to 5 Mile house.  Helen and Marie went to Loxa on local to stay all night

6.  Wednesday

I started for ranch about 10 AM  getting there noon time.  Boys had got their posts out of the woods and up.  They were nailing up strips and putting up plates all P.M.  Think will get rafters up tomorrow  [I get home] before dark.  Tue had been feeling bad all day and found her in bed.

At the top of page:

(6)  We decided yesterday to add another section on N. end of shed making it 42 ft instead of 35.  Jo will go to work at Shed at Loxa fixing roof and stripping.

7.  Thursday,

Tue felt badly all night and I called Dr. Patton in morning.  I  lost my  knife Tuesday and bought a new one at Yellow Front today.  I start for ranch about  10 AM.     The boys had the rafters up and were eating dinner.  They side up gables and nail on rest set of strips P.M.  B.C. looking pretty well.

[Heads home]  roads are dry but rough S. of  Five Mile.

8.  Friday.

Tue spent rather bad night and I had too go to  barn for meddy for her  Dr came 8 AM  Tue had a bad spell about 6 PM and does not feel as well as she did in morning.

9.  Saturday

Tue had Dr. Patton this morning.  

10.  Sunday

Tue got up and helped with breakfast and went back to bed and felt very badly all day.  She has symptoms of the bloody flux, otherwise I intended to go to ranch.

11. Monday

Tue feeling better, didn't have Dr. today.

12.  Tuesday

Mare doing better.

13.  Wednesday

Tue not feeling as well and did not get up.  I feel very badly all morning; think too much coffee.

Tue up today at dinner [lunch time]  Start out to Gaines 2.00 P.M. came back and started again.  Stop at Fair Grounds looking for mushrooms with Clark.  Find Lepiota Morganii lycperdons. and A cauepectuis  I got to Gaines after 4 P.M.  Jo came up while I was there is mowing weeds in corn.  The rest of the family gone hunting grapes get home 6.30  Cow got out today, Mrs. B got her.  Tue got up P.M and think is improving slowly.

14.  Thursday

Tue got up to breakfast and remained up most of day.  Self feeling badly. 

15.  Friday

My fountain pen filled by Geo. W. Hustland first time  I have used it: see June , 2. [his birthday- I can see the difference in the writing in that entry.]  Went down down to Wrightsville P.M.  Tue was up all day and feeling better.  Self felt badly all day.  Drove  up town at night.  The Salvation Army have a tent up at 3rd and Madison with big crowds at night.

16.  Saturday. 

Self feeling worse than usual than usual this morning.  Was up town at night after steak and tobacco.

17.  Sunday,  7 AM.  Ther  60 82  64  =  68 2/3

Mostly cloudy S.E. wind.  Tue kills two of her chickens for dinner.  I went out to Jim Warren for cabbage and tomatoes.  Drove up to Decker getting fine mess of Plutuis cerviness   Stop at Fair ground getting seven large puffballs.  Florence heree too dinner.  She is going too  Seattle on visit soon.  I drove P.M. down by Mat Browns place.   Find Ledpita brocenus near Parkers place and  unknown Psolliolta near Mt Zion School house.  I return by Billy Browns and M.Zion, getting home about dark.  There was light sprinkle  11 AM.  and it clouded up again P.M. with thunder all round.  Gobed 9 P.M.~

February 24- 28, 1890 in Coles County IL

February 1890

24. Monday, 7 AM  ther  44.  60.  48  =  50 2/3

Cloudy and damp, clears off  Pleasant with S W wind.  Rogers washes.  Uncle John here to dinner.  Riley Decker up.  Buy shirt at Winters.  Salvation Army in Court Yard P.M. wind N at nt (sic).  rain 6 P.M. till gobed 10.30 PM

25. Tuesday.  6.30 AM  Ther  45.  57.  44= 48 2/3  

Cloudy. fog.  Rain most of night wind SE  Some rain in forenoon wind S.  W at night and signs of growing coolest.  Intended to go to timber today but too rainy  Wes Cobble took 13 posts for Mrs. Weber and straightens up pile.  Maggie and Phebe went to show at night  Strong W wind at night.  Go bed 11 PM

26.  Wednesday  6.30 AM  Ther 29.

Cloudy NW wind  Tue not feeling very well  Start for Ranch 1.20 PM.  Green Surveyor in town and expect him to go down but could not see him.  Have in all  twenty five lambs all but two since last Saturday  Gobed 11 P.M.  John had too much fire in night too warm to sleep  John and wife up in night to look after lambs.

27.  Thursday 6 AM  Ther
At Ranch  Rile Decker over and we powder the sheep over to kill the ticks  The sheep are two or three short  John and I count but 74.  Milt reported tow dead and John three  Ring and alter pigs which count up about 24 pigs and 8 old ones.  The large white sow died this week  sow some grass seed in PM.  Three new lambs PM mist at at dark Light rain in night  Cloudy damp day grows colder in night.

28.  Friday.  6 AM.  Ther
At Ranch NW Blizzard  4 lamb twins this morning, one lamb died in house last night.  Riley comes and we work all day in barn.  at crib and manger.  I went to bed at midnight.  Mrs Swine stayed up most of the night  one of the coldest days this winter very high N.W. wind  We had to nail strips on N and W side of barn to save the lambs  Probably half an inch of snow fell this AM.