January 4 - 5, 1914 and 1889 in Coles county Illinois

Note to my readers:  If you are wondering about the punctuation and spelling, I am trying to transcribe it as he wrote it.  He often uses his own abbreviations and does not always use punctuation.  I do this because in some cases the rules changed  and he is writing for himself and I wish to preserve the man, Charles Gramesly, through his writings.  His word choices and spelling are from the time he lived in.  Catherine

January 1914

4.  Sunday.  6.30  AM.  ther.  34.  36.  34. = 34 2/3

Cloudy. N.W.4.  We had breakfast very late.  Tue attends church A.M.  I shave self am getting quite expert: think only need good tools.  Gus and John call while waiting for a car P.M.  George Boulware was buried today at Mattoon.  Dark gloomy day.  Cloudy with brisk NW wind light snow at times after 9 AM  The ground has thin covering of snow.  some which fell Christmas  It is  several weeks since we saw the sun or stars.  Go bed 10 P

5.  Monday.  6.30 AM.  Ther 30.  34.  32.  = 32

cloudy N.3.   Tue  irons good deal.  She spent evening at Grove's  Harman phones will be in soon to settle.  Will bring us piece of good beef.  Alfred chored.  All cloudy day with brisk north wind.  I had one of my spells of "congestion" after I retired and it kept me awake till after midnight.  I didn't go up town today.  Ground is covered  lightly with late snow.  Gobed 9

January 1889

4.  Friday 6 AM.  Ther 31.  49.  38.

Mostly cloudy and looks like rain.  collect months rent of Miss Kumayer and deposit 72.50  Bill Kelly cleans out stable and stops holes in fence.  Let pigs out in barn lot.  Pay Wright $4.95  Dick Bails $1.50 I.B. Mitchell 4.40 Geo McNutt .75 all in full.  cloudy day with southerly wind  Gobed 9 P.M.  (?) ins. on ST. 800.00

5.  Saturday. 615 AM.  Ther 35.  39.  36.

Cloudy and damp wind N. cloudy all day.  Tom Burk paid me 5.00 on a/c  Called on Sam Cooper but got no money.  Tue  r(?) Nicholson house to old Man  Sanders for 6.00 till Mar. 1, he paid up.  H.G. and Hat were down here at night till 8 PM.  Maggie spent the night with Marnie Lang.  sold Mrs.  Turnam 50 c  worth of wood,  Interest on  (?) note paid up to Dec 31   Gobed 9 PM ~  Jim Chapman died tonight

May 20-22, 1913 in Charleston, Illinois

20.   Tuesday 5.30.  Ther.  62.  90.  68. = 73 1/3
Part cloudy.  E.3.  Hatton came before 7 AM. working all day.  Fix trellis for grapevines that formerly ran on our old house.  In P.M. he spades site of old building and will come tomorrow.  Rhoda sends word can't wash is sick.  I did  not hitch up and felt poorly all day.  John Grove married tonight.  Gus and Helen in to wedding.  Thunder and threatening 5 PM. showers round light sprinkle here.  Lightning at night and sps Fair day SE 3.  Gobed 9.30

21.  Wednesday 5.15. AM.  Ther.  66.  86.  60. = 70 2/3
Mostly cloudy,  S.3.  Only trace of rain last night.  Bill worked AM. and pay him up $3.75 for 25th today.  I  drove up town AM get linseed oil at Payne's.  Stop and talk with Jake Daisy.  He has been sick in bed.  Mrs. Sparks washes for Tue and works at other jobs P.M. all day pay ck. 1.50.  I have felt worse than usual all day.  Mostly cloudy all day and thunder at times.  Sprinkles several times P.M. and cooler.  Tue got pretty tired today and retires earlier than usual 9.

22.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther.   54.  64.  54.  = 57 1/3
Most cloudy N.3.  Tue ironed AM.  I did not hitch up till noon.  Somewhat threatening at times but no rain; hear reports of shower around yesterday.  Drove up town toward night for bushel oats.  Cloudy chilly day cloudy with fresh NW wind.  No rain.  It is very dry with no prospect of rain.  Gobed. 9.30  E. Meter read 806.000 1.41 cm

March 22-24, 1888 in Charleston, Illinois

1888

22.  Thursday 6.30 AM.  Ther  8.  22.  21.

Clear.  Violent NW wind all night cold night and froze up waterworks and pump in kitchen.  Rec. seeds from store H.G. remains at house all day.  Clear day , strong N.W. wind moderates a little toward night. Sell Mrs. Turman 50c. woods.  Kate Davis was over toward night.  Maggie and Phebe were over to Davis' in evening.  sat up till nearly midnight not feeling well.  11.30

23.  Friday.  6.30 A.M.  Ther.  26.  42  36.

Cloudy, SE wind.  Mrs. Rogers washes.  Snow and rain lightly several times during day, but clear and  bright in afternoon.  Sam Leitch came down to see about fencing.  Tell him will let him know tomorrow.  He advises me to run for  assessor or collector.  Send to Stern and Harrison for some cherry trees and grape vines.  Gobed 9.30 PM  

24.   Saturday.  6.15 AM.  Ther.  32.  32.  32.

Cloudy, E. wind.  Intended to go to timber today but it looked too much like rain.  Fine mist in morning getting heavier and turning to rain after noon.    Rained all day P.M. and probably all night freezing  as it fell.  Uncle John was down to dinner.  Sold him some lumber $4.20.  Went to Republican convention nominating  delegates to  Co Covention.  Dem Tp Convention  P.M.  Comer thinks his chances are good for collector.  Tue irons and gets about sick.  H.G. takes last of liquor at store.  J. Ria  pays for Cambell's wood.  Caylor paid me 2.50 for wood sold.  Have only abt. 3 1/2 cords left.  Sat up till 12.30.

March 15, 1913 and 1888 in Charleston, Illinois

1913

15.  Saturday.  5 A.M.   Ther.  32.  38.  24.  = 31 1/3

Clear early S.W. 4   There was high southerly wind all night.  Tue ironing.  Snow furies AM  Tue continues ironing.  Mr. Law talked an hour or two with us in the sitting room P.M.  Mrs. Knock calls late P.M.  Cloudy all day after sunrise and growing colder. Weather man promises a sever cold wave tonight strong westerly wind all day and takes pines.  I got up early to get  furnace straightened out grate clogged with slate from the coal. (Linton Large nut) now.  Weather freezing by 4 P.M.  Very light snow squalls all P.M. and at night nearly covering the ground.  Strong westerly wind all day.  A hard  day to keep up fires.  The furnace does not leak bad as it did.  Tue went to Mrs. Brooks late P.M. taking fern.  Self not feeling well.  Gobed 9.30

1888

15.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther.  28.  52.  44.

Clear wind. S.  There were two cows in Easter's lot all night.  Rubin Rutherford and brother call also Bruce Myers.  Tue  spent day at Perriells and the girls went over there to dinner.  I grafted some quackenbou with plums on the hillside.  Plant Tomatos pepper, lettuce and radish in hot bed.  found Carlo dead on back part of lot probably poisoned.  Tue and I sat up till 11.30 trying to figure out list of plants and trees, has been  pleasant day with SW wind go bed  11.30  P.M.

March 6, 1913 and 1888 in Charleston, IL

1913

6.  Thursday.  6 AM.  Ther.  14.  26.  22.  =20 2/3

Most Clear.  NW.3.  Icy.  Little snow.  The ground is not covered.  Tue ironing A.M. and up town and at Hats P.M.  Hat has sold her piano to McCall.  Mostly clear moderate N.W. wind.  Snow flurries AM.  Tue went uptown P.M. for grub and change.  Mr. Law getting better slowly.  Pay phone bill for Feb. 1.50.  Tue went over to Groves at night until 9.30.  Dogs are still being poisoned  Dr. Kinkead lost cow by poison.  Gobed 10 P.M.

1888

Fertilizer from Harris recd.

6.  Tuesday ~ 7 AM.  Ther.  20.  34.  28.

Cloudy and light snow flying  wind light northerly  Tue got up and made fire.  Self not feeling very well  Mrs. Perrill called while in morning.  Ollie Rosebraugh has been very sick for several days, but better today.  Seph hauls me three loads of manure and takes some lumber down to Nick place, also delivers load of wood to Brackett.  Takes pay in wood.  Zay Johnston speaks to me about Stevens note.  Learn that Dan Vansickle has sold the pony which he wanted to sell me.   Snider's hired girl  called P.M. says he is keeping "back" now with his children.  Tue went uptown P.M.  Pleasant day but chilly.  N.W. wind.  11P.M.

February 15-18, 1913 in Charleston, IL

15.  Saturday.  6 AM.  Ther. 34.  52.  42.  = 42 2/3
Part cloudy, red clouds. S.3.  Tue irons most of AM. and Keeps on.  I sort out old junk in shed and clean off mare AM. John Simon calls after dinner reporting everything all right at ranch.  One King from Diona called PM wanting to cut some  poles , I refused.  Phoned J.E.W. morn for same. Hitch up before  Ray came and he went with me to Interurban fore for Bill in same.  Stopping at P.O., coming home.I got letter from Phebe she was yet in Chicago at Gages 12th inst.  Later I drove out to Huffmans returning S.road.  It is not as muddy as I supposed.  They have been erecting frame for big water tank opposite Interurban on Monroe street since I was down that way Jan. 30.  Ray rode to Division with me.  Tue went up town after I got home about 6 P.M.  Several dogs have been poisoned in neighborhood lately.  The roads not so bad as supposed.  I get Andrews bill today it is much larger than had expected.  It includes all at farm.  Roof rc for barn and roof and stripping for BC shed also current and lumber for Extension WC SW corner of house and repairs  on Loxa house.  Mostly clear till P.M. wind got NW and cloudy.  Papers predict cold wave.  The snow is gone except patches on North hillsides.  Go bed 9 P.M.

16. sunday. 7 A.M.  Ther.  30.  50.  44. = 41 1/3
cloudy N.2.  Tue retired latae last night leaving cellar lights on  they burn till 7.30 AM.  Tue slept till nearly 9 oc.  She attended church with Mrs. Brooks AM.  Getting paper which is now 5 cts. instead of 6 as formerly for a year or two past.  She went calling with Mrs. Brooks P.M.  I wait for Ray to come to help hitch up but did it self before he arrived.  I drive SW Keeping pave and gravel till turn E. OakRidge SH.  Chilly driving roads generally muddy wind getting in S. clouds up.  I got home 5.30 Tue later.  Tue writing Marie tonight.  The lights were all out for a while about 9.  Mostly clear, varible winds light rain 9 P.M. and later.  Gobed.9.

17.  Monday. 6.30 AM. Ther.  34. 54.  40. = 42 2/3
Clear. N.1.  Lt. wh. fr.  The rain last night (.10) thin ice.  Tue still writing to Buddy and sends package by Parcel this morning.  Tue  over to Bells P.M.  Mrs. Grove called 2 P.M.  Public service Co have been cutting their useless poles today on 6th St.  The city taxes every pole standing.  I hitch up about 4 P. Drove E. on  Westfield road a mile.  They have been scraping it.  The roads are worse than yest.  Met J.E.M. near Crums store.  Clear Day light variable winds becoming southeasterly at night.  Gobed 9.P.
NOTE:  This was Marie's, my Grandmother,birthday.  She was 26.  CMS

18.  Tuesday.   6.30. AM.  ther.  36.  62.52. = 50
Clear S.E.3.  There was strong southeasterly wind all night.  One of young men (Lee) roomers thinks has measles and keeps his bed A.M.  Tue prepariing for R.C. Function at Jo Reats this P.M.  I hitch up 11 A.M.  Find the terrapins in box since last Aug. doing well.  Supposed they were dead.  Lee finds he has Measles and goes home with friend to recover P.M.

Charleston, Illinois on October 1, 1887

October, Hilt & Co brake window which I had to patch up at night.
1887   Saturday 6.15 AM.  Ther 57.  72.  53.
1 Cloudy.  Rec. letter from GC Glasarion Pekin.  I'll Buy 1/2 bu potatos & Vinegar WE Hill.  Uncle John in town P.M.  JS. Roberts thinks will make up cull timber with ties and will look at it tomorrow.  Tue's cold gets worse.  She finished ironing and was about sick at night.  Mrs. Comer was in town, does not think Mort any better than he was a week ago.  Give her ten dollars for Mort which is first since settlement last Tuesday.  Go bed.  9 P.M.

September 28, 1912 in Charleston, Illinois

28,  Saturday, 6 AM.  ther.  42.  72.  56. = 57 1/3
Clear, S.E.2.  Harman phones A.M. that finished putting B.C. in shed 3 P.m. yest.  Tue feeling better and does her ironing which has been neglected  for several days.  Got letter form Buddy A.M. reports all well.  Nothing more from Muggs.  Mort called P.M. to figure on W.C. and will begin Monday.  Mostly clear wind becomes N.1. P.M. and cooler.  I got  bu. oats at I.B.'s at  night 4 oc.  Learn that Emmett Fritz is work on Clover R.R. section.  Go bed 9 P.M.

September 27, 1887 in Charleston, Illinois

27, Tuesday,  7 AM  Ther.  57.  62.  59.
Cloudy, Rain most of the day about as yesterday.  Learn that H.G. has gone to St. Louis intended to go myself.  Said to be immense crowd there.  Get sack Punles(?) flour at Hill $1.00.  Draw off lot of a/c in PM.  Tue irons some and intends to do it all this week.  Write another letter to H.C. Denary asking about friends at Geneva.  Gobed 9 PM.