April 11-30, 1890 (HIGHLIGHTS)

April 1890

11.  Friday.  

Start for Ranch by Handly Ford.  Have been clearing W. Decker Ridge.  Stay with them P.M.  They are doing it extra well.

12.  Saturday,

Red Sow had pigs last night. Goat chewed up rig seat last night.

13.  Sunday.

Lombard Plum in full bloom.  Tue to P Ch to meeting AM.  Drove with Maggie and Phebe out to Mrs. Lowes Woods AM.  Drive with Tue and baby out to Uncle John's after dinner getting home before dark.

14.  Monday. 

 Wright stakes raspberries.  Bert here to dinner  Hat was down after dinner.

  she and Tue went over to Knocks.  The elections tomorrow creates  good deal of interest.

15.  Tuesday

Work all day on election board.  Nick and H go fishing.  The democrats carried all the wards but 1st by large maj.

16.  Wednesday.  

Have mares shoes taken off.  Hymen and Friecberg in town.   The election yesterday resulted democratic 1st Ward Baker R 15 over Will Miles  2 C. W. Roberts D 88 over Gro Ginters  3 Noa Moore 147 over Alex Biggs R  4th R Cadle D 33 over FK Dunn   D Dod? 177 over M.W. Robbins R. total vote on Alderman 1st 194.  2d  212.  3rd  315.  4th  227.  Total 948  The  The  Dem alderman are supposed to be in favor of license.  

17.  Thursday

18.  Friday.  

Talk timber with Comer till about noon.  He offers to log and saw it up at $7.50 per M. Scribnar scale.  He will set mill just above Handlys wheat field in S. Hollow.  Tues red sow had five pigs last week and the McKee sow 8 on Apl 16th and I found black sow with 3 in hollow before starting home.

19.  Saturday

20. Sunday.

 Almond and sherries in bloom.  Dandelions coming out.  Maunie Lang here good part of day as usual.  

21.  Monday.

Crass opens clogged sewer from W.C. and begins on ditch for water works to barn yard.  Crass works at water works Fatty puts in pipe P.M.  Tue and Hat went calling P.M.  Tue buys new pair shoes at Mitchells 3.50 CA.  

22.  Tuesday.

Crass works at water works  Fatty puts in pipe P.M.    P.M. Tue and Hat went calling P.M.  Trade fair Court in session.

22.  Tuesday.

23.  Wednesday.  Comer has moved his mill.

24.  Thursday

Ranch  count sheep and lambs  70 sheep  65 lambs one of which came this morning.  Bill Kelly very sick and they think he wont get well.  

25.  Friday  

Court in session Grand Jury adjourned Tuesday without finding any indictments against liquor men.  Jo Laudes  had damage suit against him by Mrs. Woodrum  The jury have been out a day or two still out.

26.  Saturday

Comer in town.  Settle in full with him.  Make kick about terms ib which he is to saw timber.  Didn't come to any  understanding  Uncle John in town P.M.    Jo Lander jury came out with sealed verdict.  River said to be rising fast.  

27.  Sunday.

Planted  50 sprouted peach pits in garden.  Great blow at dinner about nothing.  Tue and children  went to P Church.  Learn that Bill Kelly is not expected to live.

28.  Monday.  7 AM

Comer called about  9 AM and we agree to go to work at timber.  Mrs. Woodrum  got a verdict against Jo Laudes for 195.00 damages for the killing of her husband by Skelly.  Rip Clark and Ira Brooks had trouble at Pentacost Meeting Tonight.

29.  Tuesday

Bill Kelly still alive but very low.  Old Mrs. Davis has been sick a long time and does not get any better.  Skelly trial in progress.

30.  Wednesday

At Ranch.   Separate rams from ewes.

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.

November 24-30, 1889 in Coles County, Illinois

November 1889

24.  Sunday.  7.30  AM.  Ther 51  49.  37  =  43 2/3

Mostly cloudy, NW wind and growing colder raining at 10 AM.  Clearing in P.M. after dinner start to ranch getting there about dark  Dark and cloudy day sprinkle rains of the time.  Go bed at Milts at 9 P.M.  River road not so bad as expected went round by Jo Handlys

25.  Monday. 6 AM  Ther.  33.  43.  33.  =  36 1/3

Mostly clear day wind N or NW.  Milt and self ring old pigs.  Make gate for barn door and work on stairs.  Broke brace and could not hang gate.  Frank took scraper home but too late start.  Gobed 9 pm by load corn of Jim Decker

26.  Tuesday 5.45 AM.  Ther  33  35  35  = 34 1/3

Cloudy with E. wind.  Pick out 6  old sheep and put in pen  Make trough for them.  Began to sleet about9 AM.  Start for home before 10 AM. snow and rain all way on road.  Raining fast when got home about noon.  H.G. arrived yesterday PM from hunting trip having been gone since Nov 5 with very poor success at hunting.  Rain all PM and in night-  Pay R. J. Stuckey note and int $287.59   Conclude to quit chewing tobacco which have been using since Aug.  Gobed 10.30 PM~

27.  Wednesday 7 AM.  Ther  35  35  34  =  34 2/3

Cloudy and snowing about an inch fell which soon went  off.  Milt Drake was up horseback and started home 10 PM.  The river is said to be up swimming deep.  The Stanberry trial did not come up  Court adjourned at noon till after Thanksgiving  Trade pretty good.  Quit  chewing tobacco and began again.  Dark cloudy day with NW wind and snow flying most of time  Gobed 11.30 PM.

28.  Thursday.  7.15   Ther  14.  25.  20  =  23.

Thanksgiving.  Cloudy and snowing strong.  W. wind about 1 in. of snow on ground.  Start Tom and Jim at store  We have roast chicken for dinner no company.  Maggie ate dinner at Lattas  Most of stores closed in afternoon.  Banks and PO closed nearly all day.  Pay John McKee 1.55 on Lem McKee for sawing and split a cord of wood  Mostly Cloudy day with NW wind and light snow.  Brown and Stack drummers here.  Bought  some venison at Bill Myers at night.  Trade rather quiet  

Gobed 12.15

29.  Friday, 7 AM. Ther  10.  22.  20  =  17 1/3

Clear.  Father got up at 4.20  Maggie went to school house with Miss Vaughn.  Brown still here.  Had Venison for dinner  Clear day and coldest so far.  Trade fair.  Had to get stove delivered        up at store.  Not many country people in town  Self not feeling very well - tobacco.  go bed

30.  Saturday  7 AM.  Ther  10.  35.  28  +  24 1/3

Mostly clear day variable wind.  Milt Drake did not make his appearance.  Think must be about offered.  Paid Jim Decker for 16 1/2 bu. corn Also bought load same size of Warren to be delivered next week.  Julia Wood trial on,  jury retire about 9 P.M. but did not return verdict  self to bed time?  Pay Kelly order on FM Crony for 3.00   Trade not very good  Roads reported very rough and river unforetable (sic) settle in full with M Corner.  S wind at night  Gobed 11 PM~ Hat down to supper. 

 Average Ther for Nov 39  highest 1.65 low 29.10 extreme range 55

March 5 - 8, 1914 and 1889 in Charleston, IL

1914

Note:  March 5-6 are missing.

7.  Saturday  6.30  AM.  Ther.  34.  40.  32.  = 35 1/3

Cloudy W.2.  Snowing.  Clean out Furnace grate and fill up.  Fire will hardly burn today.  Alfred came before dinner with friend to do chores.  Will return Monday eve.  We are trying  to eat up all our scraps:  it is an interesting job.  They are about gone.  Mrs. Jo Curd called 2 P.M.  They are going to give Hat a surprise on her birthday which occurs on 12th next.  Learn that Geo Kreig died yesterday.  The funeral will be at Mattoon.  Mrs. Brooks wants Tue  to go with her.  Most cloudy with snow flurries much of time.  Wind west to north.  Tue went over to library 8 P.M.  Gobed 9

8.  Sunday,  6.30  Am.  Ther.  28.  36.  32.  = 32.
Cloudy NW.2.  I feel pretty badly this morning.  Tue decides to not go to  funeral with Mrs. Brooks and goes to church 10.30 AM.  Snow flying most of day but it did not amount to much.  We neglect to get any meat yesterday and got along very well without.  Tue went to Grove's at night till after 9 cloudy day moderate NW wind  Gobed 9.30

1889

5.  Tuesday  6.30  AM  tjer 34.  49.  38 = 40 1/3

Cloudy and snow flying, wind N.  Jim Campbell cleared out stable and carriage house.  Will come tomorrow morning to build a pig pen.  Got 3 hens and a rooster at Wrights.  Get letter from WH White saying will want (?) ties by May.  Wrote him would put them out by June 1.  Phebe has caught a bad cold but went to school.  Pleasant day, N wind.  Gobed 9.45 PM.  paid personal taxes to M (?) $17.44

6.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther.  30.  53.  42.  = 41 2/3

Clear.  White frost, wind, N.  Jim Campbell works all day.  Made pig pen and hot bed dug parsnips, &c.   turned old cow  in road first time since last fall.trimmed trees and vines got two more hens of Wright 63 cts. on Cr.  Look over a/c of Sam Roys owe him bal. of 98.85.  Mrs. Brown called about noon brought in  a pt. of maple syrup.  Warren Decker here paid him 570  Very pleasant but somewhat  chilly northerly wind got letter form Bethesda  they have not  shipped the water ordered.  Go bed 9.45 ~~

7.  Thursday 5.30 AM  Ther.  34.  46.  39. = 39 2/3

Clear, light frost N. wind.  Train grape vines and most of raspberries.  H.G. thinks will be licensed.  They are petitioning council for vote on it.  Old cow failed to come up tonight, also one hen missing.  Discover that Perrill has been digging with a (?) on my land.  Gobed 9 PM  Partly cloudy day N. wind.

8.  Friday.  6 AM.  Ther.  32.  32.  29. = 31

Cloudy was  clear early, wind westerly.  Cow not home yet has probably started out to country.  Uncle John was in to dinner, he had not seen cow. Says  Cer(?) is going to saw for Snider.   Got letter from White saying he can have bill of S ties if can deliver them by May 30.  Tue went to high school with Minnie Knock in P.M.  Sold load of wood half cd. to colored barber some to Alex Fisher.  Father learned  at night that Haddock boy who has been caught stealing  chickens recently and was to be sent  to reform school hung himself in jail.  Cold cloudy day.  Snow flying most of the time.  gobed 9.30 PM.

January 3, 1914 and 1889 in Charleston, Illinois

January 3, 1914

3.  Saturday.  6.30 AM.  Ther.  34.  34.  30.  =  32 2/3

Cloudy. NW. 2. T.W.P.  I am very nervous to  today think quitting chewing.  Tue  has recently (this week).  put small stove in E. Chamber and they sew up there a good deal.  Cloudy day with fresh NW. wind.   I didn't go up town.  Tue went up late P.M. for grub also get book for me at library Bride of L.  Light snow flurrying in night.  Gobed 9 P.M.

January 4, 1889

3.  Thursday 6 AM.  Ther.  28. 49.  35.

Clear westerly wind Special election today  for  State Senator  (I) acted as clerk on the board in this precinct  Monroe got got 40 maj. in this precinct and 78 in township.  I came (?) to dinner and supper.  Got done before 10 PM.  Uncle John brought in 3 pigs which he put in the corn crib.  Pleasant day S. wind.  Gobed 10.30 PM. 

Charleston, Illinois on October 15,1887

15, Saturday,  6.45  A.M.  Ther.  40.  63.  50.   White Frost
Clear N.E.  Walk down to  (?) Depot to see about pay for lumber.  Stop at gas well while.  Went up to new school house.  The walls are about completed and they are putting up rafters. Easton & Decker finish up pile of wood on yard.  Uncle John in P.M.  Let him have old watch to trade for pigs.  Comer was in, wants me  to carry cost of switch ties till pay day but can't do it.  Pleasant day with S.W. wind.  Buy veal  and sausage at Mountjoy, 35c  Gobed 9.30 P.M.