December 2 - 9, 1887 in Charleston, IL

December 1887

2.  Tuesday 7.30 AM.  Ther. 23  34  27  Mostly clear with SE wind  Brownfield helps pile boards AM Saws up pile of white oak P.M.  Jo H brought up load of ties.  Warren finishes Lattas wood, in all  5 3/4 cord.  Uncle John was down in morning to get me to compute interest on notes.   Jo H. took out tile for stove flue for house  I pile  boards till nearly 4 P.M.    H.G. went home sick about 4 and did not come back.  Bill Durham of Hot Springs Ark went back today has been here two or three days  Part cloudy day with SE wind gobed 12.30

3.   Wednesday.  7 AM.  Ther  21.  24.  23.

Mostly clear wind N.W.  HG opened store and went home to stay.  Nick and self get along very well  Warren hauls load of wood which sell to Charley Marshall.  Man from Hutton came for 1200 boards  Jo H brings up 1,500.  This makes 7000  I owe him for hauling  Mostly cloudy day with NW wind and freezing all day. Gobed midnight

4. Thursday.  7 AM.  Ther  12.  27.  27.

Mostly cloudy S.E. wind appearances of  snow.  H.G. failed to open up this morning but was on hand during day.  Bought pair gloves and order pair of pants made at Winters @8.00.  Warren Decker brought load wood which sell to Brownfield  Cloudy day southerly wind.  Trade dull  H.G. had few words  with drunken man before supper  Gobed 12.30.  

5.  Friday, 7 AM.  Ther.  20.  38.  30.

Mostly clear but clouds over and mostly cloudy day.   wind variable.  Warren brings up load of wood on yard.  Jim Pugh makes frow.  60 c.  Buy ax handle of Drury  Trade quiet Gobed 12

6.  Saturday.  7 AM.  Ther  28.  39.  26

Part cloudy.  wind N.  Manifold comes early to clean out cistern.  charges 75 c.  Latta pays $17.25 for  5 3/4 cord wood  Settle with Rile and John for lab date but not fr ties  Warren brought  another load of wood which put in barn yard.  Jo H. brought 1500 boards settle with him in full for 27 ties hauled and 8500 boards @100 per (?).  Trade fair.  Mostly clear day with raw north wind  gobed  1 AM

7.  Sunday.  8 AM.  Ther.  21.  27.  20.

Partly cloudy.  Strong NE wind all day.  Girls went to S.S.  cloudy all day exempt early AM.  I started for ranch about 4 PM. getting there after dark cold ride strong NE wind.  Began to snow pretty fast about 7 P.M. and continued till in the night. blowing through roof and melting very dissagreable (sic.).  Gobed 830 P.M. about 3 in snow on dry yard  John Hughes was found dead in bed this morning.

8.  Monday.  6 AM.  Ther  10.  27.  14

Mostly clear with N. wind becoming NW.  John and Warren bring small load of boards at of river bottoms to use on house.  I got ready to go to Diona but thought too cold.  John shaves shingles PM and I started home about 3 P.M. clear day with NW wind gobed  1 AM 9th  Baby about sick with earache.

9.  Tuesday 7.30 AM  Ther 10. 32. 30.

Cloudy.  H.G. went hunting rabbits and shot his dog Jip.  He got back early P.M.  He got back early P.M.  Warren brought up half cord which put in barn yard.  He says Simons expected to begin on house roof today.  After  dinner walked down to RR find 111 ties 4 of them being crossed.  Wrote card to Alburyd in regard in regard to these cloudy day clears off at night SW wind  Gobed 1230

January 22-26, 1889 in Charleston, ILL

January 1889

22.  Tuesday.  6.30  AM.  Ther.  27.  43.  37.

Clear, fresh S. Wind.  Felt badly all night and didn't sleep well.  Tue and girls went to Dowlings about 10 AM.  Not feeling very well myself went up town  about noon getting some eggs and meat.  Engaged Abbott to help a while tomorrow morning.  Clear day with south wind.  Gobed 9 PM

23.  Wednesday.  6 AM.  Ther.  31.  50.  40.

Clear.  Abbott came before 8 AM. and work all day cleared out stable and picked up  old lumber and worked into wood.  Got horse shoes set and sharpened up in front.  Clear  most of day and very muddy.  Mrs. Brown called bringing Bubs first report on ties being up to last Friday.    Kink had in woods 180. W & B  310.  has gone to work himself with Riley Decker and others.  Go bed 10 P.M.

24.  Thursday. 6AM.  Ther.  31.  48.  33.

Mostly clear with N. wind slightly foggy or hazy but clouds up and mostly cloudy day.  I started on horseback for timber at 9 AM. arriving at Bob's at 1 P.M.  Found things at the tie job rather mixed.  Decide to quit making soon as I got a thousand and tell Woodrum & Byrn to stop tomorrow.  Went home with Bob about  sunset, went to bed about 10 PM.

25.  Friday, 6.30 AM.  Ther.  24.  50.  37.

Clear white frost after breakfast.  After breakfast Bob and I went over and counted W & B ties.  They are nearly too large and many of them rough.  Recd 160, culling only four.  Ought to have thrown out 20 or 30 of them.  Kirk reports  in all in the woods 201.  Bob and Riley D. have made 32  Will let Bob and Kirk work a while on south end of timber till I get a thousand out.  Bob is not very well and is hardly able to work .  Pleasant day and cloudy toward night.  I started home at 1.15 PM and was three hours on the road.  Children went to Chinese show.  8.30 PM.

26.  Saturday, 7 AM.  Ther.  30.  42.  30.

Nearly clear, white frost, hazy , smokey, mostly clear day.  Wind N. grows colder afternoon.  Tie men all up.  Settle with Woodrum & Bynes after some quarreling.  They pretend they are going away.  Bob sent up count of everything received by John Kink.  The whole no. recd. and in the woods now is 750.  Am afraid I will have trouble with them made by W & B.  Went up town at night to get some flour and other grub.  Lots of folks in town today.  Tue has tooth ache at night  go bed 10 PM.

April 28-29, 1888 in Charleston, IL

1888

28.  Saturday 5.45 AM.  Ther.  60.  82.  61.

Clear S. wind.  Learn that Geo Lee's wife has just died in Chicago.  Kirk and J. Rutherford bring in some old lumber, two loads.  Went down to R.R. with Kirk to see ties.  They have not unloaded yet.  Pay J. Rutherford and Jim Campbell for work done yesterday.  Uncle John was in PM.  says Bim has got home.  Thinks will stay there.  Father later sawdust from round house.  Maggie and Phebe have company P.M. Balten girls.  Gobed 9.30 P.M.

29.  Sunday 5 AM.  Ther 62.  81.  61.

Clear.  S. or SW wind.  Got  up early and jar plum tree for curculio for first time.  Will  try to keep them off this year.  Didn't find any today.  Have about decided to fence off back part of lot and get a cow.  Mrs. Wentz and Louise were over to dinner.  Geo Lee is very sick and not expected to live.  Geo M Cornwall wants to rent my store for the Herald office, offers but 20 per month.  Had to get stuff for E's folks  This is the last   My  U.S. license expires tomorrow.  Take the girls out to Tower's  woods  after dinner and drive round town with Tue a while.  It clouds up in afternoon and began to rain before dark.  wind N.W.  Gobed 10 PM.

Charleston, Illinois on October 14, 1887

14,  Friday,  6.30 A.M.  Ther.  35.  60.  (?)  39.  Heavy white Frost.
Clear  Jo Laudes shot  Al Latta this A.M. about 7 o'clock.  Start for timber about 8.30 with Sam Roberts to look at tie job.  Took gun but did not see any squirrels.  Mill  (?) Comer there.  We got home about 5 P.M.  paid Riley Decker this afternoon in full for wood cut by him and Johnson.  Uncle John was down to dinner today,  Buy fish of Hedrick at night - Has been clear day with  N.wind.  Most of leaves still green and on the trees.  Go bed 9.45 P.M.

Charleston, Illinois on October 13, 1887

13,     Thursday,  6.30 A.M.  Ther.  45.  62.  40.
Clear, No Frost.  Took pants down to  Lauder Shop to be altered.  Riley Decker makes a grand kick about wood which he cut.  Have decided to pay the balance balance rather than bother any more.  Write  again to Densay about Apples.  Get ready to go timber after dinner was going to vol but he has hurt his leg again`.  Roberts says he will go with us tomorrow and see about making some ties.  Drove  a while with P.M.  Go bed, 10.30 PM

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.