January 1
Happy New Year! Stormy early in the day. Gets fearful cold towards night_ At Libbies¹. Have oysters & just our own folks to dinner. Herm² comes for me before night. Go home with him_ stay_ Gus & Nell & Jen³ all there_
¹ Elizabeth A. Hardacker Mills, Dilla's older sister
² Herman Hardacker, her younger brother
³ Gus ?; Nell Mills is Libbie's daughter, age 15; Jen could refer to Nell's sister or Jennie Hardacker.
January 2, Thursday
Awful cold all day. can hardly keep warm Gus & Herm make "jumping Jacks" Towards night go over to Mr. Jacks stay awhile come back get awful cold_ Am real sick at my stomach. Make quite a fuss for awhile_
January 3, Friday
Cold yet but not quite so bad. Herm takes me up to Frank Mills stay all day & night
January 4, Saturday
Cold yet. Frank takes me to Lutes¹_ They have Clover Hullers² there_ I get postal from Miss Gifford that school will not begin until the 13 & then in new school house. Am very glad of it_
¹ Luther Byron Mills, Libbie's husband.
² Clover was an important hay crop and the clover huller is a type of threshing machine which removes the clover seeds for planting.
January 13, Monday
Go to school. Begin in new house have twenty six. Workmen around yet. The rooms so large and well ventilated_ Things goes off quite well today Am at Mr Cooleys
January 14, Tuesday
Pleasant Go to school
January 18, Saturday
Move over to Mrs. James Gates have room up stairs Only three in family Mr. Gates away from home considerable Gracie 8 years old
January 24, Friday
School There is to be an entertainment at [Lawrence] College. Miss G & I talk of going_ Coming home see Mrs. Verity she wants me to go home with her_ I say yes & go_ The roads good, nice wheeling
January 25, Saturday
Have breakfast_ sick headache. go to bed awhile get up have lunch Ema & I go to Mr. Bogans I act like old [?arry]_ about four give up sick vomit & am so sick bed for the rest of the day
January 26, Sunday
Stay at Mr. Bogans until after nine Cife[?] & Ema come with me to Mr. Verities. I come to town with them. Do not go to Church today
January 27, Monday
School
February 2, Sunday
Mr. & Mrs. William Perrys folks here we all go to Presbyterian Church & stay to Sunday School Home write & visit_
February 6, Thursday
Pleasant go to school_ Get letter from Jen Hardacker. She is at Clintonville yet. School goes well today_ Home read
February 7, Friday
Beautiful day. Go to school Mr. Conkey visits us in A.M. Hears my A & B Arithmetic recite_ P.M. scholars speak pieces. Home stop at Jewelry Store leave Ems ring to get fixed
February 8, Saturday
Up late_ Go up to town with Miss Gifford get our pay_ settle all accounts. Call at Abbies_ Teachers all gone to Shioc[ton?] to association_ Home don't feel good_ Pay Mrs Gates $10 on board
February 9, Sunday
Do not go to Church A.M. Flora stays until folks come back from Church. Evening stop for Flora & we go to Cong. Church to hear Millburn Blind Man Elegant Text - "Vanity all is vanity" also Cast thy bread upon the waters_ extra good
William Henry Milburn, preacher and author, also served as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. On meeting a group of these men enroute to Washington, he said "If I am to judge the nation by you, I can come to no other conclusion than that it is composed of profane swearers, card-players, and drunkards."
Source : Prominent Men and Women of the Day
Copyright : 1888 A. B. Gehman & Co.
Author/Editor : Thos. W. Herringshaw
February 10, Monday
Cloudy Go to school_ Rains hard all afternoon Mate Van De Boogart & Miss Sheriff come over to school. we come home with them in rain_
February 11, Tuesday
Snows & storms all day Stay all night with Mrs. Kitchen Miss Gifford goes home, Friend sick with a cold_
February 12, Wednesday
Did not sleep very soundly she kept a light burning all night. Snows some clears off before noon. Take my dinner Home to Mrs. Gates Watch stop leave it at Case & Follett to be fixed
February 13, Thursday
Pleasant Go to school. Punish one for noise. School good after that_ home stop for watch not done yet. They let me take one of theirs. Have games of Kaseno with Gates folks_
February 14, Friday
Awful cold. Miss Gifford stops to warm. Go to school good walking do not mind cold. Have to work to attend fires today_ Home get quite cold_ Stop for my watch Do not go to College tonight
February 15, Saturday
Pleasant, bathe. mend P.M. Mrs Gates & I go up town cold, Do some trading. Miss Sarstine puts off a trade dollar¹ on one for $1.00 when it is only worth $.90_ Write to Mate Chase_
¹ The trade dollar, a silver coin minted from 1873 to 1885, was not legal tender after 1876. Silver prices had plummeted and the coin was worth only 80-90 cents as bullion. They are, however, worth quite a bit today. See a picture of a rare
1885 proof and read about the coin's
history.
February 16, Sunday
Pleasant but cold yet. Do not go to Church_ Read P.M. Go to George Phelps funeral Call at Abbies_ Go to bed at dark to get rid of sick headache
February 17, Monday
School
February 21, Friday
Pleasant Go to school Have pieces & general exercises. Home see Lib & Lute go home with them good sleighing. Have load of feed. to Frona to meet us
February 22, Saturday
Wind blows so hard all day_ stay at Lutes Read Abbie & [Norris?] out with horse & cutter at our house to tea Awful cold night & wind blows
February 23, Sunday
Pleasant but cold Lute takes colts Lib & I go to Palmer to see Grandpa He looks thin & is complaining of lameness Go to Franks to eat oysters Millie & Nellie bring me to town. Write to Jennie H
February 24, Monday
Pleasant cold Go to school Get along well today
Home Mrs. Burns here Mr. Gates gone away
February 25, Tuesday
Stormy go to school
February 26, Wednesday
Frosty & cold last night The coldest of the season 28° below zero. Go to school get along nicely today read & visit. rains hard all night
February 27, Thursday
Cold Go to school
February 28, Friday
Pleasant but cold School. Go to Floras to tea & spend evening begin my mittens Have caller while am gone
March 1, Saturday
Beautiful day Bathe go up town Knit on my mittens Evening Will Verity M.D. called Go with Mrs. Gates to hear Mrs. A. E. Young lecture¹ She is real pretty_
¹ Ann Eliza Webb Young (1844 - ?), who had divorced the Mormon leader Brigham Young in 1876, lectured widely to expose the conditions under which Mormon women lived in polygamous marriages. Her book
Wife No. 19 or The Story of a Life in Bondage was a bestseller.
March 2, Sunday
Pleasant Go to Presbyterian Church with Mrs. Gates P.M. read. Do not go out in evening
March 3, Monday
Pleasant Go to school
Evening go to Abbies few minutes to see about my mittens
March 4, Tuesday
Pleasant thaws all day sleighing about played out_ Mrs. B[...?] here to spend evening
March 5, Wednesday
Frosty & cold Last night coldest of the season 28° below zero. Go to school. Get along nicely today. Home read & visit beautiful evening Rains so hard all night
This entry is written in pencil, except for the last line which is in the usual ink. Oddly, it is almost identical to February 26. A secret code? That might explain rain at 28° below zero.
March 6, Thursday
Pleasant. Go to school Children noisy today Home tired knit on my mittens Catlin not able to be in school
March 7, Friday
School all goes well Have pieces. Home Evening Go to Hortonville to the Dr. with Will Verity Grandpa's foot [...?] serious can never get well Thunder shower tonight
March 8, Saturday
Pleasant read visit Make two calls with Laura. evening play chequres with boys_
March 9, Sunday
Help Laura do up work She Will & I go to Methodist Church Olin preaches I pop corn, visit
March 10, Monday
Up & get ready to take train at six_ We come back to Appleton Home to Mrs. Gates have breakfast Go to school am so tired. Home with headache. Go to bed as soon as I have supper Will goes to Nebraska
March 11, Tuesday
School
March 12, Wednesday
School
March 13, Thursday
Lute calls before I am up came up on train Is going to send for Elmer_ _ _ Go to school
March 14, Friday
School
March 15, Saturday
Pleasant bathe Go up town with Miss Gifford get back about noon she stays until night I go apiece with her_ awful cold_ home read_
March 16, Sunday
Pleasant_ Get ready for Church. Miss Gifford comes we go to M.E. Church_ Home head aches towards night go to Abbies a little while_ Home sick headache Mrs. Gates doctors me
March 17, Monday
Pleasant Go to school Children a little noisy Home Call at Mrs. Bares for plaitter. Get my plaiting done. Annie & Alice Cooley come & stay evening. Mrs. Gates sits up with Mrs. Monroe. Et calles after girls go home
March 18, Tuesday
Pleasant. School. Mr. Conkey visits us A.M. Will examine my class next week some time Home fix my brown dress
March 19, Wednesday
Cold but pleasant Go to school. Get along very well Catlin in P.M. to hear them in Geography Home. Our folks go to Mrs. D. Smith to sociable. Flora comes & stays all night with me_
March 20, Thursday
Beautiful day so warm & pleasant. Go to school. Get along nicely in school Home See Lute says Grandpa is alive yet but suffers awfully finish ripping my dress
March 21, Friday
Pleasant. Go to school Have pieces P.M. Home read rip on white skirt read
March 22, Saturday
Bathe do up work After dinner go up town Go to Abbies, Lib Lute Johnnie Law Alice Massey, there Flora Gets her bird. Her Mother gone to H_ Finish my mittens
March 23, Sunday
Read do not go to Church P.M. Have head ache Call at Mr. Cooleys Girls gone Home write to Flory Rains real hard
March 24, Monday
School. Mr Williams visits us
March 25, Tuesday
Nell & Mirra come to go to Inst. Mrs. Gates thinks she cant board them. They go to Mrs. Waterhouses School goes quite well today
March 26, Wednesday
Rains so hard. Mr. C. VandeBogart takes us over to school Roads awful bad. Mr. Conkey comes to examine my A class for promotion Get all done A.M. but Geog._ Clears off before night. home so tired_
March 27, Thursday
Go to School Mr. Conkey finishes examining my class all 8 pass_ I will have to take a class of 11 from Miss G. soon Home tired call to see Nell & Mira read
March 28, Friday
Rains all the way to school Have classes as usual P.M. all the schools unite in Catlins room & speak. Miss G friend (Jewell Mart) comes over lots of fun Nell & I stop at Abbies until evening
March 29, Saturday
Bathe. Go up town with Flora_ Home cut out some sewing Nell Mills comes she is homesick & wants to go home. amuse her. We go up town I get me a new dress Nell stays all night
March 30, Sunday
Pleasant. Nell & I go to Miss Giffords & spend the day. Home Nell has head ache We do not go to Church. read_
March 31, Monday
Go to P.O. get letter from Kate & John. Sew all day towards night call at Mr. Cooleys Nell staying at Mrs. Waterhouses Evening she & Lillie call
