A FARMER'S DIARY by CHARLES HENRY CUSHMAN submitted by Max B Cushman January thru March 1901 JANUARY 1901 01 Took one load of Corn to Dewy then took a load to Irves and Ground it for the Cattle, nice day wind South west 02 Hauled two loads of Corn to Dewy Humphrey hauled some Hay from here, he is to pay me $22.50 for the East stack Mr Bellis came and got a sow and six pigs he paid me ten and owes me ten yet 03 Hauled two loads and Rocky one of Corn to Dewey Lydia came Home nice day 04 Hauled two loads of Corn and Jim Rocky hauled one nice day John Williams went to Winnies and came back here at night and then he went to Church got groceries at Barkers and paid for them 2.80 05 Took Johns home and stopped in Kewanee at Wills nice day Old Mr Parker buried today 06 Sunday stayed at Home all day misted some 07 Hauled two loads Corn to Dewy George Pearl came and got his seed corn and settled for it. I went and got 29 bu Coal of Gruey didnt pay for it he is to take $12.00 worth of Hay and I pay for my Coal out of it nice day Mrs Rocky here 08 Hauled two loads Corn to Dewy Bellows paid me $10.00 balance on Sow and pigs Rocky hauled one load of Corn Coles house burned turned Colder at night misted some during the day 09 Hauled two loads Corn to Dewy and Rocky one load C.Eyer bought 3 pigs for 18.00 didnt pay for them coming for them tomorrow Mother here rained and snowed Lydia to town 10 Hauled two loads of Corn to Dewy Rocky one load nice day C.Eyer got three Shoats 11 Hauled two loads Corn to Dewy nice day. Hogs are 5 cts 12 Hauled two loads Corn Rocky one nice day 13 Sunday nice day 14 Hauled two loads Corn to Dewy nice day thawing all day mud 4 inches deep at night got a letter from Ella saw Sigh Dow as he got off of train and had a chat with him 15 Helped Irve haul Hogs nice day sold Jim and Bill to young Ross for $200.00 I am to keep them a week he didn't pay any thing down 16 Froze up too hard to haul Corn Shutes Boys came and got a load of Hay for Truey nice day but windy J.Rocky came and got his Buggy. Lydia got a letter from Ad 17 Clear and windy Froze hard and rough 18 Hauled load of Corn to town Mrs Mumford came nice day 19 Hauled load of Corn to town Allen came and got two heifers and paid $65.00 for them nice day sold my Oats to Furguson for 22 cts. 20 Sunday Ross came and got Jim and Bill and said he would pay me for them next Saturday I sold him 8 shoes for 1.00 Irve and Vesta came Mrs Mumford went Home Irves want some potatoes I gave Irve Old Jimietta he is going to take what Corn I have to spare He is going to let me have his team to haul with until I go away 21 Hauled load of Oats to town Irve brought team and got old Jimietta I paid young Weden 30 cts that I owed the old man C.Quart moved some things up here nice day got Irves team shod in front paid Odeman 80 cts for shoeing. 22 Hauled load of Oats to town, came home and Mr Bowen and N.Cushman here Irve hauled 3 loads Corn and I hauled one to him nice day Mr. Bowen is going to lend me money to pay my farm in Iowa at 5 1/2 per ct on as long time as I want 23 Hauled 3 loads Corn to Irve he hauled one nice muddy day Burr quit School 24 Went to town rode with C. Eyer sent a leter to Price in Iowa I settled wth Dewy and paid a note at Barkers and paid Book acct at Fitzkees of 75 cts and paid Taxes Cold day put Colts in Barn at night left $355.65 at Bank got leter from Ella 25 Stayed at Home Horse buyer here nice day 26 Went to town paid Fick for grinding got groceries paid for them Lydia went to town with Mrs Rocky I got a letter from Mr Price of Earlham, Iowa snowed last night and some today 27 Sunday We all went to Rockys for Dinner nice day 28 I got a load of Coal and settled with Gruey he paid me 7.60 Burr went to town nice day 29 Took 25 bu Corn to Fathers he paid me 32 cts per bu Burr went and stayed Irve here C.Quart put some Oats in Granery nice day 30 We went to Kewanee Lydia and Eugene stayed at Wills Cold day I got some Overalls and Overshoes paid for them John Archer paid me 25 cts August Rick left a road receipt, Quarts hauled load Oats in barn 31 Did chores forenoon went to town with Fred Coune after noon nice day FEBRUARY 1901 01 Went to Irves and ground some Corn nice day sharp wind Mr Bliss Buried in Kewanee 02 Went to Kewanee got Lydia and Boys nice day snowed some after noon 03 Sunday snowed all day nice and warm 04 Went to Irves Jim Wed nice day lots of snow in some roads and none in others 05 Went to town got sled fixed and saw Holzinger about note and got Eds note to get a signer saw Ross about money said he would pay Saturday nice day 06 Went to Winnies they were not at Home then went to town Irves here, C.Quart hauled Corn here I sold him $13.00 worth of Hay 07 Went to Kewanee took some furniture over to Mrs. Mumford nice day sleighing getting bad in places saw Van and Owen Cushman 08 Irve came and we drove the Brown mare it snowed most all day Irve got 7 bu potatoes, we figured up our account and he owes me $130.70 09 P.Heaps here after money for Church nice day lots of snow went to town P.Humphrey paid me $22.50 for Hay 10 Sunday we stayed at Home all day snowed some 11 We all went to town nice day C.Eyer paid me 18.00 for pigs paid for all we got in town wrote to Ed Ross about pay for team 12 Went to Stones sale Winnie came and got Hedge posts and paid me all he owed me nice day Maud sold for 86.00 and young mare sold for 150.00 13 Went to town and to Aunt Kates got letter from Clara nice day 14 Went to Eds paid him 3.25 and left note for him to get a sign Mother and Lyde here Mr Bowen here I paid him 50.00 and gave him a certificate for 100.00 at Union National Bank that makes 150.00 paid on this last rent 15 Went to town nice day 16 Hauled some Corn and Oats and got 22.50 for them Paid little Pete 9.00 for his work and his brothers too nice day G. Humphry finished hauling his hay from here 17 Sunday Ed's and Will's came over and brought some Oysters nice day Ralph Schmidt was here and I paid him $2.00 for use of Cow and made us square rained some in morning I sold Ed a Horse Collar for 50 cts 18 Went to town settled with Holzinger and got a Draught on Chicago Bank for $22.00 and some Dollars nice day Sleighing gone most of the way 19 I went to Kewanee paid Mr Bowen $823.00 that makes us square paid the Bank $10.00 for Clem Cushman I got Draught at Bank for $1317.00 got money for Ed's note of $71.50 am to pay it to Holzinger Cold day Chas and Ella came 20 Charlie, Bur and I went to Annawan. Awful cold day Irve Crosby was here 21 Charlie and Ella went home, took Nell with them. Lydia, Bur and I went to Annawan and to Aunt Kates to have Milak fix dress 22 Lydia & I went to Kewanee. Made out mortgage for Bowen. Her Mother came home with us the weather is awful cold. 23 Took crib home to Pettitts and got a jag of coal. 24 Went over to Fathers. Lyde and Dace was there too Mother gave us some canned fruit. Jack was here when we got home. 25 Jack and I took pigs over to Irves in morning. I took load of corn to town in afternoon and Jack took the buggie down to bring Ella out, Millie came home with them and stayed all night. Jack went to Cowies to have him help us move have got nearly every thing packed ready to start. 26 We moved the house hold goods today and packed them in car. Jack, Bur and I stayed all night at Irves. 27 Took the stock to town this morning and started for Iowa about noon. Got to Rock Island at night Jack went with me. J.Rockafellow, F.Corve, Winnie, Irve and A.Clark helped me move. Lydia and the boys went to Rockafellows to stay until Fri. 28 Pulled from DesMoines to Earlham and stayed here all night MARCH 1901 01 Moved out to farm, Mont and two other men helped. Paid one $1.00 and the other $2.00 nice day. Lydia went to Annawan and stayed all night to Billy McDermonds. 02 Went to Earlhlam after Lydia. Ethel Phelps came with her. nice day thawing fast. we all went to Monts and then Jack and Bur came over to the place 03 We all went home, nice day we straightened things around so we could stay here 04 Hired Hunter to haul load of coal nice day 05 Went to sale toward Winterset terrible windy day 06 All stayed at home F.Jenkins here. I Paid him for mail box and hay. 07 Jack and I went to Dexter nice day 08 Went to sale at Pitzer bought a horse for $66. nice day. 09 Took Ethel to Earlham. I paid Price $9.00 for corn raining & sleeting. 10 Sunday Snowed and blowed hard all day 11 Nice day thawed all day. Went to Neff's and spoke for some wheat. 12 Implement man here. I went to Dexter and paid for farm. Jack helped set Telegraph poles nice day. 13 Flemings sale today. Mrs Mount died. Very stormy day. 14 Jack & Burr went to Earlham for Dr. for Eugene. He has Pneumonia. Wetrich here nice day. 15 Jack went home today I paid him $1.00 for digging holes for telegraph poles. Dr was here to see Eugene. Miss Waltzer here. Nice day. 16 Went to Earlham bought wagon, Harrow, Cultivator and stirring Plow for $112. paid cash. Paid the Dr. $6.50 nice day. 17 Sunday Nice warm day. Some snow on ground yet. Mrs Wetrich and daughter and Miss Lake was here. 18 Mont went by to Dexter, said his little girl was sick. I went to Earlham and got wagon and tools. Roads awful bad, but nice over head. 19 Went to Wetrich's ground ax and trimmed some trees in yard snowed and blew hard. Put plow together. Neffs brought a doz chickens. I paid them $4.00 for them. 20 Still blowing and snowing hard. Broke some wood in the cellar. 21 We all went to Dexter and done some trading. Got a letter from Mr. Bowen, Ed Mapes and Mrs Rockafellow. Ans both of mine and sent one to Jack. Nice day but terrible muddy. Hear that Charlie Quarts baby had died. Saw Chas Stanton in Dexter today. 22 Tinkered around and done chores. Nice day 23 Tore down fence and tinkered around. Rained some after noon, Mary got through work. paid her $1.60 chopped wood. 24 Sunday Rained some. Bright rainbow at night. Bur went to Lakes. 25 Went to Wetrich and got 1 bu of potatoes did not pay for them took some posts out around five acre corn patch. rained all day 26 Tore down fence and rolled wire up. Went to Neffs and got 23 bu of wheat at .70 cents per bu. paid him all but 1.10 hauled posts Mary Waliper here. Cloudy and rained some. 27 Hauled posts. Fruit agent here from Mount Arbor nurseries I ordered $12.70 worth of fruit trees and bushes to be delivered about the 20th of April Cloudy all day. 28 Went to Earlham got groceries paid for them bargained for buggie at 6.00 nice day. 29 Burr and I went to Monts took Buggie Honme I got a Cow and 3 pigs at Mont for 10.00 didnt pay for them Frank Jinkins here got five Hedge posts for 1.00 Walter here got bl onions snowed 4 inches 30 Young Fleming here and got some slough Hay in Barn I sold him Big Hedge on South side of land for $35.00 didnt pay for it nice day snow melting cleaned Cellar
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