Diary: Caleb E. Iddings, 1892

Clear: S.W. Wind Ther. 45^o MON MAR. 7, 1892

Beautiful day clear & bright until towards evening when it clouded over and looks like rain before tomorrow morning. W finished the little cupboard in the kitchen & went to Riverside to help repair the boat. I went up to the village to see & prescribe for Mrs W^m Oldfield & to see "Surry" carriage Oldfield offers to me for sale. Sarah Hammond was here for advice & medicine for her husband. she paid me $3.00 on account. I bought a quarter of seed from "Maxwell". Jno: Grimes son in law "Steel" was here for advice & medicine for his wife. Willie came home half an hour after midnight last from Riverside. M. Kirk sent load of green oak & poplar wood in ox cart. {Alice & Fanny Pierce were here afternoon.}

Rain Rain N. E. Wind Ther. 45 TUESDAY 8^th

Commenced raining before day light this morning & continued a steady rain all day. Bro Charles came over and waited here until stage time expecting Lizzie on her return from her visit to Boston. Philad^a &c. Mrs Robison was in for medicine for "Bessie". Afternoon walked up to the store & shops & mill. Jas T Henderson & "Cy"Grady came & helped measure the wood received last evening from Mahlon Kirk. Ruth Ann Bowen sent for medicine. W^m H Williams was here for medicine for his daughter. Willie drove over to T J Leas for milk.

Clear W wind Ther. 50 degrees WED. MAR. 9, 1892 Clear & pleasant over-head but exceedingly muddy everywhere I have had a head ache all day - Alcinda Hill washed for H - Wille went to Riverside in the afternoon for milk. Sister Lizzie came home from her visit to Boston Philad [ ?] Clifford Waters came to breakfast having been absent since Saturday last. Mary Winfield brought her infant son for advice etc. Uncle Henson was here

Cloudy, Snow & Hail Ther. 33 THURSDAY 10th S W Wind This has been a disagreeable day - It was cloudy & threatning until towards noon when it commenced blowing, snowing etc and continued until towards evening where it cleared off cold. Rachael E Gilpin died about noon. I telegraphed to sister Harriet. Alice Tysen called at the gate & I loaned Miss Lizzie Canry Mrs Rosison's syringes. I went to the store, & to the mill.

Clear. N.W. Wind Ther. 16^o FRI. MAR. 11^th 1892

Clear & cold this morning the ground is frozen hard and the wind blowing strong from N.W. making it feel colder even than it is. I walked up to the shops and bought a "Surry" carriage (for Harriet) that I have been bargaining for with "Billy" Oldfield for several days: he owing me a considerable bill for professional services rendered himself & family. Sister Harriet arrived from Philadelphia via Laurel, in the afternoon stage about 4 o'clock. Julia Sprigg was here for advice & medicine. E steel was also here for advice & medicine for his wife. Willie drove over to "Riverside" in the "cart" for some milk.

Clear S.W. Wind Ther. 25^o SATURDAY 12^th

Beautiful day. B.O. Hardy's wife sent for advice & medicine. Afternoon Dora & I walked up to Avalon to attend the funeral of Rachael Gilpin. Willie took Sister Harriet in the phaeton, to the house & also to the cemetery Miss E Canby came to the office for treatment etc from "Marden." Jno W Johnson was here for advice & medicine after I had gone to bed.

Cloudy Changeable Wind Ther. 30 SUN. MAR. 13^th , 1892

Cloudy & threatning all day Willie took sister Harriet over to Chas Lea's before dinner. Afternoon he & Dora went to church at "Crow Town". I walked up to Henderson's for the papers. Jno: C Bentley came for me & I went over to prescribe for a servant girl (Rosa Awkard) at his house I rode over with him & walked home. Dora & Willie staid at E Peirce's to tea after church, & came home about 9-30 p.m.

Clear N. W. Wind Ther 19^o MONDAY 14^th

Clear & frosty this morning and continued cold & windy all day. I drove down to B Owen Hardy's & prescribed for Mrs H. before dinner Willie going with me. Afternoon W drove "Fritz" to the "cart" over to Thos Lea Sr's and brought Fanny Peirce home with him about dusk, & took her on to Olney Grange Hall to a "Pink Tea." Sent my carriage tongue or "pole" to Oldfields shop to have it painted like the running gear of the "Surry"

Cloudy Ther 26^o TUES. MAR 15,1892 Wind N.E.

Chilly & "Raw", the ground frozen hard & the roads about as rough & bad as they can be except on the turnpikes where they are as good as in summer time. I walked up to the shops & to the mill, which was as far as I went from home. "Frank" Wetherald called to see me. Dora & Edward walked over to the Miss Hollands & back before dinner. Willie came home from taking Fanny Peirce home from the "Pink Tea" at Olney. after midnight last.

Snow Ther.32 WEDNESDAY 16^th Wind N.E

Commenced snowing about mid night and continued until near noon to day but melted so rapidly that it was only 5 inches deep. which was mostly gone before night. After noon I drove up to Marden & over to Jno Bentley's Sam: Johnson (colored) was here for advice & med: Luther Muncaster came in time for supper after which.

Cloudy & Snow Ther. 23° THURS. MAR. 17^th, 1892 Wind N.E.

Very Raw disagreeable day. Snowling at intervals all day. I drove down to Asleton to see Mr M.K. Evans at "Ents". & als up to "Morden". Phil "went with me. There were several sleighs passed here today, although the sleighing must be miserable. Luther Muncaster staid here all last night & is "storm staied" again to night. Chas: Hill (of Remus), was here for medicine for his wife. Recd. by mail R Roland Moore's check (on Montgomery County National Bank) for $28.00 in payment of will against Mrs M. G. Tyson's Estate.

Cloudy

Ther. 26° FRIDAY 18^th Wind N.E. Cloud & threatining snow all day. Luther Muncaster went home after breakfast. Willie worked at putting snow in the ice house all the fore noon. We only succeeded in getting it about twothirds full of ice and concluded to fill it up with snow; which if well tramped & packed around & over the ice will be as good as if entirely filled with ice: so I am informed be those who have tried it. Afternoon Willie drove "Fritz" to the sleigh to Brighton & brought Fanny Peirce home with him. Commenced snowing about dusk, and looked as if one might have a deep snow before tomorrow morning.

Clear Ther. 22^o SAT. MAR. 19^th, 1892 Wind S.W.

Clear & cold today. Willie drove over to "Holland's Corner" to see about getting some wood, he went in the sleigh & took Fanny Peirce with him he afterwards worked at filling the ice house with snow. Afternoon I walked to Ashton. Willie took Fanny Peirce home in the sleigh and was to go to see Mrs Renehan about wood. I went to see & prescribe for John Oldfield and walked up to the store after supper.

Clear & Cloudy Ther. 29^o SUNDAY 20t^h Wind S.W.

Clear and bright this morning and quite cold: the sleighing is better than yesterday, and the bells were jingling past all day: it became very sluchy after dinner. Willie and Dora started out for a sleigh ride, but turned back and took the roadcart for their drive. I walked up to Henderson's for the papers. I was sent for about dusk & drove down to Ashton & prescribed for Mrs Ent, Willie going with me in the cart. "Phil" was here after supper playing "cat's cradle" with Edward until bed time. Mrs Robison sent for some medicine for herself.

Clear Ther. 29^o MON. MAR. 21^st, 1892Wind W

Clear and bright overhead but after about 10.0 clock this morning it was very "slushy" & disagreeable traveling: there were several sleighs passed along during the day. I walked over to Joseph Stabler's & up to the store Willie went to Holland's Corner to see about wood again. Afternoon Allen Farquhar's team brought us 1240 lbs of hay. Willie going to Farquhar's to help load it. I paid 60 cts pr hundred for the hay. Clifford Waters came to breakfast having been absent for several days.

Cloudy Ther. 8^o TUESDAY 22^d Wind SE

Cold & "Raw" all day. Willie & I took the "Surry" running gear and body down to Ashton & after dinner he & "Billy" Oldfield carried the top down to James Marlow's shop, he is to alter and "fix" to posts &c attaching the top to the body. I went down with them to shew him how I wished it done. Afternoon - - Matthews brought us another small load of coal from Washington. I paid him $2.00 , and also paid John Thomas $4.50. the amount I owed him for wood. Luther Muncaster took tea with us, after which he & Willie wentT. J. Lea's.

Cloudy Ther. 40 WED. MAR. 23^d, 1892 Wind Variable

Cloudy and threatening with rain in the forenoon. I walked down to Ashton. Afternoon W rode Frank over to Ranahan's sale near Brighton. towards sun set it cleared off with a blow & shower from N.W. The roads are extremely bad slush & mud everywhere. -- Ward (who lives at Jas. Hallowell's) was here & had a tooth extracted.

Clear Ther. 40^o THURSDAY 24^th Wind S.W.

I drove over to Thos. Lea's and brought sister Harriet home with me Rosa Awkard (from Jno C Bentley's) was here for advice & medicine. Willie bought a log from John Bentley that he had hauled to the mill to be sawed into boards, but was not sound enough for anything but fine wood. Willie went to Ashton and brought the "Surry" up to Billy Oldfield's shop to be finished. Clifford Waters went away somewhere after supper.

Clear Ther. 32 FRI. MAR. 25, 1892 Wind S E

Clear and spring like all day until towards evening when it clouded over and looks like rain. Sister Harriet left in the morning stage for Laurel & Philad^a. Jno. Grimes was here for me to go to prescibe for his daughter (E Steel's wife) and I drove down to see her. A woman with one eye from Spencerville brought her daughter to consult me, after which I drove down to Dorcas Brook's to see her boy. Miss Connell was here to sing with E. W brought F. Peirce to tea also a bushel of potatoes from Chas. Hills. After tea he took Dora & Fanny Peirce to "the Lodge".

Cloudy and Rain Ther. 35' SATURDAY 26 Wind S.E.

Rainy and disagreeable all day . I drove down to see Dorcas Cook's boy again in the phaeton W going with me. Chas. Porter called to see me about Angelina Thoma's pension. Fannie Peirce remained here "weather bound". Afternoon I walked up to the store and shops & to the mill. I called at "Ent's" this morning & Mr. Evans paid me two dollars "on account".