Diary: Caleb E. Iddings, 1894

Clear - Ther. 72^o Tuesday, June 12^th 1894. NW Wind.

Very warm all day until after we had a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Hilles Robison went to Fletcher Clark's and brought back his spring wagon soon after breakfast: he & I went down to the little Meeting house & hauled home the small "jag" of hay Sam Budd cut on Saturday. After the thunder storm I hoed the Lima beans. & went up to the store & shops. I have not felt very well all day, the weather being too hot for me. It is much cooler this evening. the thermometer being ten degrees lower at supper time than at breafast this a.m.

Hazy - Ther. 67° Wednesday 13^th S.E. Wind.

Harry Wetherald came for me to go to their house to prescribe for Kate Stabler. I drove down there after breakfast calling at the store at Ashton. Afternoon I went over the potatoes again with Paris green to keep the bugs down. I also used the bramble scythe cutting down "burrdocks" and other weeds around the yard etc. After supper I walked up to the P.O. hoping to hear from our folks in Va: but nothing had come from them.

Clear - Ther. 58° Thursday June 14,^th 1894. N.E. Wind.

I went over the potatoes again with Paris green and drove down to Ashton to see Kate Stabler again. Afternoon Miss Mary Colt, Mrs. Chester Colt & Hallie Lea called for a special visit to H & Dora. This has been a lovely summer day, bright & clear but cool enough to be pleasant, followed by a beautiful moonlight night up to bed time. We received a letter from Edwd: who reports that they got along very well on their way from Mr Mathew's over to Lincoln Va: via Hoods Mills & Brunswick.

Clear - Ther. Friday, 15^th Wind.

I drove down to Ashton & left an "inhaler" with Kate Stabler, also called to See Mrs. Jno: Abel, met Miss Hannum on the road & had some talk with her about Edwd. I wrote to Willie & walked up to the store. Jas. P. Stabler & Saml Bond Jr.: called to see me about putting the telephone poles & wires on our side of the road. After supper I went to the Lyceum & heard the best lecture I have ever heard there, from Gen John B Gordon, Senator from Georgia, his subject was "The last days of the Confederacy". I reminded him of my meeting him in Virginia a few days after the surrender at Appomattox Court House. He rembered it very distinctly & said he was glad to meet me again.

Cloudy & Clearing - Ther. Saturday, June 16,^th 1894. Wind.

I drove over to "Grove Hill" & Lizzie Tyson gave me some seed sweet corn. I also went to Riverside to see Brother Richard & called at Thos Lea's and at Ashton. home to dinner. Afternoon H & I planted eleven rows of sweet corn. The boys next door used "Frank" horse to go through their corn with the "double shovel plow. I walked up to the store after supper.

Clear - Ther. 70 Sunday 17,^th N.W. Wind.

This has been a hot day, although there has been a light breeze much of the time. I went to meeting, we had a sermon from E. Farquhar, & also a short one from Caroline Miller. After lunch I walked up to the Tellegraph Office, where Fred: Iddings is "officiating" in the temporary absence of Frank Leizear Jr: and will be there for a day or two, until Leizear returns. Fred came down & spent an hour with us this afternoon. A thunder gust came up towards evening, but most of it passed around north & South of us. we had some high wind & light rain although it looked very threatning at one time, it did not amount to much here.

Clear - Ther. 70° Monday, June 18,^th 1894. S. Wind.

Beautiful summer morning. I drove down to Ashton & called to see Kate Stabler & also at Jno Abel's and at the store. Afternoon I walked up to the store & P.O. mailed 10¢ postage stamps to Parke Davis & Co Detroit Mich: for a medical publication advertized by them. It is still very hot, but a nice breeze from the South makes it bearable.

Clear & Cloudy - Ther. 70° Tuesday, 19,^th S.W. Wind.

Cloudy & threatning rain, but none came except a few drops once or twice. I drove down to Ashton before dinner. Afternoon I took H & Dora in the Surry over to "Eldon" & called at "Homewood" on our return, but saw no one there; they did not answer the door bell, I suppose they were taking an afternoon "nap". I washed the Surry, besides taking off the "pole" & putting on the shafts. We read: a joint letter from all three of the sons, in Va.

Clear - Ther. 70 Wednesday, June 20,^th 1894. S.W. Wind.

I drove to Rockville to be "registered" as a physician & Surgeon, in compliance with the new law passed by the last legislature. Hilles Robison went with me, we reached home soon after 1-o'clk It was hot & dusty, and hard on the horse. After supper I walked up to the store & P.O.

Clear - Ther. 68° Thursday, 21,^st Wind.

I was called up this morning at 5o. clock & after breakfast I went over to the old Geo: Sprigg house to attend John Green's wife in confinement & left them a little girl born at about 10-45 a.m. I put my horse in Gilbert Smith's stable until after the affair was over and stopped there long enough to smoke a pipe before coming home and was at home in time for lunch. Afternoon Dora went up to the store. After supper H & Dora walked down to "Bloomfield" to call upon Hallie Bentley, but found the house shut up & no one at home.

Clear - Ther. 70 Friday, June 22,^d 1894. S. & N.W. Wind.

Beautiful harvest weather for farmers many of whom are cutting wheat. The wind was from the South all night & early this morning but changed to N.W. blowing a fine refreshing breeze after 10. o'clk this a.m. I drove down to Ashton & bought material ("black cashmere") for a summer coat, & took it to Mrs Jno Abel to make up for me. I drove on to "Riverside" to see Bro: Richard. called at Geo: Stabler's & got some swt: potatoe plants, also at "Eldon" & got our lawn mower which Thos Lea has put in order, he came with me as far as Ashton as I came home. I found the potatoe bugs were still plenty, & went over them again until the Paris Green gave out.

Clear - Ther. 75° Saturday, 23,^d N.W. Wind.

This has been the hottest day we have had so far this year: thermometer 95° at 3.o'clk p.m. in the shade. I finished going over the potatoes with Paris Green. Afternoon Frank Robison took a note to "Marden" & brought home an "atomizer". he went on horseback. I took some medicine & an atomizer (for Hallie Lea) up to Fred Iddings at the Telegraph Office for him to take over to her this evening, in response to a note from her to me this morning, sent by "Phil." H recd another letter from Edwd.

Clear - Ther.73° Sunday, June 24,^th 1894. S.W. Wind.

Still very warm or hot weather, but feels more like rain being hazy & damp: Fred Iddings came with a message from Sister Beulah asking me to come over to prescribe for "Hallie," who is suffering with sore throat etc. I took H with me & drove over. H called at "Homewood" & walked across to "Eldon"; we drove over to see John Green's wife, taking the short cut, through "Osceola" in going over, and returning came the back road through the woods to Sandy Spring. The horse suffered from the heat & the "wood flies" were very troublesome. Thundergust passed north of us, near enough to give us some wind, thunder, & lightning & a sprinkle of rain, not enough to lay the dust fairly.

{Thermometer 97 at 3 p.m. The Hottest Day yet.}

Hazy & Clear - Ther. 71° Monday, 25,^th Variable & N.E.Wind.

Not quite so hot today, but still hot enough notwithstanding a nice breeze. Henry Powell (son of Sarah Jane Powell) was here before breakfast & had a tooth extracted. I went up to the store & P.O. "Phil" & Frank Robison went through our potatoe patch with the double shovel plow & also through their own corn & e" I gave them 50 cents to go over our potatoes with the hoe after working them with the horse. After lunch Sophi & Fanny Peirce called for a few minutes having some business with the bank, at S.S.

Clear - Ther. Tuesday, June 26,^th 1894. Wind.

Both H & myself were subjected to attacks of something like "cholera morbus" last night and early this morning. H seems quite bright again today but I still am feeling badly. I walked up to the store & P.O. We had a thunder gust about 4 o'clock this afternoon, it looked very threatning as it came up but was not violent here, the rain barely laying the dust. We may have more however before tomorrow morning. It did commence raining again about 8 o'clk p.m & gave us a delightful rain, although it did not wet the ground much.

Clear - Ther. 73 Wednesday, 27,^th Variable. Wind.

I am feeling much better today & hope soon to be "all right" again. Janie Awkard was here & had a tooth extracted, & "howled" Frank Robison took my horse & phaeton & brought home some flour for his mother he also brought me a "cashmere" coat that Mrs Abel made for me. I fixed new"latches" in the lawn mower, and it now cuts quite well again.

Clear - Ther. 72 Thursday, June 28,^th 1894. N.W. Wind.

Beautiful June day, warm in the sun but a refreshing breeze blowing all day - I drove over to Riverside, Harriet & Dora going with me in the "surry." We called at "Eldon" going over & at "Homewood" as we returned. Reached home at lunch time. Afternoon I rode over to prescribe for old Sarah Hammond, Old Charles having come after me early this morning. This is the first evening that there has been no appearance of a thunder gust for sometime, & yet the gardens are suffering for want of rain; the rains having passed around either nort or south of us.

Ther. Friday 29,^th Wind.

Last Sunday was the hottest day we have had but although it is not so high by thermometer, it is more oppressive & prostrating than any day this summer so far. The "hot spell" is lasting too long for us. I am not feeling at all well, threatened with "peritonitus". Afternoon Lizzie Scott called and spent an hour or two. Letter from Edwd says Charley is still sick & E cannot come home on Monday next as proposed. I am quite anxious lest he also should be taken sick this hot weather: he cannot stand much confinement or exposure to the hot sun.

Clear - Ther.72 Saturday, June 30,^th 1894. S.W. Wind.

Still hot & dry, a thunderstorm passed around north of us between midnight last & this morning but no rain here. Our garden & truck patch is suffering for want of rain. I am feeling rather better than yesterday but still feel some abdominal soreness. Thermometer stood at 93° at 4 o'clock p.m; if it were not for a gentle breeze from the South, we would suffer greatly from the heat. Fanny Peirce came in the afternoon & took Dora home with her, leaving H and myself to keep house alone as when we commenced housekeeping 35 years ago; our children all being away from home.

Clear - Ther. 72° Sunday, July 1,^st S.E. Wind.

Another hot day, with a breeze blowing from the South & South east, which prevents us from feeling it as much as we otherwise should. I went to meeting, where we had a sermon from Edwd: Farquhar, I walked up to Cammel's to prescribe for "Lilly" Awkard's infant son. I felt the effects of the heat very much when in the sun on the turnpike going up to "Sharp St." & came through the woods in returning. "Charley" Hopkins (of Lea's) came early this a.m. to have a tooth extracted & I sent him away, but he came again towards evening & I took it out for him, with the usual accompanyment of "howling" & bellowing on his part.