Diary: Caleb E. Iddings, 1894

THIS IS A REPEAT OF PAGE 15 - MAYBE SCANNED IN ERROR?

Clear Ther. 22° Friday, Feb. 16^th, 1894 N.W. Wind

Clear winter morning. Dora left home this a.m. in the early stage for Laurel & Philadelphia to make a visit to her aunt Harriet Kirk expecting to be gone several weeks, we shall miss her very much, but her aunt was anxious to to have her come & it seemed right for her to go. I hope she will not take cold, it is cold & windy; the ride to Laurel over bad roads is the worst part of the journey by far.

Clear Ther. 28° Saturday 17^th S.W. Wind

Still quite cold, but wind has changed to the S.W. I walked up to the store & shops called to see "Uncle Perry" Leizear, who has been confined to his bed for some time with inflamatory Rheumatism, but is comfortable & will I hope get out again when the weather becomes mild in the spring. I went up to the store & P.O. again after the afternoon mail came hoping to hear from Dora, but nothing came for us.

Clear Ther. 35° Sunday Feb 18^th, 1894 S.W. Wind

Bright & clear overhead but muddy & sloppy underfoot. I am extremely stiff and sore from Rheumatic pains & have a poor appetite which is unusual for me since my convalescence began. After dinner I walked over to Edwd Bentley's and sat an hour or two with them, they are all getting along nicely, cousin Hallie & Mary being downstairs again, & the two little buys are at "Homewood". I met Anna Parker there. called at Henderson's as I came home. I went down to "Sherwood" & made up the fires. The weather is warm & spring like. the robbins & bluebirds are singing quite merrily.

Ther. 40° Monday 19^th S.E. Wind

Rained quite hard last night but is clearing off this morning. John Ed Hill: called to see me in regard to his boy "Jim" who was sent to the House of Corrections, a week ago: he wants my assistance in getting him out. Edwd N. Bentley called & paid his bill. I walked up to the store & P.O. both before & after dinner. Miss Emma Schreiver called & left 50. cts she owed me. "John" called about dusk & I gave him some medicine. The wind changed to the N.W. after dark & at 10 o'clk p.m. It blew a strong gale with rain & thunder & lightning. Edwd went in next door to study his algebra lesson with Bessie Robison. He staid until after ten o'clock.

Clear Ther. 37 Tuesday, Feb. 20^th 1894 N.W. Wind

Spring like weather, but grew colder toward evening. I walked up to the store & P.O. after dinner. I went to the mill & got a bag of horse feed. Alice N Dickerson called & paid me her little bill. Helen B Lea sent up for the calender E made for her (writing him a little note.) he had not quite finished it but will try to get it to her before she leaves tomorrow morning. After supper I walked down with Edwd to "Bloomfield", he taking Helen's calender to her & to bid her "good bye."

Clear & Cloudy Ther. 34° Wednesday 21^st NW Wind

I went up to Henderson's & bought some anthracite coal getting 44 1/2 lbs more than the 1/6 of a ton at the rate of 8.00 pr: ton. Afternoon I mended the horse blanket & "John" helped me wheel down the balance of the coal. It commenced snowing after dark and grew much colder. Edwd went over next door to study his algebra with "Bessie" & came in after we had gone to bed.

Cloudy Ther.32°. Thursday FEB 22^nd, 1894. Variable & N.E. Wind

Washington's birthday, a legal holiday but the pupils of "Sherwood" decided to have school today, which gives them three consecutive days holiday, Friday Saturday & Sunday. Snow was 4 inches deep early this a.m. but the ground not being frozen under it, it melted very rapidly. One or two sleighs passed here early in the forenoon but it was very poor sleighing. Afternoon I rode "Frank" down to Ashton & back; he seems to be quite well again, although he has fallen off somewhat in flesh but not in spirit. Old Mr Miles Jno Abell's wife's father was buried at Friends Cemetary this afternoon I went to Henderson's & got 1/2 lb of butter.

Clear & Cloudy Ther. 23° Friday 23^d N.W. & N.E. Wind

Quite cold this morning early, and raw & chilly all day although it became soft & muddy. Afternoon Alice & Fanny Peirce called on their way to call upon Anna Parker at "Norwood". I wrote to Charley in answer to a letter inclosed in one to his mother.

Clear Ther. 10° Saturday FEB. 24^th 1894 N.W. Wind

Clear & cold this am: an old fashioned bright winter-day. Afternoon Bro. Chas. & his son "Fred" called here for a short time "John" also called about dusk. Edwd went to "Sherwood" early this morning & again this evening before dark to see after the fires. He has made a "micro phone" which he connected with his battery cells and which transmits sound with startling accuracy: the ticking of a watch can be heard (almost any distance), as distinctly as if held against your ear. H. rec'd a nice letter from Dora in Philad'^a she is well, and seems to be having a very pleasant visit. After supper E. went over next door to study his algebra lesson with Bessie Robison.

Cloudy Ther. 8° Sunday 25^th N.E. Wind

Real winter weather at last, last night was the coldest I have felt this winter. It commenced snowing from the N.E. about noon, & looks & feels as if it would make sleighing this time "sure enough" It continued snowing with increasing violence all the afternoon and evening should it continue with the wind blowing as it is at bedtime, it will make deep drifts before tomorrow morning Edwd went to "Sherwood" towards evening to make up his fires, but had poor luck and must go again early tomorrow morning the furnace fire is all right, but the other two (in stoves) are not.

Cloudy Ther. 35° Monday FEB. 26^th, 1894 N.E. & N.W. High Wind

Last night was a terribly stormy one, the wind blew with great violence and the snow changed to rain before midnight. This morning the ^slush & half melted snow is from 4 inches to a foot deep. E. went to "Sherwood" early to make the fires. One of Levi Hopkin's daughers was here with tooth ache. Afternoon (after) school E. got a pair of gum boots at S.S. having first ridden "Frank" to Ashton to get them but they had none the right size there. the price was $3.30. I "waded" up to the mill & Hendersons for the papers. After supper E. went to the Lyceum as "door-keeper" to an entertainment an amateure "play" a "satire on women's rights"

Cloudy & Clearing Ther. 31° Tuesday 27^th N.W. Wind

It was cold enough to freeze the slush somewhat last night & it is not quite as bad traveling as it was yesterday. I walked up to the store & toll house & borrowed some nut coal from the toll house. Guiow Miller buried his only remaining child this p.m. it being the second within a week that died from diptheria.

Cloudy & Clearing Ther. 32° Wednesday Feb 28^th, 1894 S.E. Wind

Slush frozen early in the morning, but soon thaw'd and made the traveling very disagreeable. "John" called, but was gone before I saw him. Anna Gilpin called for advice for her father. Afternoon Benj. H. Miller came for me to go to see Miss Annie Armstrong, who had fallen & fractured the lower end of the "radius" near her left wrist. I rode down to S.B. Wetherald's (where she was staying) with him & after adjusting the fracture & dislocations I rode back with "Billy" Alder's son in his road cart. "John" called again towards evening.

Clear Ther. 32° Thursday March 1^st S. Wind

Beautiful day overhead & wretched underfoot. I rode to B.H. Miller's on horse back before dinner & put Miss Annie Armstrong's wrist in a splint and bandaged it nicely including her hand, wrist, & lower part of the "fore arm". Afternoon I walked up to the store and toll house. Lizzie Scott was here to see Edwd about supper time. She wants him to play the piano for her young "dance class" on friday evenings. I am opposed to his commencing running about at night especially at this season of the year with such a condition of the roads: snow, slush and mud & dark nights.

Clear & Cloudy Ther. 32° Friday MAR. 2^d, 1893 Variable Wind

Ground slightly frozen this am but soon became soft again. "Phil" Robison rode "Frank" over to "Osceola" with a note from me to G.T. Smith Sr. I rode down to Ashton to the store & to see Mr Call Colt before dinner. "John" came about noon & went to Fletcher Clark's to see about getting his wagon tomorrow to haul the corn & hay from "Osceola". I wrote to Robt M Mackall at Annapolis on Mr. Call Colt's account. Afternoon Miss Mary Colt called for more medicine. Mrs. R. Boswell sent for some "little black pills" Robt Blair's daughter here & E took her photograph. After supper Edwd rode "Frank" over to "Scotts" to play for Lizzie's dance class under protest.

Clear Ther. 32° Saturday 3^d N.W. Wind

"John" came and he & "Phil" went over to "Osceola" & brought home a barrel of yellow corn using "Frank" & Fletcher Clark's wagon. the roads were too bad to bring a load of hay. I drove down to Ashton & up to Sandy Spring in the phaeton, Edwd with me. "Uncle Henson" called to see me. Afternoon Emma June Davis call & paid $2.00 on her old account & got some medicine. I went up to the mill & returned some corn I had borrowed (21 ears) Wm Edwd Johnson, from bone mill was here for advice & medicine after dusk. Edwd went to S.S. for some groceries etc & after supper went over next door to study his algebra with "Bessie" R.