Volume 32, Number 2 - Winter 1993
W. D. Sylvester: Journeyman Pioneer
Part III (1867 - 1938)
Edited by Lynn Morrow and Linda Myers-Phinney
1901
Jan 1 New Year’s day; New century begins today. I went up to Ma’s this morning. Chop and pile brush north of the branch between the shop and stable this [missing] noon.
Jan 2 I worked a little on a high chair and chored round.
Jan 3 Chopped around the house and made a cow yoke for [lacunae]
Jan 4 Went up to Ma’s this forenoon and worked on the shop in afternoon
Jan 5 Worked on the shop forenoon. Carried Raleigh to Ed Stumpff’s for Nettie. I went on over to Ma’s.
Jan 6 Sunday. We stay at home till evening then we go to ma’s and Riley and I go to Geo. Oldham’s
Jan 7 Set up all night last night with Geo. Oldham[.] He is very bad sick. Go to the store this forenoon. Stumpff sow had one pig last night. We came home this evening.
Jan 8 Brought home the sow and pig. Put a bottom in a child’s high chair.
Jan 9 Chopped some board timber in forenoon. Rained all afternoon and I fixed our shoes.
Jan 10 Plez helped me saw board timber. Jan 11 Cut some rail timber and dragged in some logs for the shop: Also dragged up some rock to make a walk to the spring.
Jan 12 Worked on the shop and hog pen.
Jan 13 Sunday: Stayed at home all day.
Jan 14 Worked at hen house and draged a flat rock for the walk by the smoke house.
Jan 15 Worked at the hen house, and rived boards.
Jan 16 Worked at the hen house forenoon. Went to
store in afternoon.
Jan 17 Rived boards and worked on hen house in forenoon. Went up home in afternoon. Riley and I were going to Geo. Oldham’s to sit up. News came that he was dead and we did not go.
[missing] We came home this morning. Worked a little on hen house and chored round. I have made several trades with Plez and Riley the last few days. Got some lumber and Giant powder [a powerful blasting powder used in dynamite] of Plez and two barrels[,] a large box[,] an ox[,] a cow bell &c. Also a box of Plez.
Jan 19 Rived boards and finished the hen house.
[Jan] 20 Sunday: We went up to Plez’s. Plez and Maud stayed all night with us last night.
Jan 21 Got 20 chickens (hens) of Riley, and brought them home. Worked at shop bal of day.
Jan 22 Worked at hog pen by shop.
Jan 23 Finished hog pen by the shop, and [illegible] some logs for shop, and chopped out [illegible]
Jan 24 Went to the store in forenoon, and up to ma’s in afternoon.
Jan 25 Butchered a hog. Riley helped me.
Jan 26 Salted down the meat[,] cut logs for shop and dragged them up. Built up [illegible] around the spring to keep the dirt from washing in. Went up to ma’s.
Jan 27 Sunday: We stayed at home all day.
Jan 28 Worked on the shop and helped Nettie carry Raleigh to Ed Stumpff s.
Jan 29 Dragged up some logs for the shop. Worked on shop bal of day.
Jan 30 Worked on shop.
Jan 31 Worked on shop: began putting up rafters. Plez brough down a load of stuff for me that I traded for of Riley. I chopped a little in the patch below the house while it was frosty this morning.
Feb 1 Carried some wash water and went up to ma’s. Chored round balance of day.
Feb 2 Rained all day.
Feb 3 Sunday[.] We went up to mats.
Feb 4 Riley stayed here last night. I went to the store in forenoon. Built a little stone fence on the bluff north side of yard and worked a little on the shop.
Feb 5 Worked at the patch below the house and began putting the boards on the roof of the shop. Weather fine. Just a little cool mornings.
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Feb 6 Did not do much[.] Drizzly day.
Feb 7 Light snow last night. Went up to Ma’s today. did not do much.
Feb 8 Rain a little. Work a little on the shop.
Feb 9 Chop a little. Go up to ma’s. Help carry Raleigh to Ed Stumpffs.
Feb 10 Sunday: We stay at home all day. Weather is gloomy but warm. Riley started to Joplin to-day.
Feb 11 Gloomy day; drizzle rain. I went over to Ed Stumpffs in evening.
[Feb] 12 Went up to Plez’s and shelled a grist of corn. Worked at the patch down the hollow, in afternoon.
Feb 14 Carried water for Nettie to wash. Went up to Plez’s and shelled a grist of corn. Fine weather yet. Almost like summer.
Feb 15 Went to mill and to the store.
Feb 16 Worked on shop.
Feb 17 Sunday: We stayed at home all day.
Feb 18 Worked on the shop. Finished putting on the sheeting[.] Sold Ed Stumpff a cow for $20.00
Feb 19 Worked at the patch below the house. Feb 20 Sick to-day. [missing] Feel better to-day, but do nothing. Go to Plez’s this morning.
Feb 22 Worked at the patch down the hollow. Cold to-day.
Feb 23 Cold to-day. About the coldest day yet. Went to store this afternoon.
Feb 24 Sunday: Plez & Maud, and Geo & Annie Stumpff were here all day. Warmer to-day.
Feb 25 Built a hog pen to-day; second one by the shop[.] Warm to-day.
Feb 26 Went up to Plez’s in forenoon. Went to store in afternoon. Took a bushel of stock peas to store. got 1.00 per bushel for them.
Feb 27 Rived a few boards, and worked at the patch down the hollow cutting rail timber.
Feb 28 Put in a wagon tongue for Ed Stumpff. Cut some rail timber down the hollow and made a trough out of the big hollow walnut log below the patch.
Mar 1 Cut some rail timber, built a little rock fence in forenoon. Rived boards and worked a little on the shop in afternoon.
Mar 2 Mule got out and I hunted for him till noon. Did not find him. Was sick in afternoon.
Mar 3 We were at home till evening. I went up to Plez’s.
Mar 4 Made a gate at the patch below the house and began to make a garden rake.
Mar 5 Picked and burned trash up in the field.
Mar 6 Got up a hog that has been down at Carney’s for a long time. Went to store in evening. Hog got out and went back.
Mar17 Sold Geo Carney the hog that kept getting out. Got $4.00 for it. I went to Joe Seitz’s and got a cast wheel given me (missing) Geo Cotrell for to put on my lathe. Worked on lathe till evening when I went up on the ridge to see about the fire that was out there. Ma came down to-day.
Mar 8 Worked on lathe. Terrible windy to-day.
Mar 9 Worked on turning lathe till noon. Rained all afternoon.
Mar 10 Sunday: Rained all night last night and most of to-day.
Mar 11 Went to Peck’s store. Got myself pair of shoes and some groceries. Could not cross the creek to get to Ellis’s.
Mar 12 Worked on lathe: got it almost finished. Carried some rock and threw in the lower side of the shop to level the floor.
Mar 13 Plez made rails for me to-day. I dragged some logs out of the patched and done a little more work on the lathe.
Mar 14 Ma & Nettie went to Foster’s. I turned a pulley for the lathe and chored round. A little stormy to-day.
Mar 15 Laid up some fence at the patch, and went up to Plez’s. Ma & Nettie went to Ed Stumpffs.
Mar 16 Went to store. Tinkered at the lathe and chored round.
Mar 17 We went up to Plez’s. Plez and I go over to Smoot’s. He sent for me to come and set up the incubator which he bought of Riley.
Mar 18 Finished the fence at the patch below the house. Finished making a garden rake, Plowed up a bed and set out winter onion sets.
[missing] Set out one gallon of summer onion sets when it began to rain and rained the balance of the day.
Mar 20 Rained and snowed most of the day. I turned a stick in the lathe to send Riley to show him the kind of work I could do
Mar 21 Carried water for Nettie to wash; then went up to Plez’s and packed some goods in a box for ma to ship to the Territory. Took my old sow up to Plez’s. When I came back I turned a stand-table leg
Mar 22 Picked trash in the field and dragged logs till noon. Got a peck of onions at Ed Stumpffs and set them out in after noon. I attended to Raleigh while Nettie made
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some other garden.
Mar 23 Rained nearly all day. I turned a stand-table leg in evening.
Mar 24 Sunday: We went to Geo Stumpffs Mar 25 Helped Plez haul a load of hay in forenoon.
He hauled 10 bushels of corn from Geo Carney’s for me in afternoon.
[Mar]26 Picked brash up in the field in forenoon and turned two more table legs in afternoon.
Mar 27 Set out some bottom onion sets, (112 gal) and picked brush and burned it in forenoon. Did some lathe work and burned brush in afternoon.
Mar 28 Burned brush in forenoon; Moved some tools to the shop in afternoon.
Mar 29 Rained all day. We went to Plez’s in evening.
Mar 30 We stayed at Plez’s last night. Plez took Ma and Jim to town for them to start to the Territory where Riley is. [Missing] came home and shelled a grist of corn. Nettie visited Annie Stumpff. I went up in evening and done Plez’s chores and came by and brought Nettie home.
Mar 31 Sunday: Stayed at home all day. I went up to Plez’s in the morning and did his chores.
April 1 Snowed and rained all day[.] Heavy snow fell for awhile.
April 2 Gloomy this morning. Went up to Plez’s and took a grist of corn for him to take to mill.
April 3 Turned a couple of chair posts this morning. Brought my old sow home from Plez’s, and chored round.
April 4 Plez came down and helped me kill a hog in forenoon. I helped about the butchering balance of the day.
April 5 Rain all day. We render lard and put away the meat to-day.
April 6 Chored round in forenoon. Helped Plez haul out rock and old stumps in afternoon.
April 7 Easter Sunday: Geo. and Annie Stumpff were here.
April 8 Sowed oats for Plez in forenoon. Planted garden in afternoon. We planted beans, peas[,] tomatoes and potatoes.
April 9 Finished sowing oats for Plez. Got a lot of blackberry plants and set them out. Set out some turnips to raise seed.
April 10 Picked and burned trash in the field. April 11 Went over to Fosters. Ida is bad sick. Went to the store and up to Plez’s.
April 12 Rainy to-day. I work on the yard fence a little.
April 13 Rain most of the day. Went to Foster’s in evening. Ida some better. [missing] Stayed at home till noon. We went to Foster’s in afternoon. Ida about the same.
April 15 Burnt trash in the field, and ran the lathe a little, and put out a little more garden.
[April] 16 Finished burning the trash on the ground I rented to Ed Stumpff. Got some pieplant roots of him and set them out.
April 17 Rain all day. Cold and disagreeable.
April 18 Worked in the shop a little and went up to Plez’s. Quite a frost last night.
April 19 Plez helped me saw board timber.
April 20 Plow a potato patch and fix my shoes. Went up to Plez’s in evening.
April 21 Sunday: We stayed at home all day.
April 22 Planted potatos and peanuts in the two patches by Plez’s house.
April 23 Plowed in the patch down the hollow. Nettie made some more garden, planted peas, beans, peppers &c
April 24 Plowed in the patch. Went to Geo Stumpffs and got half bushel of potatoes and plant them. Also planted some peanuts and a few hills of corn to plant beans with
April 25 Dropped corn for Geo Stumpff
April26 Do
April 27 Finished dropping corn for Geo S. Finished about three o-clock.
April 28 Sunday: We were at home all day. April 29 Cleared an old tree top out of the field. Fixed the fence a little: put my old mule in the pasture, worked in the shop a little, started to the store in afternoon, but the foot log had washed out and I could not cross the creek.
[missing] Worked in the shop a little. Went up to Plez’s and got a mule and went to the store.
May 1 Dropped corn for Ed Stumpff—the [missing] ground I rented to him
May 2 Finished dropping corn for Ed in forenoon. We went up to the Comes [?] place and helped get a horse on his feet that had got down and could not get up. It belonged to the man from California who came in yesterday.
May 3 Plowed up a cabbage patch and tobacco patch; took the plow up to the field to begin planting cane, fixed a little fence around the house and fixed the rock in the spring a little better.
May 4 Furrowed out some ground for cane and worked a little more on the fence, and shelled off some cane seed and went up to Plez’s.
May 5 Sunday: At home all day. We are beginning
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to need rain.
May 6 Planted cane and burned logs in the field. May 7 Dropped corn for Plez.
[May] 8 Finished dropping corn for Plez. Went to store in evening.
May 9 Burnt logs and deadened the timber on east end of field till noon. Put a bottom in a child’s chair I made for Annie Stumpff, and burnt logs in afternoon. We are needing rain bad.
May 10 Nettie Began to wean Raleigh to-day. I went to Geo Stumpffs to get a couple of steel traps to try to catch a ground hog that is eating out garden.
May 11 Went to Ed Stumpffs in morning, worked in shop and went up to Plez’s in evening. Rained as showers last night, but not enough to amount to anything. Very dry.
[missing] Sunday: Ed Stumpff and family were here. We all went over to Mr Foster’s in the evening. Very dry yet.
May 13 I helped Nettie carry Raleigh over to Geo. Stumpffs. I went and looked at Geo S’s sheep. I may buy them.
May 14 Chored round and shelled a grist of corn.
May 15 Went to mill. Looks a little like rain.
May 16 Worked in shop a little; rained a little.
May 17 Rived a few boards and worked in the shop in forenoon. Sick with headache in afternoon.
May 18 Rained a shower last night and this morning. Worked a little in the shop.
May 19 Sunday; We stay at home all day.
May 20 Worked the roads.
May 21 Put on a gunstock for Isham Foster.
May 22 Planted some cane, and went up to Plez’s.
May 23 Planted some beans. Sold Ed Stumpff four shoats for $8.00[.] Helped him take them over. They would weigh about 50# each.
May 24 Planted beans and plowed up some sweet potato ridges. Went and borrowed Geo Stumpff’s gun to try to kill a ground hog that has been destroying our garden.
May 25 Hoed a few peanuts; hoed up a few potato ridges. Shot a ground hog at the garden. set out 100 sweet potato plants. Went up to Plez’s in evening.
May 26 Sunday. At home all day.
May 27 Planted popcorn and beans. Took Geo Stumpffs gun home. Went on up to Plez’s. Made a little garden
May 28 Terrible dry weather; everything suffering. Went to the store. Bought a cow and calf of John Ellis for $30.00[.] Plez helped me bring her home in the evening. [May] 29 Fixed the lot to hold the calf. Fixed a milk box in the spring.
May 30 Put on a gun stock for Plez & worked a little on a high chair
May 31 Finished Plez’s gun stock, and tinkered round. No rain yet. very dry. Everything suffering.
June 1 Am nearly sick to-day. Do not do much.
June 2 Sunday: We went up to Plez’s and all went over to Geo Woodhouse’s to get the babies’ pictures taken. Could not get them quiet enough for anything.
June 3 Tinkered in the shop a little. Got sick at noon.
June 4 In bed all day.
June 5 In bed till noon. Feel a little better in afternoon.
June 6 Worked in the shop. Don’t feel very well. Light showers.
June 7 Painted a high chair and did some other work in shop.
June 8 Worked in shop. Very dry[.] Rains we have had did not amount to anything. Set out 150 sweet pot. plants.
June 9 Sunday: At home all day.
June 10 Planted some popcorn and beans in forenoon. Went up to Plez’s in afternoon.
June 11 Nettie and Maud went to Scholten. I fixed Plez’s grain cradle. Put a finger in a grain cradle for Isham Foster. Tinkered round bal. of day.
June 12 Plowed some potatoes and peanuts, and worked in the shop.
June 13 Hoed peanuts till I broke the hoe. Worked in the shop bal of day.
June 14 Made a chair.
June 15 Worked in shop.
June 16 Sunday: Geo Stumpff and family here. Terrible hot and dry: No rain yet.
June 17 Worked in shop.
June 18 Do
June 19 Rained a very light shower last night. Didn’t amount to anything. Went up to Plez’s. Shelled a grist of corn in evening.
June 20 Went to the store in forenoon. Went to mill in afternoon. Water was so low I didn’t get my grist ground.
[June] 21 Work in shop.
June22 Do
June 23 Sunday. We are at home all day. Plez’s stayed here last night.
To be continued.
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