Volume 32, Number 4 - Summer 1993
W. D. Sylvester: Journeyman Pioneer
Part V (1867 - 1938)
edited by Lynn Morrow and Linda Myers-Phinney
1902
Jan 1 New year’s day: Helped Plez make ties. Nettie went up to visit Maud.
Jan 2 Went to the store. Chored round bal. of day
Jan 3 Worked in shop.
Jan4 Do
Jan 5 Sunday: We went over to Ed Stumpffs
Jan 6 Worked in the shop.
Jan 7 Worked in shop till noon. Nettie’s ma came at noon. Surprised us greatly. She came or the mail hack to Joe Seitz’s and they brought her over in the wagon. Fired around to-day.
Jan 8 Made a split basket and tinkered round. Jan 9 Turned some rolling pins and potato mashers, and went to the store.
Jan 10 Worked in the shop most of the day.
Jan 11 Worked in the shop. Went up to Plez’s in the evening. Jan 12 Sunday: We had Plez’s and Ed Stumpff’s to visit us to-day.
Jan 13 Worked in the shop.
Jan 14 Went to the store. Nettie and her ma went over to Isham Foster’s to-day. Nettie’s ma staid.
Jan 15 Nettie and her ma went to Ed Stumpffs to-day.
Jan 16 We stayed all night at Ed Stumpffs last night.
Jan 17 We all went up to Plez’s. I took a grist of wheat over to Ed Stumpff’s to take to mill. Went to mill with Ed. he brought home a load of straw from Joe Seitz’s.
Jan 18 Got up some wood, and brought Nettie’s ma down here from Plez’s.
Jan 19 Sunday: Mr Foster, Ida and Francis were here.
Jan 20 Stormy day. Do nothing.
Jan 21 Went to the store. Stormy to-day also. Tapped 15 sug[ar] trees.
Jan 22 Worked in the shop a little.
Jan 23 Carried wash water; went to Stumpff’s and got some butter, and tinkered round.
Jan 24 Chopped wood most of the day.
[Jan] 25 Nettie’s pa came last night. Cold and Stormy.
Jan 26 Sunday: We all went to Isham Foster’s.
Jan 27 Do nothing. Went up to the cave in evenin with Nettie’s pa.
Jan 28 Geo. & Ed Stumpffs and families were here.
Jan 29 We all went to Joe Seitz’s. Storm & sleet to day.
Jan 30 Nettie’s pa, ma and Myrtle start home. We all stayed all night at Joe Seitz’s last night, They went to Marionville on the mail hack.
Jan 31 We stayed all night at Plez’s last night, and came home to-day. I went to Ab Templeton’s to look at a set of Blacksmith tools. Heavy sleet on now.
Feb 1 Do nothing but get wood to keep up the fire; too slick to get out.
Feb 2 Sunday. Do
Feb 2 Do
Feb 4 Went up to Plez’s & c.
Feb 5 Got a sack of flour of Ed Stumpff and carried it home. Sleet still on.
Jan 6 Thawed a little to-day.
Feb 7 Bad weather. Do not do much.
Feb 8 Selby had a sale to-day. I was there a short time. Nettie went to Fosters. I went to store from the sale. Sleet still on. Ma, Millie & Josie York came this evening. Made a little sirup to-day.
Feb 9 Sunday: Stormy to-day.
Feb 10 Went up to Plez’s. Traded for a gun of him. Still cold.
Feb 11 Warmer to-day. I began to build a shed on the east end of the shop. Nettie went to store
Feb 12 Tapped 21 sugar trees to-day. Too cold for the trees to run much. We made a little more sirup to-day. I went up to Plez and got some cans to put by the trees, and got some alder for spiles.
Feb 13 Real cold. Work on the shop shed what I can.
Feb 14 Do
Feb 15 Big snow last night. Do not do much.
Feb 16 Sunday: At home all day.
Feb 17 Went to Stumpffs. Sugar trees ran well today.
Feb 18 Real cold to-day. Sleet and rain.
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[Feb] 19 Very heavy snow last night.
Feb 20 Snowed hard nearly all day to-day, making the heaviest snow for years.
Feb 21 Nice and warm to-day; and snow melting very fast. Trees ran very well
Feb 22 Went over to Stumpff’s this morning. Snow melted fast again to-day. Sugar trees ran well.
Feb 23 Sunday: At home all day, only I went up to Plez’s this morning. Brought home my books Senator Cockrell sent me. —A lot of nice ones—cloth bound.
Feb 24 Went to get Ed & Geo Stumpff to help me saw board timber. Brought the saw from Plez’s. Feb 25 Ed & Geo Stumpff and their families here to-day. Ed & Geo sawd board timber. Sugar trees ran more water to-day than any time before. Still considerable snow on.
Feb 26 Went to the store & tinkered round.
Feb 27 Rived a few boards & made a vise bench and built up a forge in the shop. Little stormy. Feb 28 Put a few boards on the shed at the shop, and did some other tinkering round. Mar 1 Plez hauled the blacksmith tools down for me that I got of Ab Templeton. I went to the store.
Mar 2 Sunday: Ma went to Isham Foster’s. Rest of us stayed at home. Kept me busy carrying sugar water. Weather nice now. Snow gone.
Mar 3 Nettie went to visit Minnie Stumpff. I placed the blacksmith tools and made a pair of tongs.
Mar 4 Split a few rails, and worked at the shop, and carried in the sugar water.
Mar 5 Worked at the garden fence a little. Went to Geo Stumpffs to send for some coal. Brought the crowbar from Plez’s.
Mar 6 Worked at garden fence till noon. Went to Isham Foster’s and got some plum trees and set them out.
Mar 7 Worked at garden fence and split some chair timber. Sowed some lettuce and tobacco.
Mar 8 Put fence ‘round a little patch of ground at the stable to plant some truck. Nettie sowed some lettuce & radishes.
Mar 9 Sunday: At home all day.
Mar 10 Nettie went up to Plez’s: Ma kept Raleigh at home. I worked at the shop.
[Mar] 11 Rained all day. Biggest rain for a long time. Branch and creek higher than it has been for over two years.
Mar 12 Damp and rainy. I made a clothes basket in the house.
Mar 13 Worked a the garden fence most of the day.
Mar 14 I went to Plez’s in forenoon and worked a little at the shop and garden fence balance
of the day[.] Minnie Stumpff & Maggie here to-day.
Mar 15 Worked a little at the garden fence and went up to Plez’s to see if he got us any mail.
Mar 16 Sunday: We went over to Ed Stumpffs
Mar 17 I worked at garden fence forenoon. Nettie had to go up to Plez’s. Baby born to them to-day. I went up there in the evening[.] Ma kept Raleigh at home.
Mar 18 I went to the store forenoon. Geo Stumpff got some coal for me at Marionville and I carried a little of it home.
Mar 19 Made a few rails. Got the garden extension so it will keep the stock out. Sharpened a plow shovel to plow garden with.
Mar 20 Kept Raliegh and Nettie went up to see Maud.
Mar 21 Rived boards and put them on the shop shed. Did a little work on a gunstock for Smoot
Mar 22 Went up to Plez’s, put a few boards on the shop shed.
Mar 23 Sunday: We went up to Plez’s.
Mar 24 Plowed our garden. Nettie planted onion seed and sets, and radishes. Weather fine now.
Mar 25 Nettie planted a lot more onion seed. I finished making a gun stock for Smoot. Planted potatoes
Mar 26 Rained last night. Work in the shop—made a pair of tongs and sharpened 2 plow shovels for Plez. Ran the lathe balance of the day.
Mar 27 Worked in shop.
Mar28 Do
Mar 29 Did some work on a gunstock for Avery Henson. Went over to Ed Stumpff’s. Rained a little to-day.
Mar 30 Easter Sunday: Mr and Mrs Foster here to-day.
Mar 31 Worked at shop forenoon, Went to store afternoon.
Apr 1 Worked at shop—finished Avery Henson’s gunstock.
[Apr] 2 Built the garden fence a little higher at the east end. Been frosts for several nights. Worked at Shop a little.
Apr 3 Worked at shop. Nettie made garden.
Apr 4 Do
Apr 5 Do
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Apr 6 Sunday: We went over to Isham Foster’s. Apr 7 Set out some pie plant, horse raddish, turnips, and some other things this morning. We got them at Foster’s. Work a little at the shop. I am nearly sick to-day.
Apr 8 Went to see Geo. Woodhouse about getting the Hornybuck School to teach. Went to the store. Nettie Went to Geo Stumpff.
Apr 9 Went to Plez’s last night. Rained all day today. Did not get home till evening. Went to Isham Fosters late this evening.
Apr 10 Worked in shop. Did some work for Isham Foster in forenoon. Went to Scholten in afternoon.
Apr 11 Worked in the shop. Apr12 Do
Apr 13 Sunday: Geo & Ed Stumpff and families were here.
Apr 14 Went to the store and tinkered in the shop. Apr 15 Ma and Nettie went to Isham Foster’s. It began to rain and rained nearly all day. I had to go over after them. Worked at shop.
Apr 16 Worked at shop.
Apr 17 Worked in shop and went to the store.
Apr 18 Went up to Plez’s, and chored round balance of day.
Apr 19 Dropped corn for Plez. Came home and set out forty cabbage plants. Apr 20 Sunday[.] Plez and Maud came up last night. Plez and I went fishing. Caught two little things. Warm and windy to-day.
Apr 21 Went to the store, and took five hens. Got seven and one half cents a pound for them. Worked a while in the shop.
Apr 22 Went to the store again. Got a sack of flour. Plowed in the garden awhile.
Apr 23 Worked in the shop. Apr 24 Fixed a pair of pincers for Plez: Sharp two shovels for Ed Stumpff. Rained nearly all day. Apr 25 Put handles on double shovel for Ed Stumpff. Work on chairs a little.
[Apr] 26 Worked in shop in forenoon: Went to Mack Hemphill’s in afternoon. Did not get to see him.
Apr 27 Sunday. We are up to Plez’s to-day. Rain and hail to day.
Apr 28 It rained till we could not get home last night: came home this morning. Fixed another pair of pincers for Plez. Did some work for myself. Apr 29 Went to Mack Hemphill’s: did not see him again[.] Nearly sick when I got home.
Apr 30 Went back to Hemphill’s. Saw him this time[.] Got wet coming home.
May 1 Worked at bottoming chairs.
May 2 Bottomed a chair and went up to Plez’s.
May 3 Went to the store and helped Plez shrink his buggy tires. Came back and sharpened some plow shovels.
May 4 Sunday: At home all day.
May 5 Sharpended some plow shovels for Ed Stumpff and Worked on Plez’s buggy.
May 6 Work a little at Shop. Rain most of day. Set out 50 cabbage plants and twelve tomato plants.
May 7 Worked in Shop forenoon. Stayed with Raleigh and Nettie went up to Plez’s in afternoon.
May 8 Painted Plez’s buggy. We went up to Plez’s in evening to stay all night.
May 9 Helped Plez fix some fence to-day.
May 10 Bottomed a chair forenoon. Went up to P[missing] in afternoon.
May 11 Sunday: Got Ed Stumpff to bring a load of stuff down here for me. Plez sta[missing] to Town this afternoon with his goods to ship to Bates county. I sent [filmissing] chairs, one desk and one clothes basket to ship to JT Reynolds, Humlie, Mo.]
May 12 Tinkered round and went to the store
May 13 Plez and Maud started to Bates Co to-day. I got a horse of Ed Stumpff and plowed my garden at Ma’s place.
May 14 Worked in garden and Worked a little [missing] a book case I have just commenced to make.
May 15 Rained a shower last night. Worked on book case.
May 16 Worked on book case.
May 17 Went up to ma’s place; came back and worked on book case.
May 18 Sunday: We went to Isham Foster’s. Stumpffs were all there.
May 19 Went to the store in forenoon. Worked the road in afternoon.
May 20 Worked the road.
May 21 Worked on book case and in the garden.
May 22 Went to Stumpff’s and got some milk. Fixed some ground and set out some tobacco plants: Stayed with Raleigh awhile and Nettie went up to ma’s place.
May 23 Worked on book case, went over to Stumpff’s.
May 24 Went over to Joe Seitz’s and on to the store with Old Man Arthur.
May 25 Sunday: At home all day. First mess of peas.
May 26 Sharp some shovels for S. T. Arthur. Got
[18]
some tobacco plants and finished the book case.
May 27 Went to Joe Seitz’s to take a letter to the mail carrier: picked balance of the goose berries. Fixed the Encyclopedia case to hold the index and dictionary; set out some more tobacco plants.
May 28 Oiled the new book case and flour chest. Went up to ma’s place and hoed out the garden.
May 29 Chopped up a tree that had blown down in the garden. Worked in the shop.
May 30 Worked on a chair Went over to Ed Stumpffs and planted some pumpkin seed in his corn.
May 31 Worked in shop and went to the store.
June 1 Sunday. We went over to Ed Stumpffs.
June 2 We had our first mess of beans to-day. I worked in the shop.
June 3 Worked in the shop till noon. Geo Woodhouse came over after me as ma was there sick. I went over and sent for the doctor.
June 4 We stayed at Woodhouse’s last night. I started Scholten with Ed Stumpff, but the rain drove us back.
June 5 We stayed at Stumpff’s last night. Came home to-day.
June 6 Went over to Wood house’s to-day to see how ma is: is some better.
June 7 Went to the convention and vo[missing] went on to the store
June 8 Sunday: I got Ed’s horse and buggy and went to Woodhouse’s after ma
June 9 Worked in the shop.
[June] l0 Went to Joe Seitz to get some butter, picked some cherries and did some hoeing up at ma’s place.
June 11 Worked in the shop.
June 12 Went to Joe Seitz to get butter. Made Mrs Seitz a rocking and will take butter for it. Picked the rest of the cherries—got four gallon off the tree.
June 13 Worked in the shop.
June 14 Do till noon. Went up to ma’s place and hoed in afternoon.
June 15 Sunday: At home all day.
June 16 Hoed in the garden awhile, then went up to ma’s place and got a board to make rockers for a rocking chair.
June 17 Rain most all day. Set out some tobacco plants in the evening.
June 18 Do not do much: am nearly sick with headache. Rainy again to-day.
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June 19 Rain all day.
June 20 Rain most of day[.] I went up to Ma’s place in the evening.
June 21 Went to the store in forenoon; did nothing rest of the day. June 22 Sunday: Ed Stumpff’s here to-day.
June 23 Went to mill and got flour in forenoon. Went in afternoon to [illegible] to ride to Cassville.
June 24 Went to Plez’s and around the post office.
June 25 Went to Stilton to get medicine for ma.
June 26 Went to Cassville to take an examination for a [teacher’s] certificate.
June 27 Examination to-day.
June28 Do
June 29 Started home. Rained on me nearly all the way home. Got home about 3:00 p.m.
June 30 Do nothing but rest up. Went to Ed S. & Foster’s in the evening.
July 1 Picked some blackberries. Went to Foster’s in the evening.
July 2 Tinkered round.
July 3 Picked blackberries and worked a little in the shop.
July 4 Went to the store. Got my Certificate
July 5 Picked 4 gallons of blackberries and tinkered round a little. [July] 6 Geo Stumpff and family were here to-day July 7 Picked 3 gallons of blackberries. Tinkered round most of day. Sent blackberries to town
July 8 Worked in the shop.
July 9 picked 6 gallons of berries after dinner [illegible]
July 10 [Illegible] mowed the weeds around the house.
July 11 Picked berries.
July 12 Worked in the shop forenoon. Went to the school house in the afternoon to sign my contract to teach. The district clerk did not come, and meeting was put off to next Saturday.
July 13 Sunday. I got behind with the berry picking and had to pick some to-day.
July 14 Went [illegible] Took ma over to Fosters in the evening.
July 15 Picked blackberries.
July 16 Put [illegible] hinges on a little case[illegible] and helped Nettie fix things up [illegible].
July 17 Picked the blackberries in forenoon. Stayed with Raleigh and Nettie went to Fosters in afternoon.
July 18 Tinkered round.
July 19 Do nothing in forenoon. Went to the school house in the afternoon and signed a contract to teach Hornybuck School for six months beginning Aug 4 - 1902.
July 20 Sunday: Picked three gallons of blackberries. Went to church at Isham Foster’s in evening.
July 21 We moved up to ma’s place. Ed Stumpff hauled our goods.
July 22 Helped Nettie fix the things in the house.
July 23 Picked blackberries and went down to our place and got some things.
July 24 Went to [illegible] and mailed some letters and went to Stump’s. [Illegible] the scythe to mow some weeds.
July 25 Nettie went to Seitz. I went to Fosters and took their scythe home. Looked very rainy to day but didn’t rain much. July 26 Went down home in morning and to Scholten in evening. Nettie had a chill to-day.
July 27 Sunday: Picked the blackberries, and helped Nettie. She feels badly to-day.
July 28 Went down home. Traded my blacksmith tools to Oliver Foster for a cow and calf. Gave him the tools and ten dollars. Cow and calf thus cost me 22.50.
[July] 29 Went after the cow and calf. Went down home [illegible] afternoon.
July 30 Went to the store and down home. Oliver got the tools to-day.
July 31 Pick the blackberries for the last time this year. We have picked 44 112 gallons out of the patch this year.
Aug 1 Did not keep the book while up to ma’s place. I taught fifteen 9150 weeks of school at Horny Buck.
1903
Jan 21 Moved back to Cave Hollow.
Jan 22 I straighten up things and brought the cow down.
Jan 23 Worked around the house. Fixed the door to the room the stairway is in etc. Tinkered
round.
Jan 25 Sunday; [Illegible] Jim, Ida, and Francis Foster [illegible]. Vesta Cottrel was here.
Jan 26 Went to Scholten. We went to sign a deed for Eaf.
Jan 27 Tinkered round, did some work on chair.
Jan 28 Worked [illegible] and some other work.
Jan 29 [Illegible] some books [illigible] repaired the [illegible]
So ends one man’s record of a new life on an old frontier. Please refer to the Introduction in the Spring 1992 issue and subsequent issues for Sylvester’s diary.
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