Jan. 2, 1881. Sabbath.
Weather mild and pleasant. I attended the Children's Missionary
Meeting with Shirley at three o'clock. These little meetings
are not large but something is done in raising money and
giving missionary intelligence. We generally get from
$1.50 to $2.00. Went to the Methodist Church and heard
Mr. McMurry, the Presiding Elder, preach a plain, practical
sermon on the life of Joseph.
Jan. 4, 1881
Called on Miss Naomi Barron and her sister, Cora Holke.
They are very comfortably fixed. I also called on Mrs.
Alf Stonebraker who has just returned from New York after
an absence of four months. She has greatly improved in
health and looks.
Jan. 5, 1881.
Will Castlio of Mechanicsville stayed all night with us.
Glover and George are working very hard on their paper.
The first number will be out day after tomorrow.
Jan.. 7, l881.
Glover and George did not get in till one o'clock at night,
being busy at the office preparing the Journal for the
mail this morning, the first issue. It is a large sheet
and large type. It is a great improvement on the other
papers published here. I hope they will make a success
of it.
Jan. 10, 1881.
Received a letter today from my old lady cousin, Mrs.
Mary Rice. I am reading the life of Reverend Dr, Charles
Hodge -- delightful.
Jan. 11, 1881.
Reverend Mr. Martin and wife called to see Mrs. Durfee.
Jan 12, 1881.
Mrs. Durfee has suffered intensely all day with neuralgia.
Dr. & Mrs. Ferguson called in afternoon.
Jan. 15, 1881.
Dr. Martin called in afternoon and the girls too.
Jan. 16, 1881 Sabbath.
Cloudy, not so cold, mercury 20°, Arthur came last
night. Cleared during the night. Fred came by in the afternoon
and Arthur went with him to the Asylum. Dr. Martin preached
a good sermon. Text in Epistle of John, 1st Chapter, 8th
and 9th verses. "If we say that we have no sin, deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Jan. 17, 1881,
Mercury 12°. Arthur left this morning for the city.
Jan. 18, 1881.
Cloudy and raw, light rain, freezing as it falls. The
streets so slick that it is hard to walk. The City has
adopted a system of waterworks and steam that will be
a great thing for the city, in protection from fire, and
facilities for manufacturing and heating public buildings
with steam.
Jan. 19, 1881.
I finished reading the life of Dr. Hodge --one of the
most exalted characters I ever read of-- a great theologian,
a great deal of strong common sense and a lovely Christian
character. The Princeton Theological Seminary seems to
have been specially favored of God in having such men
as Alexander, Miller and Hodge as teachers. The hearts
of David and Jonathan were not more closely knit together
than were those of Hodge and Bishop Johns. Their love
surpassed that of women.
Jan. 20, 1881.
Cloudy and damp, mercury 28 to 32, very difficult to walk,
so slippery. Koenig sawing wood this afternoon.
I have commenced reading the Life of Christ by Cunningham
Geikie, D. D., a Scotchman.
Jun. 21, 1881.
William Provines, son of old Dr. Provines, called to see
us today. He has been absent from here 14 years and is
now living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Territory. The third
number of the Journal is out today. It is good. They are
somewhat discouraged about subscribers. The News is in
the way. Most new enterprises have some uphill work.
Jan. 22, 1881.
Mercury 24° above zero. Glover went to Portage today
to get subscribers for his paper. Shirley fell on the
ice this evening and hurt his shoulder badly. He cannot
move his arm and suffers a good deal. No bones broken
but some severe sprain.
Jan. 23, 1881. Sabbath.
Mercury 16°. Dr. Martin preached a very good
sermon today on the restraining influence of the gospel
on society -- on men who are not Christians. Mrs. Gauss
called in afternoon.
Jan. 25, 1881.
Clear, thawed a little today, Still quite cold, Such a
winter as this is seldom seen in this climate. Such long
continued cold, freezing weather, now three months. This
extreme cold extends far south to Mobile.
Jan. 27, 1881.
Clear and colder, mercury 10° this morning. The icy
hand of winter tightens. Glover goes up to Hannibal today
with the Mayor and several other citizens at the request
of Mr. Gray, the waterworks man, to see the waterworks
at Hannibal, built by him. Called to see Mrs. Watkins
in afternoon.
Jan. 28, 1881
Mercury down to 6° above zero. Glover returned this
evening from Hannibal. The waterworks there a great success.
Jan. 29, l831.
Cloudy and much warmer, mercury 30° this morning.
Melted a great deal during the day. Mercury 50°. Looks
very much like a thaw-out.
Jan. 30, 1881 Sabbath.
Cloudy and warm, mercury 40° this morning. Funeral
of Rufus Robbin's child in our church this morning,
Jan. 31, 1881.
Warm and raining, The ground is thawed about two inches
and a hard rain would wash it off. It has been now nearly
three months since the, ground froze up, the longest continued
cold I ever saw in this country. A drizzling rain all
day, cooler. Wind north and west, mercury 36°.
Feb. 2, 1881.
A great many people call this Ground Hog Day. They say
if he comes out of' his hole and sees his shadow he will
go back and stay six weeks-- that is, the weather will
be bad for six weeks. He can see his shadow today, for
the sun is out. We will see.
Feb. 3, 1881.
Hung up my meat today - 8 hams, 7 sides and one Shoulder.
Feb. 4, 1881.
I paid off my accounts in town and will try the cash system
this year. Mrs. Mary Provines, 2103 Chestnut St., St,
Louis, Mo.
Feb. 5, 1881.
Called to see my old friend, William Parks.
Feb. 8, 1881.
Mrs. Eaton died very suddenly this morning. Fred took
dinner with us. We look for the ice in the river to break
up tonight or in the morning, as a big rise is coming
down.
Feb. 9, 1881.
Cloudy, foggy and drizzling, the frost comes out of the
ground slowly, mercury 42°. Commenced raining about
9 o'clock the forenoon and has continued steadily all
day. The ice gave away in the river last night about one
o'clock. The river is rising and very full of ice today,
- wind in west.
Feb. 12, 1881,
Stormy, stormy-- the wind roared all night, blew a gale
and snowed too. This morning it is raging out-- wind and
snow-- colder, mercury 20°. This is the most furious
storm of the winter. The ground had nearly thawed out.
Winter has returned with new vigor.
Feb. 13, 1881.
Still cold and windy this morning, 15°. Cleared up
about noon. Delightful in afternoon. Arthur came last
night. Fred took tea with us.
Feb. 14, 1881.
Clear early this morning-- cold-- mercury l0° above
zero. Arthur went to city. Called on Colonel Cunningham
this afternoon. He is 82, is quite bright, looks very
young for that age. There was an election today in the
city to determine whether a tax of 20¢ on the $100.00
should be levied to give fire protection and a system
of waterworks which Mr. Gray proposes to build. Carried
by an almost unanimous vote.
Feb. 18, 1881.
Everything covered with ice this morning - the trees bending
with it-- rained most of the night and froze-- mercury
32° - dreary and wintry.
Feb. 15[sic], 1881. Saturday.
Clear and the ice on the trees glistens in the sun, mercury
20° above zero. George went to St. Louis this morning
on the early train.
Feb. 21, 1881
Called at Robert Parks. Mamie Bennett is there. Called
also at Mr. Goebel's on Miss Deis, Mrs. Goebel's sister,
who is recently from Germany and who has spent many years
in Brazil, South America, teaching. She speaks seven languages.
She attends our church. She intends returning to Brazil.
She is an intelligent and pious lady.
Feb. 22, 1881.
This is a memorable day in the history of the world. Washington's
birthday. Clear and mild. I am taking down the old
log cabin, built 25 years ago by a man by name of Freeze,
now living in Carroll County, Mo.(1)
Everywhere water, mud and slush. Sent a barrel of
potatoes to Mary today, with a few other things.
Feb. 24, 1881.
Clear, mercury 22° in morning. Having peach trees
cut back and trimmed. The buds are dead. Brought the old
clock back from Meyer's today, repaired and a new face.
I bought it 29 years ago of old Mr. Meyer, the father
of the men now doing business at the same place. It has
marked every hour of health or sickness, joy or sorrow
in our family for 29 years. It has marked the hour of
the birth of eight of our children and of the death of
four of them.
Mar. 2, 1881.
Heard Dr. Margins of St. Louis lecture at Lindenwood last
night. Solid, sensible man, all the lectures I have heard
there are too dry and heavy for young girls. In afternoon,
very warm mercury 62° .
Mar. 3, 1881.
Old John Easterbrook died yesterday morning, a very short
illness, too much whiskey-- kind-hearted, weak man. Has
lived here for more than 40 years.
Mar. 4, 1881.
Cloudy, cold and very windy, mercury 20° . The wind
blew a gale all night from the west. This is a great day
at Washington, the inauguration day of President Garfield.
Old Rahmoller, a blacksmith, died suddenly this morning.
Good many cases of pneumonia. Fred has been going to the
prairie every day. Terrible roads and very bad weather.
Mrs. Whitney and Frank are both very low.
Mar, 9, 1881,
Clear, bright day but very muddy. The snow all gone. I
went out to see Frank Whitney in the afternoon as he was
said to be dying. When I got there I found him sensible
and realizing his condition and earnestly engaged all
the time in praying. It was a sad sight to see him and
his mother, in the same room, she utterly helpless and
without any mind, from paralysis. He died about 4 o'clock
p.m. He has been a sufferer all his life from spinal affliction.
Mar. 11, 1881.
Glover sat up at Edwards with Frank Whitney's corpse all
night. Funeral is at ten o'clock this morning.
Mar. 13, 1881 Sabbath.
Bible Society meeting at Jefferson Street Church.
Mar. 19, 1881.
Rained most of the night. A furious snowstorm has
raged all day, without abatement up to this time - 8 o'clock
p.m. Fred got a dispatch this morning that Mr. Meyers
was very low with pneumonia and he and Annie left on evening
train for Boonville.
Mar. 20, 1881. Sabbath.
William Morgan came this morning about 6 o'clock from
Carrollton. Doug Martin stayed all night with our
boys. I am suffering a great deal all day, pain
in the head from cold. Could not go to church.
Mar. 21, 1881.
Mr. Bates is working on my fence today around the chicken
yard. A dispatch from Fred today saying William
Meyers was better.
Mar. 22, 1881.
Clear and cold. I suffered intensely with neuralgia
all day. Dr. Johnson gave me a hypodermic injection
of morphine that relieved me. I kept in bed all
day, a rare thing in thirty years. Dr. Martin and
Mr. J. E. Stonebraker called on me. What a blessing
health is! Sickness shows us how frail and helpless
we are. David said, "Before I was afflicted I went
astray".
Mar. 24, 1881.
This has been a bright spring day. I still suffer
from neuralgia. Mr. Martin called in morning and
Mr. Stonebraker in evening.
Mar. 25, 1881.
Clear and mild in morning. Fred returned this morning.
Was quite sick while in Boonville. Mr. Meyers getting
well.
Mar. 27, 1881. Sabbath.
Clear and milder. Suffered a great deal with my
neuralgia. William Parks called in the morning before
church. George is complaining of cold and neuralgia.
Mr. Alexander called in the afternoon.
Mar. 29, 1881.
Stormy night and ground covered with snow this morning,
cold, windy. Clear in afternoon. Suffered
severely all day with my neuralgia. Mr. Martin called
in morning and Mr. Alderson in afternoon.
Mar. 30, 1881.
George is a good deal better today and went to his office.
My neuralgia not so painful today. Mrs. Ross called
in afternoon.
Notes:
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