Mar. 12, 1886.
Eleanor Martin came in afternoon and was surprised to see us. Mr. Stonebraker
called in afternoon. He has been a good friend.
Mar. 13, 1886.
Went down town and saw a good many old friends. Mr. and Mrs. Alderson
called in afternoon.
Mar. 14, 1886.
Went to Sunday School and church and saw all the dear church people.
Had a good congregation and Brother Howison prached [sic] a good solid
sermon on Adam's sin, the guilt imprinted to all the race as Christ's
righteousness is imprinted to his people by faith. Prof. Jones called
in afternoon. The strike still goes on to the great distress of the
country.
Mar. 16, 1886.
Took dinner at the Odd Fellows Hall given by the Episcopal ladies. Met
Mr. Harrison, he is a candidate for state senate. I introduced him to
a good many democrats. Mrs. Howison called in p.m.
Mar. 19, 1886.
Anna Pearce went home today. I rode out to Garvin's sale this afternoon
with John Cunningham. Saw very good wheat and some injured in exposed
places.
Mar. 23, 1886.
Called on Mrs. Custer in afternoon and Mr. Howison, he is sick with
chills. Strike still on and becoming a very serious matter. Mr. John
McDearmon has pnewmonia. Called in Mrs. R. H. Parks and old Mr. Johnson,
he seems to be in good health but it is difficult to understand him
when he talks.
Mar. 29, 1886.
The papers report the Great Strike ended to the joy of everybody. Gould
and Powderly agree to arbitrate. Mr. Alderson called in afternoon and
I rode down town with him. Mrs. Ross called.
Mar. 30, 1886.
Papers report the strike still unsettled, mistake or misunderstanding
between Gould and Powderly. Evening papers report everything very unsettled
and some disturbances. Called on William Parks.
Mar. 31, 1886.
The papers report the strike ended by arbitration, although appears
still unsettled.
Apr. 4, 1886. Sabbath.
Part of the Planter's House in St. Louis burned yesterday morning, the
laundry and suffociated [sic] four girls. In a conflict between the
strikers and officers in Fort Worth, Texas, seven men were killed. Brother
Howison preached on Christian Forbearance.
Apr. 5, 1886.
The strike still continues, everything in a very unsettled condition.
I have a good deal of cold, it seems imposiible for me to escape a cold
in the spring in this cold, damp climate. I called on Mrs. Alf Stonebraker
and mother now living at Mrs. Fielding's, also on Mr. Christy.
Apr. 7, 1886.
Minnie came over with her baby and spent the day. William Parks came
over in afternoon and we went out to Mr. E. C. Cunningham's. Called
on Mrs. Salveter. I am still quite unwell with cold.
Apr. 10, 1886.
Terrible scene in East St. Louis yesterday afternoon. Some Deputy Sheriffs
on guard, fired on a crowd of strikers and killed six or seven persons.
Great Excitement. This strike is terrible evil.
Apr. 12, 1886.
Called out to see old negro man, Granger, who has been sick all winter.
He worked for me for several years past. Mrs. William Parks and Mrs.
Bennett called in afternoon.
Apr. 17, 1886.
My cow showed signs of ailment today, lost her cud, I put a piece of
fat bacon down her throat. Shirley and Bob Bruere went to the prairie
with me to see my farm and Mrs. Durfee's, the roads very muddy. Called
in afternoon on Mrs. Sheppard, Mrs. (Dr) Johnson and Wm Parks.
Apr. 18, 1886. Sabbath.
Mr. Howison preached on the duty of worshiping God with our substance,
the practice of the church through all dispensations, giving as God
prospers us -- weekly offerings. At night we had union services with
all the churches to hear the Agent of Children's Educational Aid Society
in our church, large crowd, the object is to take poor neglected children
and find homes for them in families. A great deal has been done in the
large cities for this unfortunate class. Sent to Chicago for two books
for Fred's inquiry meeting. Old John Lon (col) to commence fence back
of the orchard tomorros.
Apr. 21, 1886.
Rode out to Mrs. Durfee's farm with John Cunningham to see Dierker's
cow and calf, stopped at John Lindsay's. The ladies are making a very
thorough cleaning of the church, painting, recarpeting below and above.
Wrote Joel Carr.
Apr. 23, 1886.
Called on Sydney Martin, he is getting well, met his brother from Troy.
Shirley went with R. H. Parks to party, the birthday of little Mary
King. Received letters from Mattie and Lizzie. Called on Frayser's this
p.m., Julia returned from Texas yesterday. Wife commenced cleaning house.
Apr. 30, 1886.
Called on Mrs. Ross this afternoon. Mrs. Alexander with Emily Martin
and children returned from Florida last night.
May 1, 1886.
The put down the new carpet in the church today. Rode out with Mr. Overall
to see Mr. E. C. Cunningham in afternoon. He was very sick last night.
Letters from Arthur and Mattie, Postal, Fred.
May 4, 1886.
Sydney Martin died very suddenly this morning of heart trouble. Got
3 pigs today from Barklage.
May 7, 1886.
Papers report very heavy rain and hail storms in S.W. Missouri, Kansas
and Illinois yesterday. I found my bank deposit $100 short today and
searched among my papers and found in my vest pocket a certificate of
deposit for $100 they omitted to put to my credit. How important to
keep such papers. They had bloddy riots in Chicago yesterday and day
before, incited by the Society of socialists or anarchists. Throwing
bombs among the police and killing them. In their papers and speeches
they urge laborers to murder, pillage and plunder, they are the vilest
class in the world.
May 7, 1886 (cont'd)
They come from Europe here to preach and practice their vile principles.
Received letter from Fred and Mattie. Fred's letter gives a very gratifying
account of religious interests at Leakey. Old Mr. Leakey, the old pioneer
settler, was converted and joined the Baptist church. The ladies met
at the church this afternoon and cleaned up, everything looks very pretty.
May 9, 1886. Sabbath.
At night attended a lecture by Mrs. Hoffman on temperance at Jefferson
Street Church. She is a fine speaker. I doubt the propriety of women
speaking in public or publicly. Intemperance is a terrible evil, nine
hundred million spent annually for drink and only five hundered million
for bread. May God in his infinite Mercy deliver us from this curse.
May 12, 1886.
Evening papers report a tornado at Kansas City, some lives lost. Armistead
brought his pony today to sell me -- I am to try it a few days. Eleanor
Martin spent the evening. Saw Mr. Walker of Wentzville. Called on Mrs.
Ross this afternoon. Mr. And Mrs. Howison here to tea.
May 15, 1886.
Went with Mr. Alderson down to his farm in the Prairie. Everything very
wet. I suffered a good deal with cold riding, a strong west wind. Most
Unprecedented rain storms all about.
May 17, 1886.
Mr. J. E. Stonebraker came early this morhning to tell me that E.C.
Cunningham died this morning at 7 o'cl. He ate his breakfast as usual
and lay down on the bed and died without a struggle. He was 77 years
and 3 months old. He has been in poor health for a year or two, an affection
of the heart. He was a very remarkable man, great energy, strict integrity,
warm and generous heart, decidedly religious. His life has been full
of troubles and bereavements. He made me his executor. I have known
him intimately for 42 years and has been my intimate friend all that
time.
May 18, 1886.
Rode out to E.C. Cunningham's this morning, saw Mr. Abner Cunningham
who arrived this morning. He is now 70 years old, looks well. Rode down
town in afternoon and took old Col. Cunningham out riding as far as
E.C. Cunningham's. He is very feeble and thin, has had chills, now 87
years old.
May 19, 1886.
Attended the funeral of Mr. E.C. Cunningham in forenoon. Great many
people attended. He had lived here fifty years and was greatly esteemed
for his high integrity and generous character. Whatever he did, he did
thoroughly -- on a grand scale.
May 21, 1886.
Went out to E.C. Cunningham's with his son, John, Mr. Redmon and Temple
to examine the papers, notes and accounts.
May 22, 1886.
This forenoon we had the butchering, furniture and tools of E.C. Cunningham
appraised and sold at Market House in afternoon. Mr. Alderson called
in morning to borrow my buggy for a week while his is being repaired.
We are having an abundance of strawberries. Doug Martin returned from
Texas, very dry there.
May 26, 1886.
The car shops gave fine entertainment last night of strawberries, ice
cream and cake to their emplyees in the new shop building. Tonight the
colored hands have the same, a good thing.
May 28, 1886.
Received letters from Arthur and Lizzie and a postal from Louisa Morgan.
I rode with Shirley down the river road and across by my bottom field
over the Marias Croche bridge and back. Saw the new levee, one side
next mine plank and the other side dirt.
May 29, 1886.
Shirley and I washed and oiled the buggy harness. A postal from Mattie
says she will not leave until June 8th. We all went to the art exhibition
at Lindenwood. We are particularly interested in Eleanor Martin's work.
George and Minnie came on early train. They went out to Lindenwood after
tea to see the art exhibition.
May 31, 1886.
Went out to Cunningham's this morning to have the meadows surveyed.
Went down to the Opera House tonight to hear the address of Dr. Fisher
of the State University at Columbia to the Lindenwood students.
June 2, 1886.
We went out to the commencement exercises at Lindenwood. They were in
the grove but a little shower drove us to the chapel. We had a picnic
dinner in the grove, quite a crowd of people on the grounds. Dr. Brookes
made a short address to the graduates. He made the address to the first
graduating class nearly 30 years ago. President Cleveland is to marry
Miss Folson today.\
June 4, 1886.
Mr. E. C. Cunningham's sale of presonal property today. We have a large
crowd, a good many old things, plows wagons, harness, sold very low.
Mrs. Alderson and Mrs. Watkins called in afternoon. Letter from Mattie
saying she had shipped a set of furniture to us to George to forward,
shipped to East St. Louis. I called in afternoon to see old Mr. Haigler
who has been sick for several months, he suffers a great deal, thinks
he will never get well and has a good hope in Christ for eternal life.
The evening papers report a conviction verdict in McDowell case.
June 8, 1886.
Received a postal from Mattie saying she wouldn't leave till this morning.
Called at Eleanor Martin's in afternoon. She has been out to help Dr.
Irwin pack the pictures. He gave her $10.00 prize for painting and offered
her a position to teach next session. Called at Mrs. Ross.
June 9, 1886.
Went to the Alumni Banquet at St. Charles College last night, quite
an interesting affair. Judge Krekel, Col. D. P. Dyer, Judge Edwards,
Prof Pitman and many other present. After a good deal of speechifying
about college days and formation of an Alumni Association we adjourned
to dining room and had a splendid supper. The college has been in exhistence
50 years.
June 10, 1886.
Letter from Wm Morgan and postal from Mattie saying she expected to
leave yesterday morning and may expect her tonight. Shirley and I went
down to the Opera House tonight to the Exhibition of the St. Charles
College students. Met Dr. James Gibson who has a son at the college.
We went up to the depot to meet Mattie who came on late train.
June 13, 1886. Sabbath.
Mr. Howison preached a good sermon on that part of our Saviour's intercession
prayer "I pray not they be taken out of the world but that they
be kept from the evil. Good people must live in the world for their
own good that they may be trained and for the good of the church and
the world, they have a work to do for the building up of the Kingdom
of Christ. Mr. Harrison of Fulton took tea with us, he is a member of
the Presbyterian Church, a lawyer and a candidate for State Senate.
June 15, 1886.
Wrote Arthur and sent him a book co9ntaining evening and morning famiy
prayer. The set of furniture from Philadelphia came this morning. It
is a large set of solid walnut furniture, bedstead, spring andmattress,
dresser, wash stand with large marble tops. Mattie and I went to the
public school examination after noon to hear Shirley's examination in
history, grammer, reading and arithmetic -- very good.
June 17, 1886.
Miss Lizzie Rood and Maggie Parks retire from public school and will
probably leave this place. They will be a great loss to our community
and church.
June 20, 1886. Sabbath.
The Reverend Dr. Davis, one of our missionaries from China, with Mr.
Edmonds of Mizpah Church in St. Louis County, came over. He lectured
in morning on China, illustrated with large maps, in afternoon he lectured
to the children with maps and pictures on China and at night on Japan.
These lectures were very fine, full of information about those countries,
the productions, people, habits and customs, religion and the missionary
operations. He came to this country a year ago and returns next fall.
June 23, 1886.
Saw Rhaker, my tenant, this morning -- has out his wheat, very light.
They are in great trouble about the poor crops and low prices and the
rent. They were to pay $7.00 per acre this year but I will have to reduce
it. They want to rent on shares hereafter. The prospect for grain raising
is very gloomy -- over production in this country and India wheat in
English market. The only hope for better price is that there is no surplus
of old wheat in this country. Called at Mr. Salveter's in afternoon,
he returned from Colorado this morning.
June 27, 1885.
This is my 67th birthday. I cannot recount the mercy and goodness of
God to me all my life long. Shirley goes to Wentzville this morning
to spend a few days.
June 30, 1886.
We are quite concerned about a situation for Eleanor and Aphra Martin
to teach, Aphra is greatly excited about her examination and the situation
in the Public Schools, poor girls, what a strain on them -- their own
support to make and to help the others. Received a letter from Dr. Chaney
saying no opening for Eleanor Martin. In afternoon rode with John Stonebraker
down to bottom to see John Graso's crop on my land, corn crop looks
promising, wheat crop light. Shirley came from Wentzville on evening
train. They finished harvesting today, tolerably good crop. Anna is
doing well at her Aunt Louisa's. Eleanor Martin received a letter from
Prof. Blanton of Elizabeth Aul Seminary proposing to employ her as an
art teacher. That is good.
Notes:
Lizzie and Louisa Morgan are JJJ's daughters; Arthur and Shirley are
his sons.
Mattie is another one of JJJ's daughters; George and Minnie are his
son and daughter-in-law.
Lindenwood was a womens college (now coed) in St. Charles.
Eleanor Martin was engaged to JJJ's son, Glover, at the time of his
death.
"Minnie came over with her baby..." Minnie is JJJ's daughter-in-law,
wife of his son, George Sibley Johns. The baby would be George McDearmon
Johns who was born in January, 1886.
Shirley, Arthur & Fred are JJJ's sons; Mattie & Lizzie are
daughters.
Mattie is JJJ's daughter. His wife's sister, Margaret Durfee, married
Edmond Borden (Mr. Borden), and they had a son, Shirley. Margaret died
when Shirley was quite young and Mattie moved to Philadelphia to care
for him.
Mary Johns is JJJ's sister-in-law, widow of his brother, Alfred Johns.
Ellen Cowan is a cousin.
Henrietta Fawcett Gauss' sister, Lucretia Fawcett married Sam McCluer.
Henrietta was the mother of JJJ's son-in-law, Charles Henry Gauss. He
married Charlotte Elizabeth Johns (Lizzie).
Mary Pearce is JJJ's daughter. She was married to Tom Pearce.
Notes:
- Shirley is JJJ's son. He probably had malaria, at least at a later
date. See his letters.
- Fred is JJJ's son, living at this time in Uvalde, Texas. Annie is
his wife.
- Dollie is Laura Tutt, wife of JJJ's son, Arthur.
- Mrs. Mary (Wharton) Johns. I think this is JJJ's sister-in-law,
wife of his brother, Alfred Johns.
- Mary Pearce is JJJ's daughter by his first marriage.
- Louisa Morgan is JJJ's daughter by his first marriage to Catherine
Woodruff.
- Claude Johns is JJJ's nephew, son of his brother, Alfred Johns.
- Mrs. Durfee is JJJ's wife's mother, Anne Glenday Durfee. She lived
with them in her later years.
- Mattie is JJJ's daughter. His wife's sister, Margaret Durfee, married
Edmond Borden (Mr. Borden), and they had a son, Shirley. Margaret
died when Shirley was quite young and Mattie moved to Philadelphia
to care for him.
- George and Minnie were JJJ's son and daughter-in-law. George was
editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for many years.
- Blanche Guauss was the eldest daughter of JJJ's daughter, Charlotte
Elizabeth Johns (Lizzie) & her husband, Charles Henry Gauss.
- Eugene Gauss was the father of the above-mentioned Charles Henry
Gauss. While the Gausses were in St. Charles, they lived only a couple
of doors down from the Johns family on Tompkins Street.
- Mrs. Gauss was the wife of Eugene Gauss. Her maiden name was Henrietta
Fawcett. Sis Gauss was Virginia Gauss, their daughter; Theo Gauss
is their son.
- Eleanor Martin was engaged to JJJ's son, Glover, at the time of
his death.
- Ellen Cowan & Tom Johns are JJJ's cousins.
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