Diary: Caleb E. Iddings, 1868

Saturday June 27 Purchased some dry goods & groceries besides drugs & sundries, paid $7.65 at Steinmans for Saml: Cummings. Reached home just after sundown. Emma Jane Drennen spent the day here. J.B. cut alders, briers etc. etc. from along the fences.

Sunday June 28^th Took Jos: Ferguson's "Jenny Lind" home, and left medicine for M^rs Wallace. John Hollis brought J Boyd's daugters (Caroline & Maria) up to see their parents. Spent most of the day reading.

Monday June 29^th Went to Elim in the carriage in the morning taking Charley & Freddy with me leaving the latter there. Found Ella Carter afflicted with measles & prescribed for her, am afraid Chas: will take the disease which will

Monday June 29^th

be inconvinient for us in the busy season of harvest. Went after dinner to see Joe Robinsons wife. J Boyd took my hay-flats and the running-gear of the wagon out to the Grove to have them properly adjusted for hauling hay & grain from the field.

Tuesday June 30^th J. Boyd went to [AJM?] Comsey's to see him about his mowing machine. I went to Centreville and engaged Chas: Pusey to bring his machine and cut my grass- J Boyd went to Long's mill and got 50 lbs flour and 2 bushels of chop (corn + oats) for me for which I sent the cash- he also got a bushel of corn meal which was chargedM^rs Wm Long's niece (Rebecca Jordan) was here and had a tooth extracted. John Johnson was also here and was examined and prescribed for. J. Boyd Mow'd around a part of

Tuesday June 30^th

the hollow field after supper in order to be ready for the mowing machine. Dug a trench in the cellar to set the milk pans intopurchased a fore quarter of veal from Edwd Gorsuch @ 14 c pr lb-

Wednesday July 1^st Started [?] after the mowing machine early in the morning- Chas: Pusey came over and mow'd until dinner time. Isaac Wood came up after me to go down to see Ellie who is threatened with dysentery. Mother Retzer went back with him. I went down and Returned by about 5. o'clock; I called at Warren Heusels and paid him $1.50. J.B. & I tightened up all the nuts and bolts about the spring tooth horse Rake and greased it: nailed cleats on the floor of the barn bridge to prevent the oxen from slipping-

Thursday July 2^d 1868John Tomlinson came in the morning and worked all day. J. Boyd horse raked all the hay that was cut yesterday, as soon as the dew was sufficiently dried off. John Tomlinson & David "bunched" it up before dinner and we commenced hauling in immediately after dinner. Chas Pusey came shortly after " and mowed all the afternoon. I tried "pitching on" hay the first load but found I could not stand it, and afterwards "built" the loads, which was as much as I could do, as the sun shone intensely hot. but I succeeded in holding out until night. J Boyd went to Longs Mill after supper and got all the feed they had ground, only 1 1/2 bushels. This is fine hay weather but I fear if we do not have a shower soon the corn and potatoes will suffer.

Friday July 3^rd 1868-

John Bishop came in the morning and worked all day. I went down to Isaac Woods in the carriage to see Ellie and bring Mother Retzer home. Came past Elim and purchased 2 Rakes and some other articles. Chas: Pusey came in the morning and mow'd until dinner time after which I took him and part of the machine out to the Grove to have some Repairs done he then mow'd until night. Paid John Tomlinson $3.00 in full for the two days he has worked for me. Hauled in four loads of hay in the afternoon. This has been the warmest day we have had this summer so far. Found Ellie Wood so much better that I will not see her again professionally unless sent for.