1Dec 1 – Very pleasant day sun shines no wind. Choring round. Barber brot his wheel over to get it new rimmed.
Dec 2 – Worked in shop some. Went over to burg, bot lamp chimneys and tin for stovepipe. Not very cold.
Dec 3 – Sawed out felloes[128] for Barbers wheel. Repaired Hugh Aldrich violin. Filed saw for N. L. Randal.[129]
Dec 4 – Cloudy not very cold. Cattle out to pasture. Drawed two loads wood. Boys to work on Binder.
Dec 5 – Fine day sun shone all day. Rimed Barbers wheel. Carried 3 bushels wheat to mill just at night. Hugh Aldrich got his violin 25¢. Seems like spring.
Dec 6 – Worked round shop and house. Not much done.
Dec 7 – Went down to Marts. All well. No snow not very cold.
Dec 8 – Chored round. Carried Hannah Went over to burg after Hannah. Robert Crawford[130] came on noon train.
Dec 9 – Rainy not very cold. Robert, Sarah and I went over to burg at noon took dinner with Mrs Betts. Had a big shower rained all night.
Dec 10 – Rained this morning not quite warm Mercury 58 Abz. Worked on R. E. Straits violin. Carried Hannah over to burg at night brot Sarah home. Robert went to Battlecreek. Henry went up to the Creek to get some Steel to make needle point. Freezing some tonight no snow.
Dec 11 – Put Straits violin together. Nice day for the time of year.
Dec 12 – At home. Drawed wood. Robert came over. Not much done. Nice weather for winter no snow.
Dec 13 – At home. Went over to burg in Evening after Hannah. Jesse W. Turners 80 Eightieth birthday.
Dec 14 – Robert came over in morning stayed until noon. He went over to burg stayed to Nancys all night. Jim and Katharine came up.
Dec 15 – Snowed and blows some like winter. Jim Came home this morning. Went over to burg. Robert left on the one Oclock run he went to Dowagiac.
Dec 16 – Worked round cut some wood drawed some wood. About four inches snow. Hannah went to Mrs Howlets to sewing or to make a woolen Gown.
Dec 18 – Some sleighing. Ethan went over to burg after needle. I went up in woods cut one load wood. Hannah Came home She went back to Caywoods. Mr Caywood Came and got sewing machine. He no freeze not much some.
Dec 19 – Cut and drawed one load wood. Carried 7½ bushels Buckwheat to Mill. Not very good sleighing. Paid Katharines tax $18.88 cts. Elmer Latell came down and got some Turning done.
Dec 20 – Chored round in forenoon. Went over to mill in afternoon. Saw Quinn Streator and Solomon Kingsley.
Dec 21 – At home all day. Very windy cold East wind. Rain and sleet in Evening, not much snow.
Dec 22 – Sleigh runs verry nicely this morning. Hannah at Caywoods. Henry going to the creek to get goods. Quincy Streator went back to Ohio to day.
Dec 23 – Shelled some corn took it to mill 4 bushels. Sarah went over to burg stayed all day. Went over at night after her. Henry got back from the creek. Very good sleighing. Hannah came home from Caywoods.
Dec 24 – Not very cold, some ice, river very high. Went over to burg in Evening.
Dec 25 – Went At home. Very blustrous. Went over to burg. Went down to Browns. Carried saw home. Jim and I sawed wood in forenoon.
Dec 26 – Cold and blustrous. Went over to burg. Carried boards over to get plainned for panels. Got grist. Mercury 6 Abz.
Dec 27 – Not very cold Mercury 19 Abz ca.
Dec 28 – At home. Jim came up. Louese at home to day.
Dec 29 – Drawed four loads wood. Went over to burg got my boards at Straits.
Dec 30 – Put in knee to Charley Towns bob, he paid 75 cts. Not very cold, not much snow, rather sandy sleighing.
Dec 31 – Snows some. Ethan gone over to
burg. Mercury 29 Abz at nine 30 AM
[128] Felloe or felly – rim, or segment of the rim, of a spoked wheel
[129] Neighbor, Nathan L. Randall
[130] His wife’s brother
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 