Apr 1 – Mercury 31 Abz. Worked in shop some. Mrs Youngs and Clara here getting ready. Took goods over to Burg.
Apr 2 – Mercury 34 Abz. Took Mrs Youngs and Clara over to burg. They went to Jackson. Rained in Evening. Took the Beadstead up to the girls.
Apr 3 – Mercury 28 Abz. Took Sarah over to Burg in morning.
Apr 4 – Mercury 34. Went over to burg in morning. Got one Barrel salt $1.25. Saw D. Harris.
Apr 5 – Mercury __3. Pleasant day. At home. No one here. Strung new violin.
Apr 6 – Mercury 40. Went to town meeting. No work to day but cut one load wood.
Apr 7 – Mercury 35. Went up in the woods drawed one load wood two loads rails.
Apr 8 – Mercury 32 Abz. Took Sarah over to Nancys in morning. Cold North ____wind.
Apr 9 – Mercury 3__. Ethan went to Kalamazoo to get key seats cut. Charley Town drawed straw.
Apr 10 – Mercury 35. Went over to burg in morning. Took castings over. Got Charleys buggy down.
Apr 11 – Mercury 40. Cool damp wind. Charley Town commenced plowing south lot for oats.
Apr 12 – Mercury 34 cold north wind. Went over to Hanks, all there. Hank starts for Galesburg Ill on the 12.20 train Evening.
Apr 13 – Mercury 28. Went over to burg at noon after ___ stuf. Drawed some cornfodder. Charleys man plowing.
Apr 14 – Mercury 31. Cleaned out stable. Put cutter up over stable. Took one load out stable one out of the bay. Snowed like fun.[46]
Apr 15 – Mercury 49 snow about 2 inches deep this morning, all gone before night. Ethan got castings over for the binder.
Apr 16 – Not very well. No work, choring.
Apr 17 – Mercury 32. Went over to burg at noon after the stuff. Drawed some corn fodder. Charleys team plowing. Mr Wm Carey died to day.[47] Not very well. Work round barn.
Apr 18 – Mercury 31. Cleaned out stable. Put cutter up over stable. Drawed one load stuf from out the Bay to a ___. Went over to burg in morning. Went over after Nancy. Nancy and children came.
Apr 19 – Mercury 50. At home all day. Made Hammer Handle for Mrs Brown. Nice warm spring day.
Apr 20 – Mercury 81. Went over to burg. Took Binder castings over to foundry. They put Cell Straits[48] Engine in to Foundry.
Apr 21 – Mercury 66. At home. Worked round barn and garden. Florence and Ray[49] came to Kalamazoo.
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[46] Luke uses this phrase quite often. The Oxford Dictionary gives its meaning as “vigorously or quickly”
[47] Michigan death records confirm that William C. Caray died in Charleston, Michigan on April 17, 1885
[48] Neighbor, Lacelle Strait
[49] His daughter-in-law and grandson, Florence (Stall) Keith and Arthur Raymond Keith
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 