Apr 1 – Mercury 34 stormy snowey bad day. Shelled some corn. Doc McBeth[53] here morning and Evening.
Apr 2 – Mercury 24 some snow ground well covered. Filed saw for Jim. Went over to burg after Doc McBeth at noon Ed Allen Blowed out this evening.[54]
Apr 3 – Mercury 20 very pleasant morning. Cut and drew some wood one load corn. Lois came over.
Apr 4 – At home. Ethan took Hannah up to Scotts to Jon Powers.
Apr 5 – Nice pleasant day. Went to town meeting. Ed some better. Doc comes twice a day.
Apr 6 – Mercury 32 the wors Bluster of the season, snowed and blowed a perfect gale all day.
Apr 7 – Went over to burg in morning. Bot some maple shugar 48 cts.
Apr 8 – Mercury 25. Ethan and Lois went to Kalamazoo. Nancy gone up to Lous. Very nice day. I cut some wood. Bot can Honey of Mr Rainy[?].
Apr 9 – Drew two loads straw two loads corn one wood. Very pleasant day.
Apr 10 – Worked in woods and in shop. Ed not much better.
Apr 11 – Nice day. I husked corn all day. O. M. Allen came up. Rainy day.
Apr 12 – Nice warm day. Laid up fence on hill south of orchard. Went over to Lois just at night.
Apr 13 – Went to Kalamazoo. Lois went to see Nancy. Bot Hat $1.50. Paid for the Telegraph[55] one year $1.50. Nicholas Chilson Died to day Ae 80y.[56]
Apr 14 – Mercury 85 Abz very nice day. Drawed stone in forenoon. Took down some fence up by the woods in afternoon. Hannah came home from Scots.
Apr 15 – Moved some fence. Nice day. Drew some corn.
Apr 16 – Took down fence. Drew one load old rails.
Apr 17 – Husked corn in forenoon. Hot day had a thunder shower just at night. Hannah came from Em Ralphs.[57]
Apr 18 – At home. Ed some better. Bessie here. O. M. no come up to day. Theodore and Hannah went to Wm Rogerses.
Apr 19 – Very warm day. Went over to burg got groceries. Ed Rouland paid two Dollars for Repairing violin.
Apr 20 – Mercury 80 Abz. Drew 3 loads corn one load old rails. Jim commenced plowing on the hill for oats. Nice warm day.
Apr 21 – Mercury 84. Took Lois trunk to the Depo. She went to shelbyville. Husked some corn. Jim plowing. Bot 1½ bushel clover seed $10.50.
Apr 22 – Mercury 84. Husked some corn. Very nice day.
Apr 23 – Mercury 87. Ethan went to Kalamazoo after Nancy. The children came.
Apr 24 – Mercury 84. Jim finished plowing the oat ground drew in the corn all in. I dug out some stumps.
Apr 25 – At home. Nancy and children came up stayed all night. Very pleasant day. O. M. came up in afternoon.
Apr 26 – Nancy went home on 11 oclock run. Jim ploting oat ground. Wm Blake called in to see Jim. Rainy afternoon.
Apr 27 – Went up to M. O. Streators bot six bushels wheat 85 cts pr bushel. Took it over to mill in afternoon.
Apr 28 – Drew some stumps of south lot one load stone. Jim commenced Drilling oats.
Apr 29 – Jim finished drilling oats he plowed the garden.
Apr 30 – Went over to Burg in morning. Draged the garden and potatoe ground.
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[53] From an ad in the October 23, 1880 Galesburgh Express: Wm. L. McBeth, M.D., PHYSICIAN & SURGEON. Office at Burdick’s drug store. Residence on Battle Creek street, two doors east of Bennett House. Calls attended to promptly at all hours. Galesburgh, Mich.
[54] Hard to decipher the order of his words as some were squeezed in between lines, so this may not be a true reading
[55] The Kalamazoo Daily Telegraph newspaper
[56] An old neighbor from when Luke lived in Covington, Genesee County, New York. The New York Death Index shows that Nicholas Chilson died in Batavia, Genesee County, New York and FindAGrave.com shows he is buried in the Pavilion Cemetery, Pavilion, New York, although it shows his age as 77
[57] Neighbor, Emaline (Stone) Ralph
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 