Diary of John Arch Collins
1910
January 2, 1910. Sunday. We went over to Papa's and stayed all day. Ether was over there, and I wanted to see her, and after noon I taken her to the river, and Hamp met her there.
Jan 9. Sunday. I stayed at home all day till I went over to Will Sims' this evening and got George Putnam to trim my hair. Fed Nesbitt and John Lewis was here a while this evening.
Jan 27. This morning we went over to the mill and taken off the...we sawed till about four o'clock. Then Ernest went over to J.H. Sherrill's after the sow. Papa and I came home. Julie Kennedy died last night about eleven o'clock. Been sick a long time with a cancer on the liver.
Jan 28. This morning it commenced raining and rained a little while, and then it went to snowing all day about six inches deep. Tonight it is snowing some. Mrs. Julie Kennedy was buried at Bethel today.
Jan 29. This morning I went over to Papa's and got the pea thrasher and went over to Lydie Ervin's and got him to fix it. Some are hunting around, but there isn't any tracks.
February 11, 1910. This morning about daylight it commenced snowing and snowed a while, and then stopped. The rest of the day has been cold. It has been the worst day in two winters. Tonight it is raining and freezing.
Feb 12. This morning it is clear and warm enough over here, but the sleet is frozen. I went to George Wilson's and got two ax handles and went on to Doolie, to get the baby a pair of shoes, and it was near about night when I got home.
Feb 21. This morning Tom Sherrill come over here, and he and I went up to the crossroads and on to Papa's. Come home and after noon I went and helped Papa thrash peas.
Feb 22. Chopping cordwood all day. Tom Sherrill helped me.
March 7, 1910. This morning I chopped in the newground, and after noon I went after some ... rock over on the big road, and then hauled some stakes to the bottoms to put a dam across the lower end. Then went up to the schoolhouse, to a meeting of the Farmers' Union.
Mar 10. Plowing for Ernest on yon side of the creek. George Putnam and Will Sims have harrowed for them. They worked all night.
Mar 14. Went to Troutman and sold my hogs over the phone in Statesville and come home and killed them. O. Lytle and brother helped me get done before night. One weighed 167 pounds, and the other 156 pounds. Salted half of one.
Mar 27. Sunday. Stayed at home most all day. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright was here, and Mother and J.H. Bailey and his crowed. We had some fun part of the day walking and talking.
Mar 29. Went over to Papa's and got the oxen, and Carl and Homer came with me, and I hauled logs and put a dam across the lower end. Oscar Lytle also helped me.
April 28, 1910. This morning I went to the newground and worked a while, and Bessie got sick, and I come to the house and went after Flossie. Then come and went after Mrs. Nesbitt, Mrs. Kerr and some others, and after noon went after the Dr. Clutz and got back about three o'clock, and the baby was born fifteen minutes till 5 o'clock. It is a girl and Bessie is getting along fine. (Hazel)
May 6, 1910. Went to Troutman to a school closing, and we Juniors raised a flag and presented a Bible to the school. There was a large crowd, and everything went off quite well.
May 16. Went to the shop and got Papa to sharpen some plows for me, and come back and went to work in the newground and commenced picking roots and running off rows. After noon Katie come and dropped my corn. I covered it. Got home a while before night, and commenced working in my cane. Reuben is over here helping me.
May 20. This morning it is too wet to plow, and I hoed some and went over to Papa's to see if I could get some of them to help me. Papa wasn't there, and I didn't get anyone, so I come home and hoed all evening.
May 22. Sunday. Stayed at home most all day. George Putnam and Lum Maness come over here this morning and went a-walking over the crop, and Cleve... and wife come to stay all day, and Papa and Mother come by here this evening. Roy and Bell come with them.
June 2, 1910. This morning I taken Nellie Blanche to the doctor as she is sick. He give her some medicine. After I got back, I harrowed cotton till a while after noon, and then worked the garden and fixed a sweet potato patch.
Jun 8. This morning I went over to Troutman's mill and got some feed for the cows and chickens, and after I got back Ernest and I plowed our piece of corn. We have got together, and then I commenced plowing in my corn in the creek bottoms. Mr. J.M. Haithcox had some meat and peas stolen last night.
Jun 10. Went over to Lydie Ervin's and got him to fix a plow handle for me, and I fixed one too. He charged me 50 cents for what he done.
Jun 14. This morning I went to the creek bottoms to set up some corn where the creek had washed it down, and this evening I taken one of my cows to Papa's pasture, and just fooled about the rest of the day.
Jun 25. Taken Bessie and the children and went up to Mr. Cartwright's and stopped in Statesville for Bessie to trade some. We got up to Mr. Cartwright's about five o'clock.
Jun 26. We are all at Mr. Cartwright's this morning, and I come home. Started about ten o'clock, and got home about five, and went over to Will Sims and stayed all night.
Jun 27. This morning I commenced hauling up wheat. Will Sims helped me, and we got mine hauled up a while after noon, and then hauled up Will's. Got done at night.
July 3, 1910. Sunday. Went to meet Bessie and the children. Mr. Cartwright brought them to the five-mile branch. We got back home about five o'clock.
Jul 25. This morning I cleaned out a ditch and sharpened a saw for Will and George. As I have not been well, I have been around the house.
Jul 29. Went to Statesville with lumber. Papa went with me. We had 1544 feet and got $24.70. I had my wagon tire fixed. Papa got his horses shod. I got my watch out of the shop. It cost me $1.00
August 1, 1910. Haven't done anything much this morning, but taken the weeds off the potato patch, and about noon it come up a thunder cloud and rained hard, and after noon I worked on my harness.
Aug 6. This morning finds me at Mr. Cartwright's and stayed all day, looking over the crops and staying around the house.
Aug 7. Sunday. We are still at Mr. Cartwright's and stayed there most of the day-- only we drove over to Mr. John Barron's a little while this evening, and Mrs. Barron had a big boy.
Aug 13. Sawed at the mill till noon, and after noon sharpened a saw for David Overcash, and went to the store and helped Bessie with some fruit. Harry Sherrill was at the sawmill and was in the dust hole, and got his hand cut on the saw. It was cut pretty bad, but no bone broken.
Aug 22. Come home this morning from Hamp Bailey's. Got home about eight or nine o'clock, and the rest of the day I have been taking the school census.
September 12, 1910. This morning I tied up some fodder and hauled it up. Bessie throwed it up, and I helped her gather some peaches. After noon I went to the store. And after I got back, Bessie and I gathered some beans.
Sep 14. This morning I finished pulling fodder. Papa, Conway, and Katie helped me, and we got done till about 11 o'clock, and I hauled up a load of green corn. After noon Ernest and I went and cut some meadows for Mr. Alley, and got one done and started on the other, and Ernest got his finger hurt, and then I broke the Pitman rod, and it was about night when we come home.
Sep 15. This morning I went over to Lydie Ervin's and got him to make me a Pitman rod for the mowing machine, and after noon Ernest and I went up to the meadow and raked it and shocked it up, and brought a load home.
Sep 17. Stacked my load of hay, and hauled up some fodder and went up to the meadow and finished stacking Mr. Alley's hay, and brought the rest of our hay home, and got home about 3 o'clock, and done around here. We had an ice cream supper here tonight, and the crowd was large.
October 11, 1910. Pulled corn for Ernest till noon, and after noon mowed pea vines in the bottoms, and George and Ernest pulled and hauled corn for me. Mrs. Nesbitt died (see next entry --ed.)
Oct 12. This morning I went and hauled the corpse to Perth.J(Presbyterian Church...-ed) Mrs. Ann Nesbitt died with a heart trouble, and after noon mowed pea vines for Ernest and brought up a load of corn. Ernest and George Putnam pulled for me.
Oct 30. Sunday. This morning finds me at Mr. Cartwright's. Bessie and the children stayed up there and I come home. Left at 10 o'clock and got home a little before sunset.
November 5, 1910. Plowing for George Putnam till late in the evening. I come home and went and drove up my turkeys and done up my work, and went over to Will Sims' and stayed all night.
Nov 7. Plowing for George Putnam all day, and come home for dinner. Three of Mr. Nesbitt's children picked cotton for me this evening.
Nov 8. Went to Troutman to the election to vote, and to get some fertilizer. Got back till noon, and after noon drilled wheat for George Putnam.
Nov 12. Worked around the house. Went to the store and got some things for Bessie and got some bolts to fix my wagon brakes and fixed them, and in the evening I went and helped Will Sims shuck corn.
Nov 15. Hauling lumber for Bost, Cline & Co. We was hauling off the Grandpaw Collins place.
Nov 16. Sawing at the mill for a crib for Papa, and got done till 2 o'clock, and come home and shelled some corn, and Homer went to the mill for me, but didn't get his grinding. I fixed to kill my beef but it was too late. Lonnie Nesbitt and Frances Bass got married this evening.
Nov 21. Stayed around home after noon and sawed some wood, and after noon I taken some turkeys to Troutman, to Will Troutman's and got 16 cents a pound, and I also paid Mr. A.M. Allison $50.00 on my note.
Nov 27. Sunday. Stayed at home till after noon. We went over to Papa's and stayed till night, but I went over to Lum Maness' and got some apples and cabbage.
December 3, 1910. Went to Statesville. Went in a buggy. Went by myself. I had my tooth fixed and paid Mr. Cartwright for Old Rob, which I sold Papa, and went up there to see about our phone line.
Dec 17. This morning I went to hunt my turkeys but couldn't find them, so I come back and went to plowing. Plowed till noon, and after noon I sowed some rye.
Dec 19. This morning I went to Troutman to take some turkeys up there. I got 15 cents a pound, and after noon I plowed.
Dec 20. This morning I tended to the children for Bessie to wash, as it was too cold for them to be out, and after noon I plowed some.
Dec 31. Went to the store to get some oil for the baby as she is not well, and after noon I went to the Farmers' Union meeting, and after I got back I never done anything.
