Diary of John Arch Collins
1911
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| Photo by Duane Bristow |
January 1, 1911. Sunday. Stayed at home all day, as the baby was sick. It rained all day and froze, and I haven't seen anyone today.
Jan 2. Went to Troutman this morning to get the doctor to come and see our baby as she is sick, but he didn't come-- just sent some medicine and she seems some better tonight.
Jan 13.Plowed all day for oats, some for cotton. Florida had a big boy. It was born this evening (Otto Sims).
Jan 16. Plowing here at the house. Plowed up the garden and potato patch. Then went over on the Gilleland place and plowed till night.
Jan 28. Went to the sawmill this morning and sawed some for Lydie Ervin, and after noon I plowed some. There was a pound party here tonight.
Jan 30.Plowing. Finished on the Gilleland place. Come home and fixed my plow up which I had broken, and I commenced in my pea land here at home.
Jan 31. Plowing here at home. Plowed all day in my pea land, only I went to the store while the mules ate, to get some oil for the baby, as she is not well. Old Brindle found a calf this evening and I know it is the smallest I have seen.
Febuary 15, 1911. Ernest and I cut logs and hauled some too. We was cutting some that we had bought from Mr. Tommie Nesbitt, when we went to the mill one afternoon. Papa went and hauled a load for Will Sims, as Will moved today below Mayhew town.
Feb 16. Cutting and hauling logs. Some for home and some we had bought from Mr. Nesbitt. We had Tom Sherrill to help us a while this evening, and I paid him 30 cents.
Feb 18. This morning I went and cut and hauled some wood and put up some hay till noon, and after noon Nellie Blanche and I went to Troutman and got some shoes.
Feb 26. Sunday. Went over to David Overcash's to see his pigs, and then went over to Papa's and stayed all afternoon, and Papa, George, and some went to see Lydie Ervin's sawmill, and to Brown's and come back home. I am here by myself. Bessie and the children are up at Mr. Cartwright's. Been there a week.
March 5, 1911. Sunday. Went to meet Bessie and the children. Ernest Cartwright brought them a piece. I met them at the five mile branch. We got home about 5 o'clock.
Mar 12. Sunday. Went to preaching at Rocky Mt. Come home after preaching, and Lydie Ervin and family come, and Roy Parker and Bell come and spent the day.
Mar 15. Working at the sawmill cutting some logs, and we also hauled some. We didn't have anyone hired today. Ernest and I cut, and the little boys and Papa hauled. John Clontz paid us $10.00 today for sawing and owes us $10.04 yet.
Mar 21.This morning I went over to Papa's and got my wagon and flour. Papa went to mill yesterday. Come home and harrowed some oats ground on the Gilleland place till noon, and after noon I hauled out some manure. Carl Huston helped me. I paid him tonight. We planted some beans, and I fixed the watermelon patch.
Mar 24. Went up to the schoolhouse at Bell's Crossroads to the school closing. We Juniors presented a Bible and flag to the school.
May 11, 1911. Plowed around the Alec Gilleland house till noon, and intended going back after noon, and Clark Freeze let the fire out, and I went and fought it all evening, and a lot more help come. It didn't do any damage, only burned the woods over.
May 12. Planted corn till we got our company newground done. George Putnam and I and the others worked on my pea land till noon on the Gilleland place, and after noon I planted corn for George Putnam, and got his done, and planted some on my peas, about one hour.
May 24. Hoed cotton. Chall Overcash's children helped me hoe, and we got done about sunset.
May 31. Hoed corn in mine and John Young the company newground, and got it done till night (?? -ed.)
June 3, 1911.Sunday. Went down to Will Sims' today, and they wasn't at home. Was at Burgess Sherrill's. We also went on there and stayed all day.
Jun 5. This morning John Young and I cut up a treetop and taken it out of the corn and then split a few posts and started to plowing about 11 o'clock. John plowed cotton, and I plowed corn.
Jun 10. Went up to Mr. Cartwright's and taken Bessie and the children. Stayed all night and till Sunday evening, when I came home.
Jun 13.Cutting wheat for Lonnie Ervin, and some for Tommie Nesbitt, and started in Ernest's [wheat].
Jun 15. Cutting wheat for Will Bost and others, and we also cut two acres for George Putnam. We cut 10 acres today.
Jun 17. I went over to Roy Parker's and started to cut wheat, but Papa come and drove in my place, and I come home and cut around my wheat. George Putnam and Conway and Homer helped me.
Jun 18. Sunday. Went to meet Bessie and the children. Met them above Statesville, and we got home at 5 o'clock.
Jun 28. Plowing corn. Laying it by. Plowed in my newground. Mr. Sherrill's children hoed cotton for me today. My white sow found 8 pigs this evening. They are her first.
July 6, 1911. Picked blackberries this morning and a while after noon, and after that I finished plowing cotton over the fifth time, and went up to the store [at Bell's Crossroads] this evening.
Jul 10. Sowed peas in the creek bottoms all day. Plowed them in with the two-horse plow.
Jul 27. Went to Mooresville to a picnic. Mr. Cartwright and Blaine went with me. There was a large crowd, and it was awfully dry and dusty.
August 2, 1911. Sawed at the mill until noon, and after noon I worked around the house, fixing up some things, and Mother and the boy were over here. Mother churned for me, and I cut the boy's hair.
Aug 3. Ernest and I went to Statesville to the mill, and to hear the Combs trial for the murder of his wife.
Aug 4. Went to Statesville, to court to hear the Combs trial --charged with the murder of his wife. The courthouse has been crowded all week.
Aug 5. I worked around the house and rode around to see about the school --something about making up some money and paying more on the salary. Went to the [Farmer's] Union meeting.
Aug 20. Sunday. Went down to Mr. Jones' and stayed all day. Bessie and the children were with me, and we had a good time and had plenty of watermelon to eat. It was about night when we got home.
September 10, 1911. Sunday. Ernest, Nellie Blanche and I went to preaching at Rocky Mount, and Bessie and Mrs. Cartwright stayed here. After noon Ernest, Bessie, Nellie Blanche and I walked over to Papa's and stayed a while.
October 12, 1911. Plowed all day. Ernest helped me until noon. Conway helped me this evening, and Charley Burton dug stumps and picked some cotton. Andy Young mowed on the creek banks. Mr. Stinson's children picked cotton for me.
Oct 23. Stayed at home all day, for it is too wet to do anything. I am not well.
Oct 24. This morning about 2 o'clock Bessie got sick, and I went after Mrs. Tom Nesbitt, and got Ernest to go after the doctor. After breakfast was over, I taken the children over to Ernest's and came on by after Mrs. Stinson. And about twenty minutes till ten o'clock...our third child was born today, and it was a boy. Mrs. Cartwright came to stay with us. (This is Aubrey Collins, who dies the following year --ed.)
Oct 30. Went over to Ernest's after a pig but couldn't catch it. I borrowed some meal and came back home, and hauled out manure the rest of the day.
Oct 31. Hauled out a load of manure this morning. Ernest helped me, and then I hauled some fertilizer, then brought a load of ditch bank stuff to put in a wash in the field, and then shelled some corn and went to Longford to the mill. After I got back, I went over to Papa's to get the disk harrow and commenced harrowing my wheat.
November 4, 1911. Went over to Papa's and got Mother to come and stay with Bessie and the child. I taken Mrs. Cartwright to Troutman to get home. She has been here about two weeks. After I got back I worked with my pea hay till about four o'clock. John Young helped me.
Nov 5. Sunday. Stayed home all day. Bessie has a big boy and we are not able to go anywhere. Roy Parker and Bill came and spent the evening with us.
Nov 20. Carrie has been sick all day. Ernest went after the doctor, and he has been there all day. Ernest has a boy, born about 6 o'clock this evening. (This is Paul H. Collins..-ed)
Nov 27. I finished sowing wheat for this year.
December 1, 1911. Went over to Mrs. Calvin Williams to move Mary Honeycutt in the house with us. After noon I went to Troutman to the mill, and to the store.
Dec 10. Sunday. Stayed at home till after noon, and then we went over to Roy Parker's and stayed all evening. Mrs. Honeycutt went over to see the old Sherrill girls.
Dec 17. Sunday. Went over to Papa's and stayed all day. Bessie and the children went with me. Mrs. Honeycutt stayed at home. John Young had one of my mules to take his wife to the doctor in Troutman.
