THE “WETHER BOOK” OF BUCK GRANGER’S GRANDFATHER
By Earl Howell Reed
My friend “Buck” told me something of his grandfather’s history as we sat in the genial glow of the stone fireplace the evening after I had examined the contents of the brass bound box.
The old pioneer, with his wife and two sons, had come west in 1810 and located on the island. He found many Indians there and his relations with them were very friendly. A small area was cleared and cultivated on the island, but the main source of livelihood was hunting, fishing and trapping. The woods and waters teemed with life and nature yielded easily of her abundance.
The old man lived alone for many years after the death of his wife. His sons married and went farther west. Two years before he died one of the sons, Buck’s father, returned with his wife and little boy, to the old home. Buck was now the only surviving member of the family.
His recollections of his grandfather were rather vague. He remembered him as an old man with a white bushy beard, frowsy coon skin cap, ear muffs, and fur mittens. He had spent much time 66with him fishing along the river, and in trips through the woods. From him he had learned the ways of the big marsh, and much of the unwritten lore of the forest. His stories of the old pioneer gave an impression of one who was much given to having his own way, rather crusty at times, but whose sympathy and kindness of heart were often imposed upon by those who knew him.
Buck said that in the old oak chest in the attic was a lot of stuff that had belonged to his grandfather. We went to the attic the next morning and took out of the chest the odd assortment of things we found in it. Most of them were of no special interest. There were some old account books, several cancelled promissory notes for small amounts, and a package of receipts. One note, payable to the old man, was marked across its face “Debt forgiven—Can’t Collect.”
I was pleased to find a bag of Indian arrow heads, many of them beautifully made, a couple of spear heads, and a tomahawk.
There was a section of a maple tree root, about a foot long, in the chest, that Buck said he had chopped out one winter in the woods near the marsh. A steel trap was imbedded in it, and between the jaws were two bones of a coon’s foot. The uneven hammer marks on the metal indicated that the trap was probably home forged. Buck had identified it as one belonging to his grandfather, and there were others like it in the chest. Apparently the victim had dragged the trap to the foot of the tree, which it was unable to climb. He had died with his leg across the young exposed root that had grown around and through the mechanism, until only a portion of the rusty chain, the end of the spring, and the upper parts of the jaws that held the little bones remained. The story of the tragedy was plainly told.
The Old Log House
67In the bottom of the chest was a thick leather bound book. On the cover was some crude lettering in black ink, with labored attempts at ornamentation. On removing the dust I deciphered the inscription:
WETHER BOOK—JOSIAH GRANGER
Evidently its author had spent much time in keeping a record of the weather and of his life on the island. Innumerable thermometer readings filled columns at the right of the pages. After most of the dates were weather observations, comments on intrusive friends, and various things that had come within the sphere of a lonely existence.
Diaries are pictures of character—unsafe repositories of intimate personal things that enlighten and betray. Among the pages were traces of petty jealousies and much harmless egotism. Here and there were patches of sunlight, touches of irony and unconscious humor. At times a tinge of pathos shadowed the lines of the “wether book,” and under it all was the human story of one who, in this 68humble form of expression, had sought relief from solitude.
As I perused the faded chronicles the figure of the old man, sitting before his fire at night, with his pipe and almanac, diligently recording the happenings of the days that passed in his little world, seemed a reality.
The record covered a number of years, but extracts from the entries of 1852 will convey a general idea of the contents of the old book.
Jan 1st—This is the first of the yeare & I start in not very well. Cold prevales & a good dele of snow. Snow drifts stacked around the house. Cant see out. I stay mostly in my blankett.
Jan 10th—Lots of snow. Froze hard last nite. Big wind. Stade in & must hole up for rest of winter if this keaps up. Rumetiziam bad. Hiram Barnes com today with feet froze. It is blowing bad. Looks worse outside. Moon eclips was predicted for the 8th but nuthing of the kind sene.
Jan 12th—I notis by my almanack Lady J. Gray behedded today in 1555 but what for does not say & hevy rain storms predicted but nuthing of the kind. It has never ben colder. I got to melt som more snow and get the pump going. She is froze hard.
Jan 14th—Was out som today & it looks thawy. Thaw coming. Som deer traks on iland. Will get after deer soon.
Jan 16th—Got a buck today & fixed the meat. Sunup & Sunsett both according to clock. Evrything 69on skedule. Som sweling white cloudds off in W. The cold abates som.
Jan 20—We are geting storms in these parts & a good dele of wether comes at nite. Som days are cleare & cold with merkery stedy at Zero. The moon is around but nites dark & clouddy. Moon must hav ben full the 7th but not sene.
Jan 31st—Month closes mild yet flying snow. River ice som places over a ft. thick. This has ben a remarkabel month. Thare was too much wether in Jan. The merkery gets funny now and then. I dont think eny thermomter is akkerate.
Feb 2nd—Big thaw has com & erly in the morning a shour of rain. Got a buck on the ice at the marsh & got the meat home late. This was yesterdy. Snow is all mushy. This has ben a quere day. It is now 5 P.M.
Feb 3rd—Snow flurrys mixed with rain. Ice braking som. I heare meney cracks out on the river. As I sett down to rite in my wether book I beleve the back bone of the winter is broke.
Feb 5–6–7–8–9–10—Had 1 nice brite day & ever sence a whopping big storm. Big drifts. Cant see out. Must get some backake ointmint. Full moon was on the 5th. Good thing I got a lot of wood in. I notis in my almanack storms probabel this month & this is rite.
Feb 15th—Out yesterdy & 20 inches snow in woods. Shot 3 patriches near the house. Wolves yelld all nite. Sene gese flying N. but they beter go back. It is warmer thow. Som deer crossed 70river last nite. This is being a remarkabel month. Cool & misty air prevales as I rite.
Feb 20—I was down to the marsh. This was yesterdy. Got 36 rats from 42 trapps. 2 trapps lost. Som rat houses near chanel butted out by ice moving along. Sene som gese very high going N. One I think was a flock of swanns. Fogg & sleat tonite.
Feb 21–22–23–24–25—All bad days. G. Washington had a birthday on the 22nd. That was my birthday too. The politicks would make him sick if he could see them now. Thares lots of dead pepil that would not like what is now going on, and we would not like som things they done if we was thare.
Feb 28—Snow most gone & hard rain. Lot of ice moving in river. I sene 4 flocks gese 5 of ducks, mostly bloobills. Thare has ben few deer this winter. I got 2 bucks & 1 doe all fat in good condition & I got a small bear. This was over neare Wild Catt Swamp on the 18th & I forgot to rite it down. Old Josiah & the dog was thare on that date.
Feb 29th—This is leap yeare. Hav not ben out today. I am geting throw the winter all rite. Feb a changabel month. It closes with foggs & high water. S. Conkrite com today on his way to the marsh. His noos is Ed Baxter & Fanny Noonan got marrid Jan 6th. Probly she asked him. Wether tonite looks thick. Cloudds both big & black are in the West.
March 5th—Gese coming rite along now & thousans of ducks. Rats on the marsh ben prety fare. 71Got a lot so far but probly will find prices bad. Your uncle Josiah was all over the oak tract in boat for malards. Got over 50. He had on his shooting shirt. They was after the acorns in about 2 ft. of watter. This was yesterdy. Meney ducks going on N. & som gese gone too but som will stay & make nests.
March 11th—2 egals lit today on the iland & stade around all P.M. They may think of nesting heare. Old Josiah will take a popp at them. Dense cloudds are around.
March 15th—I notis in my almanack big flodes all over the south & sweling rivers predicted. Big flode heare too as I rite & evrything overflode. River ice all gone. Lots of dead timber coming down & floting bushes. Most of the noos you read in the almanack is bad. On most all of the dates bloodshed & fires & famins are notised & meney batels & deaths of Kings & Quenes. Funy no Jacks are spoken of. Shot 62 ducks 11 gese. Lost aminition on a big flock. Snipe are around & som plover coming in. Got 34 rats & a wolf. This was yesterdy. Saw 2 deer at Huckelbery Byou. They left on time. Thare was wild catt traks on the iland Monday morning after a lite bust of snow. Would like to get that cuss. He beter look out for the old man. His skin would make a good vest. Moon was full on the 6th but I ben busy rite along & not evrything ritten down. This is a bad day & I stade in. Awful hard rain going on as I rite. You get a buckett full in the face if you open the door. High wind & probly 72a lot of damage somwhare. It is now 8 P.M. & your uncle Josiah to bed.
March 16th—Clearing wether. Was out but rumetiziam som worse. Lost aminition on 2 gese that flew over at evening. My almanack says the planatary aspecks for planting potattoes will be faverabel in 4 weeks now. I notis thare has ben a lot of small animils around. Som skunks & foxes. Must put out som trapps.
March 20—Clear brite & calm & no wether now for foar days. It is a new moon like a mellin rine tonite & I sene it over my left sholder. It hangs wet in the west & this menes rain. Fixed the chickin house against all skunks & foxes but weezels may get in. A wolf has ben around the iland. A fogg prevales tonite.
March 21—Bad day but it gets into spring now.
March 22—Good wether for ducks but they fly high. Beter for gese. Gusty looking sky tonite.
March 24th—I went after them yesterdy. Got no ducks but it was good wether for them. Shot 22 gese. Bad day for gese too. Got 40 rats. Perhaps a small snow tonite. Looks likely.
March 26th—Got a boat full of rats. Will skin tomorrow. This was yesterdy I got the rats. Bad storm today. Cant see out. Wether foul & bad. Old Josiah gets mushrats all rite when he goes out in his little trapping boat.
March 27th—Cold day. Thermomter busted March 10. Cant tell how cold it is but it is cold. The merkery must be way down. Lite bust of snow 73as I rite. Must get som Magic Oil for stif joints.
March 28th—River is froze along edges but open in the curent. Ducks & Gese moving thick. Big bunches went over today flying high. Som deer around. Must go after deer tomorrow. A lot of Jaybirds round the house. Crows & Jaybirds make rackett. Must hav quiet. Must get bag of small shot.
March 30th—Got no deer yesterdy. Sene one but too far off. If could hav shot with a spy glass I could hav got him if I had one. Got som sasafras. Must cook som spring medicin. I now have all ingrediments.
March 31st—Foggy today. Snipe around. Lite sprinkel of rain. Lost aminition on bunch of plover flying over. Chopped som wood. Caught 2 weezels & a skunk. This was yesterdy. Froggs are around. Got a new thermomter but I think it not akkerate. The merkery is red. Probly all rite for sumer wether. Am now taking Sistom Tonick. Good dele of baptist wether & som snow this month but in general a fine month. Ducks & gese hav ben thicker than hare on a dog & I done well on rats too. Got all trapps out of marsh & som not mine. Spring is rite on skedule. Tomorrow is April fools day & a lot of them are around.
April 6–7–8–9–10—All fare days with no wether, but a mushy bust of snow has com as I rite. On the 9th was Good Friday. Our Lord was Crucufied in my Almanack on that date. That was a big mistake. I notis for 3 days sunup & sunsett late compard 74with clock so hav sett clock. Sun & clock now on skedule acording to almanack & with my noon marker on the stump & notch in window sill evrything is all rite up to date. Your uncle Josiah knos the time of day.
April 11th—I see that Henry Clay was born today in 1776. I was always a Henry Clay man. This is Easter Sunday the day on which Our Lord is Risen. Thare is a lot of pepil that should take notis.
April 15th—Buds are well out & on skedule. Thare are freckels around the trees showing we had a hard winter. Froggs are around thick. It was bad wether for rats in Jan & Feb but they wintered well. I must go after supplys & som spring medicin. I got som bisness to tend to.
April 18th—Must plant all gardin sass now. Moon is right tonite & this is the time. A man com up from Beaver Lake & says hard winter thare. Wm Hull a stedy helthy man of good bild & sober was froze with cold. He was coming home from mil & he lived over neare West Creek. This was Jan 12th. He was found by 2 squas out after wood. He was found froze. He owed me som money. This was a bad day. Sky looks all chesy tonite.
April 20th—Befoar sunup a lite spatter of rain that turned into bad storm with high wind. All this must dry out then must plant. Lots of herons nesting up to herontown this yeare same as usual in the sickamores. Your uncle Josiah was all in thare in a boat. A hooting owl was up the cottonwood last nite over the house. I got up with the gunn 75& made a bloody mess of him. They cannot hoot above your uncle while he sleeps.
April 24th—Jaybirds & crows ben jawing a good dele round the house & making a rackett & thare is a lot of fox squorls & coons bobbing around the iland when the wether is still & a bear com across. Would like to get that cuss. Lots of wolves around. Big spring for ducks & gese but most hav left. Meny staying to bild nests. Must see in the attic what seeds I hav then must plan. Must plant erly stuff. It is now 5 P.M.
April 26th—Got all seeds in yesterdy. Robbins & Bloobirds & a lot of Woodpekers & Chipping birds are around & they are mostly bilding nests. I must plant som mellins. A good mellin in the shade on a hot day is a fine thing. Almanack predicted April would be seasonable & this is rite so far.
April 30th—Thares skunks on the iland maybe 3 or 4. Froggs are prety noisy. Them crokers keap it up. Considrabel snipe around & some plover. April has ben a remarkabel month. Mostly wet but meney fare days. Thare was a lot of wether betwene the 1st & 15th. Lots of froggs & enybody that wants a bullfrogg pie could get one rite heare if they went after it. This is the place.
May 4th—No wether now sence the 30th. Fare & nether warm or cold. Florida & Iowa admited into The Union yesterdy in 1845. Them are twin states. The line of beens has sprouted & must look 76out for Jaybirds they will get into these. The weeds will com along all rite. You Bet.
May 5th—N. Bonapart died in 1821. He was a bad egg.
May 8th—Sumery wether & fishing in the river is good. S. Conkrite was down & says he got a pike of 17 lbs. I got one of 19. Pike are thick. I can cetch all I want rite in front of the house & bass & cattfish. It is knoing whare they are. He can not tell me eny thing he is a wind bag. Old Josiah was not born yesterdy or the day befoar ether.
May 10th—Vegetition greening up & evrything lively & on skedule. Pete Quagno & his squa com today to see how I was & if I had eny tobaco. Him & the other inguns down the marsh all had a bad winter. They got a lot of rat skins & coons & som Foxes. They et the bodies of all them animils & smoaked som. Thare is nuthing not et by savidges. Thare was a lot of sickness around thare. It shoured hard again to day as well as yesterdy & this may wash them off som. Unusual shours along with thunder & litening all P.M. Them inguns went back in the rain.
May 12th—Plum blosoms plenty. Potattoes up. All sines say a hot sumer. Good meny snakes around som prety long ones. Som drizzel in the air as I rite.
May 13–14–15–16–17—Spatters of rain a good dele now. Looks like a wet May if this keaps up.
May 18th—Fishing prety good. Got a boatfull 77of pike & bass yesterdy. I heare S. Conkrite has caught nuthing up to his place even if he uses netts. Must salt down som for winter. Thares lots of sukkers in the river. Evry litle while you get one & thare are a few eles. Must smoak som.
May 19th—I put som 70 lbs. of fish in the pork brine that is all empty now. Must get another barel for pork in the fall. Sprinkels as I rite.
May 23rd—Sombody stole my minnie box or it floted off. On this day my almanack says Capt Kidd a famous pirate was hung in London & this was rite. Thares a lot around now but not famous. Thick & sticky air tonite.
May 25th—Think I sene a lite frost this morning. Funy for this time of yeare. Went after the skunks on the iland last nite & got som. The chickins & me do not want skunks around. I got 3 in trapps & 1 with gunn & 1 got me. You Bet. Thares too meney skunks. Som clouddy tonite with wobblie sunsett.
May 27th—Foxes & skunks both got into the chickins last nite. Thares too meney of both & if the chickins would only roost in the trees. It is hard work to rase chickins & they get lots of things the mater with them. Frisky looking sky tonite.
May 29th—Ed Baxter & his noo wife Fanny Noonan com today. It is hard to see why them 2 got marrid. They wanted to see how I was & to borro som things. Ed has got a sqwint in one eye & I gues that is why he got fooled. Ed & her are both red hedded & she did not draw much when she 78marrid him. I notis the temperature remains about the same with litle or no drop or rise.
May 31st—These are fine days. S. Conkrite com down & I tell him I hav 4 barels of pike & bass that I caught & pikeled at odd times. He brought som noos. He says thare was timber theves working down the river all the winter & spring & them logs that went out was all stole. They was all cut by the theves & floted down to the Illinoi when high watter com. Next winter something will be done by the owners if they begin again. He says over a thousan logs was floted out & partys are not knone. Looks som like rain as I rite. He says if the theves get caught they will be convicted by the laws of both states. The sherifs hav all ben given notis. Almanack predicted May would be seasonabel & this is rite. This has ben a remarkabel month.
June 2nd—Fine still day but all fish biting stoped when it thundered in P.M. A swizzel of rain at evening.
June 10th—All this month so far fine days & sumery. Eny who do not like this wether should have no wether at all. I got the gunn & blowed a noo hornet nest in the tree by the pump. Will not need them. They are worse than democrats. I notis flys are around.
June 11–12–13–14–15—All fine days. Nuthing hapened.
June 17th—On this day in 1775 was the Batel of Bunker Hill. Bad day for England. Fish hav 79bit well. No wether to rite down. All fine. Your uncle Josiah enjoys this. I must tell S. Conkrite of a catt fish I sene in the river today 4 ft long. This fish was probly 6 ft if he sene it when it passed his place. It was slopping in the shallo watter out on the sand bar. It was probly astonished at all my empty medicin botles that are all over the botom out thare.
June 27th—It rained catts & dogs & pitchforks today & I fore saw this in the wether breeding cloudds of last nite. A hooting owl was around but too dark to bust him. Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet murdered in the almanack today in 1844. Som wife troubel probly.
June 30th—Good month all through. Potattoes begin to carry buggs. Must brush them off. June is a bugg month. Gardin fine if the woodchucks would keap out. Shot severil & will shoot these rite along. Must get them off the iland & the skunks too. You Bet. Coppery looking sunsett tonite.
July 2nd—Geting hot wether. I do not kno whare all the potattoe buggs are from. Thare must be a big bugg town somwhare that they all hale from. We need som rain. The moon is now full.
July 4th—This is the Nation’s birth day but thare are too meney forriners. J. Podnutt S. Conkrite & Amos Horner Ed Baxter & Peleg S. Mason all com down. I think Podnutt is a forriner. Thares lots of miskitos now & they bit well in the shade & plenty of flys. These men all say it has never ben 80so dry. Thares no watter up the byous & the marsh is drying out. Conkrite says thare are big fish left swiming in puddels back in the woods whare the watter went down & left them in April & he says pike & bass as long as your arm are thare. I tell him he beter drop some salt in them puddels. Tally 1 for old Josiah. Sam Green & a man named Wasson com in the P.M. to see if thare was eny hay around. Wasson I think is a forriner. On Jan 5th 1828 it says in the almanack the Turks banished all forriners from their empire. Thare was too meney thare like thare is heare. Green says catel not geting filled on grass yet can live. When my tobaco was gone these men all left in boats. They went home by bugg lite at nite. Such a pack of lies hav never ben told as today. I think Wasson should cut som whiskers this fall. It is prety hot as I rite & thare is too much tumoil & visiting & too much going on heare & thare. Thares too much passing to & fro. Thares too meney flys & thares too dam meney pepil. God bless all departing travelors. I rite this on the 5th.
July 11th—It has never ben hotter even in the shade. Hamilton & Burr had a duel this day in 1804. Burr was a good shot but a bad man. For a week it has ben to hot to rite in my wether book. & the nites are sticky.
July 12th—We are having a bad dry spell & I fore saw this erly in the month. Only 1 lite spurt of rain sence erly June. I stay in the shade for I do not want eny body to get sun struck. This is a 81big miskito month & they are at it constant. Eny body that wants miskitos & natts can get them rite heare. Take notis. This is the place & dog days is the time.
July 13—Hottest we ever had. At Nantuckett rite close to the watter 300 bildings burnt today in 1846. Took fire from the sun probly. A big snapping turkel was around the pump today. Maybe he was chased out of the river by the heat.
July 15th—My almanack says Jeruselum was taken today in 1029. It is probly hot thare now. If the almanack would go as far foreds as it goes back it would be a valubel record. It says also W. Penn died in 1718 on the 20th. I keep my almanack heare with me in the shade. Penn was a grate man. I com from his state. It has never ben so hot as sence the 10th. Your uncle Josiah has got the thermomter on the tree by the pump now to cool it som.
July 16–17–18–19–20—When it is hot I sett genraly out of the sun & smoak. That old yellow pipe is prety hot & it works all day. This has ben going on for a week now. You can lite a match by sticking it in the river now if you want to. It is sissing hot. You can cook eny thing by setting it out doors. No frost in the air now. You Bet. I wattered all gardin sass from the river with a buckett at evening & all grows well, but some probly cooked. The merkery will hav to climb the tree if this keaps up.
July 31st—Too hot to rite in wether book. Still dry. I mostly stay down by the pump & the flys 82like this. I slep out on the grass sence the 15th & the miskitos liked that. This has ben a remarkabel month.
Aug. 1st—In August on the 1st in 1798 was the Batel of the Nile so my almanack says. Must have ben hot out on the watter in Egipt at that time. Meteors which are bals of fire in the sky are predicted for August. They should begin dropping soon & your uncle Josiah will keap his eye open. It is so dry now that Ed Baxter says the mushrats hav all left the marsh & they are all going out round the country for watter to qwench their thirst. He says thare are cases whare they went to wells & fell in & 1 com to the watter buckett in his house. Bad sumer for rats. A good catt nap in the shade is a fine thing now.
Aug. 2nd—This is Monday & I have stade in the shade now sence this thing commenced. This wether will probly blister the buggs off the potattoes. They wont get off no other way until it gets cool if they are waiting for your uncle to brush them. Everything well het up. Lots of smoak. Big fire in the woods somwhare I bet.
Aug. 5th—Nuthing ritten now sence the 2nd. Thare is thunder off in the west tonite & she is coming up. Som wind & all sines say a soking storm of rain.
Aug. 7th—Raining hevy as I rite. Rained all nite long & yesterdy. Must patch the roof som. Had to put a buckett under a leak last nite. Good thing 83I got plenty of bucketts. Litening struck all around in woods hard all nite.
August 9th—Awful rains sence the nite of the 5th. We are geting too much rain. Seems like something has busted up above and all thare is is coming down. Som should be saved up & sprinkeled along the rest of the calender. What is the use of all this. This is a very wet time. Thare are no flodes predicted for this time of the yeare. I must read the bible som if this keaps up & bild an ark. This is a grate lesson to us all. In 1812 on this date a caravan of 2000 Turks from Mecca was destroyed in the Desert by lack of watter. I bet they wished they had som of this. Too bad all the Turks were not thare. All Turks are wicked men & it says som whare in the bible that they shall have their part in Hell Fire. Hell Fire & Turks will mix well. The litening was after your uncle again last nite.
August 10th—Clearing now with som wind & again warm. Looks wet in the west. Thares watter enough to swim the young ducks around now all rite & plenty of it for eny body that wants it. My potattoe buggs all floted away. This shows that trubels of all kinds will quit som time if you wait & do nuthing. You could swim all over the country now. Ed Baxter & S. Conkrite com in a boat today to see how I was & if I was still above watter & to borro tobaco & cowcumbers. When eny body coms around it is always somthing for them. They both say They never sene so meney snakes around as this yeare. Ed Says he killed 4 rattlers & Conkrite says 84he got 6. These men will both see more snakes next year than they did this if they do not quit. Conkrite’s biggest snake was 5 ft with 6 ratles. I showed them a skin I took off of 6 ft with 9 ratles & they lit som more of my tobaco & told of erly days. I notis they all get into the trees when your uncle Josiah comences to talk. His feet are mates & he drinks nuthing but pump watter. Snakes do not com around him much but when they do they are Whoppers. Drizzeled som at nite.
Aug. 15—It is hot again & the Old Bull Eye now glares stedy on the crops. Thare was a pop corn sky last nite. No cloudds today. Full bugg lite at nite.
Aug. 21st—Thare com up a hale storm today that was over in 5 minits with hale stones big as pidgun eggs & a strong wind that would blow bark off a bass wood. I do not kno whare it com from. Somthing must hav hapened up above to do all this. Hale turned to rain & it drizzels as I rite. Meney litle ded todes & froggs are all over the iland whare they probly rained down. Maybe fish & small live stock will com next.
Aug. 22nd—Cleared off all rite but cloudds in the north look like wether breeders tonite & it is a mackral sky all over. Ed Baxter & Conkrite com today in a boat that looks like the one that got loose & floted off away from my place 3 years ago. It is now painted up & the ores changed. They com to see how I was & to borro som big fish hooks for their sett lines. I tell them to use an axe for big 85fish same as I do. Could not find eny hooks after I sene that boat. My eye sight got bad. The old man’s mind is foggy. He does not kno how to do.
Aug. 31st—Your uncle Josiah went down to the marsh yesterdy to see how mushrats are. They sumered well. Young ones are thick & well grown & geting lots of clams. Meney wood ducks around & the ducks hatched in the marsh all are flying well. Cloudded up at nite & had a dark time geting back. The moon was around but it was so dark a cat could find nuthing. Thares an awful lot of new thick grass in the marsh. I do not like watter with so much whiskers on it. This has ben a quere month & thermomter has jumped around a good dele. This has ben a remarkabel month.
Sept. 1st—The meteors in my almanack did not fall in August & predictions not reliabel. Nuthing of the kind around. It is geting along toreds fall. Pidguns are around. They broke som ded lims on the iland this week whare they roosted. Thares slews of them. This is a good yeare for pidguns. I got 33 with 2 shots. They did not kno that your uncle Josiah was around with a gunn. I notis in my almanack Oisters are now in season. Nuthing of the kind around heare.
Sept. 4th—Soon after sunup it looked like streky black cloudds up above but it was pidgun flocks coming south. Pidguns are all over now. Big droves roosted around last nite. I must salt down som. They are in the woods after the young akerns. 86Pidguns still going over. Cant tell if it is clouddy. Warm day thow.
Sept. 10th—Must get a houn pupp. Old Tike is geting wobblie in the nose & he looses his nose now & then. He is sick som & not lively. He is a good dog but he has erned his money. He is now going on 13 yeares & has ben over the country som sence I had him. S. Conkrite had some pupps last week & I must go up. They may be all spoken for thow. Must get som supplys & som backake ointmint. Hell I broke my pipe. Wether breeding clouds in the west tonite as I rite.
Sept. 12th—A sorel mare was stolen by 2 men & a buggy Tuesday nite from Ed Baxter who had just bote the mare. They caught these men over 18 miles off on the Hickery Top Road & they are now locked in jale. He was down at evening to see how I was & to get some eggs. The sherif & a possy was what nabbed the theves. I hear from Ed that Henry Clay died last June & that a chese facktory & brick kill are to be bilt neare West Crick. I fore see a church next. This country is geting too much setled up. Thares too dam meney pepil. It rained som today but cleared at noon. Ed had a lot of noos. He went off home by bugg lite about 9. He kep me up. I rite this on the 13th.
Sept. 14—A wolf has ben on this iland frequent & has ben after chickins & eny thing he can get. I set a trapp & he turned it over & got the bate evry time. Last nite I set it botom sid up & he turned it over & I got that cuss. He did not kno the trapp 87was botom upwards & he was astonished. You can not fool much with your uncle Josiah. Som drizzel in the air tonite & som colder. It is geting into fall all rite. I kno whare 2 bee trees are. Your uncle has them spotted. Thare will be honey heare in about a week. You Bet.
Sept. 17th—The merkery took a sudden jump & it is hot as July & August. I slep out on the grass last nite. A good mush mellin in the shade is a fine thing now. Conkrite & Baxter com yesterdy when I was not within & left a buckett they borowed Saturday to take down the river. I must put a date on that for its the first thing they ever brought back.
Sept. 20th—I got a cubb bear that was 1–2 in & 1–2 out of a bee tree after honey & got him home well chained with a colar. I got about 60 lbs honey. This was yesterdy & the day befoar. The animil eats well & acts tame but scared. I name him Jim Crow.
Sept. 21st—S. Conkrite & Ed Baxter & Wife com today to see how I was & to see if I got eny honey yet. They are rite on skedule. Also they wanted to borro som small shot & to get som fouls. Ed’s wife made beleve she was scared of the bear. Probly so Ed would save her from it. Conkrite says he got a wild catt over to the swamp that was 37 inches tip to tip. I got one 40 inches last winter that I spoke nuthing of. Mine was a feerce animil. Conkrite blows a good dele. The pupp I got from Conkrite houls all the time & has et his hed off up 88to date. Jim Crow got a peice of the pupp yesterdy when he got neare. The pupp tried to bite Conkrite & I think this shows he was treated bad at home. I asked Conkrite about pork for winter pikel but he semes to think my place is whare money dripps off the roof & shakes out of the trees. At killing time it will be diferent. Ed Baxter says he has dug a deeper well. His other he says is full of mushrats that com for watter in dry spell in July to qwench their thirst & now living thare. I tell him to sett & fish for them with a pole. It is now 8 P.M. & your uncle is reddy for his blankett.
Sept. 25th—I went after supplys. Old Josiah now has plenty of evrything. Thare is Backake Remedy Foot Ointmint Magick oil for Stif Joints & Pain Killer & 2 kinds of Bitters & Sistom Tonick & pills both blue & pink. I got Condition Powders for chickins if sick. I got som tobaco black as Egipt for those who com to borro. It is strong enough so you can pull nales with it. I got all they had and some candels. Jim Crow is well & he likes all swete things. I got Jim som stripped candy 3 sticks. The Pacific Ocean was discovered in 1513 by my almanack on this day. Funy they missed it befoar. When I com by Ed Baxter’s place last nite the boat that used to be mine got loose & com along down with me. I find certain marks on it that I will show Ed. I reckonize my own boat & it now seeks its home. A drizzel of mosture as I rite. I tended to a lot of bisness today. Conkrite says the Sistom Tonick I ben buying is loaded but does not say what 89with. He says mix a lot of pump watter with it & not take to much or darkness will com.
Sept. 28th—The wether stays moist. Today in 1828 in the almanack the sultan proceeds to the Turkish Camp with the sacred standard. Probly stole from som whare.
Sept. 29th—These cold stormy drizzels may bring in a few ducks. Would like som ducks. Moon full last nite but not sene.
Oct. 1st—Sept. was a quere month without much wether other way. Oct. now opens clear with frost that nipped the vines last nite. Had the pupp out for a run on rabbitts. His nose is good & he may learn. I never sene a good dog that com from S. Conkrite’s yet. Was down to the marsh yesterdy & meney noo rat houses. They are bilding thick & high & this menes a hard winter & high watter in the spring. All sines say a hard winter. Snipe are skitting around & thare is a lot of mudd hens & loons in the marsh. 2 deer swum the marsh & dove into the timber. They kno when Old Josiah has got a gunn & when he left it home. Sam Green & his friend Wasson com in a boat tonite to see how I was & to get som honey. The pupp bit Wasson. Tally 1 for the pupp. These men also wanted to borro tobaco. Gave them som of the black. I tell them smoaking that kind makes me strong.
Oct. 6th—Stormed & I stade in. Conkrite com in the rain to see how I was & to borro powder & see if I had eny thing in my medicins for boils. He says he com yesterdy & nocked but I was not within. 90I was then in the woods traning the pupp. His noos is Ed Baxter claims he has 2 twins that com erly this morning & I bet they look like young mushrats. He spoke of pork but old Josiah is keaping prety still until after the snow flys. He says of Ed’s twins they are both boys & red hedded. Thares too meney Baxters now. S. C. Says them 2 twins will be named James & John.
Oct. 12th—In the full of the moon & on a frosty nite your uncle Josiah goes after coons & I note this down. It will be the 27th if nite is clear. I notis Columbus landed today in the almanack in 1492. He was the first of the forriners.
Oct. 18th—Nuthing happened sence the 12th, but last nite a killing frost & today a swizzel of rain & sleat with N.W. Wind. This will bring down ducks & gese. Stade in today & clened up shot gunn & rifel & all trapps. Saw to all aminition. Evrything all fixed up as I rite. Put all potattoes & vegitibels in sod celer & evrything all tite up to date. Cleared off som today & som ducks are coming & som gese are in the sky. Unusual wether for Oct. Gese honks all nite long as I slept. This was last nite. I got 25 lbs tobaco in the sod celer too. When I need tobaco this winter I kno whare som is.
Oct. 19—Blowing strong from N.W. Rain & sleat. Sky all speckeled with ducks & gese. They are coming in slews now. Gese honk all nite can not sleep. Active wether will come rite along now. No more lofing for your uncle Josiah. He gets on 91his sheap skin coat now. Take notis. He is in the field.
Oct. 20–21–22–23–24–25—I ben busy all this time. Josiah is around with a gunn. He makes fethers fly & he fetches in the birds. Fine gese & duck wether. The marsh is black with them evry morning at sunup. The Irish Rebelion was on the 23rd of this month in 1641. They begun coming heare then.
Oct. 30th—Duck & Gese wether has stoped & ingun sumer is upon us. I fore saw this. They are around som whare but shooting is poor. No duck & gese wether for a while yet. I stoped at S. Conkrite’s. I got to hav pork, but he said nuthing of pork & neither did your uncle Josiah. He has 9 squeeling around all fat in good condition.
Oct. 31st—This has ben a remarkabel month & changabel at times as almanack predicted. Jim Crow is well. He has et well. I see hevy bunches of cloudds in west that I fore see will breed duck & gese wether as I rite. I notis in my almanack that meney thousans of pepil died of sickness in India at this time of the yeare in 1724. Thare is too many pepil. No sickness heare much at eny time. This is a helthy section only 3 died in 5 yeares. I see deer are around.
Nov. 2nd—Althow a stormy day Ed Baxter com in P.M. to see how I was & to get honey & som tobaco if I hed eny. He told all the noos of them 2 twins James & John & you would think nobody ever had eny befoar. It is all about them 2 red heds 92all the time how they et & how they are smart & how much they way. All the branes in the country are setled in James & John. He says he will bring them & show me. They must be som site & I will be struck blind in 1 eye probly. You would think the world had com to the end in them 2 & they was Danl Webstor. Thare was an awful famin in Italy in the yeare 450 when parents et their children.
Nov. 3rd—Lite snow bust in the nite & I found bear traks all around this morning. Som friend com to see Jim Crow probly. The pupp now sleeps with Jim in the dog house & he howld in the nite. Som rain sputtering as I rite.
Nov. 4th—Roring wind from the North today. A hevy sky & sleat. I notis meney duck flocks & gese.
I will be busy now rite along. Must get a deer. A little venzon rite now would be fine. Your uncle Josiah has apitite for som.
Nov. 6th—Got a buck rite on the iland. They will go poking their heds in the window to get shot if I dont watch out. This was yesterdy. Jim Crow is loose now & spends time mostly on the roof & up the cottonwood. He was in the chickins Tuesday nite & today he was in the house & upsett things. Might as well be a horse loose in the house. Must put him back on chain. If you want to keap busy you want to keap a bear. He is a quere cuss & probly smells the honey. She still blows & tomorro I go for ducks. Wish I had all the lead I spattered around on that marsh in my time. Must have raised the watter som.
93Nov. 7–8–9–10–11–12—Was on the marsh all these days & tired at nite. Wether lite winds & drizzeley. No finer duck & gese wether ever sene. Your uncle was among them & he shook them loose. I com in wet tonite & must sett around a while. I see traks showing sombody has ben heare. Probly Conkrite or Ed Baxter to see how I was & to borro somthing & tell me of them 2 twins. Must wrap up in my blankett & take som strong medicin. I got a cold & I got wether pains. Will stay in & rite in my wether book. On Nov. 9th in 1837 the quene of England dined at Guildhall. Good meal probly.
Nov. 13—When your uncle Josiah takes medicin he doses up. I took 4 kinds today & kep my feet hot with my watter jug. I got a good fire. Storms hevy outside but that does not hurt me eny. I read all it says on all my medicin botles & I can get nuthing they will not cure. I got Jim Crow & the pupp in the house for company now. They sleep mostly. When they awake they make troubel. I fore see that these animils must be put out.
Nov. 14th—Somthing I took yesterdy or last nite has helped som. I slep well. Probly it was 1 of the bitters. Snow prevales outside & she falls hevy as I rite. I put Jim & the pupp out. Thare was too meney in the house. Jim has got honey coam & the pupp has got bones in the dog house so they are hapy. Nobody could want more than that unless they are crazy about money.
Nov. 15–16–17—I stade within mostly on these days. We are having a spell of wether. My bitters 94& my Sistom Tonick are most gone but I still got plenty of 2 kinds that I take internal & 3 kinds to rub on. Wolves howl around a good dele at nite. I keap my sasafras tea het up rite along but the bitters do most of the work. They are strong stuff & have som get app to them. Sky is full of ducks & gese do a lot of honking over the house. Probly to twitch me while I cant get out. Your uncle feals som beter but he is wise. He will not go out too soon. It would be beter for som body to go that would not be so much loss.
Nov. 18—S. Conkrite com today to see how I was & wanted to trade me a nice fat hogg for Jim Crow & I done this. Jim is geting a litle sassy & Conkrite’s will be a good place for him. Will now hav pork to put in pikel & to smoak. He is to kill the pork & bring it & after that is to take Jim home. I fore see that Jim will make troubel. I am up & around all rite now. Must go after supplys of bitters & Sistom Tonick soon & I must get a chese. A smitch of chese helps out a meal. Looks wethery tonite & snow probabel.
Nov. 19th—S. Conkrite com today with the pork & it is good pork. We fixed a crate to put Jim Crow in & he made a lot of fuss. Them 2 looked funy going off in the boat. Cold & freezing som & ducks & gese have lit out. Thare are deer around thow. I made soft soap today.
Nov. 20th—Ed Baxter com in P.M. to see how I was & to hang som meat in my smoak house. When he sene the soft soap he wanted to borro som. 95Probly to wash them red hedded twins. S. Conkrite also com at evening & Sam Green & Wasson all with pork to smoak. I got lots of friends. My pork must pikel a while befoar it smoaks but I got to fire up the smoak house now for these men’s pork. They all like this because its something for them. Ed told a lot about them twins. Thare has never ben such twins. Conkrite’s noos is Jim Crow got away. The traks stade around the chickins a while & then went to the woods whare fethers were found. Lite sift of snow to nite. The Cape of Good Hope was doubled in the almanack today in 1497. Quere they wanted 2 capes thare.
Nov. 21st—Jim Crow was up the cottonwood this morning when I went out. Him & the pupp are now in the dog house. Conkrite will probly com after Jim. She snows & blows hevy as I rite.
Nov. 23rd—My smoak house is well knone. Pete Quagno & 2 other inguns com today to see about puting things in it but I tell them I want to kno what they are. They say all sines show a hard winter coming. No danger of them inguns stealing my soft soap. Your uncle Josiah is now all well & feals fine. He was all over the iland today. He could pull up a tree or kick the chimbly off the house if it had to be. I notis too meney small animil tracks on the iland & I will now tend to these. The pupp is fine & he now goes with me. Lite snow last nite & I see a wild catt has ben across and I would like to get his fur.
Nov. 25th—Yesterdy I stade within with my medicins 96as I did not feal so well. I got a stummick misry. Conkrite was down & took Jim Crow back today. I do not think Jim likes Conkrite. He tried to get a peice out of Conkrite when they was in the boat. Me & Jim always got along all rite. Snow is faling.
Nov. 26–27–28—Snows all the time now. She dont know when to quit. My almanack says G. Washington crossed the deleware Nov. 28th. It missed saying what yeare but he got whare he wanted to go. Moon was full on the 26th but not sene.
Nov. 29th—S. Conkrite com with som meat to smoak today & it looks like bear meat. I fear Jim Crow is now in the smoak house. That man knos nuthing of how to keap pets. I was off in the woods when Conkrite com but I kno it is Jim all rite. He was a fine bear & affecksionet. I wish Conkrite had his dam pork back & I had Jim Crow.
Nov. 30th—That meat is not Jim at all for Jim is back & up the cottonwood this morning. He did not want to com down but him & the pupp are in the dog house as I rite. Jim likes it around heare. Mackarel sky tonite & changing wether probabel. Nov. a remarkabel month all through.
Dec. 1–2–3–4–5–6—I ben fealing porly now som time with the misry in my stummick. Tried som of all my internal medicins & feal som beter today. Hav rubbed my Rumatiziam with Pain Killer & took pills both blue & pink that are for liver complaint. Poor old Tike was sick too. I gave him the box of condition powders I got in the fall for the chickins 97but he quit that nite. This was on Saturday the 4th. The powders may not hav kep well or maybe not good for a dog. I lost my best friend. Bad wether now. I think animils should have no medicin at all of eny kind.
Dec. 7th—Ed Baxter com today to see how I was & to get his smoaked pork. I promis to take Christmas diner with Ed & Wife. I must take presents for James & John. Likely a buckett of soft soap will be good for them 2. Looks gusty & snowy tonite.
Dec. 8th—S. Conkrite & Green & his friend Wasson all com to see how I was today & get their smoaked stuff. Conkrite says would like me to keap Jim Crow a while longer for he is too meney up to his place. This I will do for Jim & me get along fine. Jim went up the cottonwood when he sene Conkrite. Thares too meney smoak houses on this iland & too much smoaking going on for other pepil. Snow storm slanting from the north west & drifting som as I rite. I fore saw this last nite. I think Conkrite is the one that is too meney up to his place instid of Jim Crow. I got wether pains in both back & legs now.
Dec. 9th—Now she snows. Big drifts. Can not see dog house from window. I now got Jim Crow & the pupp in the house. My wether pains som worse. Must stay in my blankett.
Dec. 10th—A soft thaw has come on sudden. A warm sun prevales & evrything all slushy. Good wether for wet feet. Your uncle still stays within.
Dec. 12th—Both S. Conkrite & Ed Baxter com 98today & brought me a new almanack for next yeare. This is the first time they ever com that it was not somthing for them. They said I don litle favers for them & they would like to make me this litle present. This all shows that if you keap being good to pepil all your life some day they will bring you a nice litle almanack. Probly they will want somthing next trip. I gave them som Sistom Tonick & they liked that. Ed Spoke of them 2 twins & they are both well & awful smart. He asked if my smoak house was still in good working order & if my hens ben laying well lately & if I had plenty of potattoes on hand.
Dec. 13th—Them 2 inguns that come heare last with Pete Quagno & his squa com today & their noos is that Pete & his squa are both sick & wanted tobaco. I sent Pete 2 pink pills. Them 2 inguns wanted me to send Pete & his squa a big lot of tobaco by them but they did not know that your uncle Josiah was setting around smoaking befoar eny of them was born.
Dec. 14th—Last nite I read in my noo almanack. I notis it predicts worse wether for next yeare. Storms & Tempests will prevale with intense frosts probabel at times, but thare will be much changabel wether & meney meteors that will betoken war. Thare will be awful winds on Parts of the Earth. In the back are som Prophesies made by the Seventh Son, which I copy down. He says thare will be wars and rumours of wars & Turbulence & Teror will apear on evry hand & cloudds of darkest hue will 99hang over the World in the East. Fires will abound & Tumults & Bloodshed & Plots & Uprores in som Nations. Subject Pepils will turn & bite the hoof that holds them down. A certain Luckless King may loose his hed & something may hapen to the Pope. Armed Men may march to & fro & meney will be smitten to the Dust. Blood will be shed in Ireland. Tyrants will shake their Rods & the Torch of Discord will be hurled in Crimea. The Couch of Mortality will be spred & meney pepil will die during the yeare. Low Moans of the Oppressed will be heard in Italy. It is all bad noos in the almanack for next yeare. The 7th Son predicts that Flocks of Boobies will assale the TRUTHS OF PROPHESY. He predicts no troubels for eny whare around here. Your uncle Josiah is in out of the wet.
Dec. 15th—Sam Green com & says his friend Wasson is sick & wants som medicin. I give him som of each kind but I ought to see the simptoms. Wasson does not kno what ales him but my medicin will probly fix him up. He probly has stummick complaint. Stedy freezing wether now.
Dec. 16–17–18—Evrything is froze tite & so is the pump. I ben out on trips & I think one ear is froze. I tended to a lot of bisness. I got supplys & same kind of almanack for next yeare that I ben having. I notis the predictions in it are not half so bad as the one that was fetched for the litle present by Conkrite. He probly wanted to scare me into the woods. I notis he keaps the same kind I do & he gave me the other. I stopped at his place 100today & I saw Green & Wasson & J. Podnutt thare. Wasson got well. Those were all good medicins I sent. Their noos is timber theves are at it again down the river. Wasson hunts down thare & he wants us all to form a possy and chase them out of the country but your uncle chases nuthing these days he does not want. I tell them the owners must be notified. I do not know what them old mud turkels talk about all the time up to Conkrite’s. I got som candy for Jim Crow & I paid Conkrite for his pork at a low price & Jim is now mine again. Jim is good company if you kno how to get along with a bear. I got a noo medicin. Instant Relief for Internal Disorders. Will try on sombody that coms to see how I am & to borro medicin. It looks like a good remedy. This has ben an active day.
Dec. 20—Think I got som cold on my trip Saturdy. Am taking the noo remedy but do not yet kno what it will cure. I notis that 2 things that are on the wrapper I am troubeled with. Big snow storm now going on.
Dec. 21–22–23–24—Your uncle Josiah has felt prety poorly for these 4 days. Hav taken my medicins stedy. Think I am now beter. Must go to Baxter’s tomorro. Wether clear & cold.
Dec. 26th—I took diner up at Baxter’s & it was a good diner. We had chickin fixings & cooked appels & a grate dele of other things & pie of all kinds. I took the chickins up. We talked & smoaked & in P.M. Ed got his fiddel out & playd hoppy tunes on it. A string was busted but he done well with 101the rest. I got along fine with them 2 twins. Their parents hav a lot of plesure with them babys. I had them on my lap & it took me back to when I had 2 litle boys that did not kno beter than to like to be around with their pa. I wish I had them litle boys back now. They grew up & went away probly looking for beter friends. It is lonesom heare on the iland with them & their mother all gone; once in a while I find somthing around they playd with & things their mother had & them things are what I got left. I must hav the Baxters down heare next Chrismas if I am around. I will cetch them twins some young rabbitts when they get old enough & som young mudturkels & pollywoggs to play with like I used to do. Full moon at nite on my way back to the iland & them 2 litle boys was asleep when I left.
Dec. 27–28–29–30—I ben too sick to rite in my wether book.
Dec. 31st—This was the last day of the yeare & whatever hapened is now all over. It is awful cold & still outside & once in a while I heare frost cracking in the woods. The yeare is now coming to its end in a few minits. It is prety late for me to be around but I am waiting for the old clock to strike 12. Maybe next yeare at this time I will be asleep. It is awful lonesom heare tonite & I wish I had my folks around or if them 2 litle boys was only heare or sombody. Maybe tomorro sombody will com. I notis by the looking glass that the old man’s hed is prety white. He has ben frosted som. He now goes into his blankett for the yeare ends as he rites.
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