Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 3

1872 Decemr 27th Mary Hubbard [Commencing] Cooking last evening, wind Blew Cold all night & this morning very cold & the rain on the Hail made the Hail slick as Glass & this has been a very disagreeable & cold windy day, stayed at home all the Christmas, - no body has been here to day - Nannie Complaining a little with bowel complaint - 28 tolerable cold day clear Some & cloudy Some 29th Clear cold day no wind much Sunday Ground slick as Glass Hail about 3 inches deep 30th Cloudy cold disagreeable day Mr Mattherly Came over this morning got 1/2 Bushel wheat put latch to Kitchen & started clock to Running Kit Trim up Oak before dining Door this morning Mr Mattherly fixed My double Barrel Gun & 7 Shooter &C -- 31st Decr 1872. Our folks Cutting & Hauling wood I went down to Mr Yates they had music & young People had a party [their] my Logs not Sawed I did not Get off my Horse Come On back & went to Mount Airy to get my mail & this night its raining & Hail melting very much 1873 Jany 1st Hauling wood & making arrangements to Kill Balance of my Hogs tomorrow morning Jany 2nd Killed 3 Hogs this morning cut them out & not salted yet Emptied Sack Salt & about 12 oclock went to old prize Barn and went to striping Tobacco till night. Raining nearly all the evening & at night still raining, Tobacco not in order at Top of the House Hail melting Smartly very sloppy 3 Jany Salted up our [PorKed] Killed yesterday and striping & taking down Tobacco to day Hail melted smartly very wet disagreeable weather Jany 4th Striping Tobacco in old prize Barn to day Did not quite get mine Done Sewed plant Bed on road Sewed Some Cabbage Seed & mustard on edge Took up apples very much rotton,

1873 Jany 4th Had to Send to Mr Lewis after my Sausage [Grender], this morning Weather moderated Hail not not gone yet Large Boar Come up with my old Sow. not marked I am inclined to think [is] mine Both of my Sows I expect will take him I expect to put him up next week in a pen 5th Sunday rained all night last night, Hail nearly gone this morning weather moderate 6 Put my Boar in Big Pen Hauled some leaves in Stables Hauled Out straw in Rack ground axis malled some in new ground so much water could not do much there I went to Mr James Kelleys, Kit under Pines Kitchen made walk to it & trenched around it 7th I went to Mount Airy carried letters to Mr Gar [????] Graves John Graves & E B [Fitzgered] went to See Mr [A] C Miller &C. Kit Sarah Milton & Phil Cutting wood the other Side of fresh ground next to Martha Neales & Davy Miller Hauling wood all day Weather more moderate & very sloppy & muddy likely for falling weather 8th Cutting wood for Plant Bed next to Martha Neals Davy Hauling shucks from Allens Lovelace for Miss Martha Neal 1/2 day & then cutting wood, I went to Templetons & out in slash hunting place for another plant Bed 9th Mary Sarah & Phil helped me get out Peas & fix some [screan] wheat for cows, shelling corn this morning, made 3 or 4 Bushels Peas Kit Shoemaking for Geo, & 1/2 Soling 1 for me Davy gone to See about Some Hogs has been about Mount Airy, -- clear cool windy day 19th I went to Wm W Moses to day to see them sent Davy to Mr Yates Mill with corn for me for meal Kit & many sent Turn each & I let Davy have 3 Bus corn for meal on Terms charged to him Kit Security. I Sent 3 Bus [???] Screan wheat & 1/2 Bus corn to clean the Mill after they ground the [crop] for cows making 3 1/2 Bushels in all for Cows.

1872 10 & 11 Jany 10th & 11th Kit & his gang cut wood to Burn plant Beds in the woods next to Miss Martha Neales very cold day ground Thawed very little wind blew 12th 12 Sunday a little more moderate I went to Meeting at Strait Stone, it was So cold I did not go yesterday there was meeting ysterday & the church met & unanimously voted for Mr Reeves as our Pastor for 1873 cutting wood for plant Bed 10 & 11 13th Began to burn plant Bed up in woods next to Martha Neals this morning, Mary went to help Kit & & sent Davy [with] Cart to Yates after Plank for Porch & got all of 2 Logs Heavy Load Did not see [L] Yates -- 14th Coltered [Hoed] & fixed & [Sewed] Tobacco Collard Mustard Kale & [Lettuce] seed in Bed in woods above Granary, they are now cutting malling [rails] to fence it in Davy Hauled to Rack straw for Cows. Hauled Bar Poles in & some rails along fence On Hill & wheat Lot & Hauling wood &C Beautiful moderate day this day. 15 finished fencing Plant Bed, & went to cutting & malling wood in new ground ----- 16 Mr Mattherly at work on Porch Halled up [sells] went to cutting & malling wood in new ground Rained a little in evening cut up wood &C Kit helped Mr Matthely Pull down & took up upper flow &C till night, have to get top plate which is rotten & 2 sleepers tomorrow If we Can, I expect thesleepers is rotten also raining Hard this night & quite warm for the time of year & the wind Blew very hard from the South 17th Mr Mattherly Kit & Davy got Plate & sleeper for Porch Cloudy nearly all day turned little cooler Sarah & Milton got out nails &C till 12 oclock 18 Mr Mattherly came worked at Black Smiths Shop [fixing] Iron Spikes to go under Posts one or 2 [hours] Davy strip Tobacco about 2 Hiours Sarah & Milton striped till 3 oclock Mary [assorted] Kit went to Mr [Hubbards]

1873 Jany 19th clear & very cold day at home all day " 20 Davy gone from Home to Court Kit " Help Mr Mattherly about Porch Sarah Cutting wood & Helping Milton Load Cart & Hauling wood not quite So cold as it has been, Kit little unwell this morning. Put down Sills & he under Pined it himself nearly finished the foundation Mr Mattherly Cut off 1 end Sill too Short & had to go & get another today as it was too Short & would not do 21 Mr Mattherly Came Heree Staid little while after Breakfast & it began to rain so he quit & went Home did but little, Kit Sarah & Milton & Mary went to new prize Barn to striping Tobacco & it rained till 1 or two oclock in evening, nearly striped out what we had down & took nearly all of mine in the House down except in the top & middle room is mine at the top down to & on [Joice] from far part of the Barn from door to Leaf [Stick] on [Joice] next to door nor far from door that we did not take down Davy gone to Court 22. Mr Mattherly at work Kit with him on Porch Davy been gone to CH all this [week] come Home Halled Load wood & started to Court House again Sarah & Milton Cutting wood till evening Hauled out Load straw for cows Porch not raised yet I went to Mount Airy to day to get nails & Lamp Chimney 23 Snowed last night & this day Hailing & raining nearly all day tho they cut & Hauled wood till 12 oclock or after Kit mended Milton Shoes & it was night quite cool 24 Kit & his gang striping Tobacco in new prize Barn except Davy he has been gone to Court House all this week, Sam Roper Ben & Lewis been Striping in old prize Barn, I bot his Interest in Crop Tobacco made 1872 for $25 paid him this day $10 & he agreed to strip 2 more days with Ben & Lewis after to day. --- 25 Kit cleaning out Stables Hauling 2 Loads leaves Kit Hauled up [pt] of stack of [?ops]. Mr Mattherly Here to day put up rafters Raised porch &C. &C. &C.

1873 Jany 25th Davy [Miller] did not Home from C House till night & complaining & done nothing [??] Milton to Haul him a Load of wood I told Milton he must Haul his leaves & not wood for Dave - Doron Hunt Here yesterday & came down friday 27 & 26 Stayed at home Snowed in evening of 26th [?] 27 we striped Tobacco in new prize Barn till late in evening on Sam Ropers & Just before night tooks down Sams I bot of him in old prize Barn Davy assorting Tobacco & at work to day - & this day Snowing off & on till evening - & to night Cold & wind Blows hard - [tolerable day] (tolerable day is crossed off) 28 Went to cutting fire wood & Hauling wood Hauled Load straw to cows, Kit took waggon & Mary in evening Hauled up 1 Load Blade fodder & 1 [Balance] of Top fodder from corn fields Mr Mattherly here at work on Porch & nearly got it [sh???ted] & then Shingling I straightened all the nails come out of old Porch, 29th Kit Sarah & Milton cutting from wood Davy Miller gone all day about hogs he has [Mr] Mattherly here shingling Porch nearly 1/2 [done] Geo. & me put shinglings for him. quite a cold day tho he done a good days work for the weather cloudy to night & likely for Snow My wheat last Sewed has not come up yet & I am afraid it never will it Keeps so cold, 30 cutting fire wood Mr Mattherly finished shingling Porch I went to Mount Airy to day sold 6 1/2 Doz Eggs. got some 4d nails & window glass - face [????] 31 Milton Halling wood Kit & Sarah in new ground cutting & Malling in new ground, pretty day. Mattherly not here to day - weather moderate Feby 1st Malling cutting Hauled some wood - some leaves & 2 Loads & 2 Loads dry wood -- Davy at work to day lost 3 days this week nearly Mr Mattherly here today at work on Porch Weather Boarding one end, Laid floor then till night but did not get done 2. Pretty day Sunday Stayed at home 3. Worked in new ground till little after 12 oclock then Raining & went to striping Tobacco in old [prize]