Diary: Caleb E. Iddings, 1899

32 [degrees] Clear N.W. 7 E. Ther. FRI. MAR. 17th, 1899 Wind Clear & bright all day, but rather colder. I went to mill & to Henderson's house for the papers, also to P.O. & received "blanks" from Milo B. Stephens & Co in Washinbgton, which I took to A. F. Fairall Esq to have executed & witnessed but Frank T. Leizear Sr & Jos. L Tirrell. The papers relate to my claim for increase of pension from the U. S. and will go to Washington by tomorrow morning's mail. This has been an unusually fine day for "St Patrick's day", which is supposed to be stormy & disagreeable. The wind however has changed since morning from N.W. to E. and by tomorrow morning it may be almost any kind of weather.

40 [dedgrees] Rain Rain. NE, SE. & S.M Ther. 40 [degrees] SAT. MAR. 18th. 1899. Wind Commenced raining about 4 o' clk this morning and continued more or less all day. Charles Adams was here for advice & medicine for his child again. I went to the P.O. and to Fairall's Office. Towards evening I was called in to see and prescribe for Frank Leizear Sr, who was suffering with abdominal pain & nausea. I went again to the store & P.O. after dark. Edwd went next door to play whist with Miss Mary Fowler. It is still drizzling, damp and disagreeable.

55 [degrees] Cloudy Rain & Clearing S.E. & N.W. Ther. SUN. MAR. 19, 1899 Wind This has been an extremely changable day. Rain this morning. Afternoon the wind blew hard from N.W. & cleared off. Much colder. Edwd & I went to meeting. Willie and Alice Peirce came & brought the baby before dinner, going back soon after. Chas Adams sent a colored man after me & I refused to go. I went to the toll house & called at F. Leizear's.

32 [degrees] Clear, High Wind N.W. Ther. MON. MAR. 20th, 1899 Wind Wind blew with violence from N.W. all last night, & continued all day today. We had quite a scare this morning from our chimney taking fire; it took fire around the throat of the Franklin stove in the dining room & burned fiercely, going as high as to the stove pipe in our room above, where it set fire to the pipe of the wood stove we have been nurning there since the coal gave out. The anthracite coal we have burned there all winter kept the chimney free from soot from there up to the top. So that it only burned up to that point. Mrs Robinson was in at the time of the scare. I walked down to Ashton & back & bought groceries etc. and Wallace Bond brought them up as he went to dinner. Afternoon C [?] Porter called at the office door. I went to the P.O. & to Fairall's Office. Harlibans (the baker) trimmed the grape vine over the well, & planted some cuttings in Edwd's garden. I went to Henderson's for the papers. After supper Edwd went to the "Choiral Class" at "Mt Airy.

26 [degrees] Clear & Cloudy- S.E. Ther. TUES, MAR. 21, 1899. Wind Very raw & chilly but the sun shone out in the forenoon. Willie came over and took his mother to "Fairfield" to spend the day. I went to the mill for flour and to Henderson's house for the papers. Afternoon recd postal card from Mr Wm. E. Lewis saying he had shipped my tobacco yesterday. Also read letter from Jos. Iddings in Chicago, being the second within two weeks & asking for geneological information. Willie brought his mother home before supper time. I went to the store & P.O. towards evening. Edwd. went next door to attend the "switch board for them, and remained to supper. Harvey Fairall called to see Edwd. whilst he was next door.

35 [degrees] Cloudy & rainy. S.W. Ther. WED, MAR. 22nd, 1899 Wind Commenced raining last night at 10-30-o' clk and continued more or less until this afternoon, when for a time it looked like clearing off, but clouded up again with showers and is damp and raw tomight. I went to the toll house and to Henderson's for the papers. Harriet & Edwd burned the kitchen chimney this morning. After supper I went to the store & P.O. Edwd went next door again to play chess with Miss Mary Fowler.

40 [degrees] Cloudy & Threatening Variable Ther. THURS, MAR. 23d, 1899 Wind Cloudy & threatening this morning but clearing before noon with high wind from N.W. and continued blowing until after sun set. I walked down to Chas. G. Porter's before lunch, and went over the account betweene us and gave him a due bill for the ballance due him to the first of February just passed. Went up to Henderson's for the papers, and to the store and P.O. After supper I went to the toll house to see about getting my tobacco from Rockville sent there by Mr W.E.Lewis from near Clarksburg. Edwd went next door again to play whist. The verses "Our new Dance" by an Anti Expansionist" was published in today's issue of the Balto. Daily Sun

30 [degrees] Clear N.W. Ther. FRI. MAR. 24th, 1899 Wind Quite cold this morning and indeed all day as the wind blew strong from N.W. from sun rise to sun set, when it calmed down, but is still cold and will freeze even harder tonight than it did last night. I went to the P.O. and to Fairall's office before & afternoon. Willie was here towards evening and took Edwd to "Fairfield" with him to help him do some weaving for us. We heard today of my "Antiexpansion lines" having been published in the Balto: "Daily Sun" newspaper: they having been sent to it by Frank Lizear Jr,

28 [degrees] Cloudy & Rain S.W. & S.E. Ther. SAT. MAR. 25th, 1899 Quite cold & looked like snow. I went to Henderson's & to the P.O. & Fairall's Office. Walked down to Ashton & rode back with Wallace Bond as he went to dinner. I have suffered with headache for several days past, & no better today and am taking some medicine. Went to P.O. again towards evening. It commenced raining about 3 o' clk afternoon, & continued more or less until bedtime. We wetre glad it is not snow of which we think we have had quite enough.

35 [degrees] Cloudy N.E. Ther. SUN. MAR. 26th, 1899 Wind [...] I walked up to F Leizear's, and from there over to meeting, where we had a sermon from Edward Farquhar. Edwd also went to meeting. Willie brought him home from "Fairfield" & took Dora back with him to attend church tonight. After supper I went to the P.O. letter box & mailed a letter to Mr W.E. Lewis, enquiring for the smoking tobacco he informed me (by postal card) he had shipped to me on the 20th inst.