Bennett Luther Dean
Personal Journal, 1912

February 1912

Thursday February 1     A dark and dismal winter day. It is one of those foreboding days that you expect a big storm, it began to snow in the evening and I just expect to see a foot of snow in the morning. Bennett says his teacher says she is going to advance him a grade because he works hard and has his lessons so well. He just passed into the B. second but his teacher is going to put him into the A. second. We do not know whether to like it or not, we do not believe in crowding but of course we are glad he does so well in his studies. His teacher told Anna that they thought Bennett was just a little dear. But I think if they could see him perform as he does at home some times they might change thier mind. Anna told them he was mischievous and they would not believe it, in some ways he is the worst kid in the bunch.

Friday February 2     Ground Hog Day. Thermometer down around 12° above, dark snowy morning about 3 inches of light snow fell last night but by ten A.M. it had cleared up and the sun came out bright and beautiful clear cold and crisp so the Hog could see his shadow from 10 to 3 and I suppose that means six weeks more of winter. The paper says January was the coldest for that month in the history of the weather office, 40 years. Well it was cold enough for me anyway. Louise has just been amusing Anna and I by undressing herself and hanging each garment on the back of a chair, all so careful and with a "dare" and a pat and a satisfied laugh. She takes her dress off over her head as nice as can be and puts her nighty on by pulling it down over her head and then putting her hands into the sleaves. She is forever putting garments on and taking them off and wanting them "bah bah" (buttoned that means).

Saturday February 3     From 1° below zero to 9° above, bright and beautiful but uncomfortably cold. The Ground Hog got back in his hole pretty quick if he had not he would have froze. This must be Geo. Dean's birthday and he must be 46, two years older than I. Well sometimes I feel that I am getting old and it is not very pleasant especially to think of tramping around all day with the thermometer at zero when I am old and stubby. Louise seems very quiet and unnatural for today, she is sick to her stomach I guess. Bennett and Laurence have a cold, they go out and get covered with snow and wet legs and feet nearly every day. It is hard to keep them from catching cold under such circumstances. Howard, Bennett and Laurence took supper at Burns, 1249 Trumbull, this Eve.

Sunday February 4     Fearful cold, 6° below to 1° above, coldest yet. Bright and beautiful. Howard and Bennett did not go to Sunday School on account of the cold. I got up twice last night and fixed the fire so the house would not be so cold in the morning. The house is comfortable but we know it is cold allright. I went around stuffing up cracks in the doors, the doors have storm doors on the outside but at that you can feel the cold come through and make the floors cold. We were at home all day and nobody came, too cold even to think of getting out.

Monday February 5     From 2° above to 12° above. Beautiful day but too cold for comfort. The coal dealers are having [a] hard time to meet the demands and we read a good deal about coal famine. My pile is slipping away mighty fast and I do not believe it will last through but anybody is lucky if they keep warm at any price such weather as this.

Tuesday February 6     Cloudy and threatening but not so cold, from 20° to 30° above. That seems like summer after what we have had.

Wednesday February 7     18° to 30°, threatening and snowy, did not amount to much.

Thursday February 8     Thermometer took a drop last night, was 8° above by our ther. It is a bright beautiful day but I do wish it would get warmer. Laurence made a blue paper chain at Kindergarten this forenoon and he was as proud as could be when I came home from work he yelled Papa see what I made.

Friday February 9     From 3° below to 7° above, that is the official record but the average street thermometer is from 2° to 5° colder. Beautiful bright day but I am getting so tired of the cold and being bundled up. I went down town at noon and paid the gas and electric light bills and nearly froze. It seemed colder down there to me than up here.

Saturday February 10     Bright, Whew 12° below to 4° above Official, at the Water works 18° below and I guess this is the warmest place in Michigan. All through the state it is reported from 48° at Baldwin, Pontiac 28°, at Kalamazoo it stood 32° below for 8 hours. Street thermometers here were about 14° below at 9 A.M. It is not often that I have the privilege of delivering mail with the thermometer at 14° below in this country. The papers are full of weather telling how all records are broken in some places it was never known to go so low. I think I have seen it lower here but for such steady extreme weather I never have, it has been about 6 weeks now that the thermometer has danced around the zero mark. Our cold water pipe in the kitchen froze for the first time today but not very solid. The house was cold when I got up and it seemed as tho we could never get it warmed but by the afternoon it was quite comfortable. A great deal of suffering is reported especially some that cannot get coal readily. It seems as tho you can hear creaking coal wagons and the rattle of coal down shutes into celars all the time early and late. Coal goes into the furnace as fast as the coal man puts it into the celar. My 12 tons are fast disappearing and it makes me mad, I hate to spend any more on coal.

Sunday February 11     Bright, some snow P.M. A little warmer, 7 to 15° above. Home all day. Children did not go to Sunday School. Anna went over to Burns P.M.

Monday February 12     Beautiful day, cold of course, 3 to 13° above. Half Holiday. Lincolns birthday, we only made one trip that is all two trippers made one trip, others did thier forenoons work but the schools were open and the stores down town were doing business. Anna went down town with Mrs. Burns and put in the afternoon shopping. I stayed with the kids.

Tuesday February 13     Cold as usual but beautiful to look at. 4 to 20°

Wednesday February 14     Valentines galore but most of them are Post Cards, they take time but are not so mean to handle as the old flimsy kind. It got warm today but was cloudy and threatening, 18° to 28°.

Thursday February 15     Actually thawed a little today, up to 40°, Seems like summer. Anna went to Nashes this P.M. and this evening she with Howard for an escort went down to a concert at the Trumbull Ave. Presbyterian Church. Harold Jarvis singer was the chief attraction.

Friday February 16     Fine day, real warm, getting slushy. Edna's birthday and she came up to supper, we had a birthday cake and a little extra for the occasion.

Saturday February 17     Beautiful day. Got a puncture in the rear tire of my bicycle and that always makes me mad and disgusted. My wheel is certainly on the bum and I have got to get it fixed some old way. I got a fearful tumble down some steps at 1435 12th today, the worst tumble I ever got. My feet went out from under me at the top and I landed down on the first step right on the end of my back bone and my elbow. My but it did hurt and the women came running out thinking I was badly hurt. Well I got up and went on but I thought I was done for for a while.

Sunday February 18     Warm but cloudy. Home all day as usual. Miss Tiefield of Los Angeles here attending the Thomas Normal, called with a friend student from New Jersey. Anna went for a short walk with 3 kids, Bennett is not feeling well so he stayed with me. Howard went to Sunday School alone. Yesterday when I fell I skinned my arm quite a patch and my back bone is rather sore but I guess it will not amount to much.

Monday February 19     Beautiful day, just like spring. I took my wheel down to Slocums, 1039 12th, to get it fixed. This weather is considerable easier on coal. I do hope I get through on what I have, I hate to buy more.

Tuesday February 20     Beautiful day, bright and warm. Snow about all gone tonight, streets running of water and everybody glad to see it go.

Wednesday February 21     Whew could anything be any more different than today and yesterday. The thermometer stood 18° and 19° all day and the wind blew a perfect whirl wind and it snowed and blew and drifted and sifted into every crack and crevace. Every hall had a little snow bank and it was sifted into your clothes. It plastered your face and stung and froze untill I nearly went distracted. I guess I never worked in such a storm in my life. Cars, trains, automobiles and every moving thing was either stalled completely or behind time.

Thursday February 22     Colder than yesterday, down to about 12° above, almost as bad as yesterday. The wind blew just as hard and it got around into the North and was colder. It did not snow but the snow drifted and blew so it was about as bad. One minute you would be walking in drifts up to your knees, the next minute it would be bare ground. And I went up some steps to deliver mail that you could not see the steps, they were covered so deep with snow. Tired, mercy me if it was not a holiday and I had to go over the route again this afternoon I would flop. Geo. Washington certainly saved my life by having a birthday today.

Friday February 23     [no entry]

Saturday February 24     Warm and summery. I went down town after supper to gather in a few drug store bargains, tooth brushes, witch hazel, talcum powder, toothpaste, etc.

Sunday February 25     Not very cold, rather mild, cloudy. Bennett and Howard went to Sunday School. Home all day for the rest of us.

Monday February 26     A fearful day. I nearly balked on going out into the storm this morning. The wind, rain and snow was beating against the windows plastering them white and I had to get out and face it all the way to the Post Office. Then it turned to rain all together and rained nearly all the forenoon and the slush and wet all day. I was well nigh water logged at night and nearly sick.

Tuesday February 27     Not very nice, fearful walking. Not as bad as yesterday because the slush has frozen but it is rough and slippery.

Wednesday February 28     This ought to be the last day of February, I am so anxious to see February gone that I am mad to think there is one more day. It was about 18° above this A.M. A little snow came last night and the walking is very treacherous, I came near going down several times and I was afraid to ride my wheel to work so I stayed at the office for lunch. I went down to Peter Smiths after work and around that way home. I have a fearful cough and it takes a great deal out of my strength to heave up.

Thursday February 29     Cloudy gray cold day, 10° to 18° and seemed colder for some reason. Bad walking, slippery and very treacherous.

April 1912

Monday April 1     Rain, bad nasty day. Everet Sears came back to work today. He is the Carrier that loses his own idenity every few years and he disappears and nothing is heard from him untill he comes to him self in some remote part of the country. Once he found himself near his boyhood home in Mass., the next time in San Francisco, Cal., the next time after 6 weeks he woke up in a hospital in San Antonio, Tex. And this time about the middle of last November he walked out of the North End Post Office went down town and exchanged his Carriers uniform for a suit of clothes and was not heard from untill he woke up just a few days ago while he was walking along the street in Boston, Mass. and he wired home. He claims he does not know how he got there or what he did during all those 4 months. It was just as tho he had woke up after a nights sleep and not knowing what happened during the night. He does not know how he got a living or whether he was in Boston all the time or not. His hands were hard and his skin brown as tho he had worked hard and out of doors. He had on a different suit than he got here in Detroit and he had about 10 dollars in his pocket but does not know how he got it. He was traced to the store here where he got his suit and his uniform recovered but that is all they could trace him. The papers printed the story at the time and the Carriers Postal Record printed his picture and story in the hopes of finding him but nothing was heard from him untill he wired he was in Boston. He is a big straight 6 footer and a handsome man, good natured, good moral, and good family man and does not appear like a man affected with any thing. I think his eyes show a little peculiar light or some thing unnatural and the ball of the eyes seem small, whether this has any thing to do with it or not I do not know. A great many do not believe his story. The P.O. Authorities do or they would not take him back. I really believe him and think he is just as he says although it is a mighty queer affliction and must be a fearful thing to always be hanging over him and his wife and family. He says he fell when a boy and hurt his head and some Doctors claim that an operation would relieve the trouble. The Children thought they were having lots of fun today playing fool mostly fool business. At night they could not wait for me to go to bed, they had the door fixed so when I opened it a chair fell off the bed and when I pulled the string I have to light the elec. light some thing came down so I had to go up and see it all while they could see the fun before they went to bed. They had a great laugh and of course Pa and Ma laughed too, Ha Ha.

Tuesday April 2     Unpleasant day, nearly as bad as yesterday, dark, gloomy and horrid. The kids are home this week, no school. It gets tiresome for Anna they are strenuous and it is so muddy now they want to get into all the mud puddles and then track it into the house. This week is vacation week in the schools, the children are home bothering thier Mothers.

Wednesday April 3     Clear and fine day but cold and crisp. Water froze in the ditches and real cold about 26°. Inez Hart came over and stayed with the kids, Anna went to the Dentist. I went down town at noon, paid gas, elec, and bought a pair of Ball Bearing Roller Skates, $1.15.

Thursday April 4     Beautiful day, seems like the genuine old summer time today. Louise has a bad cold and is as cranky as an old maid.

Friday April 5     Beautiful warm day, began to take off some of my winter clothes for the first time. The Easter cards are coming in bunches. I had to curtail my route this afternoon.

Saturday April 6     Beautiful day and real summer weather, up as high as 70°. I put on summer pants and coat and then sweat at that. There is some ice laying around in shady corners yet but every body is glad to see the warm weather.

Sunday April 7     Easter and fiddle it is cold, windy and some snow, rained last night. I had to go and work this morning from 8 to 10 and I rode home on my wheel in a snow storm. I will bet people who have decked themselves out in new Easter finery are swearing, after 2 or 3 days of fine warm weather to have Easter come out like [this] is too bad. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday [school] but they had nothing new to wear. The kids gave each other candy eggs, bunnies, chickens, etc. We have a Pine Apple for supper.

Monday April 8     Came out bright and beautiful but was cold, down to freezing. Fearful load of Easter cards today, worked 9:35 [hours] today, awful tired and discouraged, wish I had an easier job.

Tuesday April 9     Just fine today, rather windy but beautiful, warm. Pretty well cleaned the Easter mail today. Cut Bennetts hair this evening, he got so sleepy that he cried for me to quit. I do not blame the kids for getting tired I can do a fair job but it takes me so long, 45 minutes or longer, that they get too tired.

Wednesday April 10     Fine day.

Thursday April 11     Fine warm day, real summer. I had part of the afternoon off on account of time and I worked on our front lawn raking and sowing grass seed and was more tired than I would have been if I had worked. Anna tried to get ready to go down on Grand River but could not get ready in time so took Louise and Laurence and went to the store.

Friday April 12     Colder, cold wind came up last night and it seems cold today. I guess the thermometer is around 40°.

Saturday April 13     Cloudy, threatening rain late in the evening. Took down storm doors.

Sunday April 14     Cloudy, some rain but warm. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday school and Mr. & Mrs. McLeod and Helen came over and made us a good long visit. We have been expecting them for weeks. Mrs. McLeod has been sick so they could not come they stayed for supper and then departed. I like Mr. McLeod and am always glad to have him come over, he and I entered the P.O. the same day 17 long years ago.

Monday April 15     Warm beautiful day. The trees begin to show a little green. Lawns are green, the kids tramp ours so it has hard work to live. Frogs sing in the water ponds and the Cleveland Detroit boats start today so I think that must mean spring. Cut Laurences hair today.

Tuesday April 16     Cooler, quite cool but fine. The papers are full of an awful Marine disaster, 1,252 lives lost and 886 saved. All news come by wireless and may not be correct. The new steamer Titanic making her maiden trip across the Atlantic struck an Ice berg and went down in about 4 hours. She sent out help messages by wireless and boats ran two hundred miles to her rescue but was too late to save all. The Titanic was the largest steamer in the world, and supposed to be built so she could not sink. She cost $10,000,000. She struck the berg about 10 P.M. Sunday and began immediately to call for help and big boats getting her message turned from thier course and made for her at full speed.

Wednesday April 17     Rain nasty and cold, fire feels good, our furnace fire has not gone out yet but burns very low and we do not feel the need of it all the time. News from the lost steamer Titanic is very meager. The steamer Carpathia is on her way from the wreak with the survivors and I suppose we will not hear anything of the particulars untill she reaches New York. For some reason she does not answer the wireless messages. The whole world is shocked and fairly stunned and staggered at the awful loss of life. The law of the sea prevailed and the women and children were saved in the life boats first and there were only enough for them so practically all the men were lost. Prominent men, men worth millions of dollars and known the world over must have gone down as well as the poor steerage men. Fathers had to stand back and see thier wives and children leave them.

Thursday April 18     Rain, nasty, horrid. Still no more news than we have had from the Titanic. The Carpathia will get to New York about 1 oclock tomorrow morning, of course the papers are full of it but nothing authentic. Anna is washing the wall of the kitchen. I have helped a little and what a job of it.

Friday April 19     Beautiful bright and pleasant. A P.O. inspector went over my route with me today, they are here and going with every Carrier and also inspecting the office and all employees. He did not say what he thought of my route or me, my work or anything. We are reading the stories of the survivors of the steamer Titanic today, there [were] 745 saved and 1,595 lost. The steamer was making her first trip and of course trying to make a record run. She was told by wireless that there was icebergs in her path but she struck one a glancing blow and it ripped her side open. The shock was not great and the passengers could not believe it was serious and thought the boats were filled and lowered simply as a precaution. All the boats they had "only about enough for one third" were filled with mostly women and children and they rowed away from ship. Some wives would not leave thier husbands and so were lost. Stories of the bravery of some of the men and women were told, and they claim the band played "Nearer My God to Thee" as the boat sank. The boat was ablaze of light up to the very last and the night was a beautiful calm and brilliant star light night. An old sailor said it was the calmest and most beautiful night he had ever seen on the Atlantic but it was cold, biting cold and a few died of exposure. Ladies were in evening dress and some very scantily dressed. Some men were saved by jumping into the sea and clinging to wreckage. The Carpathia arrived about 3 hours after the boat went down and took the survivors on board and brought them direct to New York.

Saturday April 20     Howard and I went down town after supper. I had to sign the pay roll. We went and bought a soft hat for Howard, got some groceries and came home.

Sunday April 21     Cloudy and threatening. The paper is full of the ship wreck of the steamer Titanic. They have held Mr. Ismay, the manager of the line, and he was on the boat and was saved. It seems to be the belief that he was responsible for the speed and they also charge him with cowardice.

Monday April 22     Some rain, cold by night, high cold wind. We report for work 15 minutes later this morning and 10 minutes later in the afternoon from now on, I suppose the inspectors hope to save office time by it and they want us to set up our mail on the street as we go along. Painted the closets upstairs, we intend to keep on painting all summer probably.

Tuesday April 23     Cold and clear, frost. The trees and schrubs are a little green but the season seems late. Our fire in the furnace burns yet and such a day as this it seems good.

Wednesday April 24     Beautiful day, rather cool air. Anna is down town now at noon and I am alone with the kids. Louise is looking out the front window and saying "Oh Oh Oh". Laurence is down in the basement trying to fasten sticks and a little wheel to a paste board box to make a wheel barrow. Howard and Bennett were playing ball in the street, the school bell rang and they threw ball and bat towards the house and run. Anna came home and said she had bought a 9 x 12 rug for the parlor at Elliots, $27.50 rug for $22.50.

Thursday April 25     Fine day, the air is still cold. I wear my winter coat and some mornings gloves. Louise puts 2 words together quite often lately but she is very slow about talking. We are painting the closets up stairs.

Friday April 26     Rain and high wind this forenoon. The P.O. is trying out a few schemes to save Carriers time. Yesterday we reported at 6:45 and left at 7:30 whether our mail was all [in] or not, P.M. 1:55 and left at 2:15. Today we left at 7:45 that gave us an hour, that worked better and 25 minutes P.M. I painted the celar way.

Saturday April 27     Lovely day. Anna cleaned and changed the rugs around, new one in the parlor, sitting room rug went into service in the dining room and the old parlor one into the sitting room and the old dining room rug into the furnace "but not yet" it is nothing but rags and dirt.

Sunday April 28     Cold, down to freezing point and a horrid rainy day. Some of us intended to go out to see the burns in Highland Park to day but it was such a day that we did not go, we stayed at home and had ice cream for dessert.

Monday April 29     Rained all night and all the forenoon and then some more in the afternoon but not so much. Cold and damp, miserable. I painted the play room closet today but I do not do things with very good grace, it makes me cross and crabbed to have to work all day and half the night. And Anna is miserable these days and she has to keep working on just the same, it seems as tho fate was bearing down a little hard just now. I guess that makes me cross and disgusted too, pshaw.

Tuesday April 30     Fine day. Anna washed a big wash today. She could never do it if it was not for the water power washing machine, that helps wonderfully.

May 1912

Wednesday May 1     Beautiful day, cold enough in the morning to make a fire feel good. Howard went down in the armory to hear and see a picture lecture on the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Mrs. Fuller next door took him and her daughter Irene, and he thought it was fine and wonderful. I began painting the kitchen this Eve.

Thursday May 2     Beautiful day, air cold, about 50°. Painted on the kitchen again tonight and finished one coat. I am using soft tone and it seems to me it brushes out awfully hard but maybe I do not know how to do it.

Friday May 3     Beautiful day, the first dandilions are out, the trees have just the green tiny leaves as yet, tulips are in blossom in some places and lilacs are in bud. The grass is green as green can be and the world is very beautiful just now. Louise is out in the back yard most of the time. She gets every thing she can find and gets on in the wrap line and then teases to "out Mama, Mama out." Painted the ceiling to the kitchen, the second coat and mercy it painted hard. I do not know what is the matter, too thick or too thin or what, it took me from 7 untill after 10 to finish the ceiling.

Saturday May 4     Fine day. Cool air. Painted and finished the kitchen tonight, I painted untill after 11 oclock and crawled to bed completely done up.

Sunday May 5     Cloudy and a little rain. Got up late, fired up the furnace so we could have a bath. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday School and after dinner I and the 3 boys took the car to Highland Park to call on the Burns in thier new house and grocery store. They are on the N.W. corner of Hamilton and Buena Vista. It is built up pretty well as far as Hamilton from Woodward but North West and South there is nothing but a few st??tering houses mostly shacks in West and North there is a lot of shacks that look like fishermens shacks about the size of chicken coops. They are just building a foundation for a new school House one block North of there. It is very countryfied but will be soon built up.

Monday May 6     Beautiful day, getting like summer, the sun is hot. I am so tired and old from my painting saturday night I can hardly move.

Tuesday May 7     Beautiful day. Hot, up to 76°. I took my coat off and went in my shirt waist for the first time this spring. Dr. Bell was here today to see Anna. Painted the pantry this eve.

Wednesday May 8     Fine day. Cool this evening. Went down town at noon to pay gas and elec. lights.

Thursday May 9     So cool I started a fire in the furnace this morning. Painted the bath room first coat this evening.

Friday May 10     Warmer, nice day. Painted the pantry the second coat this eve. It takes me untill after 10 and I do not know whether I can keep it up or not.

Saturday May 11     Rain, but warm. Anna took Bennett for company and went down to Elliots and purchased a few necessary articles of clothing and table cloth, etc. I was painting the bath room the second coat when she went away and was painting when she got back at 10 oclock and it took me untill 11 to finish. And I guess I will have to paint it another coat to make it look right, it is a light paint and the old paint was so dark that it shows through. Howard took care of Louise and when he went to bed she was not sleepy so he took her in bed with him and they had a fine time for a while then it was all still and they were all asleep. I guess it will kill me to do all the painting I want to, so far I have painted 3 closets, celar way, kitchen, pantry and bath room and I want to paint the floors in the parlor, sitting, play, dining room and hall then varnish all floors and wood work. I guess it will take a year.

Sunday May 12     Rain, cloudy, horrid, fire all day. It rained fearful nearly all night. I am nearly done up today on account of my painting. I feel as old as the hills and still and tired. We see by the paper I. N. Dickerson of Plymouth, Maggie Joy's husband, put one eye out Friday. He was cranking his bran new Auto and slipped and fell against the machine and some bolt or projecting piece punctured his right eye. He is a R.F.D. Carrier and just got a new machine to use on his route. I should think he would think it a bad beginning. No body left the house all day.

Monday May 13     Snow storm, thermometer at 34°, 3 inches of snow fell but was gone by 10 oclock. When I got up and went to work at 6 A.M. it was snowing good and hard. The green trees were covered white, the green grass was sticking up through the white snow and tulips was standing up in a couple of inches of snow, a queer sight.

Tuesday May 14     Fine day but chilly. We have a fire since Sunday morning. Howard went to a surprise party next door last night, Irene Fullers. Bennett went over on Woodward with him and I bought him a pair of shoes at Fellmans.

Wednesday May 15     The world is getting beautiful now, trees and shrubs are so green, dandelions are in full bloom, tulips are out, lilac are some in blossom. They say a good many shrubs are winter killed, the paper says 75 percent of them are killed. We had some Perennial Peas and they have not come up. Our rambler rose is just coming to life down at the roots, all hedges are cut back to the ground. It is said that it will take 5 years to regain all that is lost by winter killing.

Thursday May 16     Oh mercy the least said the better for such a day as this. It rained all last night and every minute this forenoon and most of the afternoon a cold miserable rain. I finished the 3rd coat on the bath room last night and tonight I painted the kitchen cupboard and now I want to get the floors painted, stained and varnished.

Friday May 17     Bad forenoon but cleared in the afternoon. Got the barn swept out, my it was a dirty hole, it has been shut up all winter, scarce anybody has stepped foot into it all winter, only when it was necessary to get something there.

Saturday May 18     Cloudy. Pay day.

Sunday May 19     Cloudy, cold. Fire all day. Home all day. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday School. Mr. & Mrs. Burns and Donald called this afternoon, they walked all the way from Highland Park.

Monday May 20     Cool but no fire today. Cloudy, a little rain.

Tuesday May 21     Fine day except a few sprinkles. Started to paint screens today. I ought to be quite a painter when I get through with all I have set out to do but I presume I will fall short of my intentions.

Wednesday May 22     Hot today. Louise is a corker no matter how hot it is she teases for coats and sweaters to put on and take off and put on again and again. Some times she has on three garments at once and an old knit pull down cap down over her ears and you just cannot persuade her to go out without all that on. She can get them on her self and button them up. She can do as much to dress herself now as Laurence, he will not do a thing to dress if he can get out of it but she is eternaly at it all day. She used to use her stocking for a pocket and stuff every thing even to cookies and bread down in to her stocking but I guess she has got over that.

Thursday May 23     Hot, awfully hot and have on my winter underwear yet. Tonight I am going to take a bath and change to summer wear. I am fixing screens this week and it does take so long to do the jobs I want to do and I get fearfully discouraged and tired . Mrs. Cushing next door is getting a tar paper roof put on her house, I think it makes a house look awfully cheap, My house will have to be shingled before many years.

Friday May 24     Delightful day, rained last night and cooled off and a cool breeze makes it fine today. And I got into summer underwear this morning and feel fine today.

Saturday May 25     Another beautiful delightful [day]. This is a great day for Howard, his Aunt Edna brought her old bicycle that she has had up in her atic for years and gave it to him, tickled well he showed it all over. The tires were still pretty good and he was able to pump them up and get on and ride it. Of course it is a ladies wheel but he does not care now any way. He has teased and teased for a bicycle for years. Edna said a year of so ago that she just as soon he would have it, we thought he was not old enough then. Howard and I took a trip down town late tonight to get me a new uniform hat. I thought I had one but when I got it out it was not fit to wear and we are ordered to put them on Monday.

Sunday May 26     Beautiful day. Howard & Bennett to Sunday School. The children took a walk around the block under Howards care, Louise was very happy about it. Mrs. Fuller gave us a fish for supper, Mr. Fuller caught it today up at the flats, it was mighty good.

Monday May 27     Mostly rain, some heavy, bad day, gloomy. Taped Howards shoes, washed windows and porches.

Tuesday May 28     Worse than yesterday, Rain, Rain, Rain. Anna washed but could not get them dry.

Wednesday May 29     Cloudy and threatening. Cold and damp. Sent Anna's mother in California $50.00 to come home with so she can help us in our coming sickness. It costs money, we wish we could have that money to take a trip ourselves but so goes fate. Painted floors till nearly 11 oclock tonight.

Thursday May 30     Decoration Day. Beautiful day. Well well we never know what a day will bring to us. Anna was taken sick with pain at 12 oclock, we only got to bed at 11. We did not know what to make of it, it was coming a month too soon. I got up and began to get things ready, it was so cold that I nearly shivered to death and Anna shook until the bed rattled. At 4 Anna could wait no longer so I went to Cushings next door and routed them out to use thier phone. I phoned the Dr. and my sister Edna and they both got here inside of an hour. The Dr. thought Anna better go to the hospital. We had nothing ready and nobody to help us so the Dr. took Anna and I to the House of Providence in his Auto. The baby was born in 30 minutes after they got there but it was dead and had been dead for a day or two the Dr. said. Anna never saw the baby, neither did I as I came right home to care for [the] kids. Edna stayed all day. I could not go to work. I went back to the hospital and found Anna quite comfortable, in the afternoon I took Louise and Laurence and Bennett to see thier Mother in a hospital. They know nothing about a baby. Louise does not know what to make of it, she is very quiet and wondery. At night she cried for her "Mama come home." I went to see Mrs. Leech and she said she would come and help me for a while.

Friday May 31     Beautiful day, warmer. I am doing the house work and taking care of the kids. Mrs. Leach phoned me she was sick and could not come. I tried another woman but she was on another case. I took Laurence and Louise up to the Hospital this P.M., Anna is getting along fine so far. I hope she will have no set back.

June 1912

Saturday June 1     Beautiful day. A day of days for me. I decided to take the little body to Plymouth and bury it on Father's lot in the Old Cemetery in Lower Village. I went to the Health board and got a blank, took that to the Doctor, he filled out his statement, then I had to fill one, then take it back to the Health officer and get a burying permit and shipping permit to take it to Plymouth, then to the Hospital to get the body, then the Car to Plymouth and I had to wait an hour in Wayne and got to Plymouth about 9 oclock, too late to do anything that night so I went and stayed all night at Uncle Asa's. I started out early in the morning to do all that and it did not go as easy as it reads not knowing just what to do I had to go over most of the ground twice, in the mean time the children were at the neighbors untill noon. My father and Mother came in and I met them at the D.U.R. waiting room at 10:30 and brought them home. Then I went to the hospital to see Anna and take the kids and I hardly knew what I was doing but thought if I kept going I would get through some time. I did not know I had to get so many papers etc. An Undertaker would charge me from $10 to $12 and I would have to buy a lot besides, this way it cost me nothing but car fare.

Sunday June 2     Rain. I woke up at 3 A.M. at Uncle Asa's, Plymouth. And it was first getting dawn so I thought I would get up then and go to the cemetery. So I got up and went down stairs, got a spade and the box out of the telescope satchel. I had brought it from Detroit on the Car with me in this way. I went down through the lower village to the cemetery and found Fathers grave lot that he owned for over 50 years. He has one still born and one boy that lived about a year and it was his head stone I found, his name was Victor DeForest Dean, died Dec. 11, 1858 and the lot has not been disturbed since. About 6 feet in the rear of the stone I dug a grave just about 3 feet deep and put the box down into it. I was not sure but I thought the head was to the west and Victors stone. Then I filled it in and made a nice mound with new clean earth, then got a couple of bunches of bridal wreath blossoms and placed them on the grave and then came away. It was between 3:50 and 4:30 A.M. I saw not a living soul while there and the hoot owls were hooting in the near by trees and birds were singing and I felt strange indeed. It was very warm, I removed my coat and hat and perspired freely while digging and just as I came away it began to sprinkle and was raining quite hard by the time I got back to Uncle Asa's. They got up and got me some breakfast and I took the 6 oclock car for home via Northville. I had to wait an hour in Northville and it rained every minute. I got home about 9 A.M., the children were up but they had hardly missed me and I feel as though this was an epoch in my life. Although the little fellow was born dead I some way feel as tho I had a baby in the other world. When I got the body at the hospital I turned back the cloth it was wrapped in and saw its face. It did not look bad at all, it looked clean but the skin was turning black. I felt sure it was ours because it resembled the others, but more so because its left ear top was turned down against the ear which seems characteristic of them all and Anna too when she was born.

Monday June 3     Nice Day. Anna continues to improve and I think she is going to get through all right. The older children know the way to [the hospital] and the room and they think it great to go alone. Louise teases to "see Mama." When I go in the hospital door I take my hat off and Louise sees me and grabs hers too. We have lived in this house 3 years today, Geo. has never been in this house and his wife came today to see Anna and this is the first time she has been here and they live just a mile from here, the kid came with her.

Tuesday June 4     Fine day. Things are moving slowly, Mother gets meals and washes the dishes and that is about all she is able to do. A colored woman came to day and did the washing and ironing. I have to pay her $1.50 a day and her car fare. I went over to the P.O. and got my money today, they took out two days pay, before my vacation commenced and that makes me a little short.

Wednesday June 5     Fine day. We got Anna home this evening, her week will be up at the hospital tomorrow morning at 6:30, the Dr. said we could bring her home. Mr. Keifer, a neighbor, brought her home in his Auto at about 6 this evening and I carried her upstairs and put her in bed here.

Thursday June 6     Still fine weather but it is chilly today. I am doing the nurse act and getting along fine. Anna got along all right but the children make her very nervous especially Louise. Anna does not want her out in front but she manages to get there in spite of every body and Anna could hear her through the window and it put her in a nervous condition, otherwise she got along all right.

Friday June 7     Beautiful day but cold. The house was 58°, outside 48° and so cold I had to build a fire in the furnace to get Mother warmed up. Mother gets the meals and washes the dishes and I have to do all the rest of the work and running around but we are getting along fine. Laurence went with the Kindergarten class to the D.A.C. grounds where the Kindergartens gave an exibition of the work. I went to see them and it was a grand sight indeed, about 1400 children all about the same age, from 5 to 7 years, took part all dressed in white. They marched onto the grounds two and two and then gave a grand march over the grounds and then in turn each school went through thier exercises. And then five classes in different places danced the May Pole and Laurence danced the May Pole with his class. Immense crowds were there to see and all said grand [things].

Saturday June 8     Beautiful day but chilly, too chilly for comfort inside, out in the sun it is not so bad. I went down town this afternoon to pay the gas and elec. but the gas office was closed. I took in a 10¢ show, the first sporting of my vacation. Anna Fry came early this morning and took all the boys home with her to spend the day so we have had a quiet and peaceful day. They came this evening after supper and they were all tired and said they felt sick, I suppose they played too hard.

Sunday June 9     Beautiful day but chilly. Mother and Father went down to Ednas this afternoon and back in the evening. Clarence came after them on his Auto. Anna is getting up a little now and feeling fine but weak. I busted the sabbath all to pieces today I am afraid. I swept and dusted nearly the whole house and made beds and gave Louise a bath, some thing I never did before, then I had to get the supper and wash the dishes. We had ice cream for supper. Bennett has been sick all last night and today he has slept most of the day and eaten very little.

Monday June 10     Beautiful day, very cool. Laurence and I took a trip to Mt. Clemens by the Lake Shore line this afternoon, it is a very interesting trip. I never had been that way before, so many beautiful summer homes.

Tuesday June 11     Beautiful day. Anna came down stairs today and stood it pretty well. Mother and Father left us today and thier going seems like closing another chapter in our lives and Anna must again take up the threads of life and go on again. The colored woman came and washed and ironed today.

Wednesday June 12     Rain last night, cloudy. Cool, I guess we are not going to have any warm summer weather. Well Mother gone and Anna not yet strong I have to do about all the work there is done. I made my first short cake today, Anna told me what to do and I made it and it was good too. Howard was too sick to go to school this afternoon.

Thursday June 13     Beautiful day but cold, uncomfortable to sit down. Anna was pretty well tired out last night but felt better today. Howard is nearly sick with a cold and did not go to school yesterday afternoon the first he has been out since last Sept. but he went today and came home feeling pretty good, he was one of five in his class to be recommended. I promised him 75¢ if he was recomended to buy a mit and ball so he got his mit today but he has not got the ball yet, but he ought to be in bed and it is a good thing that he has not got to go to school any more. Bennett is to get 50¢ if he passes, they do not recommend in his grade.

Friday June 14     [No entry]

Saturday June 15     Showers in the evening. I took the 3 boys to the Island this afternoon. We hired a row boat for a hour. The kids thought that great fun there was to be a race between a flying machine and a motor boat but it was too windy, but there was a big crowd and we got into an awful jam on the boat coming home.

Sunday June 16     Some heavy rain in the forenoon. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday School and Bennett came home wet. I managed to give every kid a bath this forenoon and take one myself. Anna improves but is not strong. Sam & Belle called this afternoon.

Monday June 17     Beautiful day. My last day of my vacation. I went to a dentist and had my tooth put back in that has been out so long. Got a hair cut and afternoon took Howard and went to the Temple Theater.

Tuesday June 18     Fine day but still chilly. Back to work today. I suppose it will be the same old thing over again for another year.

Wednesday June 19     Cool, too cool for comfort especially in the house. Anna is not able to do much yet. The woman did not finish the ironing yesterday and I had to take a hand at it today to help out. I make quite a house keeper.

Thursday June 20     Rain this afternoon, some heavy showers. The children all passed at school and got thier certificates too. I gave Howard 75¢, Bennett 50¢ and Laurence 5¢ for passing. Aunt Dill and Inez called.

Friday June 21     Fair day. Howard & Bennett went over to Harts and stayed untill after dinner and then came home. Anna took her first walk to day since her sickness, she went as far as Mathews and back.

Saturday June 22     Beautiful day. The City is equipping the Goldberg school grounds with swings, rings, poles, etc. for a play ground and our kids are always there. They cannot eat respectably even and if you ask them to do anything they go up in the air.

Sunday June 23     Beautiful day. Home all day but had to get out in the evening and make a collection from 6 untill 8:30. Howard went with me on his wheel and I on mine. Anna and children went for a short walk at the same time.

Monday June 24     Beautiful day, warm. Circus day. Ringling Bros. big show today, we saw the parade. Howard, Bennett and Laurence went with me back to the P.O. on my morning trip then we took the Woodward car down town and transferred out Jefferson to the tents just this side of the Water Works. We passed by the parade on our way out and also on our way back and saw it all fine, without the usual tiresome way of standing on the curb in the big crowd but it seems to me the parade amounts to less and less each year and I think the parade at least will soon pass into history. I have not been to the show in years so I do not know what that is but I suppose I will soon have to take the kids to the show. So far they have been contented to see the parade.

Tuesday June 25     Fine day. Woman here washing, scrubbing and ironing.

Wednesday June 26     Nice day. The Democrats are in Baltimore raising a big pow wow trying to nominate a man to break Taft. I am in favor of Wilson.

Thursday June 27     Fine day. Anna took a walk over on 19th and bought 3 pairs of overalls for the kids. Bennett got on a tare about something and was left at home and cannot have his overalls untill he is a better boy.

Friday June 28     Hot and close. Same old grind, the kids make about the only variation and thier kind is not always the most pleasant kind.

Saturday June 29     Fearful hot, up to 88°. A big rain shower came about 3 P.M. and then it began to get cooler. The kids are all 4th of July, teasing for pennies to buy Lady Crackers, Giant Crackers, Nigger Chasers, Sparklers, Pin Wheels and the whole outfit. I allow Bennett & Howard to spend 25¢ each and Laurence 10¢. I do not like fire works and wish there was no such thing. I believe some new and more sane way of celebrating the 4th would be far better.

Sunday June 30     Beautiful day, quite cool. Home all day. Howard & Bennett went to Sunday School. The whole Burns family called this afternoon. Anna went for a little walk with them when they went away.

July 1912

Monday July 1     Chilly last night, beautiful today, grand. We got a letter from Los Angeles saying Mrs. Clarkson had not got a pass yet but would start as soon as she got it. Daves wife had bought a house paying $3000 in cash and Mabel was thinking of buying Mrs. Balyes bungalo.

Tuesday July 2     Beautiful day, getting hot. Anna and Louise went down on Grand River after supper to see about a hat. Louise came home happy with a new pair of strap shoes. She calls shoes "um", the other day she asked for the "um" brush. Wilson was nominated for President at the Democratic convention at Baltimore today on the 46th ballot. I think it the best choice they could make.

Wednesday July 3     Fine day, very warm. Howard says he cleared 4ft. 4in. in a pole jump today, it is all the go now and every kid is going around with a pole and a red face telling how much he cleared.

Thursday July 4     Fearful hot all day and night everybody sweltering, official thermometer 84°. Howard got up at 3 A.M. and went out on the balcony and began to shoot fire crackers and at the first crack his Mama got up and drove him in untill a more seasonable hour. I worked in the forenoon. Afternoon I layed around and sweltered, cut Louises hair out of her neck, bobbed it off behind her ears. Aunt Dill and Inez called in the evening. We started for the Ferry field to see the fire works, got as far as 16 and sat down on the curb and watched them from there. Howard had run ahead and for a time we thought he was lost but he came back looking for us. We soon got tired and it looked like rain so we all came home. The boys shot off thier fire works and we all went to bed tired and glad the day was over, and all unhurt.

Friday July 5     Hot, awful hot. The Fourth is over and while there was a good many killed and hurt the papers say the plea for a sane Fourth has helped to decrease the number of accidents quite a considerable.

Saturday July 6     Hot, fearful hot and close.

Sunday July 7     Too hot to do a thing, layed around all day, slept some and felt worse every minute all day. Howard and Bennett were drove off to Sunday School after a howling protest. Anna took a little walk with the children in the evening because she promised Louise she would. But the days are hot and nights are hot. We had a sharp shower but it did not help any.

Monday July 8     Still hot, up around 86° or more but the humidity makes it worse. Went down town at noon, Bennett went with me. Paid Gas, Elec. and tried to pay the water but there [were] so many in line I did not wait. Got some leather and nails for shoes and I have got to get busy nearly all of us need it.

Tuesday July 9     As hot as ever and so uncomfortable, showers. Colored woman here washing.

Wednesday July 10     Hot, heavy rain and wind. The wind did considerable damage in some parts of [the] City. The papers claim that a couple of boys were taken up and blown about a block with out serious injury.

Thursday July 11     Cooler, fine day, threatened rain but did not rain. Anna and Louise went for a ride with the Keifers in thier Auto, it makes us want an Auto to know how fine it is to ride in one.

Friday July 12     Fine day, very warm. Mrs. Woehler and two kids of 899 Milwaukee West called, they used to live next door in the flat.

Saturday July 13     Cool morning, some rain. Then got boiling hot in the afternoon.

Sunday July 14     Boiling, steaming, sticky, hot, some rain. Home all day, no body came. Anna and children took a little walk in the evening, she did not want to go but Louise teased so to "walk" that she went around the block then the kids went to bed and Anna and I sat on the porch untill 11 oclock.

Monday July 15     Hot, awfull, the ther. says 90° but the humidity says it is the hottest yet. Sweat, I never sweat so in my life but at noon a heavy shower, wind and thunder storm came up and the thermometer dropped about 20 degrees untill my sweaty underwear felt chilly. We are having a funny summer, either roasting or freezing.

Tuesday July 16     Beautiful day, cool and delightful. Wash woman here, she usually washes, scrubs porches and kitchen floors and then gets most of the ironing and charges $1.50 and 10¢ car fare.

Wednesday July 17     Beautiful day, finest kind to work, cool and fine. Anna, Laurence and Louise took a walk over on Vermont to see Inez Harts new house being built and is nearly completed. Inez and her Mother happened to be there so they went all through the house, it is small but will be nice.

Thursday July 18     Cool, even chilly, my coat felt good this afternoon and evening. A little rain this afternoon.

Friday July 19     Fair day. Very cool, chilly. A plumber came today about noon to take out the old hot water tank in the basement and put in a new one. The old one is full of holes and should have been replaced long ago but as the holes came I would drive in a pine plug and let it go. They are having a fearful time to get the old pipes out.

Saturday July 20     Rained, drizzled nearly all day. The plumber has been here all day and two part of the time. The boss, Mr. Field, promised to do the work and furnish the tank for $9.50. I guess he will earn his money. I had no idea it would be such a job. When they finally turned on the water the furnace coal sprung a leak and they put in a new coil.

Sunday July 21     Cool, cloudy, threatening all day. We all walked out 12th to Seward. It is country out there, hay fields and the children like to go. On the way back we called on Mrs. Jacobs, she used to live down here on 12. She built a cottage at 448 Delaware it stands all alone. There are a few houses scattered around but it looks like country.

Monday July 22     Fine cool day. I suppose this is Cadillaqua week. I do not think we will see much of the doing. The Cars started running on Hamilton Blvd. today.

Tuesday July 23     Nice day, threatening. A little rain this P.M. The 3 boys went with Mrs. Keifer and Roy to see the Auto parade on Woodward. Louise was sick and Anna did not dare go and take her or go and leave her. We do not realize out here that there is any thing going on at all and I do not believe the crowds or doings [will] quite come up to expectations.

Wednesday July 24     My but it rained last night, it just came down in sheets from about 10 P.M. to 4 A.M. it rained and rained and the crowds that went to see the Historical Parade got soaked and soaked. We would like to go and see things but we just do not dare. People have such times getting home, the cars cannot handle the crowds and it takes untill long into the night for all to get home. Went down town at noon [paid] water tax.

Thursday July 25     Hot, muggy and sticky. Threatening but did not rain, cooler and windy this eve. The Industrial Parade last night kept people waiting untill 10 oclock, then came in sections and waits. Some went home and did not see any, others saw the first section and thought it was all and went home. The floats were fine so they say but poorly managed. Lots of people are disgusted. The children tease to go but we are affraid to get in the crowds with them all. Louise is not well, she is having what the boys have had, sore throat, head ache and just sick, bad stomach but she is better today.

Friday July 26     Nice day. Cooler and better than yesterday.

Saturday July 27     Threatening, cooler, comfortable. Cadillaqua is over and we never saw a thing of it. The children saw one parade that was all. The papers are full of headliners, 8 Aldermen caught grafting. This is a big sensation for Detroit every body thought Detroit was too good for grafting. Detective Burns that has been in the lime light all over the Country lately set traps and caught them. Howard, Bennett and I went down town after supper. Bennett a new hat and a new alarm clock was the chief purchases.

Sunday July 28     Cool, cloudy and threatening. Took collection in the evening, got caught in a rain storm coming home.

Monday July 29     Fine day. Tired out this Eve., work over, 10 hours today.

Tuesday July 30     2 or 3 showers, cool. The washer woman did not come today so Anna did the washing herself.

Wednesday July 31     Cloudy, cool, chilly at night. Printed a few pictures today that we have had in the camera, some of them since January.

August 1912

Thursday August 1     Fine day, cool and pleasant. Anna and the children went down on Avery and called on the Hardenbergs and met several old acquaintances.

Friday August 2     Showers and sunshine one after the other all day long. Anna took Howard and Bennett down to Newcomb Endicotts and got each a suit at a bargain sale. Howards was about a $12 suit, I guess the clerk said it was an $18 but 12 is good enough bargain, Bennetts was a $7.50 each for $3.75 and they look fine in them.

Saturday August 3     Pay day, $52 in my envelope this time. Chilly, uncomfortable. Louise still calls shoes "um". She can say shoefly but tell her to say shoe and every time she will say "um-m". It is like Howard used to say "punch" for smell and he would not say smell for a long time after he could talk every thing. Louise talks nearly every thing but slow and hesitating and drawn out.

Sunday August 4     Cold, that is just what it is cold and we just about shiver to death. Nights we sleep under comforters and hate to get out just like winter. Every one of us went up to McLeods, 97 Scovel Place, and stayed to supper and had a fine visit and came home in the dark along the Boulevard. We like to go on the Boulevard because it is so beautiful and then it is a sight to see all the Automobiles go by, it is as good as a parade to see them come and go, hundreds of them, all kinds and sizes and all kinds of people in them.

Monday August 5     Cloudy, a little warmer but not hot yet.

Tuesday August 6     Fair day, threatening. Anna and Louise took a walk over to see Inez Harts new house on Vermont and found they had moved in yesterday. The house is not all complete yet but they wanted to get out of the old.

Wednesday August 7     Went down town at noon. Howard went with me, he bought a white handled jack knife at the 10¢ store for 10¢, any thing you want for 10¢ one could almost furnish a house there. I paid my City taxes, $23.12, gas and elec. bill.

Thursday August 8     My but how it rained all last night. I thought every thing would be washed off of earth by morning, it poured and poured and poured. Talbot and Irwin put 11 tons [of] Pocohontas Mine Run coal in my bin today. I had 12 tons put in last year but I thought I would try and squeeze through on 11 this year, it has come up 25¢ a ton and all coal is on the raise and it is claimed that hard coal is going to $12. Anna and the 3 youngest kids went over and called on Inez Hart in her new house.

Friday August 9     It rains every few minutes these days, you cannot trust the weather at all.

Saturday August 10     Of course it rained today, it rains every day. I do not see where all the water comes from.

Sunday August 11     And more rain, rained hard last night and every few minutes during the day. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday School and we all went up to the Boulevard this afternoon and sat on a park seat and watched the Autos go by, but we got drove home by the looks of a shower.

Monday August 12     Rained last night, I never saw such a summer as we are having. I got up to the roof tonight and began to repair the roof and ???trough.

Tuesday August 13     Fearfully hot and sticky and very uncomfortable. Annas Mother came walking in tonight just as we were through supper it was so hot we had maple flakes and ice cream for supper but we had cleaned up and had to get up a regular supper for her. She came from Los Angeles, Cal., we knew she was coming but did not know when she would arrive. No wash woman showed up today so Anna did the washing.

Wednesday August 14     Fine day, almost too warm but anyway it did not rain. Anna and her Mother went over and surprised the Harts this forenoon and Anna went down to the Depot this afternoon to see about her Mothers trunk. I got up on the roof tonight and painted the valley tin.

Thursday August 15     Cool nice day.

Friday August 16     Fine cool day. 40 hours up at noon so I had the afternoon off and we all went to Belle Island by car and boat. Mrs. Clarkson, Anna, all the children and myself. I never saw so few people on the Island or the boats and I wonder what was the reason. It was cool but a fine clear day. We enjoyed it.

Saturday August 17     Cool and cloudy. Nothing exciting doing. The Harts called this evening and stayed quite late. The Fullers moved out next door in the flat. We hate that flat for the reason that it catches so many undesirable tenents and we always wonder what next. The Fullers were decent and we wanted them to stay.

Sunday August 18     Cool cloudy forenoon. No baths last night so that means a busy Sunday. I took the boys for a car ride this P.M. to get them away and let thier Mother rest. We took the 14th car around to the end out Oakland to the City limits. This Eve. all of us went over to Inez new house as Louise calls it.

Monday August 19     More rain last night it came in sheets and lightened fearfully my how it did rain about 1 oclock A.M. and looked like more rain this morning but finally cleared up.

Tuesday August 20     Hot and sticky, fearfully uncomfortable. Our old wash woman came back today and did a big washing.

Wednesday August 21     Fine day. Anna's Mother spent the day over at Harts. Louise has a new accomplishment she can shut one eye and open the other and it would kill you to see her do it. She is very cute these days and every body takes to her. She and Mama went over to call on the Fullers in thier new house on Vermont.

Thursday August 22     Beautiful morning but it up and rained this afternoon. Anna went down town this morning bargain hunting. Mrs. Clarkson and Howard intended to go to Northville this afternoon but it rained. Aunt Cornelia showed up and she and Gummy went over to the Harts. Anna went over after supper with Louise and she talked over the phone with Mrs. Burns.

Friday August 23     Fine day, got chilly at night. Howard went with his Grandma out to Northville today. Anna and 3 kids went out to the Burns in Highland Park this afternoon. I had part of the afternoon off on account of time and I took the gas water heater off and found it was stopped up and water wound not go through it and I could not fix it. It never would work since we were here.

Saturday August 24     Cold last night but got hot today.

Sunday August 25     Fearful hot and close all day, big thunder storm in the Eve. cooled off a little. Every body had to work today on account of Primary election stuff. Home all the rest of the day, wrote a letter to my Mother this evening.

Monday August 26     [No entry]

Tuesday August 27     [No entry]

Wednesday August 28     Rained nearly all day. Anna and children intended to go to Northville to day but the weather was so bad they did not go.

Thursday August 29     It looked as bad as yesterday in the morning but did not rain but is chilly and cold but it cleared enough so Anna made a start about 1 oclock. I saw them onto the 14th Car then I had to go to work.

Friday August 30     Fine cool day. All alone. My 5 days was up at 2:30 I came home and changed my clothes and went down town and paid my New England Life Insurance and went to two 10 cent shows.

Saturday August 31     Well from cold yesterday it turned to the hottest day this season and it seemed to me it was the hottest I ever knew. I do not believe there was a dry rag on me when I came home. I only made one trip and took part of 317 and did not get in untill 1:30. I came home and dropped onto the couch and stayed there untill nearly 7 oclock then got up got something to eat and went to bed.

October 1912

Tuesday October 1     Fine day, cool. Wash woman here 1/2 day.

Wednesday October 2     Lovely day, chilly eve. Mrs. Clarkson went over on the eastside to stay over night with Van Ziles, old Northville friends.

Thursday October 3     Fierce rain nearly all the afternoon. A McKillop carrier 199 is trading for a clerk and I asked to be put on his route. So Mr. Fisher trading from clerk to carrier is working with me today learning my route to take it when I take 199. I do not think I will be much better off but I want to change.

Friday October 4     Beautiful day. Mr. Fisher working with me today learning the route. My time was up so I did not go out on my route this P.M. Came home and painted the parlor floor and in the evening painted the sitting room floor. Anna and her Mother went over and called on the Harts this Eve.

Saturday October 5     Beautiful bright warm day, just the day that you want to be out. Mr. Fisher with me all day learning the route. Northend P.O. moving today from the corner of Woodward & Boulevard to Cass, between Milwaukee and Boulevard, into a new building erected for the P.O. exclusively. Anna and her Mother went down town this evening. I printed lables while they were gone.

Sunday October 6     One grand beautiful Indian Summer day. Home all day. Howard and Bennett went to rally day Sunday School. Aunt Dill called this A.M. Mr. & Mrs. Burns called this P.M. Howard and Roy Keifer took a walk. Anna, her Mother, Louise, Bennett and Laurence took a walk up to the LaSalle Gardens and back.

Monday October 7     Fine day but cold evening. First day in the new P.O., every thing new and strange and all looking trying to find things and places but of course the mail was there and we had to get it together as best we could and get out. Inez Hart birthday, we all went over after supper and took Ice cream and cake and surprised her. Anna and I and all the children filed in. Mrs. Clarkson was there to take supper. Louise trudged along carrying a paper pail of Ice cream and took it to Inez and gave it to her.

Tuesday October 8     So cold this morning I started a fire before I went to work. It was a fine forenoon but rained every minute this afternoon. I went out on 199 today. I thought it all right this A.M. it looked so beautiful on Hazelwood and Taylor and Clairmont. I got along fine but this afternoon it rained every minute and it got so dark I had to quit about 5:10 and come in and I had about 1/2 hour work on Clairmont yet to do. I came home tired about sick with discouragement. I feel that I am too slow and the work is more than I can do and what the future is to be I do not know. I suppose I have got to keep it up as long as I can any way but life is too strenuous. I dont see why people do not slow down and be able to enjoy life. It seems to me every body is running break neck race and for what I do not know and I wonder more and more is the game worth it.

Wednesday October 9     More rain forenoon and afternoon. Miserable weather. I finished my 199 route today but oh it is hard for me. I feel better than I did last night but I do not feel very encouraged at that. I think carrying mail is a very hard way to earn a living and I wish I could earn my living some other and easier way. Annas Mother went to Northville yesterday and came back today. Aunt Dill called. The Harts, Blairs, Deans are getting up a dinner party for next Friday. We have just learned that Geo. Bradley an old resident of Northville and Anna's Uncle is dead, died last week some [time] and was buried and they never sent Anna word. He has been very childish and out of his head for a long time.

Thursday October 10     Rain, dark and gloomy. So dark that we had the lights lit during dinner, fearful looking.

Friday October 11     Fearful dark and gloomy morning, that fearful looking weather that makes you think that something awful is going to happen. Anna had the gang here this afternoon and evening, the women came in the afternoon and the men in time for supper. Those present were Inez, Aunt Dill and Uncle Henry Hart, Charlie Blair and wife, Albert Hart [and] wife and two children, Fred Fry wife and two kids, Aunt Cornelia Blair, Anna's Mother, and us. Each donated some part of the supper so we had lots to eat but I did not feel very well so I did not eat very much. In the evening as it is Flora Clarkson Croser's birthday each one of those present wrote some thing in a letter to her. The afternoon was fair weather but just about the time they wanted to go home a big thunder storm came up.

Saturday October 12     A little better, growing cold and windy. I did not cover my route yesterday P.M. so I was in for a big load today. I only made one trip and I am pretty well discouraged. I am being pestered so with piles that I am just miserable all the time and I can hardly stand the work. I suppose I have got to go to a specialist and if possible have them cured and of course I hate to do that. Mrs. VanZile and Bertha were here to dinner, Aunt Cornelia stayed all day and she, Anna and her Mother have gone down town tonight to see the sights.

Sunday October 13     Fine cool fall day. Anna about sick with a cold. Howard and Bennett did not go to Sunday School. Nobody felt like making them go and they wont go unless someone makes it thier business to get them started. Mrs. Clarkson and Aunt Cornelia here except they went over to the Harts for dinner.

Monday October 14     Fine day. Big load of mail. I got along a little better on my new route today but it is mighty hard yet.

Tuesday October 15     Beautiful day, we have a fire thought most of the time. Washing done. Anna and her Mother went to call on the Frys and the Frys came here to call on them just after they were gone so they took a hike home again.

Wednesday October 16     Another fine grand day. Mr. Fey called. Inez Hart and Mother and Aunt Cornelia took supper here. Mrs. Clarkson has every thing packed and her trunk is gone, her lunch up in readiness to start for California tomorrow morning. The Flying Squadron of Police were up here in this neighborhood after a crazy man that was exciting the neighborhood.

Thursday October 17     Beautiful day. Mrs. Clarkson got away this morning for Los Angeles, Cal. The children stayed over at the Harts while Anna went to the Depot with her Mother.

Friday October 18     Threatened all forenoon and rained all the afternoon. It seems to me it has rained enough since July to make 40 oceans.

Saturday October 19     Beautiful day. Anna and children walked out 12th to the woods, it was a long walk but the children like to go to the woods. In the evening the boys teased me to take them down on Grand River near 14th to see things. Howard especially is teasing for a wagon, the others do not tease much. Any way Howard is the one that does all the teasing. I would like to get them a wagon but we have the coal to pay for and the Dr. is not paid for Annas sickness last May yet. So I had to tell them I could not get it this fall. They enjoyed seeing things if I was not so tired I would go with them more, I would enjoy it too.

Sunday October 20     Grand fall day. The Burns came as we were eating dinner and stayed all the afternoon and took a can of honey home. We got two cans from Northville of strained honey, 10 lbs in a can for $1.50.

Monday October 21     Beautiful day. I carried out a big load of mail on my new route and was fearful tired at night. Anna and children went over to Aunt Dills then to Nashes grocery.

Tuesday October 22     Rain again, mostly in the night but showers during the day. I put the kitty in a pail of water then put a cover on, he or she was too much of a nuisance. Anna got tired of cleaning up after her.

Wednesday October 23     Windy and cold. Wash woman came today instead of yesterday. The kids never missed the kitty untill this evening then when they found out what had become of it Bennett and Laurence began to cry and lament. Laurence was simply heart broken but when he was in bed his Mama told him the kitty was in kitty heaven and was happy and it seemed to console him so he went to sleep.

Thursday October 24     Nice day. Nothing out of the ordinary transpired.

Friday October 25     Beautiful day.

Saturday October 26     Beautiful day and quite warm but we have a fire all the time now except that the blamed thing goes out every night, the coal does not act the same as any other I have had. I suppose I have got to learn how to manage it. Bennett, Howard and I went down town after supper. I had to go the P.O. to sign the quarterly pay roll then we went to T.B. Rayles, Heyns Bazaar and the 10¢ store just to see things but the crowds take nearly all pleasure out of a sight seeing trip down town and I guess I never would go if I did not have to or to take the kids to see things which they enjoy immensely.

Sunday October 27     Rather cloudy and threatening. Howard and Bennett went to Sunday School. Howard got a book, Boy Trapper, at the 10¢ store last night and you can hardly get him out of [doors] today, he likes story books. Al Whitehead called today. I learned the Tin Smith trade with him at Northville.

Monday October 28     Beautiful day, warm and delightful. Edna came up to supper and stayed the evening. She and Clarence went out to Plymouth to see Mother yesterday but they were gone up to Ernies. The good road committee have finished a fine road all the way to Plymouth and they went out in thier auto in 45 minutes.

Tuesday October 29     Warm and fine except a little shower this P.M. Washing done today.

Wednesday October 30     Fine day. The boys are all Halloween. They have provided false faces, pea flowers, etc. and are telling all about what they are going to do.

Thursday October 31     Rainy dark and dismal day. Got cards today from Mabel in Los Angeles saying her Mother had arrived there all right.