My Grandfather kept diaries most of his life. I post a month each Monday.
Friday, May 1, 1903
There was a heavy frost last night and it has been partly cloudy and partly nice today only a little cold.
I walked to and from school. After school I went to a ballgame between Syc. H. S. and DeKalb Normal 1st Team. Sycamore won in a very uninteresting game by a score of 7 to 1.
Papa went up town on the car after supper tonight.
Saturday, May 2, 1903
It was nice at first this morning but it soon clouded up and it rained for a while this afternoon and then again tonight.
I went up town right after breakfast to see the dentist but I came right back and helped plant potatoes down to the other place all the rest of the morning.
I have staid around home most of the afternoon.
Sunday, May 3, 1903
It has been a nice day only a little cool.
I took the milk up to the factory and rode the pony to and from Sunday School. This afternoon I rode over to DeKalb in a buggy with Uncle Will, Elmer Tapper, and George. Papa drove over to Virgil and back this afternoon which is ten or eleven miles from here. He drove over there in exactly forty three minutes.
Monday, May 4, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day but the sun came out in the middle of the afternoon and has shown nearly all the rest of the time. It sprinkled for a few minutes this morning.
I rode to and from school.
Papa went up town after supper tonight.
Tuesday, May 5, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I walked to and from school and played ball for a little while after school tonight.
Wednesday, May 6, 1903
It has been partly nice and partly cloudy today.
I walked to and from school but tonight I had such a bad headache that I couldn’t milk which is the first time that I have failed to milk three cows either in the morning or at night all this year.
It is Papa’s birthday today and he is forty-six years old.
Thursday, May 7, 1903
It has been nice all day only a little cool.
I walked most of the way to school and all of the way home.
I went to al ballgame after school between Syc. 1st team and some pick-ups from Chicago. It was a very poor game as Sycamore beat 19 to 0. A better team was expected but refused to come today and this team was called to play a game.
Friday, May 8, 1903
It has been a nice day today.
I walked to and from school and played ball for a while after school.
Mrs. Hill and Louise went to an entertainment at the Methodist Church after supper.
Saturday, May 9, 1903
It has been a very nice day.
I helped drive some cattle this morning from out north of town and then mowed all of the lawn when I came home.
This afternoon I went to see a ball game between Syc. H. S. and Elgin H. S. Syc. won by a score of 17 to 3.
The pony was shod all around this afternoon.
George went off on a picnic today near Kingston.
Sunday, May 10, 1903
It was nice all this forenoon but this afternoon it clouded up and sprinkled for a while but cleared up in a little while.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning and rode the pony to and from Sunday School. I started to go out into the woods this afternoon and got almost there when it started to rain and I had to come back.
Monday, May 11, 1903
It has been partly clear and partly cloudy today.
I walked to and from school and played ball for a little while after school tonight.
Tuesday, May 12, 1903
It has been partly nice and partly cloudy today and very warm.
I walked most of the way to school and all of the way home.
I get up about half-past five every morning now so that I can feed the horses, milk the cows and take them to pasture before breakfast. The hired man has been planting corn today. He began last Friday.
Wednesday, May 13, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day and not so warm as yesterday.
I caught a ride part of the way to school but walked all of the way home. I played ball for a little while after school tonight.
Thursday, May 14, 1903
It was cloudy at first this morning but it cleared off and was nice this afternoon.
I walked all the way to school and most of the way back and played ball for a little while after school tonight.
Rain is need pretty bad now for the crops and the ground is very hard.
Friday, May 15, 1903
It has been a nice day.
I walked to school and most of the way back. I came right home after school tonight and mowed the lawn.
A few clouds came up this afternoon but they soon went away.
Saturday, May 16, 1903
It has been partly cloudy and partly nice today.
I went over to DeKalb this morning to see a track meet at Normal between five states. I ate dinner over there and when I came home I rode the pony up town to see a ballgame between Syc. and Belvidere H. S. The former beat by a score of 10 to 5 in a rather interesting game.
I rode the pony up town after supper tonight to take some milk to our customers.
Sunday, May 17, 1903
It was partly cloudy and partly nice this forenoon but it sprinkled a little between 12 and one o’clock and has been the same this afternoon as this forenoon.
I took the milk up to the factory and rode the pony to and from Sunday School.
Monday, May 18, 1903
It has been partly cloudy and partly nice today but it rained a little about dinner-time and a little more this afternoon but not enough altogether to settle the dust.
I walked mostly the way to school and most of the way back.
Tuesday, May 19, 1903
It has been a nice day only the wind has been blowing most of the time very hard from the south. It was a little cloudy this morning.
I walked to and from school and played ball for a little while after school.
Grandpa and Grandma Claycomb came tonight for a visit here.
Wednesday, May 20, 1903
It has been a nice day only about six o’clock tonight it clouded up and sprinkled a little.
I walked to and from school.
Thursday, May 21, 1903
It was nice at first this morning but it soon clouded up and it rained a little early afternoon and has been cloudy all the rest of the time raining a little once in a while.
I walked to and from school.
Friday, May 22, 1903
It has been a nice day.
I walked to school but caught a ride from town tonight with Papa.
I had a tooth filled right after school and then went and played ball down at the park until nearly six o’clock.
Saturday, May 23, 1903
It rained fairly hard for a while this morning after breakfast but cleared up this afternoon.
I mowed part of the lawn this morning and finished it this afternoon.
I went up town on the pony this afternoon but came right back.
Sunday, May 24, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day and a little cooler than usual.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning and rode the pony to and from Sunday School.
Grandpa and Grandma, Papa and Mrs. Hill went up to Grandma’s for dinner but Grandma Townsend is in Galesburg now.
Monday, May 25, 1903
It was cloudy most of the morning and about one o’clock it began to rain and it poured for about a half an hour but rained gently a little longer.
I walked most of the way to school and all of the way back.
Tuesday, May 26, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day and it rained for a little while about five o’clock tonight.
I walked most of the way to school and caught a ride part of the way home.
I played ball for a while after school tonight in the rain in a practice game.
I played left field for the High School and caught one fly.
Wednesday, May 27, 1903
It was cloudy at first this morning and then it commenced raining about half past eight. It quit pretty soon but it rained by spells all day and a strong west wind blew most of the time.
I caught a ride part of the way to school but walked all the way home.
Thursday, May 28, 1903
It was partly cloudy and partly nice this forenoon but this afternoon it rained a little.
I caught a ride up to school this morning but walked home tonight.
I went to a ballgame this afternoon between Syc. 1st team and the Chicago Maroons. Syc. beat in a very interesting and well-played game by a score of 9 to 1. J. Parker and J. Hughes was the battery for Syc.
Friday, May 29, 1903
It has been cloudy nearly all day and quite a little colder than usual. A strong east wind has been blowing most of the time.
I walked all the way to school and all the way back and I played ball for a while after school. Edward went to a circus after supper tonight and is going to stay up to Grandma’s all night.
Saturday, May 30, 1903
It has been cloudy all day and raining part of the time. A very strong, cold north-east wind has been blowing and it has been pretty cold.
I mowed all of the lawn this morning and this afternoon I planted some popcorn.
I have staid home all day because it was too rainy to go up town.
Sunday, May 31, 1903
It has been cloudy and cold all day and it sprinkled a little this afternoon.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning in an overcoat but did not go to Sunday School because I had a tooth-ache.
This I Leave 