Amos Claycomb’s December 1910 Diary

For Christmas Amos received several ‘reminders’ – these are the diaries he kept.  The family must have recognized his penchant for keeping diaries.

Thursday, December 1, 1910
Up town this a.m. after mail.

Friday, December 2, 1910
Took some maize and maize heads over to Mr. Ballow’s after dinner and ground it in his mill.

Saturday, December 3, 1910
Nothing doing.

Sunday, December 4, 1910
Staid around the house all day except for going after the mail this a.m.  Very dusty with a strong wind from the south-west.

Monday, December 5, 1910
Drove to Bush after dinner and played cards most of the p.m. and after supper with Bert.

Tuesday, December 6, 1910
Drove to Wildorado after the mail this a.m. and drove a wagon to Bush after dinner to get some maize of Harker.  Bought calf of Armstrong for $17.

Wednesday, December 7, 1910
Helped drive Arthur’s bronc over to Ballow’s after a cart this afternoon.

Thursday, December 8, 1910
Rode over to Gray’s ranch this afternoon with Arthur.  He rode his bronc for the first time.

Friday, December 9, 1910
Nothing doing.

Saturday, December 10, 1910
Took train to Amarillo from Bushland this noon and came back tonight.

Sunday, December 11, 1910
Staid home all day.  Cloudy with a north wind blowing.

Monday, December 12, 1910
Nothing doing.

Tuesday, December 13, 1910
Ditto.

Wednesday, December 14, 1910
Cloudy all day and it sprinkled a little this afternoon.  Bought two Hereford heifer calves of Nicolson this morning and Arthur and I rode to Wildorado after them this afternoon.

Thursday, December 15, 1910
Got some new records for the talking machine this morning and took them all over to Bushland this afternoon but only staid a short time.

Friday, December 16, 1910
Rode horseback all day around the country to look for some cheap calves but didn’t find any.

Saturday, December 17, 1910
Went to Amarillo on the train this noon and came back tonight.  Staid up at Bush for a while.

Sunday, December 18, 1910
Staid home all day.

Monday, December 19, 1910
Drove up town this forenoon after the mail.  Ground some maize grain and heads over at Ballow’s after dinner.

Tuesday, December 20, 1910
Norvell came out last night and started to change the stairway in the house today as it was too steep.

Wednesday, December 21, 1910
Helped carpenter all day.

Thursday, December 22, 1910
Ditto.

Friday, December 23, 1910
Ditto.  Norman drove to Amarillo and I cooked dinner.

Saturday, December 24, 1910
About finished the entrance way to the kitchen door today.

Sunday, December 25, 1910
Norvell went home this forenoon and I drove the pony over to Harker’s for dinner and staid there until late tonight.  For presents I got $50 from father, neckties from Nell, candy from Louise, a cigar sent from Edward, handkerchiefs from George, a book from Aunt George and several reminders.

Monday, December 26, 1910
Drove wagon to Wil- this a.m. and got some coal and lumber.  Cloudy with a cold south wind blowing all day.

Tuesday, December 27, 1910
Nothing doing.

Wednesday, December 28, 1910
Rode over to Harker’s after dinner.

Thursday, December 29, 1910
Drove team over to Bush after some maize this p.m. but wasn’t able to get it.

Friday, December 30, 1910
Strong wind from the south blowing all day and staid in the house most of the time.

Saturday, December 31, 1910
Went to Amarillo this noon on the train from Bushland and came back tonight.  Played cards at Harker’s until midnight.

Amos Claycomb’s November 1910 Diary

Life is changing for my grandfather in late 1910.  He has met the woman he will marry and makes some rather cryptic entries.  One on the 17th:  Ruth Bressler.  Did this mean he had made a decision here?  And then there are the mysterious ledger entries – I think around cards and cribbage – on the 19th, a loss is a donation to science and a gain is luck.  

Tuesday, November 1, 1910
Hauled feed today with Arthur.

Wednesday, November 2, 1910
Hauled feed all day.

Thursday, November 3, 1910
Picked up heads of maize all day as it was too windy to haul feed.

Friday, November 4, 1910
Picked up heads this a.m.

Saturday, November 5, 1910
Snowed last night but melted off today.
Played cards at Harker’s tonight.

Sunday, November 6, 1910
Harker family and Armstrong over this p.m.

Monday, November 7, 1910
Hauled and stacked maize all day with Arthur.

Tuesday, November 8, 1910
Finished stacking maize today.  Got around 70 tons off of about 125 acres at a rough guess.  Some was headed well but it was also poor in spots.

Wednesday, November 9, 1910
Drove into Amarillo this p.m. with Ruth Bressler.  Harkers went along in their buggy.  Staid to see a couple of moving pictures show after supper and then drove back home.

Thursday,  November 10, 1910
Started to haul and stack kaffir corn today but it is pretty dry and shatters badly.  Got up four loads.

Friday, November 11, 1910
Hauled kaffir today.

Saturday, November 12, 1910
Hauled kaffir this a.m. and picked up maize heads after dinner.  Played cards at Harker’s tonight.

Sunday, November 13, 1910
Went hunting quail with Ruth B. and the Harkers after dinner and drove her back to Bush.  No quail.

Monday, November 14, 1910
Arthur started to drill in my wheat today.  I picked up maize heads after dinner.

Tuesday, November 15, 1910
Arthur drilled wheat all day.

Wednesday, November 16, 1910
Arthur drilled this a.m. while I drove to Bush after some more wheat to be sent out on the train from Amarillo but the train didn’t come today at all.  Saw eight coyotes on my way to Bush this a.m.

Thursday, November 17, 1910
Drove to Bush after the wheat again this a.m. but train didn’t reach there until dark, tonight.  Ruth Bressler.

Friday, November 18, 1910
Foggy and damp this a.m.  Finished drilling in wheat this p.m. and I took the drill back to Paine’s.  Put in exactly 50 acres of wheat using about 2/3 bu. of seed to the acre.

Saturday, November 19, 1910
Took train to Amarillo from Bush this noon.  Played cards at Harker’s when I got back and staid there all night as pony broke loose.

Sunday, November 20, 1910
Rode Harker’s horse home this morning and found pony.  Took her back to Bush and staid there for dinner.  Went quail hunting this p.m. with Ruth and the others.

Monday, November 21, 1910
Finished hauling and stacking kaffir corn roughness today.  Got about 25 tons off of about 75 acres.  Not headed at all but good enough feed.

Tuesday, November 22, 1910
Hauled loose roughness today which we were not able to haul with the bundles.

Wednesday, November 23, 1910
Drove pony to Amarillo with Ruth today to see the “Goddess of Liberty” tonight and drove back to Bush after the show and staid there all night.  Mr. and Mrs. Harker drove in.

Thursday, November 24, 1910
Ate dinner at Bush.  Drove pony to Amarillo with Ruth and attended formal dance given by the Elks tonight.  Harkers also present.  Staid at hotel tonight.

Friday, November 25, 1910
Drove home this a.m. and picked up maize heads this p.m.

Saturday, November 26, 1910
Started to build fence around the wheat ground today and got all of the posts in.

Sunday, November 27, 1910
Drove over to Bush after dinner and staid there for supper.

Monday, November 28, 1910
Ruth started home today and I went to Am- with her and the Harkers.  Came back tonight.

Tuesday, November 29, 1910
Finished putting a fence around my wheat land today and tore out my old pasture fence which gives me most of Sec. 8 for pasture.

Wednesday, November 30, 1910
Went up town after the mail this a.m. and worked around the barn this afternoon.

1910 Nov 30 Snow in town [probably Wildorado, Texas].

Amos Claycomb’s October 1910 Diary

Important names in this month’s entries:  Victor = Amos’ Victor Talking Machine, a record player that he took when he went visiting.  Ruth Bressler = his future wife who he met last month; she was visiting Harkers.  Harker = Mrs. Harker is Ruth’s sister, Maud.  Amos seems to spend a lot of time this month at their house.  Art Gochenour = Amos’ sister Eleanor’s husband as of the 27th.  

Saturday, October 1, 1910
Homer cut kaffir all day and I shocked this p.m.  Took Victor up to Bushland tonight and played cribbage with Harker.

Sunday, October 2, 1910
Took Victor up to Northcutt’s this p.m.

Monday, October 3, 1910
Went to Amarillo with Harker family this noon and took in Forepaugh’s and Sell’s circus with them.  Came back tonight.

Tuesday, October 4, 1910
Finished cutting kaffir today and started on the sorghum.

Wednesday, October 5, 1910
Cut sorghum all day.

Thursday, October 6, 1910
Homer cut sorghum today while I went to Amarillo on the train after some header repairs.

Friday, October 7, 1910
Quit cutting sorghum and started on the maize with the row binder as the header-binder could not handle it.

Saturday, October 8, 1910
Homer cut maize all day while I was shocking it.  Drove pony over to Harker’s tonight.

Sunday, October 9, 1910
Drove over to Allred’s this a.m. with Homer.  Bought a bay filly this p.m. from a fellow from Ariz. who was driving across country.  Filly had been cut in wire and could not travel.

Monday, October 10, 1910
Russell drove to Amarillo today and I staid home all day.

Tuesday, October 11, 1910
Cut feed today.  Rented Paine’s row binder today and shall run two machines.

Wednesday, October 12, 1910
Both Homer and I cut maize today.

Thursday, October 13, 1910
Cut maize all day.

Friday, October 14, 1910
Cut maize all day.

Saturday, October 15, 1910
Cut maize all day.  Drove over to Harker’s tonight.

Sunday, October 16, 1910
Staid around the house all day.  Arthur Norman and his wife move some of their stuff over today and he will start working tomorrow.

Monday, October 17, 1910
Russell and Norman cut feed today while I went to Amarillo on the train.

Tuesday, October 18, 1910
Norman and I cut feed all day.

Wednesday, October 19, 1910
Norther blowing so hard today that we did not work.

Thursday, October 20, 1910
Snowed most of last night and until noon today but melted fast. Did not work.  Drove over to Harker’s after supper.

Friday, October 21, 1910
Russell and Norman cut maize this p.m.

Saturday, October 22, 1910
Ditto all day.  Drove over to Harker’s after supper and played cards.

Sunday, October 23, 1910
Ate dinner at Harker’s and staid there most of the p.m.

Monday, October 24, 1910
Finished cutting maize this a.m. and hauled a load to the barn after dinner.

Tuesday, October 25, 1910
Arthur and I hauled feed and stacked it in the stack yard today.

Wednesday, October 26, 1910
Ditto.

Thursday, October 27, 1910
Norther blowing hard all day.  Arthur and I hauled up a couple of loads of maize this a.m. but worked around the barn this p.m.  Bought a wagon and misc. of Rogers this p.m.   Eleanor married to Art Gochenour today according to mail advices.

Friday, October 28, 1910
Hauled up a couple of loads of maize today and picked up some maize heads.

Saturday, October 29, 1910
Hauled maize this a.m. and went over after a wagon I bought of Rogers after supper.  Drove pony over to Harker’s and played cards after supper.

Sunday, October 30, 1910
Drove out the springs in the breaks today and had dinner with the Harker family and Armstrong.

Monday, October 31, 1910
Drove into Amarillo this forenoon with Ruth Bressler and came back this afternoon.  Ate supper at the Harker’s.

Chalk It Up to Experience

This is from my grandfather’s 1910 ledger in the last post.  He has debited his account by $30 and called it ‘experience’ – what did he do?  It’s too much for a cribbage loss – he wouldn’t have gambled that much on anything.  His diary doesn’t reveal it, but I still really like his way of putting it. 

Amos Claycomb’s September 1910 Diary

This was a huge month for my grandfather, although he may not have realized it at the time.  He met his future wife.  And he received the Victor Talking Machine, a portable record player that enhanced his growing social life.

Thursday, September 1, 1910
Papered dining room and hall today and then drove Rev. Edwards back to town.

Friday, September 2, 1910
Made a couple of small lots in the hog pen this a.m. and cut some maize for the hogs this p.m.

Saturday, September 3, 1910
Nothing doing.  Drove pony over to Bush tonight and attended a dance given by the Harkers.  Present were the Misses Russell and Miss Williams from Am- and Miss Bressler from Neb.  Gentlemen as usual.

Miss Bressler is Ruth, daughter of John and Julia Fair Bressler,
of Wayne, Nebraska. She is visiting her sister, Maud Bressler, who
is married to O.(Obert or “Bert”) A. Harker, of Bushland, Texas.

Sunday, September 4, 1910
Spent the day in Bush in social festivities.

Monday, September 5, 1910
Drove to Bush with Homer who was after some lumber and from there I drove to Amarillo with Bush and Harker who joined the Elks tonight.

Tuesday, September 6, 1910
Spent day in Am- and came home on night train.

Wednesday, September 7, 1910
Finished stack yard today and cut some maize for the hogs.

Thursday, September 8, 1910
Started to cut kaffir corn with the row binder this a.m. but it was so short and weedy that we had to quit.

Friday, September 9, 1910
Drove pony to Wil- after mail this a.m.  Sold wheat at a rate of .95 for #2 wheat altho mine will bring only .91 because of smut and short weight.  Am to deliver Monday.  Hauled the kaffir corn we cut yesterday up to the barn today.

Saturday, September 10, 1910
Rode horseback 12 miles south to the canyon today to an auction with Russell.  Drove over to Harker’s tonight and played cards.

Sunday, September 11, 1910
Drove to Wildorado this p.m. and played tennis with Carrol, Arabel and Lucile.

Monday, September 12, 1910
Hauled wheat to town today with Russell – two loads each.

Tuesday, September 13, 1910
Finished hauling wheat today.

Wednesday, September 14, 1910
Started to cut maize today with the row binder.  Does well enough when the maize is tall enough.

Thursday, September 15, 1910
Homer cut maize all day.  I shocked for a while this p.m.  My Victor Talking Machine came today.  Drove over to Bush tonight.

Friday, September 16, 1910
Homer helped Rogers stack millet this a.m.  Drove team to Bush this p.m. and got a binder attachment for the header.

Saturday, September 17, 1910
Went to Amarillo today with Harker and family and came back tonight.

Sunday, September 18, 1910
Staid around the house all day.  Drove over to Bushland tonight after some binder material.

Monday, September 19, 1910
Ten little pigs arrived this morning.  Homer cut maize all day.

Tuesday, September 20, 1910
Worked on header binder all day.

Wednesday, September 21, 1910
Shocked some maize this forenoon.   Homer cut maize this p.m. while I helped an expert put the binder attachment on my header.

Thursday, September 22, 1910
Went to town on train today to get some repairs for binder.

Friday, September 23, 1910
Shocked and then hauled some maize this a.m.  Started the 12-foot binder this p.m. but had trouble most of the time.

Saturday, September 24, 1910
Cut kaffir all day, but had trouble most of the time.  Drove over to Harker’s tonight and played cards.

Sunday, September 25, 1910
Took Talking Machine up to Goodman’s this p.m. and played for them.

Monday, September 26, 1910
Hard norther blowing this a.m. and we didn’t start to cut kaffir until after dinner.  One of my sows brought three pigs this a.m.

Tuesday, September 27, 1910|
Cut kaffir corn all day.

Wednesday, September 28, 1910
Homer cut kaffir this a.m. and went to Norman’s wedding this p.m.  I shocked for a while this forenoon and caught up this p.m.  Cloudy tonight and sprinkling a little.

Thursday, September 29, 1910
Homer cut kaffir corn all day.  Went to Amarillo on the train at noon and came back tonight.

Friday, September 30, 1910
Worked on kaffir all day.  Called at Goodman’s tonight with the talking machine.