APRIL 1879

[BTM]  Much of this month is missing due to deterioration of this old brittle paper from moisture, dust, wear, tear and the time of 120 years after it was orignially written by Rhoda. I am so glad that as much of her Diary was still in tact as it was this long after it was written for her descendants to glean a little into her life.

April first Day  Cold  high wind from North..    all hands branded 
Yearlings    Bart worked for um
2 Day  Bart went home  Tilda Staid   Louisa come me and Tilda washed
Dr come Frank no better

[BTM] NOTE:  Dates missing April 3-24 1879 diary pages

April 25 Sunday  Lillie and me Started…………………………………
Bart and Tilda  got in the wagon and……………………………….
Company mrs Cottril come with her     cool……………………
[BTM] Mrs Cottrell was Rhoda’s neighbor named Marthy age 29 on the 1880 census in HH#406/407 with her husband William 27, and daughter Allie age 2.

26 Day   Still dry as ever    some talking of  moving off…………..
if it don’t rain    it would seem like that would  bring it……………
it don’t     the men quit work in the field      working on ……
pastures
[BTM] This may explain partly why John and Sarah Ellen Yandell TOTTY moved off to Arkansas in 1879.  No rain and dry conditions make for poor farming and making a decent living when you have a family to take care of. 

27 Day   I went to mrs Simpsons Come back……
the pasture they had just finished it    Bart gone to……
Bob Freeman   Come talked    of killing Dr Norris ……….. 
Lightening and thundering to Night    all hands in a big……
Trying to say Sharp things
[BTM] Laura Simpson a neighbor, was living in HH#375/376 in the 1880 Montague Co. Census with her husband Marion SIMPSON.   Bob FREEMAN was another neighbor that came talking about the killing of Dr. Norris who may likely have been Dr. W. C. Norris.    With lightening and thunder most likely all hand were very excited with the possible coming rain.

28 Day   rained last night    Jase brought Barts o……………..
Tilda got in the wagon and Started          all hands……………
planting cotton      Mr George Springer esquire got the…..
wagon to go to Gainsville to the Hanging    Scivily was ……….
With him   Lillie Come home    Mr Totty planted ……..
Cotton   Douthit planting this evening
[BTM] The murders of Dr. Norris was caught and are to be hanged in Gainsville, TX.   Frank’s friend  George Springer planning to go see the hanging according to Rhoda.   Thomas DOUTHET is listed as a neighbor in 1880 census. 

29 Day  rain again last night  wind blew fearful  P…….
……lit the lamp   mary and Lillie got up begin to think the…..
would go but it did not    Mary Cut Lillies dress  her and …….
Sewing on it   I washed     the men finished planting   Don…….
Cotton..    Frank gone to Mrs Marshalls to night   I thi………..
This was the brightest Circle round the Sun this even…….
I ever saw      heard this evening Cribs and P……
Would not be hung   I am glad of that    I think the old…
Governor  ought to let Nofsinger live    too mad with……..
Old Scamp to night   because he did not do it    I ……………
Nofsinger   is a better man than Cribs or Preston…………..

30 Day   Spent the day with Louisa   Frank his pap and…….
Planting his Cotton   Mrs Chesser and Bettie come in the eve……
……ddress   all went wild    this is… day of the hanging……
…………………think………………………………………
[BTM] If only the paper would have held up through the years maybe we could have read more for this month of March 1879.   It is amazing that it held up as long as it has.   Back then, many people went to the hangings to see justice done.   Today people go to the courtrooms to watch the trials and some go watch as the prisoners are put to death for their crimes, history does not change much, it seems.   Back in the 1800’s, justice came swifter and a lot less expensive than it does today.
 

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2000