A Glimpse of Life in
Newton-Ransom Twps., PA
in 1895/1897
Kindly provided by Paul Thompson
William is 53; his wife Lizzie Klipple Thompson is 47
Ina is 27; Frank is 23; Kate is 18; John is 15
Aunt Jane Thompson Courtwright is 84
Sarah Jane Thompson, wife of Bezaliel Garey, is 60
William's father, John Thompson is 87
May/Jun/Jul 1897
Sat 1 May
Sowed our onions in garden - thick for picklers. Boys finished plowing lot where we had buckwheat by Arth Atens wood - Frank plowed most of cabbage ground back of my barn, lower end of field north side.
Filled up blind ditch that we dug last fall and this spring. John plowed between peach tree rows. "Neck Diskey", Mill City got garden drill to sow onions.
Mond 3 May
I was in Shooktown making Register. Bought pig of C S Richards paying $2.25. Brought it home at noon.
PM Started in with L B Ayers . Found young Lew (Ayers?) there. He had moved from Clarks Summit.
E R Ward paid me four dollars for butter, 18c per lb.
Frank started with 75 bu straw for J M McCann's but sold it on the way.
Lew Garey's boy brought us to Dallas. I staid to dinner with Jim. Came on new road to Doranciton Corner's. Came to Ina's where wife remained while I was gone, Came home on the 5 o'clock train. John brought us home. Boys finished plowing buckwheat ground and set about 1000 tomatoe plants.
Frid 4 June
Brought 8 butter from our fathers. Set about 100 tomatoe plants. Fixed cabbage ground for setting out plants. Hard shower at 3 0'clock. Ground wet.
Sat 5 June
Frank brought 2200 pea coal from Sibley for us.
Worked onions in garden. Set 500- 600 tomatoes. Have 15 yet to set. John brought Ina from Ransom tomight.
7 Jun Mond
Set 5 or 600 cabbage. Boy cultivated potatoes above my well. Planted beans between peachtrees. Weeding onions in garden. Boys put manure on pots to hills where they cultivated.
Tues 8 June I and Frank were to C V Deckers and helped him move his house. Jerome Morrow did it. Brought home 1000 cab plants. John got fround ready for cucumbers. Rained more or less all day.
Wed 9 June 1897
I sent a letter to H H Brown, Lightstreet, PA asking information about the Briar Creek Insurance Co. Also sent a ck to H W Trace for $10.75 insurance money due from E. Aten and J. Bedell. Rained all the forenoon.
PM I and John went to J M Lacoes. Looked over his buildings in view of writing insurance for the Abington Company. I was yet insured for a year and more - from 25 of July next, but he thought that one of the companies had failed. I am to wait for further orders from him.
Thurs 10 June
Set this morning 1000 cab plants that we got of C V Decker and finished setting the last of our tomatoes. 3950 all told. I was to C V Deckers and helped him finish moving his house. Jerome Morrow did the moving and charged him $10.00 for 2 days.
Frid 11 June
I John and wife attended MRS THERESSA ROTH'S funeral on Franklin Ave, Scranton. At one o'clock went to the German Methodist Church on Adams Ave. She was buried in Forest Hill Cemetary. Went up Washington Ave by the County Prison. Frank Reid and wife, W E Klipple and wife, C Zeiss and wife were there from here. Mrs Roth was 63 yrs old. Mr JOHN ROTH died in 1892, Feby 21. John took us to Scranton with colts. The first time that Harry was there.
Sat 12 Jun 1897
Finished hoeing potatoes in back horse field. Boy more of cabbage ground ready. I wed onions in afternoon.
Mond 14 June
Hoed tomato plants by Mr. Winters barn and worked then through. F H Sickler came here and entered an estray on town book.
Frid 25 June
Hoed some early potatoes for last time and sowed turnip seed in them. Ina, a Miss Thomas and another lady from Pittston were here on their wheels. They started home at 5 O'clock. A light shower this afternoon and a hard one last night. We have had an abundance of rain all the season.
Sat 26 June
Finished working early potatoes, I made hills afternoon while John drew manure and put into the rows. Frank drug buckwheat ground for Mond.
Sund June 27
All hands were to Pres. meeting and all to ME Ch. except myself at night. Were to C Deckers and Frank Reeds. Brought Ethel home to stay a week.
Mond 28 June
Boys sowed buckwheat. Broadcast buckwheat and drilled tye in with it. Sowed about 14 qqts timothy seed on ground. Sowed field S.W. hayhouse. I finished making hills for late cabbage.
Tues 29 June
I attended funeral of M. W. PETTY'S girl, 2 yrs old. It died with fits. Boys working corn to fathers. John Shook came here at noon to set up new reaper.
Wed June 30, 1897
Hoed corn in forenoon. Frank mowed back of little orchard in afternoon. At night attended entertainment of Peak Sisters at the M E Church. They collected at the door $12.10 charging 10c admittance. After the performance they had cream and strawberries.
Thurs 1 July
Hoed cabbage and potatoes. I sent check to W. S Trace - $9.00 Due from J & WA Hice. Ask about J C Richards policy.
2 July
Finished hoeing potatoes above my well. John raked hay back of that field and back of my little orchard. Drew in 3 loads of clover hay. H P Richards cmae with a man by the anme of Hall said to be from Beaumont, PA. I signed a contract as surety for carrying the mail from Bald Mt. to Square Top, Schultzville & Clarks Summit every day, except Sundays. The amount of the bond is $450.00. The contract consisted of three papers all alike. One is kept by the SubContracting H P Richards. One by the Contractor James W Slavin, Kansas City, MMO and one by the government at Washington. The contract holds until 30th June 1901. Mr Richards is to receive $300 per annum. This contract was let to Jas W. Slavin for $272. The $272 the carrier here gets direct from the government. The remainder cames from Jas W Slavin, Kansas City, MO. J D Hopkins is on as security.
Sat July 3, 1897
Went through tomatoes in forenoon. Tomatoes are not very promising. Frank did some mowing in little orchard, in field back of barn.
Sund 4 July
Last night the Pres. had festival on hill for the benefit of preacher Kennedy. Tey took in about $74.13 and have expenses amounting to $20.00 to come out of that. Quarterly meeting at the M E Church, Newton.
Mond 5 July
Mowed field between house and Mr Winter's barn. Also cut little orchard. Worked some cabbage. John went to Dallas yesterday to see the races - bicycle races. Chas Aten went with him. Uncle Adam Thompson, Scranton was here for Dinner.
Tues 6 July
Hoed cabbage. Drew load of hay from young orchard. All that was on it. John came home at noon from his trip to Dallas to see bicycle races. Drew to fathers barn about 2 1/2 loads of hay from field between house and Mr. Winters. Looked showery nearly all afternoon; but almost no rain came. Very warm weather.
Wed 7 July
Hoed cabbage back of barn and potatoes in horsefield. Set near Mr Winters barn 2000 Fofless improved cabbage for late. The plants were rather old..Ground very dry. Thermometer in the ninties.
Thurs July 8, 1897
Hoed corn & potatoes over to fathers. Came home at 5 o'clock ti water cabbages & plants. Rev Mr. Kennedy came here with a Miss Miller, Falls. They staid to supper.
Frid 9 July
Worked corn & pots at fathers - below road and in orchard. Very warm & dry. John pares greened potatoes at fathers. The first put on.
Sat 10 July
Hoed cabbage plants set July 7. Have been obliged to water them three times. Ground very dry. Pares greened potatoes. John got Jim and Harry shod at Chas Snovers.
Mond 12 July
Planted in cucumbers where they had been distroyed by bugs. The striped bugs and the other bugs have been very bad.
Set in cabbage plants where they were out. Went through nearly all of our tomatoes. Were driven out by rain. Ernest Jacoby came and told us that Aunt Jane C. (Courtright) had fallen and hert herself.
Lizzie and John went over and brought her here.
Tues 13 July
Built wire fence through young orchard to let cows in back horse field.
PM. Put new reaper, Trumph(?), just bought of John Schook for $55 in field of rye, S.E. of hayhouse. It works good good except the "automatic dump" which we do not like.
Got letter from Ed Newman saying that his wife Lizzie could not possibly live more than a day or two.
Wed 14 July
Took hay in at fathers and hoed some cabbage before dinner. John Shook came here with some extras for reaper. Frank finished fathers mowing.
Thur 15 July
Finished subbing rye S.E. of hayhouse. Had 1480 sheaves on field. Mowedhalf of meadow along road by fathers barn.
Finished up fathers haying. Joe Garey came here at 9 o'clock. He had found a buyer for fathers Sturmersville lots We did not have anything to do with him.
Fri 16 July
Hoed late cab. by Mr Winters barn. Took in hay along road. Flat part of field, made three trips. About 3 loads. Kate went to Pittston to Ina's. Ina expects to move last of month. Delila Snover came from A Thompsons this forenoon. She lives now in Scranton. Took in 250 sheaves of rye of fathers field.
Sat 17 July
Cloudy. Rained a little in forenoon. Cut rye next Mr Winters. Rye good. It had some stable manure on top when sowed.
Mond 19 July
Frank went of Sibly and brought fathers 220 pea. John cut grass back of my barn. Drew in 490 sheaves of rye from fathers. Date came home from Ina's. Pittston. Ina will move to W Barre, next Mond.
Tues July 20
Finished cutting hay. Father & Mother were here for dinner. Drew in some rye. Rained a little.
Wed 21 July 1897
Hoed cabbage. Finished haying. Have not much of a crop. Cloudy weather!
Thurs 22 July
Boys patched fathers barn roof and raked some rye in hill field next to Atens.
PM Cut hill field and schocked it, only a little more than two sheaves on it.
Frid 23 July
Wife & John picked rasberries to C Deckers - 40 quarts & 47 quarts. Frank got horses shod and brought up grist from Sicklers Mill, Milwaukee. Finished hoeing our first setting of cabbages. Got in 200 sheaves of rye from field next to Mr Winters. Showery during afternoon.
Sat 24 July
Intended to haul in rye. Put off the lead that we brought in yesterday. Rained. Could not do anything on firm. John & I drove colts to Scranton, had only butter. Got 17c. Bought 41 lbs sugar of McCanns for $2.00. Sold 1 gal to Mrs Sullivan.
Frank took Kate to Ransom on her way to Ina's to help Ina move to WilkesBarre, Monday.
Mond 26 July
Ina moved to WBarre. Frank took 50 bun. straw to Moran @ 7c. Brought manure from McCanns.
John Shook came here and helped a man by the name of Wyatt from the Holygate place load my old reaper. I was to C Klipple's and got a lot of celery plants. Golden heart & White plume. Set them in garden. John
picked 35 qts of berries at C Deckers. Ina Lloyd intended to move to WBarre today.
Tues 27 July
Raining hard this morning. Put away pine lumber that was on barn floor - fathers barn __?__.
Wed July 28, 1897
Clearing weather after a big rain. Boys went to Dave Kresge's and got his rye beater. I got 7 or 8 hund of celery at C. Klipples and set then in garden. We have now nearly 1200 plants set. Set up rye beater & threashed 150 sheaves.
Thurs 29 July
C. Klipples Hungarian Pole helped us thresh with rye beater. Got through about 1200 sheaves, but found some of then wet. On Sunday 25 July LIZZIE NEWMAN of East Lemon was buried. She died on Frid 23rd. Her ailment was heart disease and lung trouble.
Frid 30 July
Frank took 72 bundles straw to McCanns @ 7c. Will take __?__. Brought father 1200 pea from Mt. P. Mrs Sullivan paid him $3.00. Worked some in strawberries. Dug 2 bu pots.
(Someone cut out the bottom half of this page, p169)
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