Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 6

1875 August 2nd ground very wet this morning Rained in evening Toping all Tobacco all day chopping along Ditches in new ground & hand weeding all this day cloudy & like for rain now little cooler

3rd Rained last evening and again in the night ground very wet this morning, cant finish Hilling up my Tobacco Sent Jimmy to Yates Mill with 1 Bus wheat for flour as we are Out or nearly So Ed Toping Tobacco Some is hand weeding Tobacco etc my Hogs come ^up very regular Pigs too

4th. still cloudy & like for Rain Nannie starts to Mr Whiteheads & CH this morning Wednesday I am going with her up to Mr Farthings to have some shoes made for Nannie & me this morning rained some last evening when I was at Mt Airy I went with Nannie up to Mr Hunts Place & got Saml Smith Colr^d or Calland to go with my machine to f[?] Starts tomorrow

5. Cleaned out machine Saml Smith come & he worked on it till 1 oclock cleaning etc of it Mr. Owen & 2 hands & 2 Horses come & we could not get it fixed right did not run well & we Kept trying till & did not get more than ½ done our wheat & it run so badly I stoped it & went after Booker Fitzgerald to See if he could fixed it to run good clear pretty morning

6t.h Booker has come to see if he can fixed [it] it fixed it after So long a time & give up he could not fix it but moved little thing & the machine run like a top & we finish about 10 oclock took up the machine & we carried it to Mr Thomas Owens to get out his clear pretty day

1875 August 6 Mr Thomas Owen helped us thrash wheat himself & 2 hands Martin Smith Stacked the Straw Edmond Tucker & 2 Sons etc

7th Rained last night hard & wind too our folks gone to Mr Owens after the morning to help them finish thrashing Miss Frankey very Sick all day yesterday & last night taken with a Puking eat nothing yesterday last night till this morning, she is better & I am going to S. Stone Meeting to day Rained from 12 oclock till late in evening When I started home could not cross creeks and had to come back by Woodings & on the mountain

8 Did not Rain last night & they finished at Owens & moved to Mr James B Pannills or Nailors [indecipherable] Weather unsettled yet,

9th. Cloudy & like for Rain this morning My Birth day Nannie from Home & has for nearly one week gone to CH. JRW Jeres ^etc Hauled Load Leaves in Stable Sent Jimmy to Yates Mill Sent 2 Bus for my self Edmd Sent some, I am going up to Creaseys & to the Machine at Mr James Pannills place all going right

10 Went after Nannie who met me at Mr Jos. M Moses, come on home & Bro Joe Whitehead & near night come up a tremendous cloud & we thought may be we might get home before it come up & about the time we left the Lynchg road it commenced raining & rained all the way home wind blew down trees in the road & Nannie me & Joe was in a real storm & when got home could not get to the House Bridge Cover =ed over with water, Edmond was toping Tobacco & Plowing his greens yesterday etc, Edmond Tucker Horse died yesterday Sam Smith reports from

August 11, 1875 - August 15, 1875 this morning that one of the Horses [?Jerked] yesterday before the rain & Broke Out 2 cogs one out of the big wheel & one out of the little one

Augt 11th. Cloudy & like for rain Edmond fixing up Bridges this morning after I got home last night Turned out Wyatt to Keep him from drown= =ing Rained a little to day not much -

12th Rainyed a little this morning weather moderate Lewis Gilbert works in Ed Dews place to go after the Doct for [Mima] Toping Tobacco & mill to day & will get down Thost ne Doct Haley came to see Mima to day this evening & Jimmie are cutting Brush to Cover 2 Plant Beds Looks a little like rain this evening raining a little this evening - but very little fell till in night

13 Saml Smith brot home my machine & carried to Frank Wright to get 2 Cogs put in one in big wheel & 1 in little wheel Mount Airy. Rained nearly all night & Raining this morning the wettest year I think I ever have seen in my life Edmond finished Toping worming & succoring over our Tobacco to day about 12 Oclock cloudy & rain some before 10 Oclock Rained smart shower in evening near night It has rained nearly every day for this many days Best Land of Tobacco drowned & so bad to death almost some of my little patch of Corn ⅓ around Edmonds Corn very & some of it not worked but one

14 Put Tobacco stalks on 2 of Plants Beds yesterday & to day covering them with Brush after scattering the Tobacco stalks all over them which we expect to burn over if nothing happens cloud coming up & beginning to rain again it Rains It Rains it Rains nearly every day

15. Sunday cloudy & Raining some about 8 Oclock so I did not go to Sunday school & Keeps cloudy & looks like rain. rained more or less all day Sunday still cloudy.

1875 August 16th Cloudy & like for rain this morning Rained in night last night will get up some aples to make some cider for vinegar - -

17. little cloudy or foggy Soon this morning cleared off & beautiful, Sam Smith sent me word by Mr Woodings the cogs in machine would be done & wanted me to bring thrash Box & all up about 10 oclock & Jimmy will carry it up this morning -- after Breakfast Loaded the waggon with thrash Box & all that Sam Smith Brot home & went towards Mount Airy with Jimmy & met Sam Smith up here at Mr Templetons Gate coming after it & upon talking with him he did not Know where he was going, they had got Cris Wallers machine at Nailors and theey there last night I then stoped the waggon at good hope, I went on to Mount Airy Saml Smith went up to Hampton Wallers to See if they were ready when I got to Mount Airy I found the machine not done, I came back to the wag gon & machine stayed till 2 oclock & no Sam Smith Come up a shower of & afterwards not Know what to do I just come back with the waggon & that part of the machine is at home again

18 Rained a good deal last night Toping ^Tobacco worming & succoring Tobacco pretty good Day to 12 ^oclock

19th Rained last night hard little in the night Edmd & several of his family went to Simon Smith burying last evening this morning worming & succoring Tobacco clear pretty morning machine Setting in waggon yet Edmd Tucker said he would come yesterday him & Robt but did not

19th Clear pretty morning Edmd Dews worming & succoring Tobacco this morning Edmd Tucker Here cutting Grass Toped my little Tobacco over

1875 August 20th ^Friday Edmond Dews worming & succoring Tobacco over Edmd Tucker here this morning cutting Grass Toped Tobacco before Breakfast. Saml Smith has not been here yet. Drying fruit But nearly ½ Bbl cider for vinegar day before yesterday, no appearance of Rain to day, pretty sun to day, Edmond cut 64 sticks Tobacco yesterday & cut to day 124 Sticks making 188 sticks drowned & Injuring ^{to cut}got more ^{cut this evening 84 272 Sticks Tobacco & 84 Sticks leaves}

21st. Worming & succoring Tobacco Ed Dews gone after the Doct for Mima. Robt Tucker pulling up weeds in Tobacco & worming pretty morning sun shining this morning

22nd Raining this morning did no go to Sunday ^School cloudy & Turning cooler still likes Rain

23rd Rained all night last night & this morning still raining firing some Green Tobacco we have cut on acct of being drowned, our Lot 15 thousand wont make any thing at all

24 Gathering Tobacco leaves & string them & firing. Rained a little last night cloudy Raining a little yet & does not like clearing off Still gathering Tobacco leaves & firing Raining in the evening cloudy all day

25 Raining this morning Turned cooler Gathering Tobacco leaves & firing Tobacco Jimmy gone after Dr Haley for Edmd Dews to Come to see Mima & Dr Wooding was here yesterday & done nothing for Mima because is Dr Haleys Patient.

26. Ed made fire under Tobacco this morning Leaves Stick & Tobacco about 350 sticks or more Toping Tobacco succoring & worming Sewed Turnip Patch Plowed it & sewed it & there come up a hard shower & we did not Plow in [the] seed as the ground was too wet