Samuel Douglas McDowall's Farm Journal 1

Leota F ?ennings C?

A. Caruthers Presiding

March

8 15 22 29   7 14 21 28

Left the Country

1 1

a 1

1 1

a s

a a

(on Left side) To Destroy Bugs on

Take rainwater in a sprinkler

Put into it enough carbolic acid to

it smells of the acid say a Tablespoonful

to a 5all

To make cloth waterproof

4 oz pulverize rosin

1 oz powdered sugar ?

1 qt. linseed oil

heat in a kettle to dissolve

(faintly) - small pox

For Strains

1 pt Turpentine                   1 oz cream tartar

1 oz camphor                      in pt hot water drank

1 oz corrosive subli?                            at ? cold

2 oz muriatic acid                                               

2 oz butt? antioning?                                            

1 white v?  pulverized                                              

(Right side) Suet Pudding

1 cup suet chopped fine

1 cup molasses

3 cups flour

1 cup sweet milk

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

Put into buttered tins. Set in a kettle

boiling water - let it steam 3 hours.

Dip

1 teacup sugar  1/2 cup water

2 eggs  1 Tablespoonful lemon or

brandy. 1 Tablespoonful

butter. Boil in a pan set in

boiling water. Stir constantly

Egyptian Salve

Beeswax 2 oz Rosin 3 oz Lard 4 oz

Carbolic Acid 1 drachm  Honey 1/2 oz

Boil altogether and then add

a piece of ???

Prarie Dog January AD 1881

Saturday 1 Cloudy and mild. About noon began to snow. Snowed quite fast at ?sundown?

12th storm of the season  Fell about 2 inches

Sun 2 Bright, cold, clear N wind   Myron Otis was buried today

Mon 3 Bright clear cold

Tues 4 Clear and Pleasant   snow melting

Wed 5 A regular blizzard - snowed all day. High winds from NW - the worst

13th Storm of season  storm I have seen in Kansas 13th storm of season stopped snowing after dark still blowing.

Thurs 6  A bright beautiful day                snow settling fast

Fri 7 Cloudy with snow falling. About 4 AM began to snow quite hard - not cold

Sat 8  14th Snowstorm  Snow drifting, very cold, wind from E and N snow all

all day. Ther(mometer) ranged from 27 degrees to 30 degrees below zero Osborne City, Kirwin and Norton

Sun 9 Clear and quite cold, the coldest night of the season, the snow settling

Mon 10 Clear and pleasant

Tues 11 Clear and pleasant, thawing.  Killed 5 hogs

Wed 12 Bright beautiful day. Snow nearly gone unless in the drift

Thur 13 Cloudy, cold and blustering, freezing

Fri 14 Clear, quite a breeze SW

Sat 15 Clear, bright and warm. Snow melting

Sun 16 Clear cool and pleasant. Snowed during the night - 15th storm

January Continued

Mon 17 Cloudy calm and warm.

Tues 18 Light fall of snow about sunrise. Cleared off pleasent. Sam started to Graham.

Wed. 19 A warm spring like day. Snow thawing very fast

Thurs. 20 Variable. Blustering and rain, indications of a storm. Wind from N.+NW

Fri 16(th storm) 21 Blustering with fine snowfall W. N. Cold and snowing all day

Sat 17(th storm) 22 A real blizzard from N and NW

Sun 23 Variable sunshine and cloudy snowing light, not cold

Mon 24 Very heavy frost, day pleasent. Snow settled considerable
Tues. 25 Clear and cold N wind. Children came home

Wed. 26 Clear and cold

Thurs. 27 Clear and pleasant toward sundown, quite cold

Fri. 28 Clear and cold

Sat. 29 Hazy warm, snow melting

Sun. 30 Warm and pleasent in A.M., in P.M. got cold and blustering

This month has been very cold and stormy, throughout the
entire US but during the wettest it was here the most pleasent
of the Mon. Viz. 10, 11 & 12 in Mi??le Co it was 28 degrees below Zero

February 1881

Tues. 1 Clear and cold

Wed. 2 Clear. Bright and warm

Thurs. 3 Warm spring day, Floating clouds

Fri. 4 cloudy with a raw S wind, every apperance of falling weather

Sat. 5 Began to rain last evening and rained all day, in the evening,

com. snowing and snowed all night Wind from E+N

Sun. 6 still snowing, Blowing and drifting Wind from N 18th snowstorm continuing all night

Mon 7 clear and bright, snow settleing

Tues. 8 Floating clouds moderate, snow melting fast

Wed. 9 Clear with Cold N.W wind

Thurs. 10 Cloudy. Cold. Freezing, snowed in the night 19(th storm) of snow

Fri. 11 Snow drifting, high N wind very cold, very disagreeable moderate in at SS

Sat. 12 Sun bright snow drifting, and quite cold

Sun. 13 Cloudy and calm, snow melting, snowed all night 20(th storm) snow

Mon. 14 snowing and drifting cold, a very cold night

Tues. 15 bright sunshine, quite cold

Wed. 16 clear sunshine moderate

Thurs. 17 cloudy, calm and warmer

Fri. 18 Clear cold N wind, snow melting in places shielded by the wind

February continued

Saturday 19 Clear and warm thawing fast

Sunday 20 Clear and warm, began to thaw about 8 AM wind from SW

Mon 21 Warm and thawing

Tues 22 Clear warm and pleasant

Wed 23 Clear and bright. Mud Mud

Thurs. 24 Clear and warm

Fri 25 Bright and warm water running fast, creek raising

Sat. 26 Raw. Cold. NW wind thawing, creeks full banks looks threatening

Sun 27 Cloudy and Raw. Cold

Mon 28 cloudy, apperances of rain

The Few last days of this month have been very pleasant. The

ground is quite wet, the snow is nearly gone under in heavy

drifts. the creek is in passible condition.

March 1881

Tues. 1 A beautiful warm morning, a real spring morning

Wed. 2 cloudy, blustering and disagreeable, began to snow about 12 M and give 21(st storm) snow a regular blizzard, the heaviest snowfall of the season, stops about 5 PM

Thurs. 3 Clear and Bright, snow melting very fast, nearly gone at sun down.

Fri 4 Cloudy cold, W wind

Sat 5 Clear warm and pleasant put in tomato and pepper seed

Sun 6 22(nd) snow storm calm and pleasant

Mon 7 about 3 in of snow and still falling, quite warm, snow melting

Tues 8 clear and warm snow nearly melted, a light shower in the night

Wed 9 clear and springlike

Thurs 10 cloudy and warm

Fri 11 snow rain and mud very changeable

Sat 12 cold cloudy and windy

Sun 13 Cloudy and cold

Mon 14 22 degrees snowstorm, quit snowing about 10 AM

Tues 15 Cloudy and Moderate

Wed. 16 Clear and warm, snow melting fast

Thurs. 17 26(th) snowstorms very calm and warm. Snow soft flakes large 5 in full. quit about M, melted very fast

March continued

Fri 18 Clear warm and pleasant

Sat 19 Cloudy, raw and cold

Sun 20 Rain. Clouds. Sunshine and snow. 25(th) snowstorm, quite cold

Mon 21 Cloudy rainy and cold, NW wind, ground froze, thawed during AM

Tues 22 Clear warm a spring day

Wed 23 Clear cool breeze, but springlike

Thurs 24 clear beautiful spring day, Sam and James are started to Sheridan to plow S???
Fri 25 Floating clouds, very pleasant and springlike

Sat 26 Clear warm and springlike

Sun 27 Cloudy with a stiff cool breeze from NW apperances of rain

Mon 28 clouds sunshine and rain in the morning

Tues 29 Cloudy and cold, NW wind

Wed 30 Clouds and sunshine, cold NW wind

Thurs. 31 Cloudy raw cold day every apperance of a storm

Thus closes the the most tedious winter I ever experienced: short of hay
 and no grain for stock, kept twelve head of cattle and seven head of horses
 on about 8 tons of Millet hay, the colts are in fair order, the older horses are thin.

April 1881

Fri 1 Floating Clouds, cold NW wind

Sat 2 Clouds and sunshine stiff NE Breeze
Sun 3 Cloudy raw cold day N wind

Mon 4 Clear and warm

Tues 5 pleasant AM chilly PM

Wed 6 Cloudy. Cold. Raw disagreeable day looks like a storm, snowed at night.

Thurs 7 Rain, clouds and snow. Cold and raw NW wind.
Fri 8 Cloudy cold NW wind. More pleasant then yesterday
Sat 9 Snowed in the night, ground covered with snow. Warm and pleasant
Sun 10 Bright beautiful spring morning
Mon 11 Cold, Raw and Blustering, Snowed in the night
Tues 12 A regular blizzard, snow drifting and cold 3 1/2 or 3 in
Wed. 13 Clear snow melting
Thurs 14 Clear with quite a breeze
Fri 15 Beautiful spring morning
Sat 16 Clear with high wind. Planted trees on Homestead
Sun 17 Hazy warm and springlike, every appearance of rain
Mon 18 A beautiful spring day, Balmy and pleasant

 

April continued 

Tues 19 Bright and warm, a shower in the night. Planted corn and potatoes

Wed 20 Cloudy and cool, had a fine rain commenced at 11 AM rained all day

Thurs 21 Foggy, cleared off, warm and springlike

Fri 22 Clear and balmy 

Sat 23 Cloudy and threatening a rain storm

Sun 24 Cloudy, still looks like rain 

Mon 25 clear and cool, NW wind rained a light shower in the night with high winds

Tue 26 Clear warm and beautiful

Wed 27 Clear warm beautiful day, finished planting potatoes

Thurs 28 Cool stiff NW breeze

Fri 29 cloudy and cold, went down to Graham Co

Sat 30 Clear and very warm, clouded up at night

This has been a beautiful month. Not much corn planted, ground prepared generally

May 1881

Sun 1 Cloudy, cool and rainy

Mon 2 Cold and cloudy gives us a good rain. Came home in rain.

Tues 3 Cloudy, raw, and cool. Began to rain about 4 PM

Wed 4 Cleared off in AM was warm and pleasant. 

Thurs 5 clear and warm

Fri 6 clear and warm good breeze. still planting corn

Sat 7 Warm with floating clouds, had a beautiful rain. 

Sun 8 Floating clouds quite warm. Everything refreshed by rain.

Mon 9 Cloudy, sunshine and warm. Hailstorm about 6 o'clock - did fine plants and not do much damage. did not extend E far came from S

Tues 10 Clear and warm. Boys went to Sheridan Co to plant timber.

Wed 11 Variable but warm 

Thurs 12 Cloudy, cold with appearance of rain, light shower. 

Fri 13 Clear and warm

Sat 14 Clear bright and warm

Sun 15 Heavy fog, cleared off warm

Mon 16 Clear and warm. Clouded up at night a good shower.
Tues 17 Cloudy and raining - a fine rain - a shower in the night

Wed 18 Cloudy, rainy raw and cold

May cont.

Thurs 19 Cloudy. Rainy. Raw and chilly.

Fri 20 Cloudy raw and cold. Boys went to Homestead with teams

Sat 21 Cloudy raw and disagreeable. Shower in the night

Sun 22 Changeable clouds and sunshine. raw cold breeze

Mon 23 Heavy fog. Cleared off warm

Tues 24 Warm and pleasant a fine rain in the night

Wed 25 Changeable had a fine rain in the afternoon, ground soaked

Thurs 26 Clear and cool

Fri 27 Clear and warm a splendid rain in PM 

Sat 28 Clear and pleasant AM. A fine shower about 2 o'clock.

Sun 29 Rained all day the only all day rain I have seen in Ks.
Mon 30 Rain and sunshine, pleasant. Went to Oberlin.
Tues 31 Warm clear and beautiful. everything growing good.

Corn knee high. Potatoes in bloom. Radishes and lettuce are
 old story 

June 1881

Wed 1 Clear beautiful morning. Manda and Uncle Jo came up

Thurs 2 Cool morning. Warm evening. the day corn growing fine

Fri 3 Cool morning. Warm evening. the day -Manda and Uncle Jo left for home

Sat 4 warm warm 

Sun 5 Very warm and clear. Beautiful rain in the evening.

Mon 6 Warm growing day. Clouded up about 5 PM Cold heavy rain at night, thunder and lightning

Tues 7 Clear, cool and pleasant, Boys went to claims to break. Perk baby buried 

Wed 8 Clear bright and quite warm

Thurs 9 Misty until about 10 AM cleared off warm

Fri 10 Variable appearance of rain

Sat 11 Warm Bright stiff breeze

Sun 12 Clear cool good breeze

Mon 13 Clear very warm

Tues 14 Bright and warm. Hot winds began to blow about 10 AM

Wed 15 Clear and warm. Wind high but not as hot as yesterday
Corn on new ground and vegetables badly wilted.

Thurs 16 Cloudy and cool some appearance of rain. Our first mess of potatoes and peas.

Fri 17 Clear and cool. Light shower about sundown

June cont.

Sat 18 Clear cool and pleasant

Sun 19 Clear and warm. 3 PM began to rain, had a fine rain, much needed. 

Mon 20 Floating clouds but pleasant. Rain towards morning a good rain.

Tues 21 Cloudy and warm. Toward evening appearances of rain. Shower during the night

Wed 22 Clear, warm during PM. Rain during the night Heavy thunder.

Thurs 23 clear and warm

Fri 24 Clear pleasant quite warm. Cutting Wheat finish Saturday.

Sat 25 Clear and warm. Changed about sundown, Rain and heavy thunder and lightning.

Sun 26 Cloudy, warm, hazy. Quite cold during the night. Bright comet in North

Mon 27 Clear and bright. Warmest day of the season, not a cloud to be seen.

Tues 28 Clear and warm repetition of yesterday. Bell's baby born and died.

Wed 29 Clear and warm quite a breeze, no rain during the night. A heavy rain during the afternoon

Thurs 30 Clear and pleasant. 

This has been a very pleasant month. Corn crops are looking
 splendid. Corn in tassel sweet corn in silk. Spent
this day in Oberlin examining the Treasurers Book with Judge
Brown and Mr. Stilson 

July 1881

Fri 1 Clear cool and pleasant. Last day of Nellies school

Sat 2 Cloudy and cool stiff breeze. Pres. Garfield shot by Guiteau

Sun 3 Pleasant good breeze and haze as of smoke

Mon 4 Clear stiff breeze. Lucinda arrived. 

Tues 5 Clear cool breeze appearance of rain high winds

Wed 6 Clear and very warm

Thurs 7 Floating clouds stiff breeze SW appearance of a storm 

 Fri 8 Clear with High wind

Sat 9 Clear in the morning. Cleared about 9 o'clock clear and still. 

Sun 10 Warm and sunny. PM thunder a nice shower toward sundown 

Mon 11 Variable warm and cloudy rained in PM and evening

Tues 12 Raining all morning Boys started to Logan 

Wed 13 Cloudy cleared about 10 PM very warm

Thurs 14 Clear and very warm hot winds

Fri 15 Clear and hot winds

Sat 16 Clear and very warm hot winds. Corn are showing affects. 

Sun 17 Clear and very warm of the Hot winds

Mon 18 Cloudy and cool cleared about 9 o'clock and was very warm came home.

Tues 19 clear still and hot

July cont

Wed 20 Clear and hot wind. Clouded up and give us a fine rain at dark.

Thurs 21 Clear, cool and pleasant. boys refreshed had corn for dinner

Fri 22 Clear and pleasant. Sam, Worth and Jas head for Sheridan

Sat 23 clear cool and pleasant

Sun 24 Clear and cool

Mon 25 Clear cool and pleasant a heavy rain in the night

Tues 26 Raining beautiful rain all day moderately

Wed 27 Misting a fine rain all AM cloudy all PM and night  

Thurs 28 Still cloudy and misting a heavy rain during the night.

Fri 29 Cloudy with a cool breezed cloud up at night no rain

Sat 30 Floating clouds and sunshine cool breeze

Sun 31 Clear with a stiff breeze

This has been a varied month the first 9 days pleasant. On the N and W of us
have had a heavy fall of hail doing much damage. 10, 11, and 12 fine showers. 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20 (until dark when we had a fine rain.) It was very hot, the wind that it
would almost blister a person just to be in the wind. Corn badly hurt, the shower
of 20 refreshed vegetation. 21, 22, 23 & 24 clear, cool and pleasant. 25, 26, 27 rain and mist. 28
still misting had a heavy rain at night. 29, 30 & 31 variable clouds and sunshine a nice cool
breeze. Corn much improved by the rains.

August 1881 

Mon 1 Quite cool, clear and a good breeze

Tues 2 Stiff breeze dark floating clouds, every appearance of a storm

Wed 3 Clear with high SW winds 

Thurs 4 Clear and very warm

Fri 5 Clear PM excessively warm clouded at night, looked like a storm

Sat 6 cool cloudy and threatening

Sun 7 Clear with Quite a breeze, warm

Mon 8 Clear and warm, hot winds

Tues 9 Clear with stiff hot wind

Wed 10 Clear strong wind 

Thurs 11 Clear cool and pleasant 

Fri 12 Cloudy high wind cold Rained in the afternoon, a good shower

Sat 13 Cloudy appearance of rain

Sun 14 Clouds and sunshine, hot wind

Mon 15 Clear and warm, high wind

Tues 16 Clear and hot, high wind

Wed 17 Clear and very hot, clouded up in PM rained in evening

Thurs 18 Cloudy and rained all day, SS convention - rained all night

Fri 19 Cloudy and misting, clear W 

August continued

Sat 20 Clear cool and pleasant, went to Obilan 

Sun 21 Clear beautiful morning

Mon 22 Clear with a SW breeze

Tues 23 Clear and very pleasant

Wed 24 Clear and pleasant in the evening dark clouds with lightening

Thurs 25 Clear with high winds SW

Fri 26 Clear cool morning, Went to Graham, high winds

Sat 27  Clear and warm

Sun 28 Clear and warm

Mon 29 Cloudy and hazy, rained at night and during the evening

Tues 30 Clear and pleasant went to Oberlin 

Wed 31 Clear and Warm       This month has been one of the warmest
in my experiences in Kansas - with a severe lop of crops by Ckintz bugs

and today the ground is alive with them.

September 1881 

Thurs 1 Fog and Cloudy, cleared off about 10 o'clock

Fri 2 Cool in AM in PM extremely hot

Sat 3 Cloudy and threatening with rain, killed pig

Sun 4 Clear with the hottest winds I have experienced in Kansas

Mon 5 Cloudy showers and blustering, cold N wind a windy day, rain

Tues 6 Clouds rain cold windy day, fire necessary. Heavy rain, Great change

Wed 7 Clear and Pleasant

Thurs 8 Clear rather warm, putting in Wheat

Fri 9 Clear and Pleasant

Sat 10 Clear stiff cool breeze, Judicial Con at Oberlin

Sun 11 Clear and cool

Mon 12 Clear cool morning, cool gust

Tues 13 Clear and Pleasant, Tommy started for B & M, R.R. (Railroad)

Wed 14 Clear windy and threatening, light showers

Thurs 15 Clear and quite cold, stiff breeze cold enough for winter Frost

Fri 16 Clear high winds, very cold, Sam started to Graham

Sat 17 Clear and Calm

Sun 18 A beautiful morning, still and calm

Mon 19 Cloudy with appearance of rain. Cleared off about 10 o'clock - warm
at 10:35 pm aged 49 years 10 months, President Garfield died this morning.

September continued - C.A. Arthur annagurated in NY 3.15 sworn in by J.R. Brady

Tues 20 Clear with good breeze, Mothers birthday, 63 yrs. strong and healthy

Wed 21 Misting cloudy with light shower, Worth and Bell went to mill at Lenora

Thurs 22 Heavy mist, cleared off about 10 o'clock. Warm in pm heavy wind at night

Fri 23 clear with a cool NW breeze

Sat 24 Clear very pleasant, calm

Sun 25 Clear with cold NW wind, clouded up at night

Mon 26 Cloudy cold and blustering The days crossed was mistake leaving
Tues 27 Raw cold, cloudy morning, out Tues 20 calling Wednesday.

Wed 28 Cloudy a shower between 8 & 9 AM

Thurs 29 Cloudy a high shower, Cleared off PM high winds

Fri 30 clear and quite cold, calm

This has been a cold raw, blustering month with
very little rain the wind has blowed so much that
stacking is late.

October 1881

Sat 1 Clear calm and beautiful Went up to our claims and planted

Sun 2 Clear and warm  Tru seeds staid all night

Mon 3 Clear and pleasant clouded up in PM

Tues 4 Cloudy and misting continued to mist all day & night.

Wed 5 Cloudy and misting like yesterday continued to mist all day & night.

Thurs 6 Cleared off stiff breeze

Fri 7 Clear and pleasant 

Sat 8 Floating clouds heave gust N and NW

Sun 9 Cloudy raw wind

Mon 10 Rain and thunder cool Congress meets in extra session.
Tues 11 Cloudy with stiff breeze

Wed 12 Cold misting blustering winter day. Worth started for B&M R.R. (Railroad)

Thurs 13 Cloudy cool windy day. Every appearance of a storm.

Fri 14 Misting cold and disagreeable. Fine rain at night

Sat 15 Clear cool and high winds from E Co Con

Sun 16 rain rain rain all night

Mon 17 Clear and pleasant 

Tues 18 Clear and quite pleasant came home from Graham 

Wed 19 Clear and beautiful let A. Bell have a bushel of Wheat

Oct cont

Thurs 20 Foggy raw and cold heavy frost last night

Fri 21 Clear with pleasant haze very warm clouded up in the night

Sat 22 Cloudy misting and cold

Sun 23 Clear cold with a stiff W breeze 

Mon 24 Clear Beautiful morning

Tues 25 Clear beautiful day 

Wed 26 clear balmy sunshine day

Thurs 27 Cloudy and raining quite hard quite calm rained during the night

Fri 28 Cloudy windy and raw leaden day. Wintry and unnerving 

Sat 29 Clear and cool

Sun 30 Clear and pleasant

Mon 31 Clear and cool with SW wind

This month has been variable with some very cool days some very rainy days and some really hot days.

November 1881 

Tues 1 Cloudy indications of falling weather. A very light rain early AM

Wed 2 Clear and cool

Thurs 3 clear and pleasant

Fri 4 Clear with perfect gale from NW

Sat 5 Clear calm summer day

Sun 6 a Beautiful calm day

Mon 7 rain turned into snow. 1st snow of the season 

Tues 8 clear heavy frost. a gust. Election L Den? elected 

Wed 9 Clear heavy frost clouded up in PM

Thurs 10 Snowing. 2(nd) snow storm. snowed all night

Fri 11 Snowing cleared off about 10 o'clock about 6 inches snow. Milled some

Sat 12 Clear snow - milling fast.

Sun 13 clear warm thawing

Mon 14 clear and cool frozen hard

Tues 15 clear cool stiff breeze  butchered hogs.

Wed 16 Bright and warm

Thurs 17 Clear and cool

Fri 18 clear and quite cool 

Sat 19 clear and pleasant

Nov cont

Sun 20 Clear and pleasant

Mon 21 Bright warm and summer like

Tues 22 Clear cool and pleasant

Wed 23 snowed in the morning ?

Thurs 24 Clear and beautiful. Thanksgiving.

Fri 25 Clear warm and beautiful

Sat 26 Calm fine day

Sun 27 warm and bright

Mon 28 pleasant turned cool PM

Tues 29 Cold and windy

Wed 30 Cold raw and slight snow

December 1881

Thurs 1 Cool 

Fri 2 cool and clear

Sat 3 Cloudy cool appearance of a storm 

Sun 4 Clear and pleasant

Mon 5 Clear and comfortable 

Tues 6 Clear and warm stiff NW breeze

Wed 7 Clear and pleasant with stiff

Thurs 8 clear and warm with stiff breeze

This is the end of Journal 1 - let me know if you see any errors in the transcription!