March 24
Laura M., age 16, North Carolina
March 24, 1998
Up at 8:00 ’cause Brittany had to take her driving test. Came home. Showered. Went 2 Courtney’s. We went 2 Melinda’s to pick up my dress, but it was too short. Stayed a couple of hours. Took Courtney home. Went 2 work at the Juice Shop from 2-5:30 with Lindsay. Came home and napped, had guitar lesson and dinner. Watched story and other.
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
March 24, 1997
Good day, I guess. I didn’t see Crozier very much, but when I did he was very nice. Went home with Renee. Mom picked me up at 3:30. Did homework and watched story. Mom left for a work thing. Played guitar and watched TV. Talked to Karen. Then I talked to Courtney! I LOVE HER I LOVE HER I LOVE HER I LOVE HER I LOVE HER I LOVE HER! :)
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
March 24, 1960
Thurs. A.M. Suddenly it began to snow and blow, not as bad here as many places, cars piled up on hi ways. Didn’t last too long. Sun came out. Sleepy and tired today. Didn’t do too much. Lo came home before 4:00. Went out to cabin from there went to Elgin. First went down town to Spiess. Lo bot a picture for cabin. Picked Maggie up then to Walkers. M. had glassware for Lo. Nothing much any one would want.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
March 24, 1944
Lovely, mild, breezy. Practiced at 10. In gym I took rest but had to direct class in doing an exercise. Good lunch. Practiced at 2. Betty had gym at 2. Lovely afternoon. At 3 she went down with me to talk to Mr. Blanchard. He is, I think, the finest minister I have ever known. We asked him questions galore and he straightened us out on lots of points. We left about 4:20, feeling gloriously free. It was as if a burden had been lifted. Betty was supposed to see her adviser at 4 but since she was late she decided to be good and late. Went thru town to see about her typewriter. Lovely and mild but getting cloudy. Betty went to see Miss Searcy and I wrote in Thought Book. She returned about 4:45 and we went down to Uptown to see “Son of Dracula” and “The Mad Ghoul,” double feature horror pictures. Quite well acted but sort of corny. Out about 9:30. Much cooler and cloudy. Back to hall - Betty delivered papers. Letter from Mum. Betty couldn’t get “Mad Ghoul” off her mind - it depressed her. We went over to tearoom for some nourishment and then to library to read for history. Raining when we left.
Marcy S., age 16, Tennessee
March 24, 1941
Cooler, cloudy, rainy. Cleared in afternoon. Nothing of importance happened in school except that something went wrong with the typewriter in office. Felt like I was getting measles. Practiced for play at Mrs. Cummins’s at 6:30. Home about 9:00. Mom and Dad went to show.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
March 24, 1888
It has been pretty cold all day and is very sharp and clear tonight. I went over to my house for a few things this forenoon, and got Morrow to bring some of my dry wood over here so I can have a fire in my room when I wish. I am counting the days now until school is out. I went over to Neill’s this evening but Fred had not returned yet from Manistee.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
March 24, 1887
We got up quite early this morning as Mr. W.E. Betts came for Fred to go to Traverse with him for a load. It was mild weather and looked like rain then, but began to snow after a while and kept storming most of the day, it cleared off toward evening and is real cold tonight. I went to the store and have been helping to wait on customers quite a good deal today so as to get the hang of things. I did some at studying telegraphy also. I got my dinner at the Hall when the mass meeting was held to promote the Prohibition Amendment. They had a good time in spite of the storm. I saw Richard Robbins at the store, he says his wife is about the same. Have been writing copies and other things tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
March 24, 1862
Cloudy. I made Pinck a pair pants & began another pair. I cut them out this morning. One a jeans pair the other summer pants. I made them for him to go to South Carolina in. Atheline carded bats for her quilt which she will put in tomorrow. Willie still continues to try to walk, improves slowly. He is so large is one reason he can’t walk better. The other little ones are very well. I made both pair pants today. I was very busy, the machine did the most of the work. They kill three hogs tomorrow.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 35, London
March 24, 1668
Up pretty betimes, and so there comes to me Mr. Shish, to desire my appearing for him to succeed Mr. Christopher Pett, lately dead, in his place of Master-Shipwright of Deptford and Woolwich, which I do resolve to promote what I can. So by and by to White Hall, and there to the Duke of York’s chamber, where I understand it is already resolved by the King and Duke of York that Shish shall have the place. From the Duke’s chamber Sir W. Coventry and I to walk in the Matted Gallery; and there, among other things, he tells me of the wicked design that now is at last contriving against him, to get a petition presented from people that the money they have paid to W. Coventry for their places may be repaid them back; and that this is set on by Temple and Hollis of the Parliament, and, among other mean people in it, by Captain Tatnell: and he prays me that I will use some effectual way to sift Tatnell what he do, and who puts him on in this business, which I do undertake, and will do with all my skill for his service, being troubled that he is still under this difficulty. Thence up and down Westminster by Mrs. Burroughes her mother’s shop, thinking to have seen her, but could not, and therefore back to White Hall, where great talk of the tumult at the other end of the town, about Moore-fields, among the ‘prentices, taking the liberty of these holydays to pull down bawdy-houses.1 And, Lord! to see the apprehensions which this did give to all people at Court, that presently order was given for all the soldiers, horse and foot, to be in armes! and forthwith alarmes were beat by drum and trumpet through Westminster, and all to their colours, and to horse, as if the French were coming into the town! So Creed, whom I met here, and I to Lincolne’s Inn-fields, thinking to have gone into the fields to have seen the ‘prentices; but here we found these fields full of soldiers all in a body, and my Lord Craven commanding of them, and riding up and down to give orders, like a madman. And some young men we saw brought by soldiers to the Guard at White Hall, and overheard others that stood by say, that it was only for pulling down the bawdy-houses; and none of the bystanders finding fault with them, but rather of the soldiers for hindering them. And we heard a justice of the Peace this morning say to the King, that he had been endeavouring to suppress this tumult, but could not; and that, imprisoning some [of them] in the new prison at Clerkenwell, the rest did come and break open the prison and release them; and that they do give out that they are for pulling down the bawdy- houses, which is one of the greatest grievances of the nation. To which the King made a very poor, cold, insipid answer: “Why, why do they go to them, then?” and that was all, and had no mind to go on with the discourse. Mr. Creed and I to dinner to my Lord Crew, where little discourse, there being none but us at the table, and my Lord and my Lady Jemimah, and so after dinner away, Creed and I to White Hall, expecting a Committee of Tangier, but come too late. So I to attend the Council, and by and by were called in with Lord Brouncker and Sir W. Pen to advise how to pay away a little money to most advantage to the men of the yards, to make them dispatch the ships going out, and there did make a little speech, which was well liked, and after all it was found most satisfactory to the men, and best for the king’s dispatch, that what money we had should be paid weekly to the men for their week’s work until a greater sum could be got to pay them their arrears and then discharge them. But, Lord! to see what shifts and what cares and thoughts there was employed in this matter how to do the King’s work and please the men and stop clamours would make a man think the King should not eat a bit of good meat till he has got money to pay the men, but I do not see the least print of care or thoughts in him about it at all. Having done here, I out and there met Sir Fr. Hollis, who do still tell me that, above all things in the world, he wishes he had my tongue in his mouth, meaning since my speech in Parliament. He took Lord Brouncker and me down to the guards, he and his company being upon the guards to-day; and there he did, in a handsome room to that purpose, make us drink, and did call for his bagpipes, which, with pipes of ebony, tipt with silver, he did play beyond anything of that kind that ever I heard in my life; and with great pains he must have obtained it, but with pains that the instrument do not deserve at all; for, at the best, it is mighty barbarous musick. So home and there to my chamber, to prick out my song, “It is Decreed,” intending to have it ready to give Mr. Harris on Thursday, when we meet, for him to sing, believing that he will do it more right than a woman that sings better, unless it were Knepp, which I cannot have opportunity to teach it to. This evening I come home from White Hall with Sir W. Pen, who fell in talk about his going to sea this year, and the difficulties that arise to him by it, by giving offence to the Prince, and occasioning envy to him, and many other things that make it a bad matter, at this time of want of money and necessaries, and bad and uneven counsels at home, — for him to go abroad: and did tell me how much with the King and Duke of York he had endeavoured to be excused, desiring the Prince might be satisfied in it, who hath a mind to go; but he tells me they will not excuse him, and I believe it, and truly do judge it a piece of bad fortune to W. Pen.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)