October 11
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
October 11, 1997
Worked from 8:30 and closed with Brian and Noelle. Showered and worked on project. Ate dinner. Went to Ashley's. Pat, etc. picked us up and we went 2 Fiona Apple's show at The Ritz. Chilled with Courtney. Spent night with Ashley. Good concert.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
October 11, 1960
Did some washing as it was such a good day. Jim had sawed up a lot of wood. G.B. had him pile it in garage. Cooked meat patties. Cooney wasn’t there to eat with the other 3 cats. Doesn’t seem possible we are down to 4 cats. Lo went to C.L. to take the train for city. Got back at 5:00. G.B. picked me up.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
October 11, 1938
Practiced. Usual classes. Review in lessons. No chapel. Usual classes. Tests tomorrow and Thurs. Talked to Mary at noon. Home for dinner. Daddy there. In afternoon usual classes. Studied all the time. Movie at school. Didn’t see. After school talked to Mary and Elma. When I got home Mother was just leaving for Mrs. Rodgers to the Missionary Meeting and Ella and Helen had come to my house for us to have a meeting about the C.E. party on Saturday. The telephone rang 3 times in succession and nearly drove me mad. I tried to practice but couldn’t. Finally we went in the kitchen and telephoned some people. Got tickled. About 20 after 4:00 the meeting “ajourned” [sic] but Ella and I walked as far as Mrs. Marsh’s together. I had my music lesson and it was dusk when I started home. Mother wasn’t there yet but I started studying. Daddy came soon and I went over to Allan’s to see something about his arith. book. George was over there. Mrs. McClure has tourists (Fla.). Daddy heard me some Latin and soon (about 15 till 6:00) Mother got home. Just as we were getting supper ready a man came to the door and asked for Mother. I politely asked him in, thinking he was the bishop but saw then he was a beggar. He didn’t come in. Mother gave him 25 cents and some fruit. After supper I looked at the Sat. Evening Post and then got ready to go to the movies. We drove down and were just walking across the street (after parking the car) even though it was a red light. No cars were coming until one suddenly loomed up. If I hadn’t called to Daddy it would have hit him. The men in the car laughed. I could have sent them flying. There was a “dry” comedy, and a newsreel. Then the main picture “Love Finds Andy Hardy” with the Judge Hardy family, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Anne Rutherford, and Lana Turner. Also Mickey’s (Andy) sister and mother. Very good. Home and to bed. Nice day. [In upper margin: “P.S. McCall’s came today.”]
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
October 11, 1887
It has been a cold raw day with some snow squalls. I went over to Neill’s before breakfast and got some oats off Fred to feed Jimmie with. Have been working at the kitchen the most of the day. Am ready to put the paper on now. Went to the sing tonight. The College Prof. was there and told me that the trustees had concluded to have me teach this fall and asked me to come over to chapel tomorrow.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
October 11, 1862
I quilted some little today. Pinck was sick all the evening, had some fever & complained of his throat being sore. Zona had some fever also. They lay before the fire all the evening. I was really alarmed for fear they were taking dyptheria. Willie has got well once again. Mr. Henry started Hanes to Asheville after the mail this morning but he got frightened at some men they were taking to jail from Jackson Co., so Mr. Henry went after dinner. We had to retreat from Corinth with a heavy loss of men.
*(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 34, London
October 11, 1667
And then rose and called W. Hewer, and he and I, with pails and a sieve, did lock ourselves into the garden, and there gather all the earth about the place into pails, and then sift those pails in one of the summer-houses, just as they do for dyamonds in other parts of the world; and there, to our great content, did with much trouble by nine o’clock (and by the time we emptied several pails and could not find one), we did make the last night’s forty-five up seventy-nine: so that we are come to about twenty or thirty of what I think the true number should be; and perhaps within less; and of them I may reasonably think that Mr. Gibson might lose some: so that I am pretty well satisfied that my loss is not great, and do bless God that it is so well,1 and do leave my father to make a second examination of the dirt, which he promises he will do, and, poor man, is mightily troubled for this accident, but I declared myself very well satisfied, and so indeed I am; and my mind at rest in it, being but an accident, which is unusual; and so gives me some kind of content to remember how painful it is sometimes to keep money, as well as to get it, and how doubtful I was how to keep it all night, and how to secure it to London: and so got all my gold put up in bags. And so having the last night wrote to my Lady Sandwich to lend me John Bowles to go along with me my journey, not telling her the reason, that it was only to secure my gold, we to breakfast, and then about ten o’clock took coach, my wife and I, and Willet, and W. Hewer, and Murford and Bowles (whom my Lady lent me), and my brother John on horseback; and with these four I thought myself pretty safe. But, before we went out, the Huntingdon musick come to me and played, and it was better than that of Cambridge. Here I took leave of my father, and did give my sister 20s. She cried at my going; but whether it was at her unwillingness for my going, or any unkindness of my wife’s, or no, I know not; but, God forgive me! I take her to be so cunning and ill-natured, that I have no great love for her; but only [she] is my sister, and must be provided for. My gold I put into a basket, and set under one of the seats; and so my work every quarter of an hour was to look to see whether all was well; and I did ride in great fear all the day, but it was a pleasant day, and good company, and I mightily contented. Mr. Shepley saw me beyond St. Neots, and there parted, and we straight to Stevenage, through Bald Lanes, which are already very bad; and at Stevenage we come well before night, and all sat, and there with great care I got the gold up to the chamber, my wife carrying one bag, and the girl another, and W. Hewer the rest in the basket, and set it all under a bed in our chamber; and then sat down to talk, and were very pleasant, satisfying myself, among other things, from John Bowles, in some terms of hunting, and about deere, bucks, and does. And so anon to supper, and very merry we were, and a good supper, and after supper to bed. Brecocke alive still, and the best host I know almost.
*(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.)