October 16
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
October 16, 1997
Cold again. Went 2 fashion page meeting after school. Walked 2 Juice Shoppe with Julie, then I walked 2 Renée’s. Malia came later with Sol and her other friends. It was fun. Em picked me and Renée up. We all went 2 Eddie’s. Renée spent night with me afterwards and we watched “Wonder Years” marathon.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
October 16, 1960
Up early as usual on Sun. A.M. After taking Carrie to S.S. Lo went over to try to get window opened but didn’t succeed. Think now the paint on the outside is interfering. She also cleaned unbeknown to C. [?] went to cabin and didn’t get home until after six. Lo did a lot of painting beside cleaning.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
October 16, 1938
Up about 7:30. Dressed and ate breakfast. Helped get things ready to go to the Smokies. About 9:00 we got George and drove up the street and picked Mrs. Rodgers and Mother Lane up. Then left. The highway going to Knoxville is being fixed and is very nice. I got very tired riding (and hungry). Near Gattenberg [sic] the road was very dusty. We were going to eat where we did last spring but we missed the place so we had to go on to some Gap. The coloring was gorgeous but there wasn’t much water in the streams. We finally ate at the Gap mentioned and up on a hill. Nice place. Cool. Flies. Good lunch. G. and I played tag on some logs. Daddy took a picture of us all on the hill. Shoes were slick and nearly slid off mt. Drove up to Clingman’s Dome. Quite warm. Daddy met a man he knew and talked to him. G. and I walked way up to the top where there wasn’t any road and went up in the observation tower. Warm walking. Saw a colored man with a white Angora cat. The point where we went was 6642 ft. above sea level. Soon M. and D. came up but not Mrs. L or Mrs. R. D. took a picture. We (G. and I) went down ahead of them and walked on the bluffs. Mother came down and talked to Mrs. King Johnson, who we met up there. Left soon but stopped going down the mt. to get a drink of water out of a spring. We stopped at the same place we did last spring, where we saw the snake, and George killed another one. We saw a man and a woman kiss on the bridge over the stream. Had a sandwich (G. and I) when we got back to the car. Drove on. Went to Knoxville by way of Maryville. Dark (around 6:30) when we got there. Parked along the highway and ate supper in the car. Had fun. Mother was in a gay mood. I swallowed a grape and nearly choked. Drove on. Stopped just outside of Kingston because we saw a fire near an old shack and an old man sleeping near it. If the fire got away it would burn the whole peach orchard. At Shelley’s Daddy phoned the sheriff. Got home about 9:15. Very tired. Perfect day.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
October 16, 1887
I let Jimmie out to wander around on the place as he pleased today and I think he enjoyed the privilege. Kate walked to church this forenoon and I stayed and cared for the baby. We went over to Neill’s a while this afternoon. It is raining this evening.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
October 16, 1862
Mr. Henry very feeble all day, has not sit up any. Hanes attends to Willie today. I finished Mr. Henry’s cotton socks today & began some for Zona. Striped red, black & white. Have knit but very little as Mr. Henry is not well & I can’t work well. Dr. Thrash came this morning, recommended blue pill. He says ’tis Mr. Henry’s liver that is not doing well.
*(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 16, 1667
Up, and at home most of the morning with Sir H. Cholmly, about some accounts of his; and for news he tells me that the Commons and Lords have concurred, and delivered the King their thanks, among other things, for his removal of the Chancellor; who took their thanks very well, and, among other things, promised them, in these words, never, in any degree, to entertain the Chancellor any employment again. And he tells me that it is very true, he hath it from one that was by, that the King did, give the Duke of York a sound reprimand; told him that he had lived with him with more kindness than ever any brother King lived with a brother, and that he lived as much like a monarch as himself, but advised him not to cross him in his designs about the Chancellor; in which the Duke of York do very wisely acquiesce, and will be quiet as the King bade him, but presently commands all his friends to be silent in the business of the Chancellor, and they were so: but that the Chancellor hath done all that is possible to provoke the King, and to bring himself to lose his head by enraging of people. He gone, I to the office, busy all the morning. At noon to Broad Street to Sir G. Carteret and Lord Bruncker, and there dined with them, and thence after dinner with Bruncker to White Hall, where the Duke of York is now newly come for this winter, and there did our usual business, which is but little, and so I away to the Duke of York’s house, thinking as we appointed, to meet my wife there, but she was not; and more, I was vexed to see Young (who is but a bad actor at best) act Macbeth in the room of Betterton, who, poor man! is sick: but, Lord! what a prejudice it wrought in me against the whole play, and everybody else agreed in disliking this fellow. Thence home, and there find my wife gone home; because of this fellow’s acting of the part, she went out of the house again. There busy at my chamber with Mr. Yeabsly, and then with Mr. Lewes, about public business late, and so to supper and to bed.
*(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.)