September 16
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
September 16, 1997
I got in shower, and then Ashley. We went 2 school and I wore my new shirt from Delia’s — felt pretty. Didn’t see Chris until after school he was driving out of the parking lot and I was in Sean’s car and I yelled, “Fuck you, CHRIS!” Hope he heard me. :) Went home with Ashley — Julie came, 2. Drove home. Did homework and story. Talked 2 Courtney. Ate. Went on walk. Picked up shirts at Courtney’s. Watched “Mad About You.”
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
September 16, 1960
A gloomy A.M. Had been raining some. Not much. Mrs. B. had blown a fuse so couldn’t come over waiting for repairs and I waiting for gas men to change meter.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
September 16, 1938
I practiced the usual half hour when I got up. It is a beautiful September morning and everything seems just right. The European news is also better. No war yet but I think there will be some time soon with a man like Hitler ruling Germany. I walked to school with Jim. We had a pep meeting in chapel and Mr. Johnson was there again. The day has started fine and makes you glad to be alive. We then went to classes. Miss Goodwin calls me “Patty” and Mrs. Cummins, “Patsy.” Algebra class just flew (the time, I mean). At noon I got into trouble for not taking my pill this morning. I finally got Mother to give me 25 cents to go and see Sonja Henie and Richard Greene in “My Lucky Star,” after school, but only on the condition that Mary could go. She was to ask her mother at noon. Mary got to school a few minutes after I did but she couldn’t go to the show. We had study-period and then English class, during which Lee Roy Patterson asked me to fill his pen with my ink, and I asked when was it full so he filled it. He was laughing and got everyone around him doing the same but I didn’t see anything funny. Then, because I (and a few others) hadn’t missed any definitions, Mrs. McCluen let us grade the others’ papers. I was kept quite busy. I read during Spanish-class “study period.” After school I didn’t see Mary so I walked home with Bobby (Mae Butler, a girl). Mother wasn’t at home but just as I was going out to look for her she drove up in the car. I had a sandwich and then went to see if Mrs. McClure was ready to go to town with us. Just then George came home and we had to wait for him to get ready. Then we drove to town and let Mrs. M. and G. out at Cate’s while M. and I went on to Mrs. Whittaker’s to be fitted. I was fitted first so that I could go on home. I talked to Mrs. Watkins (June Smalley’s grandmother) a little while and then Margaret Whittaker came along so I walked partway with her. Mother was to meet Mrs. M. and George at the library so I went by there but didn’t see him so came on. I met Mrs. Moore at the corner across from the Baptist Church and walked up to where she turned off to go home, with her. I talked to her about being in her expression class at school starting Monday. When I got home I found Jim and Helen talking on Jim’s porch so I joined them. Soon H. had to go so I went up with her and then over to Mrs. Flanagin’s with her. I thought she had to practice so I left. A.B. and some little boys were building on G’s sidewalk and Allan was practicing football and just then Helen came down so we played some “football” till George came and then we went up in William’s yard and played Kickoff. P.S. Mother came home just after George but Mrs. McClure had come first. George, Helen and Allan got in a couple of fusses and to end it Helen had her say in the latest quarrel. When everyone had gone George and I played train with my skates (after I had skated some and had a “bottom-boom”) till I had to go to supper. Some men came by in a car with a loud-speaker advertising the show at school tonight and G. and I booed them. During supper I decided I wanted to go to that thing at school so I went up to see if H. could go. She could so after supper I practiced a half hour and around 7:30 H. and George (who was going, too) came for me and Mrs. McCarter was waiting, for she had decided to go with us. They had an amateur show, pie-eating contests and string-chewing contests and then the [???], which was too silly to be funny. George also acted silly. Went to bed when I got home. Daddy home.
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
September 16, 1887
I practiced writing considerable today. Picked some apples just before and after dinner. I hitched up and went up town this afternoon and Kate went over to Neill’s and stayed while I was gone. I got no mail but my paper tonight. The baby is having a panic this evening for some cause. There was quite a hard frost this morning, but the tomato vines that we covered last night seemed as much damaged as the others.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
September 16, 1871
There were two angry people here to day – and we are not our good natured selves yet. J. R. uses P- blankets. Fortunately he sleeps out, or up at his clame most of the time when not working down at the ranch or elsewhere. This morning P saw that they were lousy. His indignation was justafiable.
We put one at a time in the big camp kettle and boiled them, and I finished them in the tub. Such heavy work. Now I hope he will get blankets of his own, and sleep else where. I hope we wont be sick tomorrow, it will be Sunday, and I must go and do some baking.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
September 16, 1862
I fixed the other two shirts today & knit some. Mr. Henry went up Hominy Creek today, did not get back till late in the evening. Fannie does the cooking now. Atheline has a sore foot. She cut some fruit. Peaches are nearly all gone. Uncle Sam got done shearing the sheep today. The wool is very short.
*(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
September 16, 1668
Up; and dressing myself I did begin para toker the breasts of my maid Jane, which elle did give way to more than usual heretofore, so I have a design to try more when I can bring it to. So to the office, and thence to St. James’s to the Duke of York, walking it to the Temple, and in my way observe that the Stockes are now pulled quite down; and it will make the coming into Cornhill and Lumber Street mighty noble. I stopped, too, at Paul’s, and there did go into St. Fayth’s Church, and also in the body of the west part of the Church; and do see a hideous sight of the walls of the Church ready to fall, that I was in fear as long as I was in it: and here I saw the great vaults underneath the body of the Church. No hurt, I hear, is done yet, since their going to pull down the Church and steeple; but one man, on Monday this week, fell from the top to a piece of the roof, of the east end, that stands next the steeple, and there broke himself all to pieces. It is pretty here to see how the late Church was but a case wrought over the old Church; for you may see the very old pillars standing whole within the wall of this. When I come to St. James’s, I find the Duke of York gone with the King to see the muster of the Guards in Hyde Park; and their Colonel, the Duke of Monmouth, to take his command this day of the King’s Life-Guard, by surrender of my Lord Gerard. So I took a hackney-coach and saw it all: and indeed it was mighty noble, and their firing mighty fine, and the Duke of Monmouth in mighty rich clothes; but the well-ordering of the men I understand not. Here, among a thousand coaches that were there, I saw and spoke to Mrs. Pierce: and by and by Mr. Wren hunts me out, and gives me my Lord Anglesey’s answer to the Duke of York’s letter, where, I perceive, he do do what he can to hurt me, by bidding the Duke of York call for my books: but this will do me all the right in the world, and yet I am troubled at it. So away out of the Park, and home; and there Mr. Gibson and I to dinner: and all the afternoon with him, writing over anew, and a little altering, my answer to the Duke of York, which I have not yet delivered, and so have the opportunity of doing it after seeing all their answers, though this do give me occasion to alter very little. This done, he to write it over, and I to the Office, where late, and then home; and he had finished it; and then he to read to me the life of Archbishop Laud, wrote by Dr. Heylin; which is a shrewd book, but that which I believe will do the Bishops in general no great good, but hurt, it pleads for so much Popish. So after supper to bed. This day my father’s letters tell me of the death of poor Fancy, in the country, big with puppies, which troubles me, as being one of my oldest acquaintances and servants. Also good Stankes is dead.
*(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.)