Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-11-05
"DiGry Of q Mississfppi PGGnter''
MONTH OF MAY 1910.

MONTH OF MAY 1910.
Some weeks ago we reproGuc'
ed on this page q number of ex.
tracts from a diary, kept three
quarters of a century ago. by DR..
M. W. Phillips who then was liv.
ing at his country home a few
miles from Jackson which, at the
time. although the capital of
Mississippi, was yet but a coun-
try village in an adolescent State.
A brief editorial preface intro
duced the extracts, and while
they have received no particular
notice from the press, they have
been we'll received by the read
ers of the BEACeN-who, after
all. are the people we are most
interested in - some of whom
have been kind enough to write
expressing appreciation, one 60
ing so far as to say: II believe
every one was interested in it.
[the daryl. It certainly reads
as if it might have been written
yesterday instead:of sixty years
ago." It was written in 184O-
seventy-fve years back.
Today, we will resume the pub
lication of such extracts from it
as we think may possess inter-
est as they have a touch about
them which awakens emotions
akin to those aroused by a voice
out of the mist of the past.
In his last entry for April, 1910,
DR.. Phillips concludes in these
words:
Working over sweet potato
patch; Isaac and Charity clean
ing potatoes.
II am fearful we are giving
too much time to burn field and
striving to get in too much, the
season being very wet and the
heaviest rains I ever knew fall
in such succession; distant thun-
der with frequent flashes to-
night"
The follows:
MAY, 1910
l. Commenced scraping in burn field;
one plow barring of; two the best part
Ut day IN old corn; finished planting
new-ground corn, except the part that
was too wet; rain last night, cloudy
nearly the whole day. The air SO thin
and quiet that heard q steam boat in
Mississippi River. 1.-THE nearest point
on the Mississippi River is about
twelve miles from Log Hall. the name
of DR.. Phillips place]. Thunder about
sun-down, very distant.
Cotton looks very fine thus far, not
withstanding the constant rains. We
have concluded to feed mules on the
half of what corn usually ted on by
giving cut oats, and not giving corn
until pretty will filled with the oats
IL ears of corn at night and at mid
day; hours rest at midday; 35 ears
has been the feed until yesterday.
2. Jacob hauling timbers for cattle
shed, the other hands in burn. scraping
rather more than half done get
along slow, owing to cotton seed not
being covened. it being wet when
planted. Most clear today, but tonight
windy and air soft.
Found it necessary to put Emily and
Helen Durham cows) into oat field;
the former 30 poor not able TO get
along.
3. sunday; very windy today. One
mule killed by falling of tree.
4. Jacob, Ned and Charles blowing
corn; pumpkin seed planted today; fin
ished new ground cord, and Gilbert and
Viney barring off; other hands scraping
in new burn; sweet potatoes cleaned;
Irish potatoes in bloom some 5 to Z
days.
Finished scraping about 5 o'clock p.
m. commenced hoeing over corn, al
though in good order, but desirous to
give it a thorough working; nearly done
plowing the corn, 4 plows at it after
Viney finished barring off.
6. All hands at the hoe in corn field,
and finished it in one day, very good
days work; cloudy late In the evening,
a shower; wind high tonight.
z. Maria Taylor's first calf, 3-4 Dur
ham, by Lorenzo; commenced scraping
the second time below gin house; all
hands at the hoe; about 8 o'clock p. M,
driven in by rain; now nearly nine,
raining ever since. More rain than
ever saw fall; now raining hard and
has nearly all the while. Cow lot Tense,
though very high and heavy. has been
swept away in two places; it has been
in, or near, present situation years
and never moved before. / dread to
see tomorrow. with its watery tidings.
s. Sad havoc with cotton, gullies
now where never wash; all loop heaps
in burn field afioat, exater over all the
field, except from hill to spring; fence
gone at the back of field. What
pretty day after SO hellish an after
noon!
All hands in the woods. mauling and
putting Up pasture fence. In the af-
ternoon, took 8 boys in burn to float
out logs, etc.; succeeded finely; try
again tomorrow.
9. The day was 80 cold we did not
try the water again, falling only ..about
so inches since yesterday at S o'clock.
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