ALANSON WOOD MOORE DIARIES, Franklin Parish Louisiana Submitted by: Barbara Tuttle Nov. 1999 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm **********************************************   The diary is discontinuous for about seven years. The notebooks in which A.W. Moore's thoughts and observations were recorded may have been lost. 12th December, 1908, Saturday Miss L. Green, school teacher at Fort Necessity, came to my house yesterday to attend the teacher's institute at the high school building. There is a pretty good attendance of teachers. 13th December, 1908, Sunday Pleasant day. Went to the Baptist church, pretty good attendance. Mac King and Eva came out this eve for Dr. Ramage to examine Eva, who got hurt last September and it seems she can't get over it. Has a little fever constantly. They went back home. Geo.W. Renner and his wife spent the night at Will Guice's. 14th December, 1908, Monday A little cool and cloudy in the morning, but the day was warm and bright, springlike. Jno. M. King, J.P., paid me $15.60, judgment of Battleship Mfg. Co. vs. E.J. Kifer. I sent the plaintiff postal money (order) for $12.50. Bob Dent brought a load of stovewood to the house. Nolan went to the Hampton field to look ---------. 15th December, 1908, Tuesday At 1 o'clock A.M. the livery stable of ------- near the depot was discovered to be on fire. Geo. Wiggers and Nolan had been on watch and came in about 11 P.M. and gone to bed in the back room at my house. When the alarm was given, they opened the back door and the stable was in full view. The fire seemed to just be getting under headway. All the contents of the stable, except the buggies and some pieces of harness and the horses was lost. There was corn and hay, both baled and not baled, in the loft. But for the barn having been covered with sheet tin, other houses would likely been burned; but there was no wind at the time of the fire. The origin of the fire not known. Very cloudy, tho warm by 9 o'clock. In the afternoon, the sun shone out brightly and so warm and so pleasant as an April day. A good many people in town. But a little rain during the night. 16th December, 1908, Wednesday Cloudy, gloomy morning but not cold. Cleared off about 10 o'clock, the rest of the day bright and pleasant. 17th December, 1908, Thursday Thomas Kincaid died during last night. At dinner time, I got word to attend his burial at the Oak Grove church at 3 o'clock. I got there at that time but the corpse did not get there until 4 o'clock. A large gathering of people were present, more than the house could hold. Had a good and impressive service and he was laid away just before sun setting. Was told he had had Bright's disease for some months but was confined to his bed only 4 or 5 days. Church service at the Baptist church tonight. Revs. Stubblefield of Bastrop and Weatherly of Crowville were present, who with Rev. Allman, pastor of this church, and Dr. C.L. Guice and H.J. Lea, Deacons, and C.W. Ward, Deacon at Coot church, ordained Eugene A. Cordell, Deacon at Winnsboro Baptist church. Rev. W.H. Hatfield, who had been pastor of the Methodist church here the last four years, returned from conference, moved from the parsonage to Mrs. Sue Power's house and began to engage in the newspaper business. Negro minstrel at the Masonic Temple tonight. More people attended this than were at the Baptist church. 18th December, 1908, Friday Pleasant, warm morning, but a little cloudy. Clear and pleasant until about 3 o'clock eve when a very dark and threatening cloud arose in the N.W. and soon enveloped the elements and in the early part of the night rained a little, but not much. There was to have been a dancing party at the "Woodmen's Hall" on Pine prairie at night but no one went from town. There was a party at the Masonic hall. 19th December, 1908, Saturday Cloudy and cool morning; about 10 o'clock the sun shone out. Not many people in town. A.D.O. Moore commenced a clear sale of goods at his store at reduced prices. Clouded up about 3 P.M. I went to T.A. Harris' and stayed there all night. 20th December, 1908, Sunday Cloudy all night, toward night thick cloudy and cooler. I had preaching services at "Lone Pine" school house, a good gathering of people though the weather was inclement. Had a good service, the spirit of God was present. Never had better attention. While I talked on Mark 10 50,51,52. Had three invitations to dinner, but declined all and came home. Rained at night and cold. 21st December, 1908, Monday Very cloudy and rainy. Pretty cold. A steady rain all day. Not heavy, but no slack up. 22nd December, 1908, Tuesday A pretty, bright, sunshiny day. Pleasant overhead, but muddy streets from yesterday's rain. A good many people in town. Lee Glasscock and his son to see me in reference to the property of the succession of Jos T. McVoy. Glasscock is son-in-law of McVoy, having married his eldest daughter from a previous marriage and is a brother to his surviving widow. Rev. A.S.J. Neill came on this circuit for 1909. Came in this eve. 23rd December, 1908, Wednesday Biggest frost this morning, of the season. ------ says the thermometer stood at 30 at 6 A.M. Plenty ice. The day is bright and pleasant. 24th December, 1908, Thursday Very pleasant spring-like day. A big crowd of people in town getting Christmas toys and whiskey. A good deal of drinking and some drunkenness. 25th December, 1908, Friday Christmas day. The report came in about 2 o'clock this A.M. some white men unknown to me, went to Phillip Sellers house, on one of R.M. Steele's places not far from the old saw mill place, at the Pettit field. Sellers and his wife, having heard they were coming, were not in the house, but the visitors entered, broke to pieces the dishes, ate up and destroyed the provisions the darkies had prepared for Xmas dinner and threw out the furniture into the yard. The same parties went to the Robert Jacksons's and did very basely, in the same way the same way they did at Phillip Sellers'. Both of these darkies are good, peaceable and polite n obliging to the white people. No cause can be assigned for treating them thus. Only they are negroes. Capt. Steele is very much wrought up about the matter and threatens to ferret it out to the bottom to bring the guilty parties to justice. A good deal of drinking and noise during the day and night till about midnight. The section boss got himself hurt by the exploding of a 4 inch fire cracker in his pocket, burning his hand and his thigh. 26th December, 1908, Saturday A very find day. I went to Mrs. McVoy's to see her on business on business in connection with the estate of her late husband, Mr. Jos. T. Mcvoy. Quite a number of people in town. Sheriff Adams and Mr. Hunter Bradley had a little street scrap. No other disturbance. 27th December, 1908, Sunday Fine pleasant day. Report came in that about 2 o'clock the A.M., a negro man, not known to me, shot and killed his wife in their house, in what is known at the "ville", a subdivision. The corpse was carried to the grave at ---- o'clock P.M. The household effects of the Jacksons was loaded on the cars at the depot this eve, and those of Phillip Sellers were put in a house near the depot, ready for shipment. I spent part of the eve at Mr. Ellerman's house very pleasantly. Was at the Baptist church in morning. The pastor, Bro. Allman, preached a pretty good sermon. The report came to town that Mrs. S.Y. Bonner, aged 87 years, is thought to be dying. 28th December, 1908, Monday Warm day but cloudy, no rain. 29th December, 1908, Tuesday Rain before daylight. Cloudy and a little rainy pretty much all day. At about 8 P.M., Mrs. Sarah Y. Bonner of Boeuf prairie died. 30th December, 1908, Wednesday Was phoned to attend the burial of Mrs. S.Y. Bonner. Miss Annie T. Bell, one of the teachers in the high school and who boards at my house, went with me as far as Mr. A.L. Brooks' house where she stopped and I went on to Mrs. Bonner's and there learned the Catholic priest was on the way and would be there at 4 o'clock. He came and performed the obsequies. Large attendance of people. I remained at Mr. Brooks for the night. The day was cloudy, but not cold. 31st December, 1908, Thursday Miss Bell and I came home and Miss Green, the teacher at Fort Necessity, came with us. Miss Bell and Miss Green took dinner at Mr. B.S. Landis', at my house for supper. The young people were up till midnight and rang all the bells in town, ringing the old year out and the new year in. The day is very pleasant, bright sunshiny day. 1st January, 1909, Friday The year comes in under a clear sky and bright sunshine. The day is warm and pleasant. Rev. J.R. Downs, the M.P. preacher, Mr. J.K. Ferrington and Mr. Ward a re preparing, in the basement at the Masonic hall, for the women missionaries of the M.P. church, Mrs. M.E. Bartlett and Mrs. M.E. Pardue, to hold a revival m eeting to begin tomorrow night. However, Rev. Downs preached at night to a very good congregation. 2nd January, 1909, Saturday A real spring-like day. It seems like seeds should be planted in the garden. Warm enough to do without fire in the houses. On the evening train, Mrs. Bartlett and Mrs. Pardue, the M.P. missionaries, came from Meridian, Miss. to begin their meeting here tonight. The streets are almost dusty. The Parish school board organized today. The women held the first service at 8 P.M.; a large crowd of people in attendance. 3rd January, 1909, Sunday A very fine pleasant day. Rev. A.S.J. Neill preached his first sermon here, for this year. A good congregation. He preached at 7 P.M., congregation not so large. The woman also held services morning and night. 4th January, 1909, Monday Mrs. Hardin, W.T. Moore's sister, started to California. He went with her as far as Shreveport. The morning is cloudy and raining a little. Civil term of the District court convened. The most of the day was taken up in the investigation of charges preferred against certain parties for breaking in the homes of Phillip Sellers, Robert Jackson and Tom Wilson on R.M. Steele's place, on the night of 24 Dec., '08. The investigation disclosed the names of Az Bruce, two of Ike Wiggers' sons, Louis and Ferd, Will McMurray, Marshall and Hugh Pippins, Oscar Posey and Ivan Robinson. 5th January, 1909, Tuesday Court in session. The meeting conducted by Mrs. Bartlett and Mrs. Pardue is going on with good success. The town people don't attend much, the congregation mostly from the country. The are both fine preachers and good, holy religious women. May God bless them in their work. 6th January, 1909, Wednesday Meeting in progress. Good results, small congregation at the day service, large one at the night service. Mrs. Bartlett preached a very fine , instructive and entertaining sermon on the subject of personal influence. The weather is a little colder and cloudy. 7th January, 1909, Thursday Very few at church this morning. An interesting talk by Sister Pardue on the 23rd Psalm. Good meeting. Day very cold and cloudy. Much appearance of snow. 8th January, 1909, Friday Weather moderating but very cloudy. The ladies meeting going. They surely are good preachers. Worth the attention to anyone. Judge Thompson remained over to try a case or two to hear soon. Will King stayed at my house last night. 9th January, 1909, Saturday Weather moderating, but still cloudy. The ladies meeting still going on. Large congregation at services both day and night. Some interest manifested at the altar services. 10th January, 1909, Sunday Pleasant day. Large congregation. Mrs. Mary Pardue preached at 11 A.M. A good sermon, but it was on the order of showing up the failures of other churches in not coming up to the standard of Christian perfection as her church-Methodist Protestant-does and as the Bible teaches. At night, the congregation was unusually large. Mrs. Pardue not at night service, was in her room sick. Mrs. Bartlett preached a good sermon. About 9 persons joined the Protestant church. The people raised , for the two ladies, about $90.00. Don't know the exact amount and Rev. J.R. Downs, the Protestant preacher here, gave $9.15. Meeting closed. 11th January, 1909, Monday The lady preachers left on the morning train for their home at Atlanta, Texas. Mrs. Pardue looked feeble. Very cloudy, damp day, but not cold. Towards night, turned colder with much appearance of snow. 12th January, 1909, Tuesday The ground covered with snow this morning and cold. Thick cloudy. Sun not seen today. Fred Moore came up from Gilbert on the freight this eve. Out of a job, had been employed at the depot there, but business dull; he was relieved. Mac King brought Eva to my house this eve from Thad King's where Willie King left her Monday morning. Thinking the day too inclement to take her home, she has been (t)here 10 or 12 days. 13th January, 1909, Wednesday The morning raining or sleeting, very cold. Moderated in the eve. Not so cold, but cloudy. Sun not seen today. 14th January, 1909, Thursday Much warmer, but very cloudy and foggy. No sunshine but towards night, it did shine for a little while. 15th January, 1909, Friday Cloudy. No sunshine, but not cold. Eva King went home. A.D.O. Moore moved to his brick store. W.L. Whitney and Clarence Walter opened a grocery store under the name "Pine Street Grocery Store" in town. 16th January, 1909, Saturday Foggy morning and cloudy and cold all day. Not very many people in town. 17th January, 1909, Sunday On account of gloomy and cold morning, I did not go to my appointment at Lone Pine. Evening sun shone out but set behind a dark cloud. Rev. A.S.J. Neill preached a good sermon at 11 A.M. and 7 P.M. Good congregations. 18th January, 1909, Monday Cold. Disagreeable cloudy day. Sun shone a little in the eve. 19th January, 1909, Tuesday Cloudy, gloomy day and cold. C.E. Amos and Sam Heckard in my office. The former about a suit J.N. Cole filed against him in the 4th J.P court at Crowville claiming wages for labor on the farm; the latter about a suit Butler filed against him for a horse he had bought from one who had no right to sell it. 20th January, 1909, Wednesday Foggy morning, but by 10 o'clock the sun shone out and the balance of the day was warm and pleasant. Did not need fire in my office. Filed 3rd opposition for Chas. Elam in suit of E.A. Cordell & Co. vs. Isom Jones in 7th J.P. court claiming proceeds of the sale of a horse plaintiffs seized and admitted for sale. 21st January, 1909, Thursday A little cloudy and foggy morning but no rain and the day is warm and pleasant. The streets in town and all the roads in the country are unusually good, free of mud and smooth. Remarkable strange weather. Constantly cloudy but no rain. Too warm to have fire. 22nd January, 1909, Friday Weather today like yesterday. Mrs. McVoy, widow of Jos. T. McVoy, her daughter, Mrs. Baty, her step-daughter and sister-in-law, Mrs. Glasscock and her husband, Lee Glasscock (she brings a daughter of said Jos. T. McVoy by a previous marriage) of her interest in her father's estate. The two first named deeded her their interest in 90 acres of land in full settlement of all her claims in the estate. I did not approve of this settlement and gave them my reasons for disapproving of it; but they persisted and carried out their intentions. Dancing party tonight at the W.O.------- at Pine prairie tonight. Nolan and Orel Parker, one of the teachers in our high school, went to the party, leaving here about 7 P.M. to go 10 miles. They reported having a fine time. 23rd January, 1909, Saturday Warm but cloudy morning. S.M. Thom, known as Doc Thom, came in my office on a little business. About pension for Confederate soldiers. 24th January, 1909, Sunday Pleasant day. The Woodmen of the World enveiled the monument at the grave of G.W. Gunn at the cemetery at Winnsboro this P.M. at 3 o'clock by said order. Rev. W.H. Hatfield was the orator for the occasion. There was a large attendance of people at the unveiling. Mr. Ernest A. Huggins and Miss Maud McDuff drove to my gate at 4 o'clock P.M., to be married. I asked them in the house where my wife had prepared a room. But they declined to get out of the buggy and I performed the marriage ceremony for them and they sitting in the buggy, in the presence of 12 or 15 persons, some there by accident, others came expecting the though cloudy. 25th January, 1909, Monday Pleasant day. Nothing out of the ordinary today. 26th January, 1909, Tuesday Pleasant day, though cloudy. Went to Gilbert to see W.J. Sherrouse and got $5.00 on a debt from him and to see S. Kiper && Co. but Kiper was not at home. 27th January, 1909, Wednesday Pleasant day, a little cloudy. Went to Liddieville to see W.T. Ogden on business. Roads are good. 28th January, 1909, Thursday Morning pleasant, but in the afternoon the wind rose and turned cooler. 29th January, 1909, Friday High north west wind all day and pretty cool. 30th January, 1909, Saturday Wind still high and cold. 31st January, 1909, Sunday Cold morning. Started to the Brannon place to celebrate a marriage of Mr. Alexander and Miss Stella Ward, daughter of Webster Ward. Was met by a messenger from there s tating the marriage was postponed to Wednesday 3rd Feb. on account of the death of Mrs. Rachel G. Rapp, which occurred at midnight last night, the grandmother of the intended bride. 1st February, 1909, Monday Cold day. All the ponds and ditches covered with ice. Attended the funeral of Mrs. Rachel G. Rapp at the Bend graveyard. A large gathering of people were in attendance. Took dinner at S.H. Cordell's. J.W. Womble and W.E. Womble also took dinner there. Came home late in the evening. 2nd February, 1909, Tuesday Cold and cloudy. 3rd February, 1909, Wednesday Cold morning, moderated in eve. Went to Willie E. Rapp's to and did celebrate the marriage of John B. Alexander and Miss Stella W. Ward, daughter of D. Webster Ward, at 4 o'clock P.M. 4th February, 1909, Thursday In the evening the wind rose and blew a brisk breeze all eve and night. Pretty cool. No rain. 5th February, 1909, Friday High wind all day from north west. Much damage was done in other parts of the state and in other states, but not much here. H. Block of New Orleans in town today. Came up to attend the Sheriff's sale tomorrow. 6th February, 1909, Saturday The sale of H. Block vs. Mary Martz-----did not take place. No one made a bid on the Lowery land. 7th February, 1909, Sunday Pleasant day. Rev. A.S.J. Neill preached this A.M. Rev. S.S. Kenner, the P.E. on the District, preached 7:30 P.M. 8th February, 1909, Monday 1st quarterly conference held at 10:30 A.M. The P.E. left on the 12 o'clock freight for Mangham to hold quarterly meeting there. 9th February, 1909, Tuesday Hard rain morning before daylight. The biggest rain that's fallen for some months. Cloudy yet. 10th February, 1909, Wednesday Cloudy and a little cold. A moving picture, or magic lantern, show and music at the court house tonight by Mr. Norton and Mr. Jackson. Those who attended said it was splendid. 11th February, 1909, Thursday The show was repeated tonight and it is said to be better than the previous night. At the two shows or at the two nights, it took in about $70.00-20% of which was donated to the school. Big frost this morning. 12th February, 1909, Friday Cold morning. But moderating a little. Rained a few little showers. Evening a little warmer. Carrie Wiggers at my house for the night. Settled with M. Kaufman my beef bill $23.00. 13th February, 1909, Saturday Too warm to have fire at the house or in my office. Ten years ago today was the coldest day that was ever known in this country. The thermometer was down to zero, and in some places, below it. 14th February, 1909, Sunday About 7 o'clock A.M. Rev. A.S.J. Neill came and got my buggy to go to the prairie to be gone two or three days. About 11 o'clock a cloud and wind came from the north west and a heavy down pour of rain fell for about one hour; everything was flooded with water. Quite a brisk and hard wind blew, taking some fences, one of the upper gallery posts at the Masonic Temple and it looked frightful for a while. Church service was going on in the Baptist church, the house began to tremble and move. The preacher, Rev. Allman, told the congregation the house was not safe and for to take care of themselves; he went out the back door to the Parsonage, saying it was safer than the church. All except Dr. Lea and Mrs. Johnson went out in the hardest of the rain and got drenching wet. The rain continued most of the day, but no so heavy after the first hour. 15th February, 1909, Monday Cloudy, cold day; but not rain. In the evening I got a fall from a wagon and hurt my right leg and ankle by spraining it. 16th February, 1909,Tuesday Remained in the house all day; leg hurt too much to walk on it. A clear day and not very cold. 17th February. 1909, Wednesday My leg a little better. A very clear and pleasant day. 18th February, 1909, Thursday Clear morning. Cloudy eve and a heavy rain about sundown till sometime in the night. 19th February, 1909, Friday Clear and pleasant morning, continued so all day. 20th February, 1909, Saturday Bright, warm spring-like day. Went to Jos. Morse's at Lone Pine and stayed there all night. The Crowville road is in fine condition. Better than I ever saw it in February. 21st February, 1909, Sunday Preached at Lone Pine school house today. Had a good congregation. Stayed at Joe Morse's all night again, several of his neighbors there in the evening on a social call. Sundown, a pretty hard rain fell. 22nd February, 1909, Monday On my way home, came by Crowville on some business with Mr. M.E. Cordell, but found no one at the store but the clerks and I thought they knew nothing about the matter so I didn't mention it and came on home, getting here about 10 o'clock A.M. Cloudy day and warm, but no rain. Turkey creek swamp, here, is covered with water.