Diary of H H Walters - 1875 Donated by and transcibed by Lori Craynor ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ Jan 1, 1875 Friday The beginning of the year found me in a bad condition financially, not having a cent in my pocket and very little money elsewhere. Spent the day at my boarding place. Jan 23, 1985 Saturday Started off in the morning with George Protzman as company going to mill but could not get any work done near than Isadora, Worth Co. where we arrived before night. Two of my old college chums lived here and I found them at home. They were Will and Marion, sons of Rinaldo Brown Sr. Enjoyed myself very much in their company that night. Rode one of Geo. Protzman's horses home the next day. March 5, 1875 Friday Last day of third term of school. A good crowd was present and everything went off pleasantly. My school closed with a much larger attendance than it promised at the beginning. March 10, 1875 Wednesday Borrowed a horse and made another trip to Isadora to see my friends, the Browns. spent the night at the old gentleman's. Did not find Will at home. March 11, 1875 Thursday Left Mr. Brown's and crossed the Iowa line to visit my friend Will's school where I spent most of the day. My first trip into the State. After school closed, we rode northwest in search of a school for myself. Found the man we were looking for, Mr. Seismiller, on his way to Mormontown. Attended preaching there. March 12, 1875 Friday Left Will's boarding place and made another application for a school. Called on Will's school again on my way back to Isadora. Took dinner at Isadora and then continued my journey down to my old boarding place, where I arrived shortly after dark. March 17, 1875 Monday Started for Maryville on foot and walked about two thirds of the way, when I overtook a wagon. Attended an Irish meeting and heard some lively speeches. Left town about 3 o'clock and rode about 5 miles in a wagon and walked the rest of the way back to my boarding place. Walked aboug 25 miles in all. Thomas Butler arrived shotrly after I got back and brought an extra horse for me to ride down home with him, starting the next day. March 29, 1875 Monday Thomas Butler and I started for my school in Iowa which I had secured from Mr. Seismiller. We drove a team with a spring wagon. Stopped at George Taylor's and took dinner. Arrived at Mrs. Wetherman's (my old boarding - place where I had left my trunk) shortly before sundown. March 30, 1875 Tuesday Continued my trip with my friend, going by my old route through Sweet Home on the divide between Platte and Grand rivers. Passed by Isadora on the way to Mr. Seismiller's two miles northeast of Mormontown. Arrived at our journey's end about sundown. We attended preaching in Mormontown in the evening. We left Mr. Seismiller's the next morning but got no farther than Isadora, as it rained. April 1, 1875 Thursday My friend Tom left for DeKalb while Will Brown and I walked out to his father's farm where we procured two horses and rode off northeast. The ground was covered with snow which with the rain of the day before made the roads very bad. Will hunted a school while I rode to Mt. Ayr where I arrived about 4.o clock. Hunted up the examiner's office and proceeded to business. Had the worst cold in my recollection, from the exposure of my trip. April 2, 1875 Friday My examination was completed after dinner but I did not think it best to return that day as I was still feeling sore. Took in the town and in the evening attended a lecture on Phrenology by Prof. Bronson, a blind phrenologist. ++++++++++++++ Transcibers' Note: Phrenology is the study of the conformation of the skull as it relates to mental faculties and character traits (for those of you who didn't know - I didn't - had to look it up). April 3, 1875 Saturday Passed an examination under Prof. Bronson and received a chart. Left Mt. Ayr and returned my horse. Crossed Grand River on a log and walked up to Mr. Seismiller's. Drew up a contract for a four months school at $32.00 a month. Secured boarding at Mr. Seismiller's at 2.00 a week. April 5, 1875 Monday Commenced my fourth term of school. Had twenty five pupils in attendance. My school house and surroundings were the best I have known. July 3, 1875 Saturday Spent the Fourth at Mormontown. Rode down to Isadora in the evening with Will Brown in his buggy. Rained. July 5, 1875 Monday Still raining. I had come down with Will to spend another Fourth with him but as the grounds were covered with water; no celebration took place. Grand River was very high, the whole bottom being flooded. I managed to cross on a bridge, but had to ride half a mile in a wagon before I came to the shore. Walked back to Mr. Seismiller's. August 7, 1875 Saturday Last day of fourth term of school. Had four visitors and a good attendance of scholars. Found myself nearly prostrated by teaching through the hot weather. Rode down to Isadora the next day. August 11, 1875 Wednesday Having ridden over to Bedford from Mormontown the day before, I took the train for St. Joseph shortly after sunrise. Took breakfast at Hopkins and got to St. Joseph about 9 oclock A.M. Spent the day about town and took the 5 oclock train for Osborn arriving at 6 P.M. Walked up to mother's. Fine moonlight night. Sept. 20, 1875 Monday Commenced my fifth term of school 6 miles west of Maysville in the Ogle district. Drew up my contract just before school time for five months at $40.00 a month. Boarded at home five miles distant. Had 26 pupils in attendance as a commencement. November 10, 1875 Wednesday Attended the wedding of my friends Mr. Thomas Butler and Miss Sallie Scarlott in the evening. Rev. Hull officiated Ceremony performed at Uncle Billy's. bride's father +++++++++++++++++ Transcribers' Note: "Uncle Billy" (William Scarlott) was no relation the Walters family. With the help of another researcher, it was determined that the Scarlotts were one of the families who moved with the Walters from OH to MO in 1868. 1875 After January 1875 the winter proved more severe than during the close of the preceding year. The spring was dry making spring wheat a failure. The chinch bugs threatened to do much mischief to other crops but the summer proving wet, they did little damage. The grasshoppers made a raid in southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri and in places destroyed the growing crops. They seemed to work in spots; destroying the corn in one field and hardly doing any mischief in the next. The season proved to be the best for several years, and the fields that were not molested by the grasshoppers, produced abundant crops. About the middle of May, I took the measles and was obliged to dismiss school for two weeks. Nearly all of my pupils were taken down at the same time, one of them dying. After closing my summer school, I went home and put up hay on my mother's place. This venture was not a success financially, as I never sold any of it and fed out but little of it. Feed was plenty, contrary to expectations. I taught school during every month of the year and did considerable studying, reading Dick's Works and Shakespeare. and studying Rhetoric, Civil Government, and Composition. I bought some cattle which I fed at home during the winter. My expenses were light, my board at home costing me only 6.00 a month. (End of 1875 Diary transcription)