[It sounds like more extended family are coming and going to the Black River homestead and Elinor is in charge of all household duties including baking 11 loaves of bread at a time, and dressing and cooking 3-4 chickens at a time to feed a large grouping. People from Cleveland come but it is not clear what relation they are “Van Talor & her brother Athur Mastin.”Frank, Ruby and Evelyn live along the river such that Elbert can go from the homestead “to the bridge” in the Bonita to bring them to the homestead, and such that Fred could take Nellie, Ma & Audrey part way to town to do shopping and then pick them up part way home. Pa (and sometimes Ma) seems to be going or working in Wellington and coming home on the weekends. Gertie is ill enough that Elinor is having to bathe her, and use alcohol, Sloans linement and golden ointment on her body and administer cough medicine and butter scotch stirred into sugar, lay her on a hot blanket with hot flannel blanketing on top of her, changing the blankets periodically. (Much later, in the 1960’s we find out that Gertie dies of lung cancer) Plans are being made for the trip “south” which is probably to Cuba, Isle of Pines and that includes making dresses for Ma and for Gertie, making 4 layer bread cakes & doughnuts. “I picked 4 chicken & cook 4 lbs veal & packed two half bu. baskets of lunch bread & butter, biscuits & butter, chicken, veal. dried beef, cheese, baked beans, pickles, pies, apple, elder berry, & black berry, cake, 4 layers, lemon filling, Powdered sugar frosting & doughnuts & cookie & spread lunch & went to bed tired heart sore & weary.”. Elinor says her mother is very ambivalent about going to Cuba and leaving the 4 children at home. Other people plan to go with them to Cuba (Miss Tristram, Mrs. Pitkin & her daughter).
Aunt Jen would be Elinor’s father’s sister, Jennie Bonney who married Chauncy Gillett and had a daughter named Easel (which is a common, female name). Audrey’s probably now ex-husband seems to be present for meals and “working at Hobs store”
We learn something for the first time about remuneration of Elinor’s work outside the home “I went to sew for Mrs. McGill to day sewed all day or 7 1/2 hrs. for 1.00.” She receives 8 dollars for the flurry of sewing she does for the Cuba trip. She ends up banking 10 dollars and it likely was her first savings “I earned it yes me.” The work at home seems to take it’s toll with her “patience and endurance ..flown as chaff on the wind & left me trembling lest I might say something I ought not say.” She ends up ill during the night wherein her family has to “doctored me with all sorts of dope” but it turned out to be just “gas”. By the next month she has to go to the Doctor for stomach medicine. Elbert is already being described as ailing and nearly fainting.
An incident takes place on the river when a Government tugboat “Burton” “smashed the canopy off the Bonita launch. ]
[Oct. 1-14. 1913] Oct.Wed.1. Thurs.2. Fri.3. Sat.4. Sun.5. Mon.6. Tue.7. Wed.8. Thurs.9. Fri 10. Sat.11. Sun. 12. Mon. 13. Tue.14.
[Wed. Oct. 15. 1913] Wed.15. Well. Pa has been out to Wellington for a week & he came home Sat & went back Mon. & Aunt Jen, Easel & her husband spent Sun with us. a dreadful rainy day & they took a boat ride in the rain. Oh they went home after supper & it was such a releife. Oh dear.
[Thrs. Oct. 16. 1913] Page 90.Thurs.16. I went to sew for Mrs. McGill to day sewed all day. or 7 1/2 hrs. for 1.00$ went to Spade mans store & met Nellie bought oysters & came home Audrey & baby Martha came to meet us, for a walk. Geo. C. is working at Hobs store. I am tired but more hungrey than I’ve been for a week.
[Fri. Oct. 17. 1913] Fri.17. Well I cut a coat from & old cape & have it half maked, for Nellie today.
[Sat. Oct. 18. 1913] Sat.18. House work & finished Nellies coat
[Sun. Oct. 19. 1913] Sun.19. Pa came home last night & we had a beef roast with dressing for dinner & it rained
[Mon. Oct. 20. 1913] Mon.20. Oh it rains, I sewed all day Oh.dee
[Tue. Oct. 21. 1913] Tue.21. I did a big washing & have been sick 4 days
[Wed. Oct. 22. 1913] Wed.22. Swept the house & dusted & cleaned & helped Gertie cut out her white linen dress.
[Thrs. Oct. 23. 1913] Thurs.23. Mrs. Leon Wonderhill called me over long distance phone today she wanted to hear my voice she said, she called to make an apointment for Mrs. Pitkin & her daughter to meet Pa & Ma Sun. that they might make arangments to go south with Pa & Ma so I calledPa & they are all to meet at Mr. Wrights hojme (he is Mrs.Pitkins brother) So I will call Mrs Wonderhill [? underhill] & tell her where Mrs. P. can meet the folks Gertie is so ill I gave her a bath & grease her & put her to bed & put hot flannels on her.
[Thrs. Oct. 23. 1913] Page 1. every 15 minutes Oh dee dee dee dee dee-
[Fri. Oct. 24. 1913] Fr.24. Well I took care of Gertie then phoned Mrs. Underhill. she had ask me & still asks me to come out for a visit for any length of tme I can & they will be glad to see me. well I appricate (partly crossed out) the fact, it seems good to know one is welcome. Oh how much we have to thank God for. Well along with all my other duties I have at last finished a black silk turban hat for mother & its 12 oclock standard time. I have been caring for Gertie & it’s most 1 oclock & will be before I can get to bed. ma is going to Wellington tomorrow.
[Sat. Oct. 25. 1913] Sat.25. Ma went after dinner -to W. I have baked 11 loaves of bread scrubed two floors swept dusted, washed Martha’s clothes & took care of her & Gertie & put Martha to sleep at noon & night & cook-ed the meals & finished at 9-30 & got a hot lunch for Gertie & Audrey. A worked in ten cent store today. And I have taken care of Gertie today- that is, I gave her a bath this morn. then bathed the length of her body alover in sloans linement & then golden ointment, gave her her ointment & cough medicine fix her some breakfast & then her dinner & then her supper & take them Then before she goes to bed I bath
[Note: Next page numbered 100]
[Sat. Oct. 25. 1913] with alcohol, then S. linement & ointment & give her, her medicine & put a hot blanket under her & a hot flannel over her & tuck her in Elbert came home with Audrey, from town and Fred & Nellie came a few minutes later & I had to heat Gertie’s blankets three or four times & give her more cough med. before she could rest. Then I took my bath & went to bed Sun. Morn. at 120clock Oh.dee.dee. Sweet day of rest.
[Sun. Oct. 26. 1913] Sun.26. Well I got up at 7 oclock & broiled steak over the wood coals & cooked breakfast & took care of Martha & gave her breakfast & Audrey done the dishes & I swept & straightened the house & skinned 5 chickens & dressed them & boiled them & make them in a pie & boiled & creamed potatoes & all the rest that goes with a chicken dinner & Frank & Ruby & baby Evelyn came for dinner, Elbert went to the bridge down below & brought them in the Bonita & they had a good time. I made butter scotch & stirred it to sugar. & gave Ruby some to take home & they seemed quite happy. Well its 12 oclock & I have taken care of them all & now I going to bed, dead tired, to much so to rest.
[Mon. Oct. 27. 1913] Mon.27. Oh.dee. I have done the general work took care of Gertie & done the white wash & cooked supper for all. Ma came for
[Mon. Oct. 27. 1913]Page 101.for supper; & Van Talor & her brother Athur Mastin came for supper from Cleveland & I have done up the dishes & took care of Gertie & now I’m going to bed oh, so tired. but thank God he has given me strength & that Gertie seems some better today. The tug Burton smashed the canopy off the Bonnita this afternoon. Elbert phoned & told pa, the Burton is a Government tug.
[Tue. Oct. 28. 1913] Tue.28. Oh dee. I’ve felt so bad all day I’ve tried to sew but haven’t accomplished much for Gertie & Audrey are sewing & betwext showing them & helping do house work, I don’t know what is going to become of me my patience and endurance seem to have flown as chaff on the wind & left me trembling lest I might say something I ought not say & the only thing I can do is pray & sing song of praise untill I have for gotten for the time my troubles. Oh how I wish I were good always good.
[Wed. Oct. 29. 1913] Wed.29. I became so ill last night the family got up & doctored me with all sorts of dope, but we desided it was gas & they gave me medicine for gas & we all went to bed at . 3 oclock this morn. I got up at eight oclock & worked allday.
[Thrs. Oct. 30. 1913] Thurs. 30 Sewed all day & went to prayer meet-ing & took care of Gertie every morning & night was gone an hour its raining now.
[Fri. Oct. 31. 1913] Page 102. Fri.31. worked all morn & Ma & I went to town met Nellie & did a lot of shopping, had all the bundles we could carry home. tired.