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September 1, I bring Mary cow home from pasture in A.M.  Pull fodder.  Aunt Adlissa returns.

Sept. 2, We pull fodder West Hill, very hot.

Sept. 3, Pull fodder, storm in P.M.  Aunt Adlissa goes to J.C. Greens.  I go to Norcross in P.M.

Sept. 4, Pull fodder, Aunt Adlissa returns from J.C. G's.

Sept. 5, We pull fodder, cloudy. Lowery helps us To-day.

Sept. 6, We pull fodder, cloudy. Lowery helps us at 60c per day. Aunt Adlissa goes home.

We have takened up 2343 bundles of fodder.  My cow Mary found a calf yesterday, Sept 5.

Sept. 7, Sunday, at home.  Father stays all day at Bro. Toms.  Lillie, Jodie and Lola Eunice Edna visits Larkin Young and wife in P.M.

Sept. 8, Pull fodder in A.M. rain in P.M.

Sept. 9, I go to Norcross in A.M. Pull fodder in P.M.

Sept. 10, We finish pulling corn fodder in A.M., commence on syrup cane fodder in P.M.

Sept. 11, Pull syrup cane fodder.  We made of corn fodder 2920 bundles.

Sept. 12, I haul cane to Greer's mill, rain at night, the South negroes helps with cane.

Sept. 13, Lillie and Lola have both been sick this week, Lola has had three bad risings on her back, but two of them start to running to‑day. I go after Dr. Woodall to open them in A.M., but return later to tell him that we did not need him. I go to Norcross in P.M. and sell bale of cotton for Bro. John's. Very cool.

Sept. 14, Sunday. Cool. Mrs. Piety Warbington and Mrs. Jane Harmon stay all day.  Bro. Tom, Mattie, Eula and Annie Ray also Mr. & Mrs. Alf Gresham and child call in P.M.

Sept. 15 & 16, Pick cotton have 3 hands hired.

Sept. 17, Pick cotton.  We bring syrup home we made 30 gals.  Scott Timms comes at night.

Sept. 18, A rainy day.

Sept. 19, Rainy.  Scott Timms leaves in A.M.

Sept. 20, I pick cotton.  Father goes to Bethlehem.  I go in P.M. to summons.  Dick Etcherson & Verster Hambrick to work road.

Sept. 21, Sunday.  At home.  I have had lagrippe for a week.  Mr. J.F. Mathews comes in A. M .

Sept. 22, I pick cotton.  Lola Eunice Edna is three months old.  Mr. Mathews leaves in A.M.

Sept. 23, Pick cotton.

Sept. 24, I go to Norcross in A.M.  I carry some syrup to Greer's evaporator to have boiled over made too thin at first.  A heavy rain in P.M.

Sept. 25, My birthday.  I am 31 years old.  I summons road hands and have syrup reboiled in A.M.  Pick cotton in P.M.  Father starts in P.M. to Yellow River Primitive Baptist Association at Shiloh Walton Co. Ga.

Sept. 26, Rain in A.M.  I go to Norcross in A.M. and pick cotton in P.M.

Sept. 27, I pick cotton in A.M. rain in P.M.

Sept. 28, Sunday, at home.  Father at Yellow River Primitive Baptist Asso.

Sept. 29, I work on road.  Father returns from meeting at Shiloh Walton Co. Ga.

Sept. 30, Pick cotton in A.M., rain in P.M.

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Oct. 1 & 2, Pick cotton.

Oct. 3, Pick cotton, have hay cut.

Oct. 4, Rainy, haul up hay in A.M.

Oct. 5, I and family go to singing convention (Old Sacred Harp) at Winter's Chapel.

Oct. 6, Work road finishing through.  Cool.

Oct. 7, Haul and have ginned two bales of cotton.

Oct. 8, Haul seed and cotton home in A.M.  Pick cotton.

Oct. 9, Pick cotton.

Oct. 10, I go to Norcross in A.M., rain in P.M.

Oct. 11, Rainy, l thrash peas. Mayfield Nash takes dinner with us. I go to mill in P.M.

Oct. 12, Sunday. Bro. Tom, Mattie and Annie Ray stay all day.  Father and Mother go to Bro John's to stay all night.  This is the first night that Lillie and myself and children ever staid by ourselves.

Oct. 13, Showery, l pick cotton.  Father returns home in A.M.  I go after Mother in P.M.

Oct. 14, Pick cotton.

Oct. 15, I sell first bale of cotton, 506 at .08 3/18              $41.43

Paid for guano 11 sacks       = 21.40

                   20.03

Paid rent to T.B.R.                   =  4.50

                   15.53

Paid toll to Beard                     =  2.00

                   13.53

My part                                      =  6.76 1/2

We paid blacksmiths bill in full to Haynie = $3.65.  I cut hay and pick cotton rest of the day.  First frost, very cool 4 degrees below frost point.

Oct. 16, 17, Pick cotton.  Moon in total eclipse.

Oct. 18, We finish picking over cotton second time.  Father goes to Bethlehem.  Bob Hembree and wife come home with him to stay all night.

Oct. 19, Sunday.  We all go to Bethlehem and hear preach Elders E.T. Jackson of Ala., Oscar Hembree and William Phillips both of Milton Co. Ga.

Oct. 20 & 21, Pick red peas.

Oct. 22, Thrash peas, work on barn and haul one load of corn.  Everett Winston Ray is two years old.  Lola Eunice Edna Ray is four months old.

Oct. 23, I sow rye.  Father kills a beef.

Oct. 24, I sow rye and oats.  Bro. Tom calls in P.M.

Oct. 25, I pick peas in A.M.  I go to Norcross and with Lillie and the children to work on cemetery at Norcross in P.M.

Oct. 26, Sunday.  At home a rainy day.

Oct. 27, Pick peas.

Oct. 28, 29, 30, We gather up sweet potatoes, we make about 60 bus.  I bring heifer home from Knuckolls' pasture.

Oct. 31, Finish gathering up potatoes in A.M., hauled corn in P.M.

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November 1, We gather corn.  Bro. Tom, Mattie, Eula and Annie call in P.M. Mattie Mathews comes in P.M.

Nov. 2, Sunday, at home.  Mattie is with us.

Nov. 3, Mattie Mathews goes home in A.M.  Jodie goes with her to stay a few weeks.

Nov. 3 & 4, Gather corn.

Nov. 5, A rainy day.  I put up krout in P.M.

Nov. 6, I go to Norcross pay tax = 2.70 in A.M., gather corn in P.M.

Nov. 7 & 8, Gather corn.

Nov. 9, Sunday. Father goes to Sweet Water Church and brings back with him the traveling preacher Rev. G. W. Rowe of Weatherford, Ga. who stays with us to‑night.  George Daniel Steele and wife stays all day with us.

Nov. 10, We all go to Bethlehem to hear Eld. Rowe preach.

Nov. 11, We finish gathering corn we make 33 one horse loads about 165 bus.  We have well cleaned out cost 1.00.

Nov. 12, Pick cotton in A.M. break land for wheat and sow some oats in P.M.

Nov. 13, 14, break land for wheat.  Truelove and negro we feed at dinner.

Nov.15, I prepare wheat land.  Father staid last night with Bro. Tom's family.  Rev. Andrew J. Webb is with us to‑night.

Nov. 16, Sunday.  Mayfield Nash calls in A.M.  We all go to Bethlehem.  Ben Simpkins with us at dinner.

Nov. 17, I go to Norcross in A.M. to get seed wheat and guano, rain in P.M.

Nov. 18, Haul out manure.

Nov. 19, Haul manure in A.M. fix door step and pick cotton in P.M.

Nov. 20, 21, I sow wheat on S.W. hill it takes one and one half bushels and one gallon (1 5/8 bus.) to sow it.

Nov. 22, I sow wheat in poplar flat.  Lola Eunice Edna Ray is five months old.

Nov. 23, Lillie, Everett, Lola and myself stay all day at Bro. Johns.  Cool.

Nov. 24, We kill two hogs they weigh 222 & 272.  The negros Jesse and wife help us, rain at night.

Nov. 25, A rainy day.  Mayfield Nash calls in A.M.  We grind sausage in P.M.

Nov. 26, Rainy, put up sausage in jars in A.M., haul wood in P.M.

Nov. 27, I go to Norcross in A.M. warn hands for road duty in P.M.  Very windy and cold. This is the national thanksgiving day.

Nov. 28, I cut corn stalks on wheat land.  Mr. Mathews brings Jodie home.

Nov. 29, I sow wheat in poplar flat.  Mr. Mathews leaves in P.M.

Nov. 30, A rainy day.

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December 1, Work on road in A.M.  I work Branyan, two Terrells, Reeves Harper and the negro Smith.  I put up krout in P.M.  Jodie starts to school.

Dec. 2, Heavy rains, l put up krout and mend shoes.

Dec. 3, I go to Norcross in A.M. and pick peas in P.M.

Dec. 4, Rainy, l haul wood and rutabagas.

Dec. 5, Cold, l put up my rutabagas about 20 bushels.

Dec. 6, I go to Norcross.  I sell second bale of cotton 494 X .0795 = 39.27.  toll 1.98, rent 9.32.

Dec. 7, Sunday, at home.  Bro. Tom, Mattie and Annie call in P.M.

Dec. 8, I finish sowing wheat in A.M.  We haul cotton to gin in P.M.

Dec. 9, We haul cotton to gin and carry rent seed to Norcross (18 bus.) sell them for .22 1/2 c per bu. = 405.

Dec. 10, We sell last cotton 858 lbs. lint @ .07 15/16 = 68.10, toll = 3.65, rent = 16.11, our part = 48.34.  We made 1858 lbs. lint cotton which we sold for 148.80, toll 7.63, rent = 29.93, Guano = 21.40, our part=89.84, my part=44.92--hiring 13.87=31.05.

Dec. 11, Mr. Mathews staid with us last night going on home to-day.  We cut and haul wood to-day.

Dec. 12, Rainy.  I put up crout(sic).

Dec. 13, I put up crout -50 cabbage- in A.M. get broom straw in P.M.

Dec. 14, Sunday.  At home.  Mattie and Cleo Young, Mrs. Sim Greer and Sylvania Reeves stay all day.

Dec. 15, Cold and rainy.

Dec. 16, A rainy day, I mend shoes.  I go to Norcross buy shoe table knives & shoe tools.

Dec. 17, We put up turnips.

Dec. 18, We kill a hog it weighed 140 lbs. net.

Dec. 19, Scour in A.M., haul wood in P.M.  E. Warbington and wife calls in P.M.

Dec. 20, I look over road in A.M. and settle up with J.H. Beard in A.M.  My Bro.-in-law, C.H. Cunningham and family come in A.M., Aunt Adlissa comes in P.M.

Dec. 21, Rain in A.M.  C.H. Cunningham and family leaves in P.M.

Dec. 22, I go to Norcross in A.M. also warn some road hands.  I scour room and haul wood in P.M.

Dec. 23, I put in bridge on road, Wallace, Hamrick, Etcherson work.  The lumber I use on road is 256 ft and 8 ties.  Father, Jodie, Everett and myself go to Norcross in P.M. to buy Christmas things - father gets Everett a wagon which costs 1.00.

Dec. 24, I go to Norcross in P.M.

Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  At home, Aunt Adlissa is with us.  Father eats dinner with P.B. Starnes.

Dec. 26, Family Reunion.  Those present are, Father, Mother and of Toms family, Tom, Mattie, their children, Eula, Hugh and Annie, Walter being absent he being in Birmingham Ala; of Randolph's family, Randolph and Clemmie, their children Paul, Ruby, Margie, Hortense, Ralston, Orville being absent; of my family, myself and Lillie, Jodie, Everett and Lola; Aunt Adlissa Mathews is present.  Bro. John's family are all absent.  Oliver and Sallie are absent.  A very cold day.

Dec. 27, At home.  Father takes dinner at Bro. Toms.  Cold.

Dec. 27, Cousin Will Hamrick and daughter Emma come in P.M. to stay all night.

Dec. 28, Sunday. Will Hamrick and daughter leave in A.M.  Lillie, Jodie, Everett, Lola, Aunt Adlissa and myself stay all day at Bro. Toms.  Cloudy.

Dec. 29, A rainy day.  I mend shoes.

Dec. 30, Myself and family go to Atlanta to visit my father-in-law's family J.F. Mathews.

Dec. 31, In Atlanta.  I sell my mule - Rhonie - at Union stockyards for $65.00.

Lillie buys 10 lbs feathers for           5.75

                                      blankets etc. for              3.95

other things bought            .40

                     10.10

                                           .20 I paid

                                         1.45 butter money

                         .               1.65

                     $8.45

                   A dance at Mr. M's at night.

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The old year of 1902 passes away.

We witness the passing of the last moments.

I thank God for all the blessings of 1902 our lives have all been spared for another years time and no terrible sickness have come upon us.

We are out of debt.  And Lola Eunice Edna came June 22 to stay with us.

Good bye 1902.

We listen to the whistles of Atlanta blow the funeral dirge of 1902 and blow the merry proclamation of the advent of the new year.

1902 Farewell 1902.

 

Respectfully,

 

Marion Wesley Ray

Gwinnett, County, Georgia