Handwritten Woman\'s Diary 1899 Trip by Rail from California to Pennsylvania
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Handwritten Woman\'s Diary 1899 Trip by Rail from California to Pennsylvania:
$82.99
Anonymous, Diary of an Unidentified Western Pennsylvania Woman, including her cross country trip from California to her home in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, dated 1899
12mo pocket diary, 188 pages, of which 22 consist of memoranda and cash accounts, bound in original wallet style binding. The binding has some minor silverfish damage, and stains, as well as some minor wear and scuffing. The text is very clean and is written in a legible hand, mainly in ink, with some penciling, entries dated February 21 to December 31, 1899.
The present diary is unsigned, the diarist is a middle aged woman who appears never to have married nor had children. She lives with another woman named Margaret. She is employed at the Presbyterian Hospital in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which was incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh in 1906.
When the diary begins, on February 21, 1899, our diarist is in Los Angeles, California, she appears to be visiting friends on the west coast, she does not return home until April.
While in California she visits Catalina Island and Pasadena. She departs Los Angeles on April 4th, 1899 and arrives at Kansas City on the seventh. She visits friends in Rantoul and Stanton, Kansas. She departs Kansas May 3rd for Springfield, Illinois, here she visits friends and also tours the State House and Lincoln\'s home and the Lincoln Memorial. She departs Springfield on May 8th for Allegheny, Pennsylvania which she reaches the following day.
Her entries then describe her activities after several months away from home, cleaning, sewing, mending, shopping, collecting monies owed her by tenants, etc. Our diarist owns properties in the area as well as Beaver, Pennsylvania and in West Virginia, she describes trying to collect rent from her impecunious tenants.
At Allegheny our writer lives with a woman named \"Maggie.\" There are two men who appear to board there, one \"John\" works at \"the store,\" another named \"Harry\" also frequents the house for dinner and lunch. The two men may work for our author in some capacity but do not live in the residence.
Throughout the diary our author constantly visiting and receiving visitors. She does quite a bit of sewing and mending, cooking and cleaning. Some of the more interesting aspects about this diary are the number of entries about the Spanish - American war which was then being fought in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam. She writes about the Kansas 20th regiment who are serving in the Philippines. One entry talks about a mother giving our author some of her son\'s letters to read who was in the war. She says one letter was stained with his blood. She attends the home coming ceremonies at Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania 10th Regiment Infantry, composed of National Guardsmen from the Pennsylvania Counties of Beaver, Washington, Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland under the command of Col. Alexander I. Hawkins.
Sample quotes from the diary:
February 22nd,
Sarah and I went down to the reception to General Shafter and such a crowd. The music was good. The crowd was not very enthusiastic. Very few cheers for the general who is quite a fine stout looking man. Looks much like his pictures. Miss Flinchen called this evening. Had music and a pleasant time. Our prayer for rain is not answered.\"
\"February 23rd,
A very quiet day. Spent the time brushing the dust out of my gowns. Wrote a letter to Sam. Had a card from sis, Mrs. Shannon not able to walk. Dear knows when we will go to Catalina. Evening paper reports more fighting at Manila. Insurgents attempt to burn the city. Hope our boys are well.\"
\"March 2nd,
Came over to Catalina. The ocean quite billowy. Heavy ground swell. Quite a number of the passengers sick. Sis among the rest. I felt quite proud of my first ocean experience, had no sickness. Sailed to Catalina a mountainous island covered with cactus.\"
\"March 3rd,
Have a slight headache. Wind blew on the ocean. I did not go out sailing. Yesterday sis and I took a long mountain climb. Went up the Burro Trail. Came down the coach road. Mountain covered with cactus. Have a cottage and board ourselves. Miss Raymond from Boston in our party. She is quite a talking one.\"
\"March 10th,
Mrs. Bence and Mrs. Lee were here for dinner. We had quite the discussion on spiritualism. Mrs. Bence is not a believer but has seen some very strange manifestations. Miss Eleanor Boyce called just at supper time. She seems nicer every time I meet her. Sis had letter from Bessie, all well. The Kansas 20th had another skirmish with Filipinos. General Lawten arrived there with reinforcements.\"
\"April 3rd,
Our last day in Cal. Been very busy doing all the last things but have finally got a wagon load packed into our trunks and have it securely corded. Sallie is making up some boxes of shells for us to take along where shall we put them? Wish they were in the ocean. Have settled bills. No debts remaining. No more war news. General H. G. Otis coming home.\"
\"April 7th,
Arrived at Kansas City at 7 a.m. Left for Rantoul at 10 a.m. Sam met us at station. He was loaded down with baggage. Sam thought he should have brought the hay ladder to hold it home. Found Margaret looking very well, her cough is bad however........\"
\"April 15th,
Sam went to Paola in the afternoon to put his announcement for coming out for Sheriff in the paper. Hope he will make the riffle. I went to the post office and got letter from Laura. Sent letter to John in regard to the West Va. Taxes.....No war news.\"
\"April 25th,
Nothing to record. Went to Stanton in the afternoon. Called on Mrs. Rickett\'s. She gave me so many of her son\'s letters to read. The last one _____ was stained with his blood. Poor boy he thought he would get home. Got letter from Harriet Duncan. Their finances are low. More fighting.\"
\"May 8th,
Left Springfield at 9:50 a.m. Was sorry to leave as had such a delightful visit. Never met such pleasant people. We had a very pleasant trip to Allegheny. Saw two soldiers from 10th Pa. I. was on the train. One of them was from Co. H. did not speak to him but spoke to the one from Co. K. No more fighting.\"
\"May 11th,
.....Mrs. Christie called this afternoon. Told me that Orrie and Jenna Scott sat beside brother Ben\'s dying bed. Jen Scott said \"Orrie, I wonder if the old fellow won\'t pipe out soon.\" And Orrie said she felt like laughing. What wretches watched beside him. Ghouls and devils....\"
\"June 19th,
Nothing today. Man came to look at the house.....Joe Scott is up for trial today. He has the best lawyers to defend him and may get off \"Scott free\" but he is just as guilty as can be. The whole Scott family are crooked past this one family......\"
\"June 22nd,
Went over to Pittsburg this morning. Called on doctor Shillito. Did not find him in......Came in to attend a 10th regiment meeting at the mayor\'s office, a meeting in respect to bringing the regiment home. It seems we must keep this old house and won\'t be getting our nice farm. Too bad.\"
\"August 28th,
Such a fine day for the home coming of the tenth[ PA 10th Regiment coming home from Spanish-American War]. Bessie and I went over to Pittsburg at 8 a.m. to meet her father. Bessie Springer and I went down to the Ft. Wayne station. Staid until noon. Came home for lunch. Laura came and we all went to Marian Ave. Waited until 3 p.m. before they came. A splendid reception, only barely saw Hopkins. He did not look well. Did not see President or notables.....\"
\"November 2nd,
Went to market and did some shopping in forenoon. Afternoon started for Carnegie picture opening. Forgot tickets and John had to come back for them. Mr. Brashear gave me a ticket so I got in without waiting. A big crowd, not time to see the pictures after the speeches and trustee\'s view. Saw Mrs. Kennedy.\"
Handwritten Woman\'s Diary 1899 Trip by Rail from California to Pennsylvania:
$82.99