RARE 1895 HANDWRITTEN DIARY Southbridge Worcester Webster Massachusetts History

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RARE 1895 HANDWRITTEN DIARY Southbridge Worcester Webster Massachusetts History:
$96.75

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This diary has one of the saddest and detailed accounts
of the death of a loved one that I\'ve ever read in a diary.
The whole diary has wonderful entries,
but the tale of the death of his grandmother is one I will not soon forget .....

ThisINCREDIBLE 118 YEAR OLD handwritten antique diary / journal / manuscript book
was written by a young man whose name was
JAMES WILLARD BROMLEY
and he lived in
SOUTHBRIDGE, WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

James was born on November 26, 1870 to Amelia Curtis & James W. Bromley,
and he married Lizzie A. Knowles on January 11, 1899.
Their only son, Stanley Willard, was born on December 7, 1899.
When this diary was written, James was still single and living with his parents and grandparents.
He was an optometrist and people came to him to have their eyes tested,
and he sold \"spectacles\" to them.
This is a VERY RARE
One-Of-A-Kind
Slice of
Massachusetts& American History !!!

This is a great diary, filled with detailed entries!
He even tells that he owns a \"Clinton-Lancaster Bicycle\".
James did not write a lot about selling spectacles,
although he does mention a couple of times of people coming to get tested & buying \"specs\".
He writes a lot about his family, local news and events, circus\' & fairs coming to town,
deaths & funerals, and much more!
I think I\'ll let the excerpts tell more about the contents,
as they will give a much better description than I can give myself.
MANY names are mentioned, this would be a great diary for researchers & historians!
It\'s an INCREDIBLE slice of Americana!
The diary has 138 large pages filled with handwritten entries,
and they begin on January 1, 1895 and end on March 15, 1896,
there are 440 ENTRIES.
Plus there are 16 pages in the back with an account of his purchases & income,
and includes info on the sale of his spectacles.
The hardcover book measures 7\" x 8 1/4\",
so there is a lot to read!
It is in very good condition, with no loose or missing pages.
HERE ARE SOME EXCERPTS TAKEN FROM THE DIARY,
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SMALL PORTION OF THE DIARY,
THERE IS MUCH MORE FOR YOU TO READ!
\" .... I went over to Walkers in the forenoon to see if I left my mittens there, but did not. Mary has a cold coming on but went to town with Ernest. Father called on Vinton a few minutes. I also stopped in to see him and told him McKrinsky said that he did not break his bar post. Mr. Vinton was mad at him. He thinks McKrinsky broke it .... Father went over to Walkers in the morning and got our mail. Mr. Vinton got some mail alsofor us. I answered Lizzie\'s letter before noon, for Father and Mother went up town in the new sleigh in the afternoon .... The saw mill on Woodburys lot burned Sunday morning about 1 o\'clock .... Father and I went over to Walkers with the mail and staid about an hour. We then went to the saw mill. Abijah was there and told us Andrew Reynolds had lost the sight in his eyes. In the afternoon, Father went up to see Andrew, found he could only see trees and complained of pain in the head .... Mr. D.W. Baker brought Mrs. Baker down to have her eyes fitted with spectacles. Father, Angie, and Mary went to the show at Dressers Opera House in the evening .... Father & Mother went up town with butter and eggs. Father came home alone for Mother went to Wakteo in the afternoon with Mrs. Nickols and traded and sent for her plush cape. Father went to the station for her ..... Father, Mother and I went up to Mrs. Vintons funeral at 1:30 pm. Father was one of the bearers and took his double sleigh and took them to the grave. Andrew Baker brought Mother home .... Snowing and drifting, very cold. A gang of help shoveled out up to Kings so Doctor Edwards could go to Will Robbins. He has some fever .... We were all startled and awakened from sleep at 5 a.m. by Mothers running up to our rooms saying she had found Grandmother nearly dead in the water closit. Grandpa said Grandma went down sometime after 4 a.m. and Mother went a little before 5 a.m. finding she could not open the door. She spoke, asking who was there, if it was her mother, no answer but slight noise, probably Grandma breathing. Mother came away but turned right away trying to open the door again, but finding she could not, because of some obstruction. Mother went and called Father and they together got the door open sufficiantly for Father to get inside. He found Grandma curled up between the door and childs stool, with lamp and chimney at her side partially covered by her person, and out (not burning) with the chimney off. He raised her up, setting the lamp chimney on the covers and also the lamp, one of the wings to the lamp was bent. Father held her head, supported in his lap, while mother came to arouse the rest of us. When I got downstairs, Grandma was laying on fathers bed breathing heavily but not conscious. Father showed blood on his shirt where when he brought her in it had got onto him, but none of us knew where it came from but subsequently found that she was bleeding from a scalp wound on the head, caused by striking the sharp edge of the childs stool in water closit. Grandmother, after a while after being brought in to the bed, put both hands up to her head and made a crying noise but could not speak although she opened her eyes. I was in and out of the room(he goes to write more, telling of his father going for the doctor and of her death) .... Father and I went up town and saw Cochran about taking out administration papers on the estate of Grandma. I called in Shepards store. Father and I went into Wrights the Jeweler to try to sell him the eye meter .... Mary and Cora went to the dance at George Browns Thursday night. Mary came over in the evening, mad at Father for putting in the paper about her laying with Doris Vinton .... Father went over to Walkers in the rain to apologize to Mary for putting piece in paper. Father went down to Vintons in the evening ..... Mr. Arnold of Putnam called to see our optician business .... Chas Ryes fell and broke his neck in print works just at night .... Father went up town with __ and came back and ate his dinner and went over to the \"Wild West\" show a foot. Mr. Vinton went over to town a foot, but did not like the looks of the parade so came home without going to the show .... Mrs. Reynolds went to Boston with Dr. Olin to stay and be doctored. Andrew came back with our carriage - A dry goods peddler got caught here in the rain .... Ella Walker called. Abijah came down and told about knocking a tramp down with a fork tail for stealing cream out of his creamer in the cellar .... Grandpa had a poor spell with his heart this morning. Father bathed and rubbed his back before going to town .... Mother was sick. Father went after the doctor but the doctor decided to wait a few days and see if she was not better .... I went to bed early but had to get up to a surprise party from Southbridge coming in a buss. Lulu and John Hibbard were the prime movers in the affair. It was my 25th birthday. They presented me with an elegant writing desk and bookcase combined, solid silver paper cutter and ornamental ink stand .... Mother and I went up town in the afternoon to do Christmas trading - In the forenoon, a man came to our house trying to sell oil paintings. He wanted $38 but finally wanted us to make any offer .... Mother and I went up and called on Mrs. blood and got Mrs. Frosts sausage cutter for in the afternoon. Mrs. blood bought one of the oil paintings the man had to sell that was here Monday for $8.00 ..... Will Sanders brought Mr. Young of Sandersdale up in the evening to have his eyes tested. He bought a pair of gold specs ....I washed the carriage. Mother and I went over to Henry Vintons and to HG Smiths to see his baby and Mother made the baby a present of a silver cup ....\"
A Few Of The Many Many Names Mentioned In The Diary Are:
Roger Lawson ~ Allie Buell ~ Millie Barlow ~ Thomas ~ Andrew Reynolds ~ Clint McKinstry ~ Clark ~ Henry Vinton ~ Alice Boardman ~ Ayer ~ Frankie Underwood ~ Arthur Welk ~ Pete Kenney ~ Chris Hopwood ~ Tom Hopwood ~ Arthur Vinton ~ D. W. Baker ~ Ella Walker ~ Frances Vinton ~ James Mason ~ Harris Dodge ~ Emma Ballard ~ Chas. Holmes ~ Williams ~ Ada Fitts ~ Ethel Bassett ~ John Hibbard ~ George King ~ Mary Walker ~ Wm Freeman ~ Ella Walker ~ Andrew Baker ~ Henry Edwards ~ William Robbins ~ Clarence Clarke ~ Ella Smith ~ Henry Seers ~ Arthur Wells ~ Lulu Hubbard ~ Emma Ballard ~ Josie Marsh ~ Joel Cheney ~ John West~ and there are more.A Few Of The Locations Mentioned In The Diary Are:
Jewett City ~ Putnam ~ Sandersdale ~ Worcester ~ Leland Village ~ Dudley Town ~ Webster ~ Webster Lake ~ East Woodstock ~ and others!

The Cities / Towns / Villages / CommunitiesLocatedInWorcester, MassachusettsAre:
Ashburnham ~ Athol ~ Auburn ~ Barre ~ Berlin ~ Stoneville ~ Blackstone ~ Bolton ~ Boylston ~ Morningdale ~ Brookfield ~ Charlton ~
Clinton ~ Douglas ~ Dudley ~ East Brookfield ~ Fitchburg ~ Gardner ~ Farnumsville ~ Fisherville ~ North Grafton ~ Saundersville ~
Hardwick ~ Gilbertville ~ Old Furnace ~ Wheelwright ~ Harvard ~ Holden ~ Jefferson ~ Hopedale ~ Spindleville ~ Hubbardston ~
Pitcherville ~ Lancaster ~ Leicester ~ Leicester Center ~ Cherry Valley ~ Rochdale ~ Leominster ~ Lunenburg ~ Whalom ~
Mendon ~ Milford ~ Millbury ~ Millville ~ New Braintree ~ North Brookfield ~ Northborough ~ Chapinville ~ Northbridge ~
Whitinsville ~ Linwood ~ Oakham ~ Oxford ~ Paxton ~ Petersham ~ Phillipston ~ Princeton ~ Royalston ~ Rutland ~
Shrewsbury ~ Southborough ~ Cordaville ~ Southbridge ~ Spencer ~ Sterling ~ Sturbridge ~ Fiskdale ~ Sutton ~
West Sutton ~ Templeton ~ Baldwinville ~ Upton ~ West Upton ~ Uxbridge ~ North Uxbridge ~ Linwood ~
Ironstone ~ Whellockville ~ Warren ~ Webster ~ West Boylston ~ Oakdale ~ West Brookfield ~ Westborough ~
Westminster ~ Winchendon ~ Worcester.

Adjacent Counties Are:
Chester County NH ~ Hillsborough County NH ~ Middlesex County MA ~ Norfolk County MA ~
Providence County RI ~ Windham County CT ~ Tolland County CT ~ Hampden County MA ~
Hampshire County MA ~ Frankling County MA

DEALERS AREENCOURAGED TO offer ON THIS ITEM,
HOWEVER YOU ARE offerDING ON THE ITEM AND NOT ON THE RIGHTS TO COPY MY DESCRIPTION.
COPYRIGHT LAWS & RULES FORoffer THIS DESCRIPTION OR FORMAT TO BE COPIED
IN FULL OR IN PART FOR RESALE PURPOSES.

** PLEASE NOTE ** - Unlike many other sellers, I do not sell my diaries outside of the USA.
It greatly saddens me, as I know it does many of you,
when I see these one-of-a-kind American treasures being sent away to other countries.I try to do my part in keeping them and the invaluable historical information that they hold
right here in America where they belong!
I believe that those who have written these incredible diaries would have wanted it this way!
I\'m so thankful for those of you who are Patriotic and feel the same way as I do ...
Thank you for helping to preserve these historical manuscripts by keeping them in the USA!
I\'m very grateful to everyone who offers on my diaries and supports my cause.One of the advantages to those of you who offer on my sales,
is that you are offerding only against USA buyers, rather than buyers from all over the world,
so there is less competition to win great diaries!I appreciate those of you who show your support and offer on the diaries that I sell,
Thank you all so very much!

If winning buyer does not, I reserve the right to cancel the transaction.
I only ship to USA addresses.
Payment through Paypal is expected within 3 days after the sale ends,
unless other arrangements are made prior to offerding.

I ONLY SELL ORIGINAL AUTHENTIC ITEMS, I NEVER SELL COPIES OR REPRODUCTIONS.
PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO LOOK UP WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT SPECIFIC PEOPLE OR EVENTS,
DUE TO THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS I RECEIVE, AND WORKING 80+ HOURS A WEEK,
I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO LOOK UP THIS INFORMATION.
ALSO, PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO SCAN PORTIONS OF THE DIARY AFTER THE sale HAS ENDED,
NOR TO CONTACT THE WINNING buyer ON YOUR BEHALF.
IF YOU WANT SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT THE DIARY HOLDS, THEN PLEASE offer ON IT.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING,
YOUR offerS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED!