[A16Dia78.rtf ; last modified 14 June 2003]
Diary of Ira J. Robbins,
1878-1881.1878 possible entry
1879-1881 scattered entries and accounts
[Ira J. Robbins, born 1855 in Vassalboro, Maine, died 1929 in Vassalboro, Maine. The original diary is now (2003) in the possession of Gerald L. Robbins (East Vassalboro, Maine 04935). Stephen Robbins made a typewritten transcript of the diary in 1990 (13 leaves); at that time (1990) Stephen Robbins lived near Lititz, Pa. but his current (2003) address is 1660 West Lake Street, Warsaw, Indiana 46580-2494 . Below are the full diary entries, as they appear in Stephen Robbins typewritten transcript. Original spelling and punctuation have been preserved. Steve Robbins’ notes and added punctuation are enclosed in square brackets “[ ]”; notes by Alma P. Robbins (on her copy of transcript and on a separate sheet) have her initials added, e.g. “[ --APR]” or “[APR note:] ” . The transcript below still needs to be proofread against the original diary.]
[Notes about the diary. Most entries are blank, and were used by Lucy for a 1887 diary. Only Ira’s entries for 1878+ are given below; Lucy’s entries are in a separate electronic document.]
[Entries were made in a printed diary, The Standard Diary 1878. Inside front cover in handwriting:
“#256-.55
presented to
Ira J. Robbins
[..]By
Mrs. E.W.T. [Twitchell ?--APR]
Dec. 25, 1877.”]
[There is an entry under the printed date of Monday, November 4, 1878, in a different handwriting than Lucy’s 1887 entries, probably Ira’s: “The first Snow Storm”. There is an entry under printed date Monday, November 11, 1878, probably in Ira’s hand: “Maintain Lawyer Choat, No 17185”. [APR note: “Riverside Corporation”? can be looked up . “Lawyer Choat #17185” [for] Riverside Corp.? ]
[At the end of the diary in the “Memoranda” section are notes dated 1879 in Ira’s hand, which are apparently Grange [note: more than Grange store? grain & such --APR] books accounts. Some notes are dated 1880.]
[Following the “Memoranda section is a “Cash Account” section in which Ira has made entries dated from April 7, 1880 to May 31, 1881.]
[Inside the back cover Ira wrote “No. 17185”. Also stuck inside the cover are three loose items: an engraved advertisement picturing Oler’s Ice Depot, Lancaster & Eden Sts., Baltimore; a business card for “H. A. Houdlette, with A. B. Butterfield & Co., 37 Commercial street”; and a photographic portrait of “Charles Jules Guiteau, The Murderous Assassin of President Garfield, July 2nd, 1881.” [note: what paper from --APR] ]
- - - - - - - - - -
Friday, March 1, 1878. Commenced working for Father at $20. pr. Month. (agreed). And that I should have $15 Dollars pr Month for 7 Months in the year 1877.
Amt. received
Cash[..]”[....]$10.00
One pair Shoes 2.00
[“unpaid 264.00” is crossed-out]
Saturday, March 2, 1878 [i.e., May 1, 1879]
[“Commenced work for Father May 1, 1879” is crossed-out]
[..][“Father = Dr.” is crossed out]
[.............][“$40.00” is crossed-out]
[................ .]90.00
Sunday [March 3, 1878] [i.e., June 17, 1879]
Commenced work for the Riverside Corporation June 17, 18, 1879.
June 17 Horse to Augusta
”[.....]” Work 1/2 day
”[....]18[..]”[...]1[..]”
Monday, March 4, 1878 [i.e., November 25, 1879]
Riverside Nov. 25, 1879
Mrs. Olive Randall
[........]Dr.
[..]To I. J. Robbins
[.]for 5 1/2 days work
for cutting wood @ 1.00 = $5.50
one days work with
[.]horses[............................]2.50
1 day work[........................]1.00
1[..]”[..]”[...........................]1.00
Dec. 6[,] 1 day ”[...,,,,,,,,,,,,,]1.00
Sunday, March 24, 1878 [i.e., March 24, 1879]
Commenced bording with Mrs. O. P. Howe, March 24, 1879, at .14 ct per [“Week” is crossed out] meal
the number of meal each Week
fi[r]st Week - 13 meals
2.[.......]”[.....]12[..]”
3.[.......]”[.....]14[..]”
4.[.......]”[.....]13[..]”
Settled with Mrs. Howe April 25, 1879.
Tuesday, March 26, 1878 [i.e., April 25, 1879]
Mrs. O. P. H[o]we.[....]Dr.
[............]To 5 lb. Butter @ .20 ct.[...]1.00
April[..]7 ” 9 1/4[..]” ”[...]” .20 ”[.....]1.85
”[..........]” 4 1/2 Doz. Eggs .15[.......]6.75
”[..........]” 4[.......]”[....]”[..].14[.........].56
April 21 ”12 3/4 Butter .18[.............]2.20
”[...........]1/2 bu. potatoes .75[........]_.37
Saturday, March 30, 1878 [i.e., October 10, 1879]
Riverside, Oct. 10 1879.
Received from the Concert and Festible $18.02.
paid out
Mrs. Farwell .25 ct. for Express
O. P. Robbins $2.00 ” printing
H. H. Snell[..]$1.05 ” use of dishes
12 ct. for Oil
10 ” ”[..]lamp chimney
Express[................].25
printing[...............]2.00
for use dishes[......]1.05
Oil[........................].12
lamp chimney[...] __.10
[...........................]3.52
18.02
_3.52
$14.50
Oct. 10, 1879
Friday, April 19, 1878 [i.e., Saturday, April 19, 1879]
Saturday April 19, 1879. There is six inches of snow on the ground and still snowing.
Thursday, April 25, 1878 [i.e., April 25, 1879]
Left of[f] going to School, April 25, 1879. Augusta D.B.C. [APR note about “D.B.C.”: Music School?] [SLR note: did “D.B.C. stand for Dirigo Business College?]
Friday, [April] 26, 1878 [i.e., January 19, 1880]
Went to work on the ice Jan. 19, 1880. [APR note: April 1878 -- went to work on ice in Gardiner on Kennebec -- had worked here before. Everyone worked on ice & lumber in those days.]
Thursday, July 18, 1878 [printed date in diary; actual date of Ira’s entry not certain; Lucy also made an entry here in 1887, changing the date to July 21, 1887]
Wm. Perkns Jr., Windsor, Maine
Newyork tribune
Tuesday, September 10, 1878 [printed date in diary; actual date of Ira’s entry not certain; Lucy also made an entry here in 1887, changing the date to September 13, 1887].
Page 170 E[x]ample 13.
16y 3w 18d 30 m.
_365
2190 [.......] || P. 170. Ex 6.
3654 [..............] 300 x 40 x 45 [division symbol]
__21 [.......] || [...] 60=9000 x .15=
5865 [................] $1350. ans.
__24 [.......] || --------------------
23460 [........] Ex 7. 788436
11730 [......] || [division symbol]272 1/4 x 5/8
____18 [.......] =$1810. ans.
140778 [.....] --------------------
_____60
8446710
Monday, [November] 4, 1878 [printed date in diary; actual date of Ira’s entry not certain].
The first Snow storn [sic; i.e., storm].
Monday, November 11, 1878 [printed date in diary; actual date of Ira’s entry not certain].
Maintain Lawyer Choat No. 17185
Memoranda [section at back of diary]
Those wants Book 1879
Mrs. R. R. Merril X
Hannah R. Snell X
A. H. Snell X
H. A. Sabens X
Mrs. Farwell X
” Martha Getchl X
Thoes want Books 1880
Mrs. Russell X
[....] Hannah Snell X
Mrs. Hawes X
”[...] Martha Getchell X [note: Aunt Martha --APR]
Dr. Randall 2 X
Mrs. Farwell X
” [“Thomas Getchell” is crossed-out]
” [Cooins ?--illegible] X
” Ann Snell X
” Abbie Robbins X
” O. P. Robbins X
Mrs. James Weeks X
Memoranda [section at back of diary]
Thoes want Session leaves.
[................................] Paid 6 ct.
Harrie Hawes [..............] X
Willie Robbins [............] X
Fred[..]” [......................] X
Frank ” [......................] X
Charley Russell [...........] X
Willie Smiley [..............] X
A. Clark [.....................] X
G. Smiley [...................] X
D. Weeks [...................] X
Nellie Getchell [............] X [note: Aunt Martha’s daughter? --APR]
Angie ” [.....................] X
Mabell Robbins [..........] X
Charley Mason [...........] X
Ada Lee [.....................] X [note” Mr Peacock’s mother-in-law --APR]
Mrs. Farwell [..............] X
Allice Hawes [..............] X
Blanch Mason
[“Abbie Robbins X” is crossed-out]
James Dunlap [note: The Mill at Riverside lumber mill -- APR]
George Weeks
Charley Stevens
Bell Lee
Earnest Clark [............] X
Memoranda [section at back of diary; this list is a continuation of the list on the preceeding Memoranda page]
Georg Randall
Willie Hawes
Carrie Merrill X
Cash Account [section at back of diary covering numerous pages; Ira’s entries are copied here in one continuous sequence, instead of being broken up by the page breaks of the diary. There are three columns, labelled “Date“, “Received“ and Paid“; there are no entries in the “Received” column; the single entry in the “Paid” column will be noted below.]
April Commenced work for Marson Ap[r]il 7, 1880.
7 1/2
8 1
8 1
9 1 1/4
10 1
11 x Sunday
12 1
13 1
14 1
15 1
16 1
17 1 [Paid: $]12.18
18 S
19 1
20 1
21 1
22 1
23 1
24 1
25 S
26 3/4
27 1
28 1
29 1
30 1
May 1 1 May
2 S
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1/2
9 S
10 1
11 1
12 1/2
13 1
14 1
15 1
16 S
17 1
18 1
19 1
20 1
21 1
22 1/2
23 Sunday
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 Sunday
June 1 1 June
2 [1/4 ? or 3/4 ? --illegible]
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 Sunday
7 3/4
8 1
9 1
10
11 1
12 1
13 S
14 1
15 1
16 1
17 1
18 1
19 1
20 Sunday
21 1
22 1
23 1
24 1
25 1
26 1
17 S “
28 1/2
29 1
30 1
July 1 1 July
2 1
3 1
4 S”
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 S”
12 1
13 1
14 1/2
15 1
16 1
17 1
18 1 Sunday
19 1
20 [“1 S” is crossed-out]
21 1
22 1
23 1
24 1
25 1 S”
26 1
27 1 [“S” is crossed-out] ”
28 1/2
29 1
30 1
Aug.
1 Sunday
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 S”
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 1
13 1
14 1
15 Sunday
16 1
17 1
18 1
19 3/4
20 1
21 1
22 S”
23 1
24 1
25 1
26 1
27 1
28 1
29 S”
30 1
31 1
Sep.
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 S”
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 Sunday
13 3/4
14 1
15 1
16 1
17 1
18 1
19 S”
20 1
21 1
22 1/2
23 1
24 1
25 1
26 Sun.
27 1
28 1
29 1
30 1
Oct.
1 1
2 1
3 Sun.
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 Sunday
11 1
12 1
13 1
14 1
15 1
16 1
17 S”
18 1
19 1
20 1
21 1
22 1
23 3/4
24 S”
25 1
26 1
27 1
28 1
29 1
30 1
31 S”
November
1 1
2 1/2
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 S”
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 1
13 1
14 S”
15 1
16 1
17 1
18 1
19 1
20 1
21 S”
22 1
23 1
24 1
25 1
26 1
27 1
28 Su.”
29 1
30 1
Dec.
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1/2
5 Su.”
6 1
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 Sun.”
13 1
14 1
15 1/4
16 1
17 1
18 1 1/4
19 Sun.”
20 1
21 1
22 1
23 1
24
25
26 Sun.”
27
28 1
29 1
30 1
31 1
Jan. 1881
1 1 3/4
2 S”
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 3/4
7 1
8 1 1/2
9 Sun.”
10 1/4
11 1
12 1 1/2
13 1 1/2
14 1 1/2
15 1/2
16 Sun.”
17 11
18 1
19 11
20 1
21 1
22 3/4
23 Sun.”
24 1 1/2
25 1
26 1
27 1 1/2
28 1
29
30 Sun.”
31 1
Feb. 1881
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 Sun.”
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 1
13 Sun.”
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 Sun.”
21
22
23
24
25
26
27 S”
28 1
March
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 Sun.”
7 1
8 1
9 1
10 1
11 1/2
12 1
13 S”
14 1/2
15 1
16 1
17 1
18 1
19 1
20 S”
21 1
22 1
23 1
24
25
26
27 S”
28
29
30
31
April 1881
1
2
3
4 Sunday
5
6
7
8
9
10 S”
11 [“S” is crossed-out] ”
12
13
14
15
16
17 S”
18 [“S” is crossed-out] ”
19
20 1
21 1
22 1
23 1
24 S”
25 1
26 1
27 1
28 1
29 1
30 1
May 1881
1 Sun.
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 S”
9 1
10 1
11 1
12 1
13 1
14 1
15 S”
16
17
18
19
20 1
21 1
Sun22
23 1
24 1
25 1
26 1
27 1
28 1
29 S”
30
31
[Written inside back cover of diary:] No. 17185
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[END]