Electrified for a Few Moments

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, March 6, 1911: I passed a rather restless night. I was most too tired to sleep. I did some moaning before the night was over. It snowed in the night. Daddy took me to school this morning. What M.C.R. did at S. Was so electrified for a few moments. I got a ride home tonight. Did today’s walking yesterday.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I have no idea who M.C.R. was (another unsolved mystery in this diary!) or what was done—but it sure seems to have made an impression. Today’s “walking yesterday”, refers to walking the rails to Turbotville the previous day.

Trespassing: Walking the Rails

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, March 5, 1911: I went to Sunday school this morning. Carrie Stout and I walked to Turbotville this afternoon going up the rail road. We were rather weak in our feet by the time we got home. Ruth and I went to church this evening.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Whew, this was a hike. It’s about 5 miles each way via road and it may be a little further on the railroad tracks. In 1911 the roads weren’t paved yet, and Helena and Carrie were probably trying to avoid the mud by walking on the railroad.

Apparently lots of people walked train tracks in those days even though it officially was considered trespassing and could be dangerous. Below are excerpts from an article in the local paper, the Milton Evening Standard, that was written less than two months before Grandma and Carrie walked the rails.

Article in Milton Evening Standards, January 19, 1911

FATAL TRESPASSING

Three More Victims of Practice in the County

The Fearful Death Toll Last Year—Every Section Furnishes Share of Victims

The deplorable accident near Mount Carmel on Tuesday morning, in which three young men while walking on the tracks of the Pennsylvania railroad lost their lives in the twinkling of an en eye, should arouse the citizens of this vicinity to the terrible danger of this practice. . .

According to figures just published there were 585 persons killed on the tracks of the Pennsylvania railroad in 1910, while trespassing. In 1909 there were 633 and in 1908 743 or about two persons a day during these three years. Each community has furnished its share of victims. . .

We have become so accustomed to reading daily reports of theses horrors that we do not realize the enormous sacrifice of life and limb for the figures do not include the large number of persons injured, some permanently crippled—due to this dangerous habit. . .

It is impossible for the railroads to patrol every inch of the rights of way, so that there will be no mishaps, but by adults exercising proper care to see that children are not exposed to dangers, and exercising this care themselves, a great reduction to these fatalities can be made.

Milton Evening Standard, January 19, 1911

Sibling Teasing

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, March 4, 1911: Things certainly were stale today. Mother was so out of humor this morning and we poor kids received some scathy scoldings. We usually do nearly every Saturday, or I do at least. I have a mania for teasing Jimmie, and when I do I get some growling. If you see any mistakes in this entry, don’t let on you see them.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

At least Grandma’s mother didn’t chase her with a stir stick like she did the previous Saturday. Jimmie is Grandma’s 6-year-old brother. Siblings always tease each other but, with more than a 9-year age difference, it’s a little surprising that Grandma and her brother apparently routinely annoy each other so much that their mother feels a need to get involved.

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It sounds like Grandma believes that someone else is reading her diary. Was it her sister Ruth? . . . her mother?

Home by Daylight

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, March 3, 1911: I was invited to a dance tonight, but didn’t go because I didn’t have any one to go with. Ruthie went to Helen Wesner’s party. I would have liked to have gone too, but I wasn’t invited. I guess I am not out yet. I’ll have to sleep alone tonight for it isn’t very likely that Ruthie will get home before daylight. She’ll be lazy tomorrow.

Flinch

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, March 1, 1911:

Blustering March, month of spring,

We bid you welcome here.

You bring the sunshine and the flowers.

Hurrah for the third month of the year.

I was invited to dine out this evening and accepted the invitation. It was up at Gauger’s. My beauteous or rather vain sister was up also. It was, as I supposed in honor of the senior class. I had quite a pleasant evening. I played Flinch part of the time. My partner and I winning two games.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

A hundred years ago Flinch as a popular card game. According to Amazon’s website the game is still available– though I’m not familiar with it.

Flinch is played with a deck of 150 cards. The cards go from 1 to 15. It is kind of a cross between double solitaire and “go fish.” It can be played with partners—though partners are not necessary.

Each player receives a stack of face down cards. The first player turns over a card. If it is a “1” it is put in the center of the table. Otherwise the player puts it face up on the table in front of him- or herself.

Once the first person is finished the next player turns over a card. If the card is one higher than the top card in the center of the table, it can be placed there–or if the card is one above or below a card in front of another player it can be placed on top of that card. If the card doesn’t go anywhere, it is placed face up on the table. Play continues until a player goes out.

If a player fails to notice that a card can be put on a previously placed card, the other players yell, “flinch.”

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Grandma’s sister Ruth and Bill Gauger were both senior’s at McEwensville High School They will marry several years later.

Chased with a Stir Stick

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, February 25, 1911: Mother got mad at me this morning and chased me around with a stir stick. I always seem to get into some kind of trouble on Saturdays. I went up to Oakes this afternoon. I didn’t want to go, but Ruth wanted me to take home some papers and cards of theirs. So at last I went. I stuck fast in the mud several places, but succeeded in extricating myself. I have been for the past few days, and still am, the owner of a very sore thumb on my right hand. I guess it is either a ring-around or a run around.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I’m not positive what a stir stick was in Grandma’s day, but I think it was a wooden spoon.

I’m slightly appalled by this entry. I recognize that times were different and that physical punishment was used more frequently one hundred years ago than it is today—yet I’m still surprised that it was used to discipline an adolescent.

Being chased by her mother with a stir stick was unusual enough from Grandma’s perspective to merit mention in the diary—yet it doesn’t seem like she is particularly surprised by the action. This suggests that her mother periodically hit her.

Methods of punishment shape individuals’ attitudes toward authority and obedience. I wonder how being chased by a stir stick affected Grandma.

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The sore thumb mentioned in the entry refers to the finger that Grandma cut six days earlier.

The Sleep-over

15-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, February 24, 1911: I tried to get up this morning without awakening my bed fellow, but all in vain. We tried to make her believe she was dreaming of Him. I didn’t have a lesson out for this morning, for I didn’t study any last night, because I wouldn’t very well, but I made up for it some this evening. I managed to get through my lessons somehow. Ruth has gone to a sleighing party, thorough the mud tonight.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma, her sister Ruth, Blanche Bryson, and Edith (last name unknown—but she married Harry Reynolds in April, 1911) had a sleep-over (see yesterday’s posting).

In the late 1800s and early 1900s:

Young women routinely spent the months preceding their marriage almost exclusively with other women—at neighborhood sewing bees and quilting parties or in a round of visits to geographically distant friends and relatives—Ostensibly they went to receive assistance in the practical preparations for their new home—sewing and quilting a trousseau and linen—but of equal importance, they appear to have gained emotional support and reassurance.

Carroll Smith-Rosenberg (1978)