Three More Graduation Gifts

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

Friday, May 23, 1913: It was rather a dreary day today. Got three more presents today. Mother was up to Turbotville and brought them home with her. Wish it would stop raining soon.

John and Sarah Derr with daughter Annie (circa 1900)

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

Grandma’s graduation gifts sure straggled in over a long period of time. She graduated from McEwensville High School on April 23, 1913—exactly one month before this diary entry.

The presents probably were from her grandparents and an aunt. Grandma’s maternal grandparents, John and Sarah Derr lived in Turbotvile.

Grandma also had at least one aunt—Annie Van Sant— who lived in Turbotville. Aunt Annie was grandma’s mother’s youngest sister. She was married to a doctor, but had no children. Based upon previous entries, I have the impression that Aunt Annie tended to give very nice gifts.

I wonder how many graduation gifts in total Grandma received. On May 4, she wrote:

Although it is over a week since commencement, I received a present today. Making eighteen in all.

So, Grandma received at least 21 gifts—the previous 18 plus the additional 3.

Tried to Make Sister Miserable

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

Wednesday, May 21, 1913: Didn’t feel very well with morning, so I tried to take it out in making Ruthie miserable. Although I don’t I succeeded.

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

What did Grandma do to her sister Ruth? It must have been pretty bad if she admitted that she wasn’t nice in the diary.

Usually when Grandma and her sister Ruth weren’t getting along, Grandma would use her author’s prerogative and blame the problem on Ruth—though Grandma generally called Ruth, Rufus when she was angry.

For example, on October 28, 2012 Grandma wrote:

Got mad at the Rufus tonight. I think she can be so mean sometimes.

And, on June 5, 2012 she wrote:

Trotted up to McEwensville this morning on an errand for Rufus, the dear little mortal.

Hauling Milk Over to the Spring for Storage

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

Monday, May 20, 1913: Ruthie and me a nice little wooden wagon in which to haul milk over to the spring, and this would save us from breaking our backs for that can of milk is almost a dead weight.

milk can (photo source: Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site) — Milk Can (Photo Source: Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site)

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

Grandma’s family had several milk cows. The milk from the cows was put into large cans. The cans filled with milk were then stored for a day or two until it was sold to a dairy or made into butter.

Spring houses were used in the days before electric refrigeration to keep the milk cold. A small building was built over a spring, and the milk cans were placed in the cool water that flowed through the building.

an example of a spring house (This spring house is not on the Muffly farm.) (Source: Wikipedia) — An Example of a Spring House (This spring house is not on the Muffly farm.) (Source: Wikipedia)

I’d have demanded a cart, too. Milk cans filled with milk were heavy. I don’t know where the spring house was located, but it probably was some distance away from the barn.

Did Grandma’s mother take the suggestion seriously—or did the request go in one ear and out the other?

New Wall Paper in the Kitchen

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

Monday, May 19, 1913: Saw the kitchen papered this afternoon. It looks quite stylish.

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

Whow! I’ve totally missed the context of the diary entries the past few days. (I probably should read further ahead.)

I thought that spring housecleaning lasted for a couple weeks when I read diary entries that said things like, “Nothing much doing, but the doing of rubbing, scrubbing, etc.” (May 14, 1913).

Really, they probably did the spring house cleaning in early May, and then moved on to removing old wall paper from the kitchen wall in preparation of re-papering.

The caption on this black and white picture in the an article called, “Good Taste in the Farm House” in the October, 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal says:

“Here striped wall paper in two tons of green was used to give the effect of great height to this low-ceiled room. The furniture was painted a willow green to harmonize with the walls and the cretonne curtains.”

Did the rather stylish Muffly kitchen look anything like the picture in the magazine?

A Celebration of Something

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

Saturday, May 17, 1913: Went to Watsontown this afternoon. There was a big time going on in there. The celebration of something. I don’t just know exactly what. There must have been at least four or five different bands. I’m pretty tired by this time. Had to do all the milking after I came home.

Were the bands marching down Main Street?

Or maybe they were playing at the Watsontown Park.

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

Hmm—Sounds like fun, though it’s interesting that Grandma wasn’t quite sure what the event was about.

Did her sister Ruth stay at the celebration in Watsontown?

Based on previous diary entries, I think that Grandma and Ruth typically each milked several cows.

They sometimes traded the milking chore so that one of them could do something else. Grandma might milk Ruth’s cows one day—and Ruth would milk Grandma’s a few days later.

Washing the Kitchen Ceiling

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

Tuesday, May 13, 1913: Started to earn my dollar washing off the kitchen ceiling. Want to get it finished by tomorrow. The Bryson girls were down.

Blanche Bryson (Source: “Cut” from picture in History of the McEwensville Schools by Thomas Kramm. Used with permission.)

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

Really?? Washing the kitchen ceiling?? Why?? I’ve knocked a few spider webs down from ceilings, but I’ve never washed a ceiling in my life.

Whew, it must have been a lot of work, if it was going to take two days. At least Grandma got paid for doing it. $1 back then would be worth about $24 today.

The Bryson Girls

One of the Bryson girls would have been Blanche. She was a friend and Grandma’s and her sister Ruth, and is mentioned several places in the diary. Blanche was a teacher at the Keefertown School, a one-room school house, near McEwensville. Both Blanche and Ruth went to the Sunbury teachers’ meeting that I showed a picture of a few days ago. I’m not sure what the other Bryson girl’s name was.

Mother’s Day Celebrated a Hundred Years Ago

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

Sunday, May 11, 1913: Mother’s Day. Went to Sunday School this morning. Managed to while away the time for I didn’t go any place, because I didn’t.

Mothers.Day.5.15.11 — Source: Milton Evening Standard (May 15, 1911)

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

According to Wikipedia, Anna Jarvis organized the first modern Mother’s Day celebration in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia to honor mothers and motherhood. Ms. Jarvis promoted the holiday, and it soon spread to other places. It became an official US holiday in 1914.

It’s surprising how quickly Mother’s Day caught on throughout the country. Grandma considered it important enough to mention in the diary in 1913—only 6 years after the first celebration of Mothers Day. And, the local newspaper, The Milton Evening Standard, had an article about it two years earlier.