“Old Vermillion opened for spring term today. Ten years ago today A. Lincoln was killed.”
— April 18, 1875 diary entry from
Alexander Smalley
In the spring election of 1875, the 29-year-old bachelor farmer served as assistant clerk on Election Day. “Dined out at hotel at noon and held the election there. Did not get through until about 10 p.m.
On May 9 he notes, “Two years ago today death entered our family and took from us our dear mother. But we do not wish her back. Her home is heavenly while this would be but earthly.”
With a note of humor on June 14, Alexander writes, “Nephew Frank claims that I took a little snooze in the fence corner. He certainly must have been mistaken. The wicked cutworms are still at work in the corn. May their end soon come.”
After suffering with a toothache on June 16, “went up to Hayesville this evening and had my grumbling masticator uprooted.”
With obvious disappointment a few days later he writes, “We all went up to Ashland to see the great world’s fair on wheels, Barnum’s traveling humbug. I have never seen such a large crowd in Ashland. The show was most emphatically the completest swindle I ever witnessed. Hope it may never be repeated and me one of the victims.”
Proof that farmers were required to be masterful in many areas whether they liked it or not, Smalley writes, “I hived another swarm of bees at noon. Put in most of day after that building a new gate. Still have no reason to believe that I would make a good carpenter.”
Life, even then, had strange happenings. In July, “Mrs. Hib Ridgley swore her life against her husband, after which he was arrested and put in the calaboose.”
Summer was spent with fun gatherings, travel with neighbors and friends, and baseball games held at a harvest home festival for the township farmer’s club.
October brought harvest “had only 212 bushels of oats from 8 acres. Had 695 bushel of wheat, 313 in barn and 382 in stacks, about 17 bu to the acre,” he writes on Oct. 7.
Numbers of voters in the Oct. 12 election “were 433 polled in our township, being one more than we have had for 12 years. Though now Tom Harper is low with typhoid fever.”
The next evening he notes, “Went to Ashland and learned Hayes was elected by a 30,000 majority. Question at club tonight: “Should a housewife have a college degree?”
Without a name mentioned, Smalley writes “by mutual agreement a cessation of hostilities on my part for all time to come will date from this evening. What joy in freedom!” Five nights later he writes, “Secured the very excellent company of Miss A – and proceeded to public entertainment at Jerome. By making a 50 cent donation at the door we were escorted to a good seat from which a good view could be obtained of the orchestra. Magnificent scenery. The exercises were par excellent!”
