L. A. Miller Diary of 1913

(Excerpted by Fred Lindley)

• Wed. Jan. 1 - A new year at home. Fur biz steady. The usual sellers. Some New Year cards.

NOTE: FROM JANUARY 2 THROUGH JANUARY 4, MR. MILLER REPORTED AN INCIDENT IN WHICH HIS HORSE "RED CRAIG" CAUGHT HIS LEFT, HIND FOOT IN A STABLE WALL AND MR. MILLER RELATES HIS EFFORTS TO CARE FOR HIS HORSE. EVENTUALLY, MR. MILLER ARRANGED FOR DR. SOMERS TO BRING A SWING TO MR. MILLER'S STABLE, WHICH ENABLED "RED" TO BE PLACED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION.

• Sun. Jan. 5 - I was over on farm today. Ferd Buaman & I went sk. hunting. No success, but found some artichokes growing wild. Red Craig's entire leg and ham swelled out of proportion.

• Sun. Jan. 12 - I went to Woodsdale today to see Oscar Irwin. I did no biz. but hope to. I left my pliers in the hurry.

• Mon. Jan. 13 - I telephoned Oscar Irwin for my pliers. He will bring them over soon. Also, his fur. Jas. Withrow moved on Phillips farm today.

• Wed. Jan. 29 - I went over to farm and Mr. Withrow & I finished repairing the wood house. It now looks pretty decent.

• Thur. Jan. 30 - I drove to Woods Station and Reily O. Stopped as sale of Wm. Dare. I met a no. of old friends and acquaintances. I also met Chas. Gentry of Mixerville, Ind. & arranged to do some biz in future with him.

• Tues. Feb. 4 - At home. The girl skipped a __?__ and failed to appear. We don't need help that can't be told what we want them to do.

• Sat. Feb. 8 - I did some writing of letters on matters of biz. Also wrote a short narrative for Cinti. Post.

• Fri. Feb. 14 - I let Red out of his swing this AM and this PM he laid down and could not get back up. I called in a few neighbors and swung him up again.

• Sun. Feb. 16 - At home. Girls either have beaus or are off hunting one. We have a hill of a time with the girl problem. They want the $, but __?__ will they work when you most need them and when they do work they don't work to our interest, but to everybody else's. Give away service & telephone for all their relatives and friends who have no phone.

• Thur. Feb. 20 - Sandy and i worked all day on Water Closet. I tore down old one. Things look a little better in that corner now.

• Sun. Feb. 23 - At home. A day of tinkering and chores. Also attended switchboard this PM. Mrs. M. went to Hamilton with Arnold this 2 PM & got home with Ellis Glardon this 10 PM.

• Sat. Mar. 1 - Arnold & his friend Bud (Charles) Hansel went to Hamilton this PM. Drove Dona. They arrived home about 8 PM.

• Tues. Mar. 4 - Arnold & I went to Hamilton, O. We came home in snow and rain about dusk. Woodrow Wilson was sworn in as President of the U.S. at high noon today.

• Thur. Mar. 14 - This PM, I went down and took Jay Phillips home to Hamilton. The wind blew so hard from the S.W. that I took almost an hour to reach Valley View School House. Jessie was having a ciphering match. I stopped in & assisted her. Home 6:30 PM. Hudson Wagonfield pd me $1.25 for batteries - old account.

• Mon. Mar. 17 - At home. Arnold got in this AM at 8:40 having brought up his Aunt Jessica to school at Valley View.

• Fri. Mar. 21 - I was at home AM not feeling very good. This PM, I took Sister-in-law, Jessica, to her home in Hamilton from her school at Valley View.

• Mon. Mar. 24 - Arnold came in about 9 AM having, as usual, brought his aunt to school. He went out on trouble this PM and it has rained very hard all PM. He got in about 7 PM. Looks like rain all night.

• Tue. Mar.25 - Talawanda and all streams are on a rampage. Talawanda is the highest it has ever been in its history from 1st settlement of the country. Farmers crops, fences, telephone poles & lines are being swept away. Livestock of all kinds are perishing in the folk not only here, but Ohio Valley and its tributaries. But, the worst of all is the toll of human lives. Harrowing tales come straggling in from all points in Big Miami Valley of the loss of lives - homes swept into the flood, carrying human freight.

• Wed. Mar. 26 - The horrors continue. Hamilton, O. is cut off by rail & telephone & telegraph. Bridges down, Black St., Main, and C. H. & D. R.R. Champion Coated Mills burned to ground, homes swept away & lives lost, we do not know how many. East Hamilton is inundated. The first time its history. Appalling! Horrible! Our troubles of yesterday sink into insignificance. Some of our neighbors were down and saw people drown & others clinging to trees. No one to save them. No live service, no life boats; no motor boats. No nothing, for such a horrible catastrophy.

• Thur. Mar. 27 - To add to the horrors of the flood, it snowed last night and people marooned on house tops, trees, garrets, & other last havens of refuge, wet, chilled, & hungry must surely perish. The devastation in Ohio & Ind. seems to be general. We can only get meager news. No mail since Monday. We are clearing up our telephone troubles as fast as possible. Cleared up No. 10 & put several poles back in position on East line that had blown over.

• Sun. Mar. 30 - At home. The flood is over in Miami of the real suffering but much of the real suffering is yet to come. The water at Hamilton was seventeen (17) feet higher than ever before, since the settlement of this valley, a little over a hundred years ago.

• Thur. Apr. 10 - At home. And still it rains. Some water coming in my cellar, again. This is the 3rd time inside of a month that I have had water in the cellar. I never had water, but once before, since I built in 1885. That was some time in the 90's (1890).

• Sat. Apr. 19 - I went to Hamilton today. Lizzie Phillips went along. I took in 3rd Ward of Hamilton. A sad sight - desolated home of the rich and poor. Wet & wrecked. Mud galore from cellars and floors - A raging river poured over Hamilton.

• Mon. Apr. 21 - We have two exchange girls now - for a time at least. But, Mrs. Miller still frets & always will, I presume.

• Wed. Apr. 23 - Took Dr. Somers' swing (horse) home. Pd. him Dr. bill - $3 for trip & $5 for swing.

• Sun. May 18 - At home. Called over at farm & took a look around premises. Brought Lizzie's buggy & horse up for her. Arnold went to see his girl this PM.

• Tue. May 29 - I went to Hamilton this AM after linoleum. Hamilton people are in a pitiable condition as a whole. A few merchants are well stocked again, but the majority is either done and out or are making a feeble attempt to do biz. on a very meager stock of goods.

NOTE: THROUGH JUNE AND EARLY JULY, MR. MILLER REPORTS OF ARNOLD WORKING FOR HAMILTON AND OXFORD TELEPHONE COMPANIES; PROGRESS ON COMPLETING THE ROOM ADDITION; CONTINUING ISSUES WITH SWITCHBOARD OPERATORS, AND HOT WEATHER. HE REPORTS NUMEROUS DAYS IN JULY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90'S.

• Thur. July 10 - Mr. J. F. Mee came down this AM and we got out the Tax Com. & Pub. Services Com. reports for the year ending June 30, 1913.

• Fri. July 18 - A hot day. I went to Hamilton, O. after Margaret Phillips (sister-in-law) this PM. The weather became cooler this 8 PM. Our drive home was more pleasant, especially for the horse.

• Sun. July 20 - At home. The usual Sunday work and chores. Margaret Phillips & Lizzie Phillips & children were here for dinner and spent the afternoon.

• Mon. July 21 - At home AM. This PM I took Margaret Phillips to Hamilton, O. Mary Phillips - niece - went along.

• Wed. July 23 - A warm day - to rain this PM. We are needing rain for corn. Threshing is progressing rapidly. I am selling Lizzie Phillips corn at 60 cents and buyers do their own hauling. Have sold about 600 bu.

• Thur. July 31 - Still a killing heat. Corn is suffering for rain. Our man Withrow is not handling his corn crop to withstand a drought.

• Sat. Aug. 9 - Another warm one. The usual annual picnic was pulled off today - Sunday School.

• Sat. Aug. 16 - Plenty of showers, but none of them hit Darrtown to do any good. I hitched Red to spring wagon today and he did very well. This is the first time in harness, since Dec. 1912 having hurt himself Dec. 31.

• Tue. Aug. 19 - At home. Went after butter this AM. Mr. Jas. L. Shoemaker & Son came out this AM and went over farm; will probably rent same. Will meet Mr. Shoemaker tomorrow to close bargain, if possible. I believe that we have made a good choice. Time will tell.

Wed. Aug. 20 - At Hamilton today. Met Mr. James L. Shoemaker at 509 Franklin St. & introduced him to girls, Margaret Phillips and Jay, Leona, & E__?__. We were well pleased with his appearance and talk. We closed deal for rent of place - half of all grains & half of all stock, except horses for farm work & 1-3 cows for their own use. They are to raise a reasonable amt. of chickens & 1-3 pen of pigs of their own.

• Sat. Aug. 23 - Much cooler. We finished circuit on East road. I went to Oxford this PM and transacted some biz. Arnold tied in and connected up phones on new circuit - J. M. Doty, F. M. Cory, & R. E. South (?) will be also on same circuit.

• Tues. Sept. 2 - At home. Jay drove Red Craig to school this AM. He does very well.

• Thurs. Sept. 25 - Ernest & I finished up foundation for Lizzie Phillips. We should have been cutting corn instead. Raincoats and hats came today.

They were O.K., except they got the order a little mixed. Mrs. Miller has been celebrating her birthday at home.

• Fri. Sept. 26 - The folks went to Hamilton on biz. as witnesses to the will of Jos. Harris - to be probated today. I went over to the farm & tied the ten shocks cut & cut eight more & tied same - Some of the heaviest fodder or rather thickest stand I ever saw.

• Sun. Sept. 28 - At home. Doing chores. This week the Great Butler County fair opens. I went to Collinsville this PM after Jesse Phillips, my youngest sister-in-law.

• Tues. Sept. 30 - This PM, I went to Hamilton to see after some biz. of the heart. Sister-in-law, Leona Phillips, jilted by a worthless suitor, etc., etc.

• Mon. Oct. 6 - At work on books 4th quarter tel. rents. Miss Bell Wilkie helped me all day. She has helped me before and understands the routine work of doing it. We did not get through.

• Fri. Oct. 10 - I commenced work on chimney for Liz Phillips. Arnold helped. I will have a few hours work just to get it above the roof ready for the tinned, Mr. Hill of Seven Mile, O. Margaret Phillips came out this PM with Jay - another sister-in-law who teaches at Valley View. Margaret teaches in Hamilton, O.

• Sun. Oct. 12 - All at home. Father & Mother Miller are with us. Father is quite deaf at times and he does not enjoy himself as well as he would if his hearing was good. They are both spry at the ages of 75; born Aug. 1838.

• Thurs. Oct. 16 - This is my 51st milestone. Born 1862, Oct. 15-16. I celebrate the 16th - generally by working. Today, I was up at 5:30 AM & did carpenter work until noon. This PM, worked with Arnold on line N. of town.

• Sun. Oct. 19 - At home. I attended the obsequies of two people today. Mrs. Geo. Bowman & the other Clinton Decker - the first pupil that I met; he and his bro. Theo - on my first day as teacher, in 1881 - 1st Monday in Sept. Clinton was about 11 yrs. & Theo. 7 yrs of age. Clinton was a victim of typhoid fever. He made a heroic struggle - poor man - leaves a wife, two daughters, and a posthumous child to be soon.

• Sat. Nov. 1 - The diffone (?) for my father arrived this AM. An old acquaintance called & tried it & found it very satisfactory. He will probably purchase one in the near future.

• Tues. Nov. 4 - At home; busy as two bees. Voted today on various things. School bonds failed to pass again. Socialists of Hamilton elected mayor - Fred Hinkle, born and raised in Darrtown, O. What do you think of that? Also, they secured a majority on council. The Socialists will run Hamilton for the next two years.

• Wed. Nov. 6 - I got ready & went to West Chester today. I found the folks well. I took father his Diffone. It aids him very much in his hearing.

NOTE: FROM NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH NOVEMBER 13, AFTER VISITING WITH HIS PARENTS IN WEST CHESTER, OHIO, MR. MILLER TRAVELED FURTHER EAST ON "FUR" BUSINESS. HE REPORTS ON HIS BUSINESS CONTACTS IN BROWN, CLERMONT, AND HIGHLAND COUNTIES - ALL BY HORSE AND BUGGY.

NOTE: LATTER PART OF NOVEMBER IS SPENT HUSKING CORN, STORING FODDER, HUNTING RABBITS, DAILY CHORES AND CAPPED WITH THANKSGIVING DINNER AT DR. WILKIES ON NOVEMBER 27.

• Tues. Dec. 2 - I attended the sale given by Linas Beckett, one mile west of town on the old Morton farm, now owned by the Becketts. Well attended. I purchased for 10 cents a posthole auger worth $2 at least. I have needed one for years.

• Sun. Dec. 7 - Mrs. M. went to Collinsville this PM after her sister, Jay - a fine trip for an old woman on a night like this. But, no argument can change her w/ regard to such escapades.

• Wed. Dec. 10 - I went down to Kyger Bros. & watched them shred corn. Shredding corn is quite an invention.

• Mon. Dec. 22 - Thos. Shears & I went to College Corner & bought about $50 worth of fur.

• Wed. Dec. 31 - We now come to the last page in this record of a dying year. All things have their beginning and their end. This has been a disastrous year to much of humanity. The Ohio & Ind. flood of Mar. 25 - the Texas flood of November & etc., etc.

Mrs. M. & I went out to the M. E. church watch night meeting - a very fine lunch was served.