L. A. Miller Diary of 1921

(Excerpted by Fred Lindley)

Jan. 1: I attended the Darrtown Livestock Protective Association meeting. Everything discussed, except the things the Association stands to do. Taxation was the only thing discussed.

Jan. 3: Congress is slipping badly so far and are trying to build up what they have burnt up in the past 18 months. “But, the mill will never, never grind with the waters that have passed.”

Jan. 5: Arnold and I put up some new wire in the village of Collinsville. We had a puncture coming home; but were soon fixed up and got home before dark. K of P’s installed my successor. William P. Glardon waspresent. I am glad to be relieved.

Jan. 12: ...I received a letter from Miss Ernestine Brook – Ocala, Fla. – in regard to my land. 40 acres. The old (__?__) is holding it down. I am glad to have some one to look after it Miss Ernestine is the daughter of Capt. (__?__) Brooks, who was a good friend to D. C. Hulse, also David Hulse and finally, myself.

Jan. 14: A skift of snow this AM. Roads are slippery, but good for cars...Disarmament must come to a long suffering World...

Jan. 15: ...I called at James Pherris this PM and we had a game of   . I worked at switchboard this PM, while the women entertained the Priscilla Club.

Jan. 17: ...Bill M. Miller, our only grandson, was with us last night and this AM. He kept us all busy for a 3 and 1⁄2 year old. I engaged some pork ribs and back bones of Clem Pfaff. Will go up and get them tomorrow AM.

Jan. 22: Roads are being cut up badly by trucks and cars...The usual January thaw.

Jan. 23: I went up to K of P hall and did some work on reports to Grand Lodge. Also saw Mrs. L.J. Shuck in regard to some fur sets.

Feb. 2: ...I attended the Father and Son banquet given by the Lutheran church. A very good program was rendered after the banquet.

Feb. 3: ...Roads almost impassable, due to a lack of funds and a common sense method of repairing them.

Feb. 4: ...I intended to go to Oxford, O. today; but Arnold has some trouble on 14 line and he needed the horse. Auto traffic is difficult.

Feb. 5: At home. We attended the dinner given by the Darrtown Stock Protective association. A good attendance and a good supply of oysters and everything that goes with them. A biz meeting was held after dinner & two members taken in. A.S. Clark and H.R. Bryant.

Feb. 9: At home. A cold caused by sleeping in damp rooms. We will have to open fire place and put in a grate before another winter rolls around.

Feb. 10: I went to Harry Kapp’s sale in AM, but did not stay long. Too cold and rain set in. Barton Smith and I walked home in rain. This did not do my cold any good.

Feb. 13: ...Mr. and Mrs. Glardon called this PM. Formerly old neighbors – now back to live – 1 and 1/2 miles southon Hamilton-Richmond Pike.

Feb. 21: ...This PM, we went up after auto. Paid Oxford Motor Co. $235 cash for a 1919 model – had not been used much – in excellent condition. Motor is good one and tires in good condition.

Feb. 24: ...Arnold put in a phone today for Emil Wittman on line 14 near Taylor School house.

Mar. 3: ...Arnold put in a telephone for Jesse Francis Motor Repair shop here in town.

Mar. 5: ...Arnold and I ran some wire & extended No. 17 to take in the Phillips farm. Some new people there now that may not stay long. But, we will have to take a chance on them anyhow.

MARCH 15, 16, & 17: MR. MILLER DESCRIBED A TRIP THAT HE TOOK TO ATTEND THE OHIO INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE CONVENTION IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. HE TRAVELED FROM DARRTOWN TO HAMILTON AND THEN, ON TO COLUMBUS. PRESUMABLY HE TRAVELED BY RAILROAD BETWEEN HAMILTON AND COLUMBUS, AS HE DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS JOURNALS.

Mar. 30: Geo. Kolb called this AM. John Pherris hauled manure away this morning. I looked after my setting hens this PM. Good pasture on ... for cows and horses...

Apr. 7: ...the Ohio State Telephone Co. is going into the hands of AT&T...

Apr. 10: ...We called at the Jas. Pherris home this PM and had a game of Pedro. Paul Neanover and Bruce Cox also joined the game...

Apr. 14: Pres. Harding scraps the  League or attempts to do so. He is biting off a big chunk with 48 nations already in the League...

Apr. 17: No baseball game and no practice today. Next Sunday is the big game. Darrtown vs. Potters (__Tramps?__) of Cinti. KOI  game.

Apr. 20: ...The Pythias Sisters had a supper this PM and a good one.

Apr. 21: ...This PM, I attended the baseball game, Darrtown vs. Potters. A hotly contested game all the way through. Lack of practice on the part of Darrtown and teamwork beat them.

May 1: ...A great ball game this PM. Darrtown vs. Edgewood. 10-0. A walk-away for Darrtown. 536 paid admissions.

May 8: ...A big ball game this PM. Mabley & Carew vs. Darrtown. Score 11 to 4 favor of Mabley and Carew. Our team did good work up to 5th inning and then they went whiz. Blew up completely – the whole bunch – the pitcher and field as well. Should have changed pitchers in the 5th, by all means.

May 10: ...Germany has agreed to payto theextent of her ability. She is bound to leave a loophole to get out of it in the end.

May 15: A great game this PM. KOI League. Newport vs. Darrtown. Darrtown walked away with Newport 13 to 2. Next Sunday, it will be Coca Cola vs. Darrtown.

May 22: ...Ball game this PM and a good one. Darrtown vs. Coca Cola’s of Cincinnati. Score 2 to 1 favor of Darrtown. If umpire had done his duty, it would have been 3-0. But, everyone seemed satisfied and pleased.

May 26: ...Betsy (cow) had a heifer calf this PM. She seems to be doing well.

May 29: ...Ball game. Colonials vs. Darrtown. 7 to 4 favor of Darrtown.

June 1: ...Congress is still spending the people’s money and real hard times are upon us. 4 to 5 million are out of employment in the U.S.

June 5: ...Ball game. Elmwood vs. Darrtown. 8 to 3. Darrrtown lost by a bad decision of umpire. Followed by still another bad decision that produced 5 R for Elmwood. The umpire quit after losing Darrtown’s game.

June 7: Much warmer. No rain in sight.

BETWEEN JUNE 7 AND JULY 20, MR. MILLER FREQUENTLY COMMENTED ON THE HOT WEATHER (CITING TEMPERATURES IN THE 90’S) AND LAMENTED THE LACK OF RAIN. HE OFTEN DESCRIBED THE EFFECT OF THE DROUGHT ON FARM CROPS.

June 9: ...Arnold has been working in Oxford doing some wiring for the White Star Oil Co. He commenced on William Weiss’s new house this PM.

June 12: ...Mrs. Lizzie Phillips & children came over this PM. I went to the ball game this PM. L B Harrisons vs. Darrtown. Score: 9-0. Darrtown got a good skinning. Her pitcher beat her. The L B Harrisons pitcher put it all over our boys – allowing only 6 hits. The H’s got 15 hits. Some clean up.

June 14: ...   Bill went to the Miami University commencement this AM with the Davis girls.

June 19: ...I attended ball game this PM. Price Hill vs. Darrtown. Score: 2-6. Our new pitcher did well. Pell of Foster Crossing, O.

June 25: ...Lightning struck the chimney of Ed Teckman’s house and filled the rooms near it with soot. No one hurt...

June 26: ...Baseball this PM. [__Goldus__ or __Gilders__?] vs. Darrtown. Score: 1-2. A great game – a good crowd & everyone satisfied.

July 1: ...This PM went with Harry Teckman after cable at Oxford. We landed it OK at Darrtown.

July 3: ...A ball game with a gang of boozed roughnecks from Middletown. Score 3-3, up to 8th inning, when roughnecks started a row.

July 4: ...The hottest day of the season so far. Baseball at Middletown. Score Middletown 3 - Darrtown 14. The Darrtown team got good & even with the Middletown roughnecks. I did not go to see the slaughter.

July 6: Very hot (96 degrees at mid-day). The K of P installed officers & had four gallons of ice cream afterward.

July 8: ...Dr. Gadd of Hamilton came this AM to pick blackberries. I went out & spent the day with chiggers & briars. Dr. Gadd is a brother-in-law married Leona Phillips.

July 10: A scorcher for heat (96 degrees) Ball game. Darrtown vs. Colonials of Cinti. Score 3 to 7 favor of Cinti. team. Poor playing by Darrtown – our pitcher was sick and the manager should not have let him gone in the box. Poor hitting, also.

July 17: A dry, hot Sunday. A local game of baseball was staged. 6 innings were played. Score 7 to 7. No one lost, everyone satisfied.

July 20: Much cooler. The long drought is over, I think.

July 24: ...I went to the KOI game at Darrtown Ball Park. Darrtown vs. Potters of Cinti. Darrtown lost – score 4 to 1 favor of Potters.

July 25: ...A fire at C.M. McVicker’s – Tractor set fire to baler & straw;; lost more than half of straw baled & also straw not baled – damaged baler some.

July 31: ...Baseball game PM. Darrtown vs. Cycles. 8 to 2. A good game, until Cycles blew up in 5th inning.

Aug. 4: At home, such as it is – with constant commotion. Nothing suits the women folk – fighting the job from morning to night. Everything has an ending and this condition must have one.

Aug. 5: ...A ball game this PM. A mixed crowd from Darrtown and Oxford played the Liberty Ind. Team. Liberty won easily.

Aug. 7: ...We had the usual ball game. It has become a Sunday habit. Darrtown vs. Cycles of Hamilton. Cycles defeated in both games – which ends the series. Next Sunday, Hamilton vs. Darrtown.

Aug. 8: Arnold and I got busy on the Collinsville line and got all the 1 mile from Ledwell’s woods to Collinsville strung;; but, not stretched. Will finish tomorrow. We had Bell bring us lunch at noon.

Aug. 12: ...Ball game this PM. Guber’s [?] team of Oxford. All old players, except one boy;; the rest were men. The boy, W. Ramsey, did well for a long-legged kid. Score 6 – 4 favor of Darrtown.

Aug. 13: ...I went to the Sunday School picnic this PM. Billy M. Moulton and son came today. My grandson is named for him. He lives in Seattle, Washington. A printer.

Aug. 14: At home – a ball game this PM. Darrtown (12) vs. Hamilton (0). A general defeat.

Aug. 21: At home in AM. Mr. Curtis and family came this PM. We went to Trenton to witness ball game between Darrtown and Trenton. Score 3 – 4 favor of Trenton. We then detoured over Elk Creek – a beautiful drive in a new country to me – and on to Res. of Jas. M. Cox, Ex-Gov. of Ohio. He has fixed up the old home farm and built a fine barn & other farm buildings.

Aug. 25: At work on North Street. We are ready to cross Darrtown Pike tomorrow. Digging has been hard all day. We had tree roots to go through this PM.

Aug. 26: At work on cable trench laid to John F. Mee’s Res. I got my hand in the drive chain & the 3rd finger of right hand badly pinched. Will lose finger nail, no doubt. Hope it will be no worse. Dr. A. B. Wilke attended to it. Mrs. Wilke gave me first aid. Dr. was at ball game. Geo. Francis went after him for me...I reported accident to I.M.C.A.

Aug. 28: ...Ball game PM. Darrtown vs. Trenton. Score 9 – 3 favor of Darrtown. A walk- away for Darrtown.

Aug. 30: ...My grandson Bill Miller is 4 years old today – a bright and promising boy.

Aug. 31: Hot summer weather. My finger is getting along as well as could be expected. I will lose the nail, of course. Jos. Herron and I went after watermelon this PM. Woodsdale. Mr. Flenner’s...Bill went along. He went to sleep on the way down, but was wide-awake coming home.

FOR MANY OF THE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER, MR. MILLER DESCRIBED WORK RELATED TO INSTALLING TELEPHONE LINES;; DIGGING TRENCHES, LAYING LINES, SETTING POLES, AND INSTALLING “LATERALS” AND/OR CROSS- MEMBERS ON THE POLES.

Sept. 2: At home. The ball game with Becketts of Hamilton just got started, when the rain set in...1 to 1...with two on base when rain stopped the game.

Sept. 3: ...The game between Somerville and Darrtown this PM called off on account of rain.

Sept. 4: ...No ball game today. Called off on account of ball grounds in bad condition & prospect of rain this PM. Having a quiet Sunday.

Sept. 11: We were getting ready to go to Brookville, Ind. to see ball game this PM;; but, a big rain came up about 11 AM and game was declared off.

Sept. 17: ...We took Bill, our grandson down to the Talawanda to see the Freshman & Sophomores in a Tug of War. The Sophomores were not in it very long. The froshies began to gain rope in the beginning and in 16 minutes had them across the stream.

Sept. 18: ...I attended a good game of baseball this PM. Darrtown vs. Trenton. Score 6 – 3, favor of Darrtown.

Sept. 25: ...Storm 1 AM, accompanied by severe lightning. Burn struck on old Jim Nixon farm 2 mi. south of here; totally destroyed big barn built 84 years ago. Could not be replaced for less than $5,000 today.

Sept. 26: ...I attended the milk meeting held at the school house this PM. Mr. Hartke of Erlanger, Ky. was the speaker. They are organizing a Coop. Milk Co. A good thing and should be backed by every man that sells milk.

Sept. 28: I went to Eaton to attend the Preble Co. fair for the first time in 40 years that I have lived in easy distance by train...We went with Mark Nichol. Mr. Ed Rusa [?] came home with us. The boys took in Eaton: while waiting in Mark’s auto, we frustrated a couple of auto thieves from taking a Ford coupe runabout, owned by Toring [?] Shaffer of Seven Mile, O.

Sept. 29: Arnold and I did some work about town today. We stretched a No. 6 from cable pole...to Shuck’s Corner to string in duplex. An electrical storm passed to the north of us – hailed in some spots and did some damage, also by lightning – killing 3 horses for Ras [?]  Jasbring – working in the field.

Oct. 2: ...At home. Baseball this PM. Clippers vs. Darrtown. 7 – 0 favor of the Clippers.

Oct. 5: ...The young folks went to the Butler Co. fair today. Wife and I stayed on the job – at home.

Oct. 9: At home. Baseball game this PM. Clippers vs. Darrtown. Score: 4 – 3 favor of the Clippers. This closes the series and probably the season for the Darrtown baseball club.

Oct. 16: Darrtown was lost today. No ball game. A good number went to see games at other places. This is my birthday. But, no one made any noise about it. Born 1862, Oct. 16, a little after midnight. Came close to being born on Oct. 15.

Oct. 18: ...Some men are grading the Darrtown & Hamilton pike this week.

Oct. 23: ...The Clippers and Liberties of Hamilton had a battle-royal on the Darrtown ball ground this PM. Score 4 – 3 favor of the Clippers.

Oct. 28: ...We put in a lateral for Prof.Zuber. He moved across the street.

Nov. 7: ...did some telephone work on our east lead – finished setting down poles as far as Geo. Kyger's. Also, worked on a lateral from cable poles and put in a new line to Ed Teckman's.

Nov. 14: ...packed handbags & left on 10:30 PM B & O for Chicago. I’ll attend U. S. Ind. Telephone Association. On train all night.

Nov. 15, 16, and 17: MR. MILLER WROTE IN DETAIL ABOUT THE CONVENTION, THE HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS AND SIGHTS OF CHICAGO.

Nov. 18: I pulled out this AM at 9:20 on Morrow for home...arrived in Oxford at 4:40 PM. Home at 6:30 PM. All okay.

Nov. 22: ...I went to Oxford, O. this AM. Dick got lame and I had to let him walk there and back. I called on Mrs. Thayer regarding her fur coat. She will send same to factory to get repaired.

Nov. 23: ...Arnold is still working out at Wm. Weiss’s on electrical wiring.

Nov. 24: ...Son, Arnold, and O. E. Kumler are busy this week wiring Wm. Weiss barn and house.

Nov. 30: ...I attended K o P lodge this PM. Also went to Farm Bureau meeting. Some very good talks. County Agent, Mr. John Hunmenth [?] gave a good sensible talk.

Dec. 3: ...Chores engaged my attention all day. Cows to milk, calves to feed keep me busy. Ålso, chickens & horse. Arnold finished up at Mr. Weiss's.

Dec. 5: ...This PM, I went to Oxford & got papers made out to the IMCA, as regards my finger accident last summer. The finger is not entirely well at this writing, but I think it is safe against blood poison.

Dec. 8: ...We are getting lines in shape slowly & will have by [?] the cable in full possession of the town. People can now trim their own trees.

Dec. 10: ...The Peace Conference has progressed in a wonderful manner considering the difference of people and nations. The U.S. has set the pace. We have it on the rest of the world, when it comes to $ and destructive implements of war – and they know it. It puts us in a position to demand attention.

Dec.17: At home. I attended to chores this AM and then went to barber shop. I took Mrs. Wilkie a roast of beef. No charge. I gave Fr. Cunningham a roast of beef in return for turnips he gave me. He had no use for the turnips – about 40 lbs. I am feeding them to the cows and young heifer. They like them

Dec. 21: ...I attended K of P Lodge. The new Constitution went through. I wrote it. This is the 3rd Constitution I have written for Bonhomie 578 K of P. I have always been made chairman & the work has always devolved upon the chairman. This certainly speaks well for the confidence the lodge has always placed in me.

Dec. 24: ...I attended a Christmas entertainment at the M.E. church this PM. Very good.

Dec. 29: ...I went to Hamilton this PM and got my lower set of teeth. Fit okay. Also had impressions taken on [?] for upper plate. Will get that next week.

Dec. 31: ...The young folks attended a New Year social at the K. of P. Hall. I called a few minutes, but did not stay to see the new year in or the old year out.