in cattle ranching, Depression era

May 11-20, 1933

1933 May 11th Thursday

Cloudy, rainy, cold all day and a foggy morning. The men chored and all but Will branded and vaccinated some of Hugh Smith’s calves. Will’s foot hurt so bad, he stayed in bed. Wm went to Lattimores before breakfast to see about getting crutches but has none. I got meals and made lemon & raisin pie. Hugh and Cliff Smith and Guy Parish left with team, wagon [and] a saddle horse for Dallas and to Carter to-nite. Knute Strid, Chas. Carpenter and John Sundquist bargained for a gray mare on way to store.

1933 May 12th Friday

Some clouds, sun shone at times and a shower at noon. Ben came and went with Wm and Narve to big pasture and also sold gray mare to Strid and they took it back in late p.m. Harold Whiting, Pat, Violet, Dorothy, Reuben and M. Lattimore here and Will has gone to Winner with Mr. Curt Elshire along and not home at bed-time and foot still painful. A Totton and Allen boy brought mare to breed.

1933 May 13th Saturday

Bright, real nice until towards eve clouded and some wind. Wm went to pasture and fixed chicken pen in p.m. Narvin hauled some manure from house banking. Will got in at 1 p.m. and mailed letters and in p.m. took Narvin, saddle and bridle to Boyds, and Narve was to stay all night and bring Swede up tomorrow but Joe Iddings and Claude Sully came and wanted to see horses so Will went right back to Boyds and Narve came in eve. Wm got in water and I got clothes on line as Will turned ringer and they dried nicely before north dusty wind towards eve, also the meals and mopped floors, but I am all in.

1933 May 14th Sunday

Bright, beautiful Mother’s Day. We got up at sun-rise and after choring and breakfast the men separated horses and put in corral and Joe Iddings and Claude Sully came in p.m. to look at them and bought 3 of Will’s and 5 of Wm’s. Wm, Narvin and I went to church and home at 2 p.m. and they went horse-back to Elshire ball-game, then on to John Boyd’s and home at bed-time. Will and I to game, stopped at Wheelers and Tates. Met Ora Daywitts leaving here on way back home. Will’s foot hurts this eve.

1933 May 15th Monday

Beautiful day, but a few clouds and a shower in p.m. then sun shone. The men chored and Wm and Narvin took horses to Claude Sully’s west of O’Kreek and back for dinner. Mose helped them up with Boyd’s 2 horses, got in at 11 p.m. and Mose went to Elshires this morning to work. I got meals. Will started to clean cellar and Narvin helped when he and Wm got started to plow for garden and Wm finished. A Totton boy came to breed mares in eve and stayed for supper. Will, Narvin and I went to Mission Graduating Class Play, “A Man Higher Up,” was put on nicely by the seniors and we [got] back at 11 p.m. and Tottons’ wagon was west of store minus a team.

1933 May 16th Tuesday

A lovely forenoon but not p.m. and some clouds and dust from south-west. The men chored and Wm and Narvin planted garden and got own meals for Will and I went to Furrey’s. L A. J. Josiak 2 miles south of Carter and Thomas Whiting caught us near Furreys so Fred Larmer rode with him as he went with us from Furreys and Harry and Bechstel came later so he came back with them and Will and I went to Rumolfson’s, Murphy’s, back to Winner, got rhubarb and tomato plants, to Witten where we ate ice-cream, to Chas. Storms north of Witten, to John Jansen’s, Mosher, to O’Kreek, to Tom Sazama’s, to O’Kreek again but no trees on Martin load Sioux City truck so home, and Will, Jerry Bowlin and a boy for John Sundquist cattle, B. J. Wagner here. He drives sorrel team named King and Queen.

1933 May 17th Wednesday

Bright and real hot everywhere, even indoors, first real hot day of season. The men chored and Wm, Narvin, Will and Noble Moore, who came this a.m., set out rhubarb and tomato plants, and Will and I took eggs and got groceries at store and I got meals and men branded and vaccinated our calves in p.m. Walter Ross came this a.m. Will got oil-stove down from up-stairs and cleaned a little at basement. Ben Clausen came in eve, brought lister lay.

1933 May 18th Thursday

Bright, hot, 88 in shade at mid-day and a N.W. breeze. I got meals and wrote some letters. The men chored and Wm and Narvin got in horses and took some stock to big-pasture. Will hurt his foot yesterday so can hardly walk but sprouted potatoes, visited with a man from south towards Valentine who came to see if Mike could be bought. Will went to Earl Allen, west of store, and they will bring down their cattle to-morrow. Being so warm the men couldn’t work hard in p.m. but took it easy in late p.m. and put some 2 yr. old horses to corral as they separated mares from geldings and kept old mares close in. Have orders for underwear nearly finished but I quit. Mr. & Mrs. Boyd stopped on way to store.

1933 May 19th Friday

Cool N.E. breeze and bright until towards eve real cloudy in west but passed south. The men got in water and I washed clothes and got them dry, also the meals but I can hardly walk in eve so all in. Will, Narve and Wm castrated colts in a.m., then Will went in wagon to Furreys, got their car and he and Fred went to O’Kreek but no trees there and he brought lister back. Narvin & Wm met Allen boy with their cattle and after dinner he went home and they took to big-pasture and brought in young steer calves to castrate that belong to Hugh Smith. Oscar Ross and son Alf brought 9 bu. potatoes for R. F. C. workers and they have 10 bu. at home. Roland Wilcutt went by with a team of white horses.

1933 May 20th Saturday

Bright but cool N.E. wind. I got meals and baked bread and mopped floors. The men chored and got lister ready and near noon William started to list corn out here at home. Jay Tate and Dickie were here in a.m. after lister repairs. Will got seed-corn at Tony Martin’s, and Narvin a load of hay at Moore Creek and he and Will put it in barn in eve. John Sundquist stopped on way to the store, he drives some team they got from the Hutchins named King and Queen.