September 1901

As Summer stretches into Fall in Middleburg and Zane Township, Mayme grows from teenager to young lady – she is about to become a Junior in high school. Her parents collect her from week-long getaway in Allen Center, Ohio. She’s welcomed home by the community, settles in, and launches herself into the fall harvest work. In addition to the daily household chores and ongoing sewing and embroidery projects, Mayme and her mamma handle the work of canning peaches, plums, and grape butter. Pa hires Charley Curl to bring in the corn and Charley stays for dinner — a common approach with field hands.

Shortly before school takes up in mid-September (long before Daylight Savings Time), Mayme notes that President McKinley has been shot by an anarchist. Not long after “school commences,” the president dies a slow and agonizing death from gangrene caused by his wounds. Middleburg is worlds away from Washington D.C. and other than a last brief note on Sept 19 mentioning “No school today – Mr. McKinley was buried.” the events around the passing of the 25th President (and the fifth one from Ohio) seem to have little effect on Mayme and her little corner of the universe.

Socially, Mrs. Wirick is buried, Mayme’s teacher, Mr. Kurtz, gets married, and two new characters are introduced: the mysteriously unmarried Carpenter girls whom she’s taken to visiting. They seem to be a few years older than Mayme and have “fellows” who come to call.

Lastly, the toothache that began last month persists and develops into an infection. More on that in the October installment.

Editor’s note: Installment ten, October 1901, will be posted in October.

1. Mamma and papa came after me. Charlie’s were here. Came home and went after Anna, Tell was there. Warm time in Middleburg, everybody “well.” Came home alone.
2. Peeled peaches and washed the dishes. Made my bed, picked grapes and made jelly. Went down to Anna’s, we came after the mail.
3. Peeled peaches and pears. Carle Von and Mable Euans here for dinner. Worked on my cushion, went uptown in the evening. Ota, Hazel, and I were there – saw Port but that’s all.
4. Mamma washed. I canned 9 quarts of plums. Worked on my cushion and the show came to town. Mrs. Wirick was buried. Mr. Kurtz, the teacher, was married. Went uptown in the evening, saw Paulline and Port, got the mail and came home alone.
5. Picnic at Slaty Hollow but I did not go. Ironed in the forenoon, worked on cushion, went over to Mable Euans in the afternoon, then uptown at night. Home after.
6. Heard that President McKinley has been shot.
7. Worked hard until after two o’clock, then went after baking powder. Went uptown at night.
8. Went to Sunday School. Ota, Pauline and I went to the cemetery. Ota came home with me for dinner. Anna and Tell here for supper. Anna and Fred brought me home.
9. Picked over the grapes; mamma washed. I went for Jess in the evening. Took laundry up, lonely night.
10. Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz came over. I ironed and mamma made grape butter. Pa went to East Liberty. Joe Rea was here for supper. Uptown at night. Anna came from Bertha’s.
11. I ironed. Charley Curl cut the corn. Toothache. Hemstitched on handkerchief. Went down to Anna’s. Iza was sick. I went to prayer meeting. Went with Jessie down to Mr. Kurtz’s.
12. Picked a chicken. Charley Curl came here for dinner. Anna and Miss Moore here in the evening.
13. Canned fruit, wrote a letter, got a new rocking chair. Went down to Anna’s and saw Austin Heath – first time since his returning. Got called down to the post office, talked to G. C., Ethel and Anna came home with me.
14. President McKinley died. Worked hard all day. Went up to the school house then got my belt fixed. It rained, so I could not go uptown at night. Pa got collars.
15. Rainy. Went to Sunday School, Dr. Davis taught class. Alpha is here. Went down to Nell and Tell’s for supper. Jesse sat on lap in church. Gave Arthur the long mitten.
16. School commenced today. Went by for Nell. Arthur and Austin brought two watermelons. Wrote to Jim, went down to the Carpenter girls in the evening. Went by for Jesse, rather dry.
17. At school, George Curl came. Peeled peaches at night. Nett Carpenter here. Heard Sile Marquis – holler scared me.
18. Pretty cold – no fire at school (30 cents – Ha! Ha!). I studied at night. Mr. Curl got peaches, burned face.
19. No school today – Mr. McKinley was buried. Jim Davis and wife were here. Went down to Anna’s then went over to see Austin’s relics. Went to prayer meeting at night with Nell and Anna.
20. School again. Rather dry. Anna came after me at night. Stella, Ethel, Anna brought me homw.
21. Ironed. Hazel here in the afternoon. Took cats off and took the eggs uptown. Went uptown at night but couldn’t find the girls so I came home. Mrs. Marquis was here until Oll came after her. Wrote to Cecil.
22. Went to Sunday School in the morning – Hazel Painter came with me for dinner. Went to Sunday School in the afternoon and Endeavor at night.
23. School again. George H. Denta started, Nell came after peaches and took eggs up. Went down to Tell’s and sat in Lilly Outland’s carriage. Studied after I came home.
24. School again. I knocked the teacher’s glasses off. Mr. Joe Rae here for dinner. Mrs. Ware and Mrs. Stratton here in the evening. Worked math problems and read in the new “Young Barbarians” book.
25. School again — today was the most fun since school commenced. Carleton here all night. Pa went to Zanesfield. Libby Euans and Mable stopped here. Saw Anna. Went after coal oil.
26. At school – not quite so much success. Anna and I took a walk after school, she came back up in the evening. I have a bad cold.
27. At school. Played ball. Ota got her hat. Went uptown at night and got some new garters.. Anna took her hat up to get it trimmed. I have a toothache again.
28. Did up my work, peeled peaches, read. My jaw was all swelled up and I have a bad cold. Finished “Her Martyrdom.” Did not go uptown, stayed in all day.
29. Rainy. Did not go to Sunday School – my face is worse. Ota and Anna came up in the evening. Went down to visit the Carpenter girls, then their fellows came by. Had a talk with George Heath and Joe Rea.
30. At school. Not a very good lesson. Ordered my shawl, went uptown at night but did not stay.

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About the author: Mary “Mayme” Wilbur was born in 1885, in Union County, Ohio. Her father, Zachary T. Wilber, was 37 and mother, Adelaide Allen, was 38. Mayme was their second child; their firstborn, a son, passed in infancy. Mayme married Chester O. Teets on February 24, 1918 and the two lived their days in Middleburg and Zane Township, Ohio. She died in 1954, in Middleburg at the age of 69. Chester passed the following year, at the age of 67.