October 1859

Raked at buckwheat. Got nuts. Afternoon, rainy. Rode up to Taylor’s with the girls. After supper, went after them.

Warm & pleasant day. Went to meeting. Went up to Griffing’s to take Mary Griffing [1] home. The hills were beautiful in the autumn colors. Wrote. In the evening there was a rich golden sunset, but before the tints had scarcely begun to fade, a sweeping wind arose. Stray black clouds swept the heavens like scouts, funereal looking indeed, and in a few minutes the whole heavens but the southern & western horizon were draped in flying clouds. The west still kept its skyey blue, the southwest with its yellow depths, its purple tinge on the nearer cloud glowed like fire. The hills looked long & wild. The cut grain & cattle on the crown of them seemed like specters of the night. The wind sighed like an autumn wind – a sad and dreary lullaby. The leaves rattled from the trees and flew away to be scattered over the plain. Evening, prepared a piece for the [news]paper.

October 3, 1859

Took up honey this morning – not much. Made fence in forenoon. [Our] cow has a caked bag. Afternoon, threshed buckwheat for Lewis. He has a young Irish fellow there to work who is Irishy indeed. He only gets 6 dollars a month. He is green & that is the reason people impose upon [him]. His wages are altogether too small. Evening, went to Owego [and] took an article [I wrote] for [the news]paper.

October 4, 1859

Got two loads of buckwheat down. Afternoon, threshed. Lewis helped. Nancy [Van Kirk] and Lucy Stratton and the Truman’s called. In threshing, when one only, it seems very slow movement. But when two take hold, it seems faster – but in a measure like the Iambic or Trochee. When three and Reef time, it seems like the anapestic & dactylic measure. Evening, George Rice came & Waldo read some & went to sleep. Frank Taylor & Carl & Ruth Goodrich here. Thomas the Irishman said it only cost him $35 to come here [from Ireland] and he went to Limerick, Dublin & Liverpool & staid about 2 days in [each] place. He came on a sailor & not a steamer. His “Certainly to bi shure” is broad enough. A fellow was with him & repeatedly was calling for Thomas. When at last he said, “Or have you a son Thomas?” meaning that he was in the habit of calling the name.

October 5, 1859

October 6, 1859

Finished picking apples in the morning but before I got my regimentals off the Stratton’s came. Lucy [Stratton] went down in the lot with me for the horses & rode with me. She fell off & brought me with her. We walked part of the way & then mounted again & rode up to the house when all the folks came out to see us. Went up in the woods to get nuts. Anna [Fiddis] came over [and we all] had a great time. My suspicions about Lucy I think are falsely founded. I hope so. She explained some things satisfactorily. She is a good girl. I think so now, but I was trying very hard in the morning not to think so. The future is to decide. One thing [is sure], she does not think all the world of Lyman Truman, whatever she may think of the girls. Evening, went over [to Owego] with Aunt Lucy [Fiddis], the girls [riding] with me in the two horse wagon. George [Stratton] came home with us [as well as] Anna [Fiddis] and Lucy [Stratton]. We shucked the nuts and played “blind man’s bluff.” We had a glorious time. I feel happy with myself & all the world [but] I never feel as happy as I wish I could. Heard today that the [H.D.] Rice’s gardener Perkins was killed on the railroad.

October 7, 1859

Cold in the morning. Staid with [cousin] Lucy [Stratton] all the morning in the other room. Sent her my Campbell. Like her better & better. She promised to write to me. Husked some corn. Afternoon, they went up to Ann [Fiddis]’s. I husked corn. Evening, hitched up & went to Owego with [my sister] Mary & took Lucy [Stratton] over to the Truman’s. Went to the institute and also to the [law] office. George Stratton said he had a letter from [his brother] Edwin to tell the girls to stay. Lucy did not want to. Drove home in a rainstorm & found the south door open. Went to [Jim] Mersereau’s with Higby [2] & Bill Ellis [3] [where we were] treated to the oysters.

October 8, 1859

Got up feeling miserably. After breakfast, went to the district above to find a school. It was [already] engaged. Went to another over the creek to [apply but it had] been applied for by 5 or 6 [others already]. I came home having walked nearly 10 miles, not having succeeded. Shucked corn. Afternoon, got hickory nuts. I am disappointed very much. I have nothing to hope for. If anyone has cause to be down-hearted, it is me. Evening, Ma scolding in her usual manner. What I shall do I know not. To do something, I must & will.

October 9, 1859

Rather cold today. Went to church & walked over to hear [Moses Coit] Tyler. Had a very practical sermon. It was nothing great. Afternoon, [cousin] Jim Fiddis, Johnson & Ward came over & bothered me. Went up to the greenhouse with them. Read some of [Bayard] Taylor’s pieces. Wrote in the evening.

October 11, 1859

…came to conclusion to go back and study law next week. Thought seriously today of going to Kentucky as soon as admitted [to the bar]. Wrote to Brown [4] in Florida [seeking a teaching situation].

October 12, 1859

Sick in the morning. Cleaned up buckwheat & husked corn. Sold bushel of hickory nuts.

October 13, 185 9

Husked corn. At noon went down to ____ to see if I could get the school to teach. Not much hope. Heard Bob Turner [5] had been talking around town in a light way that I had been up to their district to get a school. Went to the Institute evening. Came home sick.

October 14, 1859

Husked corn in morning. Commenced a rain before noon. After we thrashed beans & hay seeds. Attended Institute. Wash Gladden delivered his commencement poem. It was not anything very grand and did he speak it very well.

October 16, 1859

George Stratton came over and we went to the hill near the narrows [of the Susquehanna River]. Mary went to church. It was a beautiful view….

October 20, 1859

…wrote a letter for instructor to teach in the Charlotteville Seminary [in Summit, New York]. [Received] a recommendation from Mr. Smyth [of the Owego Academy]. Had doubts today whether I would make a good lawyer or not. The future is to tell. If I can’t make a lawyer, I shall be a learned man with the aid of Providence.

October 24, 1859

…Evening went over [to the depot at Owego] with the Frank’s [6] & [my sister] Augusta & [her son] Johnny to start for Kansas Territory.

October 25, 1859

Feel bad enough. Augusta & Johnny have gone. I studied law. Afternoon called & saw Mr. Peck whose son had been south in Virginia to see about going there. Came to the conclusion that it would be a good plan to go there.

October 26, 1859

Evening saw Wash Gladden and he thought of getting the Charlotteville [Seminary] school [teaching position] so I will be again disappointed. So the world goes.

Went to hear Lyman Tremain [7] speak. He is a very fine speaker & forcible & quite a fine approving man & very good cat. He was eloquent & witty – sometimes bringing down the house.

Lyman Tremain
"...eloquent & witty – sometimes bringing down the house" -- RLG

October 28, 1859

Saw one of my pieces in the [Owego] Gazette this morning. Am resolved to write & see if there is anything in me. Studied law diligently.

October 29, 1859

…Thinking today about going south. I am resolved to go to the southern part of Virginia & do something.

October 31, 1859

…Got a letter out of the [post] office from [my sister] Augusta. She was writing on the way [back to Kansas Territory] & had sent it from Chicago…. Saw Gladden. He had not received a letter from Charlotteville [Seminary] yet. Felt worried some. We talked about Fred Parmenter.

[1] Mary M. Griffing, born 3 August 1834, was the youngest child of Rev. John Griffing and Lydia Redfield. She was a sister-in-law of Ralph’s sister, Augusta [Goodrich] Griffing.

[2] Probably Chester W. Higby, born about 1837, son of Ozias Higby and his wife Susan, residing in Nichols, Tioga County, New York.

[3] Probably William Ellis, born about 1838, son of A.D. Ellis and his wife Susan, residing in Owego, Tioga County, New York.

[4] Thomas Brown (1785-1867) was an American politician who served as Florida’s second governor from 1849 to 1853. Brown served in the War of 1812 and subsequently became chief clerk of the post office in Richmond, Virginia – his native state. He moved with his family to Florida in 1828, held various government posts until Florida became a state and then served in the first Florida House of Representatives in 1845. He was a Whig in politics and resided in Tallahassee.

[5] Probably Robert Turner, born about 1841, the son of Daniel Turner and his wife Mary who were residents of Tioga, Tioga County, New York. Robert Turner’s occupation is given as “teacher” in the U.S. Census of 1860.

[6] Probably John and Sally Frank of Owego, New York.

[7] Lyman Tremain (1819-1878) was a jurist and politician from New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and practiced in his hometown of Durham, Greene County, New York. He was appointed the Greene County District Attorney in 1844 and then elected surrogate and county judge in 1846. He moved to Albany in 1853 and entered into partnership with former US Representative Rufus Peckham in 1855. At the time that Ralph heard him speak in Owego, he was completing his two-year term as Attorney General of New York and campaigning for re-election as a Democrat. He would lose the election to Republican Charles G. Myers on November 8, 1859, but go on in his career to serve in the 43rd U.S. Congress and participate in the prosecution of New York City politician “Boss” Tweed .

The Diaries of Ralph Leland Goodrich, 1859-1867