DIARY OF JOSEPH ALMOND

1865

Feb. 14            Took the Bucks to Mr. Brydens Flocks.

Feb. 20            Tailed & Marked 118 Ewe Lambs & 10 Wedders.

March 5          3 Bucks got into the Flock

March 6          “          “    Took them out early in the morning

March 9          Tailed 148 Ewe Lambs & 150 Wedder Lambs and altered a Buck that got

out the ____

March 22        Tailed & Marked 76 Ewe Lambs & 61 Wether

March 24        ------  --  --------  53  ----  -------  --  43  --------

March 30        ------  --  --------  11  ----  -------  --  11  --------

Turned Wedders into the large flock.  J.P. Wright been here and Assessed me for two years.  the Amount for 1864, $3250. For 1865, $3435.  The whole Tax including Pole Tax $43.78.

April 21           Tailed & Marked 11 Ewe Lambs & 9 Wedders.

Oct. 3              Finished Shearing & divided the Flock at Mr. Bryden’s Ranche.

Oct. 4              Put 13 full Blood Merino bucks into the Flock.

Oct. 8              Put 3    “           “           “           “           “           “.

Oct. 20            Lizzie got home from the Motts last night.  Mr. Bryden brought her up.

Oct. 21            Mr. Bryden  took 53 Muttons from Mrs. Dryer & 1 for John

                        Wade .  John

Dix  stayed with us overnight on his way to Corpus with Mrs. Payton Neil.  Brought word from Mr. Dobie that there was fourteen sheep in the River bottom.  Went off to seek them but did not find them.  Theo Dix started for Brownsville.

Oct. 23            Went out again to look for the Sheep in the River bottom.  Found them

(14) and got home early in the Evening.

Oct. 25            A wet norther blew up last night.  Drove the Sheep off.  The wolves got

among them and killed two.  Had a very bad night with the Children, J. M. & Joe.

Oct. 26            Brought a Ewe, a Wether, and a lamb from Housto’s Flock.

Nov. 7             Mr. Bryden  came about dark.

Nov. 8             Went along with Mr. Bryden to the Motts.

Nov. 9             Commenced on his Wagon.

Nov. 10           Finished Bryden s Wagon and commenced on George Reynolds

                         House about noon.

Nov. 19           Got home about Midnight, after Working 7˝ days at George Reynolds 

House.  Found Mr. & Mrs. Lafferty and Mr. Brandis here.  Mr. Lafferty on his way to Corpus Christi and Mr. Brandis on his way to San Antonio.  Got him to stay awhile with us as he did not want to be at San Antonio before the 12^th Dec.

Nov. 20           Commenced on Mr. Denneys Wagon and went over to Mr. Dix

                        ’s, to be assessed for State & County taxes.  Amount of Assessment 4600

                         Dollars.

Nov. 25           Worked at Mr. Dennys Wagon up to last night.  Started for Corpus. 

Arrived at Wm. Mussets a little after Sundown and stayed with him all night.

Nov. 26           Got home from Corpus early this morning.  Mr. Curtis & Mr. Harrison

called about nine o’clock on their way to Corpus.  Mr. Curtis got his letter of Credit which I brought up.  Eddy Corkill called and told me that the Mule was among John Dix’s stock.

Nov. 27           Mr. Brandis  went with me to John Dix’s Ranche and got the

                        Mule.  Got back just about Sundown.

Nov. 29           A Mr. Holliday called on me wanting to buy Wool but he offered only

                       10 cents for it delivered in Victoria.  Did not sell.

Nov. 30           Took the Bucks out and made a Wedder Flock.

Dec. 4             Brandis  left for San Antonio.  Branded the Mule.

Dec. 10           Went to Mr. Denny’s and borrowed 5 lb. Sugar of Mrs. Denny and 2 lb.

Coffee.  Adams arrived here from Corpus and brought Coffee & Sugar.  We got 9 lb. Sugar and two Pint cups of Coffee from him.  He brought word of John Williams death and that the District Court had not been in Session in account of some flaw in the Arrangements.

Dec. 11           Engaged Francisco a Costa to Haul my wool to Corpus.  Which will be

done as soon as he finds his Oxen and can get over.  Gave Joe a dose of Calomel.

Dec. 12           Received a note from Mr. Bryden, informing me that he had got his Wool

Baled and requesting me to go and get mine Baled before the hands left.  Started off immediately with the boy who brought the note and got to Banquetti in time to help finish up M^cLanes Wool.  We also put up two bales of Spence’s by Candle light.

Dec. 13           Finished Spence s Wool and commenced on mine. Baled three Bales and

then we stopped for want of Rope.  Bryden called about sun down on his way from the Ranche house.  I told him that the Stuart Wool was at Carmel.  George went off home with him and left Spence and me to finish my Wool when the Rope came.

Dec. 14           Got started early this Morning to bale (the boy came with the Rope

sometime in the Night.  His horse had give out on the way from M^cLanes, which made him so long on the Way).  Finished my Wool about three o’clock.  Got the Press and all the other fixings loaded up and left for home about half an hour before Sun down.  A powerfull strong Norther blowing right in my face.  Got home about nine o’clock.

Dec. 15           Found that Francisco had never come to haul the Wool to Corpus.  Went

over to see him and he went after his Oxen.

Dec. 16           Got Mr. Scott ’s Press over from Theordore Dix’s by Francisco’s

                        Wagon.  He left the Wagon.

Dec. 17           Rebaled one of the Bales of Wool.  Mr. Brandis arrived from San

                       Antonio just as I commenced and we put up another Bale of this Years Wool.  Loaded

                       the Wagon ready to start for Corpus.

Dec. 18           Francisco came early and got started with the Wool (6 Bales of last Years

& 1 of this years Wool).  I started about eleven o’clock and went by Banquetti.  Engaged John Fogg to haul the other Wool down, which he promised to have in Corpus by ten or eleven o’clock on Wednesday morning.  I then went on to the Motts to Brydens where I met with Mr. Irving, going to Corpus on the Wool business.

Dec. 19           Went in to Corpus with Irving.  Stayed with M^cCoy.

Dec. 20          The Wool came in about three o’clock in the evening.  I sold to Mr. Moore  

for Wm. Headon at 20 ˘ per lb.  Weight of it was 8675 lbs.

Dec. 21           Got the Wagon started out again about three o’clock.  I got up to the

Wagon at Turkey Creek early in the Morning.

Dec. 22           Come up to Johns.  Stayed to help him until night.

Dec. 23           Stayed to help John a little more,.  Got the gallery roof on when it began to

Rain and stopped us.  Started off home late in the afternoon.

Dec. 24           Learned when I got home that there was three Bucks lost and one had been

found by Saturnino, killed by Wolves.  Hunted for the other two but could not find them.

Dec. 25           Mr. Brandis  and I went over to Cox’s to hunt for some more

                        lambs that

Trinidad had seen in the bottom.  Could not find them.  In the Evening, had Ben & Mrs. Dix over and spent a very comfortable night.  Mr. Adams was with us (he came about noon) on his way to Corpus.

Dec. 26           Went out again to look for the Bucks.  Did not find them.  After a late

dinner, started for Barance Blanco.  Help John with his house.  Got down about bed time.

Dec. 27, 28 & 29        Worked at John’s house and got it so that he could move into it on

Saturday.  Left after Supper for home.  Arrived about Midnight and learned that the other two Bucks had been found.

Dec. 30           Commenced preparation for dipping the Sheep.  In the evening, killed a

beef.

Dec. 31           Had Denny & M^cLaughlen  here on their way to Mr. Gilpin

                       s.  Salted down the beef.