The Diary of Abba Owen

Newest chapter in an ongoing serialization of the 1888 diary of Abba Owen, daughter of Ypsilanti mineral water baron Tubal Cain Owen and Anna (Stowe Foote) Owen. The Owens lived in a now-vanished house near the current day Roosevelt School building on EMU, where Tubal also had his magical and very profitable well.

Friday Aug 24: This morning "Geneva Boy" broke from his stall and the men were all afraid to catch him. so papa sent over for Jud Newton (who has raised him from a calf) to come over and catch him, so Jud came over and went to get him before anyone knew it and pretty soon Papa and Richard heard Jud a-screaming and they ran and found him onn the fence almost scared to death. It seemed that the bull had knocked Jud down and hooked him but the horns did not go into the flesh but tore his clothes and scraped him and it made him very sore and lame. We telephoned for the doctor and he said that Jud would be all right if he kept still. Papa said that he would kill Geneva Boy, so the butchers came up this afternoon and Mama Grandma and I and all the men-folks went down to the field and Papa had a repeating rifle and when the bull came up to the water trough to drink Papa stood on the other side of the fence and shot at him and he reared up but did not fall so Papa shot again and he fell. Geneva Boy was a registered Holstein and a very handsome animal and he weighed 870 lbs. when dressed for market. Eber was dressed today and laid out on the lounge.

Saturday Aug 25: Eber has not been so well today and has been in bed. Dr. Batwell gave Grandma some medicine last night and when I went down there this morning I found her in bed but she got up and came up to our house and spent the day. Today I got the "Spy" by Cooper from the Ladies Library. This evening mama and I went down to the Post Office.

Sunday Aug 26: To-day has been a very pleasant day. Mama and [I?] walked down to the pastures this afternoon. To-day I [illegible] "The Spy" and liked it bery much and while we were in Lewiston [New York, on the Niagara trip] we visited the grave of Mr. and Mrs. Hussler who took the characters of "Betty Flanagan" and "Lieutenant Hollister" in the Spy. This evening we all went down to Grandma's to supper. Eber was able to go by riding down.

Monday Aug 27th: To-day has been quite warm. Mama took Eber out for a drive and he is feeling better.

Tuesday Aug 28th: This morning Mr. Yost came up with a handsome black horse and wanted to sell it to Papa and Papa gave him two horses [Sun] which belonged to R. and the mustange and $125 for it and then gave it to Richard and he was delighted.

Wensday Aug 29th: We all went down to the barn this [morning?] to see Richard's new horse. Its name is "Robin." Mama has gone out this afternoon to try and find a gitl but she did not succeed.

Thursday Aug 30th: Grandpa bought a new horse to-day. It is an iron gray and very pretty. Its name is "Kitty." Mama has been out both this morning and afternoon to get a girl but they are very scarce, that is a good one, so she did not get one.

Friday Aug. 31st: This morning Eber and I went down to Grandpa's and took a ride with his horse. Grandpa [went] to Plymouth this afternoon.

Thanks for reading! Tune in next Tuesday for another week of Abba's diary!