The 1888 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 Nov. 16: It froze water last night. Richard went down and took his violin lesson this morning and Prof. Luderer wanted his pupils to go to Ann Arbor to hear the Boston Symphony concert so Richard took the double carriage and Oop Wortley [?], Frank Smith and he went up and they did not get home until twelve o'clock but they had a nice time and they said it was splendid.

Saturday Nov. 17" This morning when I woke there was a little snow on the ground, and all of papa's celery froze he had about [a space was left here] heads.

Sunday Nov. 18th It has snowed heavy all day and the ground was white and in the evening it turned into rain. Mama, Eber and Mabel went to church this morning. We all went down to Grandma's to tea and had a lovely time.

Monday Nov. 19th: To-day has been quite cold. The third entertainment of the Normal Lecture and Music course was a lecture given this evening by Dr. James Hedly on the "Sunny Side of Life" and it was splendid. We liked him better than we did Col. Sanford.

Tuesday Nov. 20th It has been the coldest day we have had yet.Eber went down this afternoon and joined Prof. Haufer's German class in which we can learn to converse in five weeks. I shall go and join tomorrow.

Wensday Nov. 21: To-day has been quite cold. Ebe and I went down to the German class and I joined. When you go into the class he will not let you speak a word of English and he doesn't either and I can understand pretty nearly everything he says.

Thursday Nov. 22nd: We go to our German class every day at a quarter of five. Last night Mama, Aunt Kate, and I went down to a Ladies Library Social at Mrs. Daniel Putnam's. Prof. Luderman read a paper on [space left in diary] which was very good.

Friday Nov. 23rd: Mama went to a reception given by Prof. Sill to Gov. Luce last evening. Grandpa and Aunt Kate went also and they had a very nice time. It has been a very pleasant day.

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