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| Dr. Rust, Estella, and family at Gig Harbor home. |
I thought it might be interesting to read what Dr, Rust recorded in his diary for the month of July, 1897. I did not change any spellings; I left the entries as he recorded them, along with his punctuation. So here is how one person experienced July in 1897. Can we compare then to now?
Tuesday July 6, 1897: Cloudy – raining & raining. Breakfasted at Pratt’s at 7:30. Took train for Enumclaw at 9:55 On reaching home visited Eckhart’s. Find that Mrs Eckhart has fracture of liaments – quite serious/See [unable to make out] McKay – better see others at office. Dine at home – Esson House. Supper at home 6:30 train brings John Atkinson. We have just done supper – E [wife Estella] and I – when he arrives – E sets table for him and he eats and talks – We 3 retire at 9:50,
Wednesday July 7, 1897: Cloudy & raining raining & raining. John Atkinson rises first about 7 – then Estella and me. After breakfast we start the washing, a big one – comparatively – Mr. Atkinson helps. I drive to Buckley – dine at Buckley Hotel – Put Jim up at Diemers – Pay a drug bill to Repinsky $5.20. Buy 2# coffee and a side of bacon at Mill store $2.50. Also at Jones 2 pr. Rubbers 1 for E and 1 for me $1.25.
Thursday July 8, 1897: Cloudy . I send $1.50 express order to Nation publishing Co. for a diamond ring, offered to Estella as a prize for her good work in word building – E and Atkinson and I drive to the Coombs corner where they leave me and walk to the ranch. I drive to Palmer. See the Platts & McKennons – a long hard drive. Return to Esson at about 6 pm – Mr Newman has not supped yet so he and I get supper at the Esson. Mr N. does most of the work. We retire here at about 11.
Friday July 9, 1897: Fine, very fine. Rise at 7, Newman gets breakfast. Mr Eckhart sends for me I see Mrs E and at office I see several and extract 2 teeth for Mrs Paul Brooks, and cut my finger. Mr Newman gets dinner for he and I at about 2 o’clock. I extract another tooth for Mr Evans Prescribe for Mrs Hogan – visit Mrs McKay – Send medicine to Palmer – Write to Ben. Receive letter from W. W. Young of Gig Harbor asking for a certificate – Prescribe for Mr Rebar – also for Mr English and Mr Centrer & Mr Sorenson – Drive to Conway
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| Rust home on east side of harbor. Horse and wagon near roadway. |
Thursday July 15, 1897: Fine. Mostly office work. Estella and I drove to Eagle Ranch via McKeys Reached the ranch at about dark pm. Supped there. Retired there at about 10.
Friday July 16, 1897: Rains more or less all day. We came to Eagle Ranch to pick berries and make a little hay, but will do neither today. Estella and I read “Ocean” and I write to Hunter a very long letter and part of a letter to Ben. We retire at about 10 o’clock.
Saturday July 17, 1897: Rains in the morning, fair in afternoon. Finish my letter to Ben. Read more in “Ocean”. Write a little on a story I had started yesterday. At about 3 pm, we get ready to drive back to Enumclaw. E & I pick some black berries by the way and arrive at the Esson House about 6., as I do E having left me a little sooner at the turn to walk home while I drive over to McKeys. I find Mr Newman cleaning and rearranging in the drug store. We read the news after tea, especially the exciting news from Alaska
Sunday July 18, 1897: Fine, warm. E. and I take breakfast at the Esson at about 8 o’clock, then a lot of office work and call at Eckharts. E and I dine at about 8 pm and I write to Arthur & Ettie and send a newspaper clipping on the reported gold find to Gig Harbor, which Ben had sent in a letter today. Towards evening Estella and I drive to McKeys and to Veasea where she remains with Jim while I walk over the railroad track to Whites and back. Then we proceed to Eagle Ranch reaching there at 8:20. Read from “Ocean” a little and retire at 10.
Monday July 19, 1897: Fine, warm. Estella picks more black berries and I and Orson McKay mow clover and hay.
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