These excerpts were provided by the seller and has not been verified. 1937 “….January 20th, A.M. Rain no work. Lura and I were married 36 years ago today and I am going home to celebrate. P.M. Rained about all day. Returned to Mattoon on #3.….April 16th, Cleaned up shop, lumber, old iron and put in place. Put up 2 rafters at west end of lumber shed. Built doors for blacksmith shop….June 27th, At home to church in morning. P.M. to 4th Ave. Methodist Church to the wedding of Jerry Clark and Anna Meloy. Back to Paris on train #31.…..July 27th, 6 hrs. on overhead bridge east edge of town. 2 hrs on cutting tin for saddle board for freight house. Fair and warmer…..September 6th, Mam and I rode train #27 to St. Louis. Got off at Washington Ave. and walked out on East Bridge. Came back and ate breakfast then rode street car to Foust and Park Zoo and spent the day. Came back and rode train #38 home and I rode train #27 back to Mattoon…..October 3rd, Ate breakfast with Jim and Roma and walked down to Jake’s house. Ate dinner with them. After dinner Jake, Dick, Cleo started to Ralph’s. Picked Ralph East up at the George Morin place going to the C. C. C. camp. Arrived at Rachel’s at 4 P.M. Found her just alive. Ate supper there. Stayed all night. October 4th, Rachel died at 7:30 A.M. I went with Stanley, Tom, Davis and Keifer to Paoli to the undertakers. P.M. went over to Ernest and Anna’s. Back home. Rainy partly fair…..December 27th, To Kansas and got old tool house ready to move to Ashmore. Worked on auto platform. Gloomy day. Considerable fog. Joe Tripp went home sick.” 1939 “…..July 6th, A. M. Rain. No work. Ate early dinner and went to work at 12 noon. Partly cloudy warm. Bridge 219 train #23 struck a truck east of Paris and killed 4 month old baby, 4 year old boy, 18 year old boy…….September 16th, Mam and I took Milky and Jean to Foust Park Zoo St. Louis and spent the day. Left on train #27 at 4:05 A.M. Got back on train #38 at 9:30 P.M. Too tired and sleepy little girls. Mam and I were tired too…..October 6th, Put on new danglers on bridge 148 P.M. Loaded up and got ready for the camp cars to mover to Brooklyn. Ike came home with cook in his car. Fair and warm…..November 11th, At home all day. Did as little as possible. Listened to Armistice day talks over radio. A.M. sun shines bright but after became hazy and partly cloudy. Charley and Kathleen were here today and kiddies too…..” 1940 “…..February 4th, Mam and I went to church in A.M. Bro. Siferd and wife came home with us for dinner. Went back again at night. Jean has tonsillitis so they did not go…..August 10th, Went to work at 6:30 A.M. cleaned up shed to put washing machine in. Pastor and wife took dinner with us. P.M. mama and I went to Miners picnic. Took ride on Farris wheel. Stayed on the grounds about 45 minutes and came back with K and kiddies……September 3rd, Bridge 272, broke concrete. I went to visit one of my old school masters here in Charleston. ________(I can’t quite make out the name). I had not seen her for 47 years. I stayed about 1 ½ hour and answered 100 questions about folks back on Pleasant Ridge…..” 1941 “…..May 25th, Mam, Jean, Cecil and I went to S.S. Jean came home with Mary Hugh. Mam and I stayed for church P.M. Cecil and I went to view corpse of Mr. Bradshaw at Gillin funeral home. Mildred Seavy and her mother called on up awhile Sunday eve. Mickey is worse with mumps. Jean looked awfully tired and pale…..July 25th To car house 117. Finished and went to bridge 703. Got number to repair and took back in P.M. Came back loaded up motor and push car. Got ready to move to East St. Louis. Left Guard about midnight in freight train for East St. Louis. July 26th, Worked in blacksmith shop getting ready to transfer it in to an office. Arrived in East St. Louis about 6 A.M. I rode train #38 home, shaved and got ready to go to Robinson to the Bateman reunion. July 27th Got up at 1 A.M. Charlie and Wick took us up to depot and we started to Robinsons. Charley, Kathleen, kiddies and Wick, Vi and there kiddies started on their vacation. Zona brought mam, Jake and I home. Stayed all night with us. July 28th, Got up at 7 A.M. ate breakfast and all went over and took dinner with John and Low. After dinner we went to the Indiana to movie. Sam and John did not go. Drove out to Diming Park. Zona, Jake and I……September 9th, Gang worked on Wabash River bridge 190. I looked today as Floyd Cain’s father-in-law died and he went home to attend the funeral…….”