Amanuensis Monday - JC Hawver's 1878 Diary - April

Here are some more entries from the 1878 diary of JC Hawver, a dentist in the Nevada City area in California.

4-3 I have been home a week tomorrow and all I have done is to cut brush and burn it but even that has made real improvement in the looks of the hill above the house. We trimmed up some more small pine trees at the upper edge of the grove.

4-4 Dr. Leonard came up here when we arranged our account and we went home leaving me to do any work in this section would find to do, having finally made up his mind to sell his house and furniture and leave for the Black Hills. He now has my note for $200.00 and I our line besides that $86.

4-5 I went up town to get to do some work for Richardson but we bring in Cherokee jailed. I came home and spent the afternoon chatting with Lutie, Mother and Clara Hawley who came down to find Stu Evelvilles girls. Stasia is stopping with Mrs. Brigham for a few days doing some sewing for her.

4-9 Father hitched Tom to the Spring Wagon and I took myself and Traps to N. Bloomfield where I had a pleasant reception from all I met. Father, Mr. Creagan and myself had to give up bonds for the building of the road from Columbia Hill to Lake City. I thought they would let me off but not so. Today I start out in a world for myself with just $1.00 in my pocket and owing $300.00 with but one third of that amount coming to me that I could collect.

4-13 I packed my things away in a rush this morning to get a ride down home with Parzetti on the store team, it was going down to Talbots. Reached home in good season, but found Father was up town and been drinking badly for a few days. Mother was not yet returned from Corral where Father took her last Wednesday. Lutie and Stasia went with him but they came home Thursday. I found Lutie two days before the ususal time.

4-14 Somebody said it was ten when Lutie and I got up this morning but no one seamed to care much about it. The rest of the day was spent in taking a good bath and being Luties beau.

4-15 Henry and I hustled from home this morning over the Kennebec to take the stage for Humbug. We got there in time and our patience gave out waiting for it to come. I rode on the seat with the driver, sorry later when the snow blew thick some of the time. We found five inches of snow all over the ground this morning.

4-16 Took impression with plaster of paris, neither one of their plates are just what they aught to be for all they would do if no better could be made. Plaster surely takes a better impression of a flat mouth than the moulding compound does. I wrote to Leonard’s Folks to know when he would be home, desiring to go down there and have him show me how to set teeth.

4-17 This morning I was surprised to have a man come to the door and say “You are Dr. Hawver I suppose. I have a tooth and I want you to fill it for me.” It pleasured me sure. But I filled it and five more, he left me $12.50. It is sure like old times to fill a tooth again, but I do good work. This evening I finished reading the Crossing Voyager, sequel to the Young Hunters, written by Captain Maynard Reid.

4-18 I got Austin to take me and my traps to Relief Hill having given him $2.50 for the same. He is leaving me at the Relief Hill Hotel run by Mr. Lund which as I wrote before, I have found to be a well kept house with but one boarder besides myself, an old acquaintance named Milton Bau a fine young man. Attended a revival preaching.

4-19 Worked all day and attended Revival again. Preaching what I think.

4-20 Worked filling teeth, mostly with gold and cleaning tartar off teeth. It now strikes me that the higher up on this ridge I go the more tartar I find and the deeper yellow it shows. Rode with Mr. Panzetti from Relief Hill to Humbug.

4-21 Just after making up my mind to stay up and not go home today, Henry came up on Tom and we took him to the stable and Henry to the Barber Shop and had his hair cut. After he took dinner with me he took Tom and started for home. I did some work then struck out on foot for Relief Hill.

4-22 Work

4-23 Work then attend church to hear Mr. Redding preach his last sermon before he goes to N San Juan. His revival some days has resulted in twenty or more people joining the Church.

4-24 to 26 Work on plate. I finished Mrs. Lund’s plate and put them in. She seemed very much pleased with them though I was not when I put them in and found they were not as tight as they aught to be being a partial set, and she having good use of them. We settled up him paying me $16.00 for my work and I paying him $11.00 for my hotel bill. Road with Mr. Parzetti to Humbug and lodged at Victor’s Parish House.

4-30 Went with Lutie up as far as her mother’s gate where we had often met and often parted. I kiss her there and returned to meet the stage from San Juan to meet Stasia.

Lutie = Lucretia Backus, JC's wife
Stasia = Anastasia Hawver, JC's sister

Henry = Henry Hawver, JC's brother
Tom = JC's horse
Dr. JC Leonard = JC's teacher of dentistry