Hiram E. Leonard Diary, October 12 - 18, 1870

“12th Wednesday  rather fine weather for fall  I did my choars was round the office all day a choaring closed up at 8 & went to bed at 9 nearly sick etc.

“13th Thursday  rather fine weather with a shower at night  I did my choars was at the office all day a choaring round closed up at 8 & went to bed at 9 tiard & nearly sick  [in margin] got a letter from Caroline Theodore Manning was married today & had the infair.

Theodore Manning Grave

This world famous gravestone, featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, shows Theodore’s three marriages outlined with decreasingly nice descriptions about his wives. During this week, Theodore married his second wife Lucy Talbot “his 2nd sweet wife.”

“14th Friday  rather fine weather with a thunder shower in afternoon about 4 rained hard at Naperville not much here thundered & lightened pretty hard cleared off but a shower in night again I choared round closed up at 8 & went to bed at 9 tiard & nearly sick  [in margin] Moring went to Raynolds in afternoon about 3 oclock & stayed all night & went to the ______________ tomorrow morning.

“15th Saturday  rather a fine day & quite warme a little muddy in forenoon but fine in afternoon  I did my choars was round the office all day a choaring cloased up at 8 & went to bed at 9 tiard & about sick  Barrus went to Naperville to get lumber & came back without any.

“16th Sunday A cloudy damp morning & wet some amost all day rained quite hard some of the time  I did my choars was at the house all day   _____ went to bed at 9 about sick  Nelson Stone took breckfust with me & Mrs Stone came with Pratt about 11 & stayed a few minutes went over to Rogers & to where her things were Doc came back while she was at Rogerses [in margin] Hurlbut Willard married to Victor Mullnix this afternoon by Elder Ellis and went to Naperville to stay all night.

“17th Monday  rather a cloudy disagreeable day & _________ I did my choars was at the office all day closed up at 8 & went to bed at 9 tiard & nearly sick etc [in margin] Nelson stayed tonight.

“18th Tuesday  rather cloudy dul weather  I did my choars was round the office all day closed up at 8 & went to bed at 9 nearly sick & worne out.”