Appendix B:
Raymond Fargo's 1906 diary
Raymond's father, Frank B., died in 1902, so he is being raised by his mother and older brother Clarence. After she read this diary, Frenchtown nostalgia columnist Gloria Sipes Paleveda called Raymond "Frenchtown's own Tom Sawyer." Read his entries for Jan. 13 and 18 and you'll see what she meant.
The Fargo family had moved to Fifth Street in 1901, so that was probably where Raymond resided in 1906. When he wasn't playing hooky, Raymond was in his final year at the Hillside Academy, which went up through Grade 10. The school was a few blocks and one tall stairway from home.
Scrawled in pencil on lined paper, this diary was kept dutifully every day. I've omitted some of the more mundane material, and did some summarizing in italics. I've helped him out a little on punctuation, but the spellings are his. It's interesting to note that he uses only two exclamation points and no question marks at all.
Here's Raymond's first month of diary-keeping:
JANUARY
Friday, Jan. 5 – Helen Kugler is a girl that sits right across from me. In school to day she was laughing when all at once she commenced to cry, and ran from the room. Nobody knew what was the matter with her.
Saturday, Jan. 6 – Bought some shot and Jim Kerr lent me his gun and I went a gunning, but didn't kill anything.
Sunday, Jan. 7 – It is Sunday and I washed all over. Crackety but I felt good after it.
Monday, Jan. 8 – Today we had the biggest snow of the season and I rode down the Everittstown hill on my sled. Crackety but it was fun.
On Jan. 11, he enjoyed the first ice skating of the season.
Friday, Jan. 12 – The walks was so slipery that we could skate on them, and of course Old Libbie Bessin the old maid had to come (illegible) for skating on her walk. (His neighbor was Elizabeth Besson, age 70, who interestingly enough identified as a “capitalist” on the 1905 state Census.)
Saturday, Jan. 13 – Enna's baby is three months old to day and is getting prettier every day. Raymond reports little Viola's age on the 13th of each month, sometimes with a little compliment. She is his niece.
There was a show in town and it had a Bear and Bull dog, and they was to fight in the show. Everybody was wild. I had the money but spent it. But not conquered, I got a ladder and set it against the side of the town hall, and I could see the show good as anybody till it got (to) the dog and bear fight, which was the best for me. At that time the window got froze and I couldn't see it. Crackety but I was mad.
Sunday, Jan. 14 – I played on the Piano, not because I know how to play, but in the Trenton Times they gave free lessons and they showed which key to press.
Monday, Jan. 15 – Played the game of fox and geese. Crackety it is fun.
Thursday, Jan. 18 – I went a skating but none of the other boys would go, they said it wasn't safe, but I went just the same. And at the lower end of the dam it was all right and I skated up to the upper part of the dam. It didn't look safe, but I started over on a dead skate and just as I got half over, in I went.
The water was not deep, only up to my arm pits, but crackety it was cold and no body was there to help me out. I tried to get back on the ice but I had sunk in the mud and the ice broke off as I got my weight on it. I tried six times, but every time I missed, and my very marrow was froze and I gave up in despair. All the time I was getting in deeper water and nearer to the thicker ice.
I thought I had better stand still or I would go in over my head, but I gave one more effort and the ice cracked and bent, but more dead than alive, I crawled to more firm ice. And as in a dream I took off my skates and staggered home. And I was overcome by the heat of the room and fainted in my brother's arms.
Saturday, Jan. 20 – me and Byron Harman went up the crick and built a blazing fire and cut down a tree and build a dam. Crackety but it was fun.
Tuesday, Jan. 24 – We played football and had a regular time of it. Old Libby Bessin, the old maid, came out and made a fuss and said she would tell the police if we didn't stop.
Tuesday, Jan. 30 – There was a spelling bee at the town hall. Some of the boys sneaked in, but I paid all right. Mr. Stover got the first prize and Mrs. Haring got the second. Orville Warford, the boy that never has any money, I helped him sneak in. I pitied him.
Wednesday, Jan. 31 – Found an old Blackboard in the dump heap and I took it home and is now using it.
From "Rick's Frenchtown Encyclopedia"