Quiz 7 answers: Mom's diary and more

I believe this was taken at college. In any event, it's mother and friends and captures their spirit at about the time the diary was written. The inset in the upper right shows Sas White, Mom, and another friend whose name i can't make out.

OK - Owings was the only one to post an answer to the Quiz and he gets an A-. (I'm a nasty grader. Most would probably give him and "A" and be done with it, but he didn't get the year exactly correct and this through off his calculation on the age. Of course, I don't know if anyone could know the year unless you actually look in the diary.)

The questions were:

Whose diary is this?

Where is the person living?

How old is the person?

What year is it?

What does the person do for a living?

Well, I would hope the references to "Owings" in the clues below - and to "Mrs. Stone" would give it away. (I've republished the clues at the end of this in a more readable form and with some related photos. ) This is my mother's diary at a time when she and Dad were courting. (Which they did for quite while.) Interestingly, Owings first clue to this was the name "Smith" in the image from the addresses page of the diary. I hadn't given that a second, though, until he spotted it. Good detective work!

Mother lived in Libertytown, Md. But she was boarding in Emmitsburg, MD., so either answer is correct. And yes, she was a teacher at the little school that is still there - or was when we went looking for it about a dozen years ago. It's a very common, squarish brick building typical of schools of the period and is now some sort of community center.

I believe she was boarding with the family of her good friend - and fellow teacher - Sas White, who we also spoke to and videotaped when we visited there. However the next year she boarded with Dad's mother, as Owings noted. It's obvious from the diary they were having great fun. Mother (and probably Sas) had just graduated from "Normal School" (where you went to learn to be teachers in those days) at what is now Towson University, just outide of Baltimore. Mother frequently went home from Emmitsburg on weekends to Libertytown which is - according to MapQuest - 38 minutes away. In those days I suspect it was more like an hour, though most of the driving today is still over backroads.

There was obviously plenty to do between school, movies, playing bridge, going to basketball games, dating - and as one diary entry strongly implies, being hit on by older men who should have known better. (So why would we think it would be different then?)

Oh - when was "then?" 1927. Mother was 21. Dad was in college at Western Maryland College in Westminster, MD. That's off the map above Libertytown and to the right. But just a little. It's about the same driving time from Emmitsberg as Libertytown and it was even a shorter drive from Westminster to Liberty. Granted cars didn't work quite as well and roads weren't quite so good, but Mom and Dad saw each other frequently, as her diary confirms. (A Google search turns up the fact that they have changed the name of Western Maryland College. See this page. It is now "McDaniel College." I found links to Western Maryland, but the page that turns up is this one. Sounds to me like they were driven to change the name and this was a popoular choice because:

William Roberts McDaniel was, and is, family. Billy Mac, as he was affectionately known, was a student, alumnus, professor, vice president, treasurer, acting president, trustee, parent and grandparent. His commitment and dedication spanned 65 years, from his student days in the late 1870s until his death in 1942.

I suspect Dad would know the name and perhaps knew the man.

Anyway - here are the diary entries. There are, of course, many others, though this is the only year thus covered and like most diarists mother seemed to have been faithful to it for a stretch, then got tired of jotting downt hese daily notes.

"Slept until late. Told fortunes, played the piano, and ate the rest of the day. Parker and Wayne home this eve – roads too bad to go away - - so we stayed to home and played cards. 5 of spades." - Saturday, January 29

"Spent most of the morning writing letters. Worked a little after school." - Tuesday, February 8

"Saw my sweetheart leave – It made me feel mighty blue, for I like him just heaps. I do miss him. Wrote to him this eve.
" - Monday, April 25

"Home again. Dad came over for me – brought Mae and Sas into Frederick." - Wednesday, February 18

"Had planned to go to Westminster and Frederick, but due to the rain we stayed home. Slept until noon. Read & then painted a boudier pillow and finished Aunt Hatties scarf." - Saturday, Feb 19

"Went to PTA this eve, last meeting for the year. After PTA G---, B---, Doc --- asked Mary, Sas, and I to go to Fairfield to a dance. Of course we refused. These married men are disgusting. Wrote to O.">Thursday , May 19

"Spent the day in Atlantic City. Went bathing in the ocean this afternoon my first time in the ocean." - Wed. August 17

"Left Ocean gate at 6:55 a.m. landing in Baltimore at 11:32. had dinner, then shopped. Dad tired. Arrived home at 6:40 PM. Owings called and for once I was glad to hear him say he was not coming down. Went to bed early – 8:30" - Friday, August 19

"An evening that will never be forgotten, and I hope never regretted. The Downey’s left this A.M. We stayed at the house and loafed most of the day." - Saturday August 6

"Mrs. Stone over in a.m. Carried Owings picture off with her." - Tuesday, February 15

"A darling letter form Owings. He is a dear. Lib came over for me. Epworth business meeting tonight. Break before the minister. Came home, talked and read 'Notice for teacher’s Meeting Next week.' " - Friday, March 25

"Miss Ott visited us – for once I was prepared for visitors. Helped Sas to get cards for the Card Party. Letters from Owings, Lib and Dad – Mother is sick. Reading ‘Sequel to Chickie.’ (Ed. Note: Just a week or so ago had read ‘Chickie.’)" - Wednesday, February 2

"Not feeling so good. Made out my monthly report. Wrote to Mrs. Stone to see if she would board me. Hoping. (Ed note: She had been boarding with family of Sas, but had just learned they were not going to take borders any longer.) Sas and I spent the evening just fooling around, down to Tess. George is fooling with the radio." - Monday, February 28

Other entries include going to a basketball game involving Emmitsburg High school. (They won.) Going to the movies to see 'Ben Hur.’ Practicing songs on the piano. Going to church.

Posted by Greg Stone at August 27, 2003 01:48 PM