Utah, 1916-1920

File — Box: 7, Volume: 35

Identifier: II

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Douglass worked at dinosaur quarry in Jensen, Utah. Diary entries are concerned primarily with Douglass's Dinosaur Ranch.

6 June 1916--"This is the third book of this series each successor larger than the preceding. I wish to make each better than the last ....
"It has been a peculiar spring. We have not experienced anything like it here before and I do not remember such a spring anywhere else.
"We should be feasting out of the garden. We sowed our small stuff long ago so long it seems dim in memory but there has been no rain the wind has raved a good deal of the time--I think I never knew such a windy spring and there was frost a large proportion of the nights in May. . . .
"Then too we lost the water from this Reservoir (No 1) early in the spring and have had no water here except what we hauled in a tank. . . .
"We have almost nothing promising to show now yet we have not given up. I believe we will yet have some good things."
15 June 1916--"Am not discouraged about farming if it has been an off year and if we haven't had any rain for over three months. It is well to experience these things on the start and while we have an income."
18 June 1916--"Weather still hot and getting dryer. No rain or any sign of rain or indications of rain getting less and less."
18 July 1916--"We are still living on the same kind of food as in the winter only do not have meat on hand and potatoes about gone. . . . "... our attempts at gardening have failed . . . .
"We wish that we could finish our stone bungalow, could have water piped to it, . . . but we will have to wait for them and have something a-head to look forward to."
22 September 1916--"The ground is still dry. No rain lately. Only about 1.6 inches since March . . . .
"A short time ago my Equitable [life insurance] policies were taken by the company. It amounted to selling them to the company. I have borrowed on them and am not in a position to pay the large premiums to say nothing of the loan. . . . they are gone and their burden of worry, but there has been another source of worry. If I should die uninsured I would leave Pearl and Nettie almost helpless and without money. There is property but they might not be able to realize any money on it, and when the man is gone human vampires are ready to despoil+ the widows and fatherless.
"I have another financial trouble. I owe about $300 . . . and don't know how I am going to meet it but intend to do the best I can."
2 October 1916--"Day before yesterday--the 30th of Sept.--I made the final proof on my homestead. I understood the Register to say it was all right. Certainly we have shown good faith if anyone ever did and we have taken it up as a permanent home."
22 October 1916--"Our harvest is very small but it helps a little. We are planning to do better next year."
18 February 1917--"Water will not run in either reservoir until we do some reservoir and ditch work.
"I have been thinking of trying to get out water here but we have other things to do so I fear we will not get in a pump this year."
21 March 1917--"I want more water and am thinking quite seriously of putting in a pumping plant! this year."
16 May 1917--"The spring is different from that of last year yet it has been cold until lately. We have had abundant showers, though no heavy rain so I have put the seed in as soon as I could."
26 May 1917--"I have wished lately that I might be free to spend the greater part of my time developing the ranch and our home. But am engaged in a great scientific work and need my salary. . . .
"I think the time is not far away when I shall devote most of my own time to the farm and to the work which I wish to do. I think the museum will continue work here the remainder of this year and if results are excellent they may work the quarry a year or part of a year more.
"Financial matters are still something of a worry yet I am getting most of my older bills paid."
3 July 1917--"We are having blazing hot weather now. Have had for several weeks. Some days not a cloud in the sky. Quite a change from conditions in the spring. Though we had many light rains we did not have enough snow or rain to get the ground thoroughly soaked. As a consequence the ground is drying out quickly and nothing here that has not water is doing anything or doing well.
"We can plainly see it does not pay to put in much seed unless it has water." 16 September 1917--"The dry weather has somewhat dampened or dried up our enthusiasm in farming. . . .
"This summer has been even dryer than last. That is there was probably not as much moisture in the ground as year before last. We had little rain last winter and though it was cloudy and raining a good deal in the spring there was no heavy rain so the ground was not thoroughly soaked.
"We put in a good deal of stuff but had not time to water that up at the spring so we have no crops."
17 February 1918--"Weather continues spring like. Zero the coldest here and no snow to amount to anything. It certainly is a remarkable winter. . . . No general storm here since last May. Precipitation not up to the average last year. I think not more than 4 inches."
10 April 1918--"Our calves are looking well and growing. Haven't been near horses and young stock for some time. Horses were poor.
"Pumping plant not come but ordered."
17 June 1918--"Weather extremely hot for the last six or seven days. Was up to 108° in shade two days at least. No rain. Only two rains this spring a total of about 1.4 inches. Not much over two inches since the 23rd of May last year. Never saw such a dry spring before. The grain we sowed is drying up and dying. . . .
"Things in some ways are disheartening. Cows drying up. Mrs. Douglass has had little luck with chickens as hens wouldn't sit. Had hatched quite a good many turkeys but lots of them have died. Lately haven't hatched good. Probably eggs kept to long waiting for sitters. Did not get half as many lambs as expected and they appear to be no more than half alive. Only 10 or 11 alive now I believe.
"We are not ready to give up however."
1 July 1918--"As usual we have no crops. Mrs. D. has only a few chickens and something like 40 turkeys. The bum lamb crop was lots of hard work and pretty near a failure. I think there are only 9 left. Have lost several of the last years lambs."
19 October 1918--"We have had unusual weather the last three years. It is an unusual fall so far. No frost here yet. . . . Thunder showers were like Aug. [rather] than Oct. It has been remarkably warm for this time of the year. Flies very bad indoors and out."
30 October 1918--"We, like the rest of the world find ourselves in an unpleasant condition. We have debts which should be paid now and we cant pay them at present. The companies need the money. We have got to work the thing out some way. I don't know how just yet. Hope to be able to figure it out before long as it is a source of worry and perplexity."
7 February 1919--"My plan is the same as last year. Have good garden for ourselves and raise food for stock."
15 March 1919--(Pearl Douglass) "If we could only begin to have something come, how encouraging it would be."
27 March 1919--"We do not want a great amount. We want our farm worked with good cattle, machinery to run it and to be out of debt with a little ahead for an emergency. I long for a few years of independence before I die."
18 May 1919--"Have had a small force busily at work installing pumping plant, making and cleaning ditch cleaning out reservoir, diking etc. Have the plant so I think we can try it tomorrow. . . . We have quite a little money invested but if we get successful irrigation the land will more than pay for it. The pumping plant will cost something like $3000."
30 August 1919--"So far as crops are conserned we are about where we have been ever since we came here. We have no crops matured. Have about 20 acres of stuff which we have watered and it is up in spots but just now water is down so we cannot pump.
"We have had a strenuous time since the first of May installing pumping plant; and getting everything working. Have succeeded in demonstrating the thing and getting it where if the water were high enough we could get plenty of water. But there have been many disheartening things to contend against. We have had to fight every inch of the way and we have no more than conquered one trouble or difficulty until another would arise."
11 January 1920--"We still have some spring and summer in our hearts. We are always dreaming of raising good things to eat for man and beast but hope deferred makes the heart sick. We still have hopes tho. How hard we tried last summer to avoid what we are going thru now what a lot of money we spent and raised nothing to speak of and have to buy nearly all we eat except beef and milk and eggs tho we are getting no eggs now. . . .
"The farm is the place anyway and I am going to enjoy it if it is only in imagination.
"I am still contemplating writing a story giving my ideal of a farm if only for my own amusement."

Dates

1916-1920

Language of Materials

From the Collection: Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.