July 4 -6, 1915

Sun. July 4, 1915

Alternate rain and sun

Mother and I to Lynndale church, Pa to Christian Science. Read etc. Have not heard a firecracker yet. Some difference from a few years ago.

Mon. July 5, 1915

THE ETERNAL CITY starring Pauline Frederick and Thomas Holding

Fine, fairly warm or hot. Trimmed up trees and leveled up garage with Pa in A.M. We 3 went down and saw finals in Minneapolis Tennis Tournament. Jayne, who is an old player and held the city champ 26 years ago, beat John Adams 6:2 - 6:4 - 6:2. We then walk to the Garrick and saw "The Eternal City." Home and walked down to lake in eve - watched fireworks and rode around in launch and I sat on the tail end which was level with the water because of the heavy load. The lake clear around us was jammed with autos and people - about 80,000. Home to bed.

Tues. July 6, 1915

Hard rain all day - warm.

In attic all day reading letters, looking at pictures and plates and sorting over stuff. Found a bunch of plates, pictures of me and others when I was "knee high to a grasshopper." I'm going to get prints taken from them.

July 1 -3, 1915

Thurs. July 1, 1915

Fine and quite warm

Cut lawn in A.M. Trimmed up an apple tree. Down town with Mother bought a Spaulding tennis racket for $4 and 3 balls $1. Home Pa and I and Mrs Lee's sister played a few games in the eve on the lawn. I beat all, but am awful slow yet. Need a little practice.

Fri. July 2, 1915

Cold, but Sunny

Went over to Aunt Ethel's house that she had traded and that has just been vacated and could not unlock the door - played a couple sets of tennis in aft on our lawn and beat Stew. We were not playing very hard - walked down to lake with him. Pa and I over to Ethel's place in eve and checked over furniture. Home and to bed.

Sat. July 3, 1915

Cool and alternate sun and rain

I was up in the attic all day sorting over stuff and reading old letters etc. All day. Read and to bed.

June 28 - 30, 1915

Mon. June 28, 1915

This could be the paper Grandpa mentions

Sunny and pretty hot all day

Moved part of ours and all of Sims lawn (Mr. Sims away). Planted some grass seed and worked around. Monkeyed around down to the lake with Bob, Cole, Ed, Pete, and Wil Craig. Pa brought 2 boxes of cherries home that were sent from Wash. - are fine. Rode down to lake in eve. Home and to bed.

The Great European War started 1 years ago today. When a Servian shot some Austrian Gazooke. 6,000,000 men have been killed and wounded and no one has gained a thing yet. Eng. dominates the seas and Germany holds steadfast on the land. (See newspaper in red book)

Tues. June 29, 1915

Fine, warm, and sunny

Mr. Olinstad's sons came and I helped them take the canoe over to Calhoun. Walked back to [lake] Harriet, listened to band practice, and took launch home. In aft I went down to Lake of Isles and fixed a (unclear word) back in the bow of canoe. Home by way of the bath house. In eve Stew invited me to play 500 with Ruth A., Ruth R., and himself. R.R. want us to come up then so we did and we had a good time - played till 10:30, popped popcorn, etc. Mother and Pa to show in eve.

Wed. June 30, 1915

Fine and warm

Went swimming in creek with Stew in A.M. We found a fine spot and are going to fix it up classy. Went down and fixed it a little and swam some more - Home and then we went down to the lake and paddled around with Willard Craig while he fished. One fellow had 5 bass - one 5 1/2#, one about 4#, and 3 more about nearly as large. Some Luck. Over to lake about 10 A.M. Read etc. 

At 4 o'clock Grandpa left for Frisco. Ethel and Floyd took him down and I stayed with Mother. Read in eve. Ethel and Floyd stayed here tonight as they moved all their things up here so that we can take them to Hollywood.

June 25 - 27, 1915

Fri. June 25, 1915

Sunny and warm

Helped with washing all A.M. Took bath in P.M. Rode over to lake and heard chorus and grand opera - big crowd - Home about 10:30 and to bed.

Sat. June 26, 1915

Minnesota State Fairgrounds 1915 and likely where Grandpa was watching the races.

Fairly hot and sunny most of the day. Painted on garage trimming a little in the A.M. then went over to the fairgrounds and saw a 100 mile race. There were also 3+ 1 mile races. 13 cars in the 100. It was a fine race all the way thru. I did not pay $1 admish, but walked around to the N.W. corner and had a free grandstand seat on the high bank right by the track. National No. 8 blew a tire right in front of me as he was starting on the curve. He lost control and went into the fence and turned over. The driver got up with a bloody face, but not seriously hurt. Car was wrecked. Hearne of Chicago in a case won in 93:30. Over at the grandstand they had a trick car that could go around on its hind wheels "etc." There was a 500 mile race in Chicago on the new 2 mile board track and all world records went. Dario Resta in a French car won at a rate of 97.6 miles per hour. The previous record, made by DePalma at Indianapolis this Spring, was 89.84. Resta this year has won The Vanderbilt, Grand Prix, and came in 2nd in the 500 at Indianapolis. Grant beat the non stop record going the 500 miles without a stop and came in 4th (96.06). Home and to bed. One driver would come down the stretch with both hands off the wheel, and once he went around the curve with both hands in the air.

Here is Dario Resta in the car he used at the 
World's Fair in San Francisco in 1915 AKA The Vanderbilt Cup Race

Sun. June 27, 1915

Hot and fair most of the day - rain in aft a while

I had canoe ad in and sold it to the 1st party that came out - $25. Used it a year for nothing and got 2 good padlocks out of it at that. Read - walked down to lake with Stew and we sat on a bench under 1 bumbershoot during hard rain and got caught in another cloudburst on our way home. Read and to bed.

Author Note: A bumbershoot is a slang term for umbrella.

June 22 -24, 1915

Tues. June 22, 1915

Warm - 72 and Sunny

Monkeyed around. Took bike ride to other side of lake in aft. Washed up my canoe - had an ad in the paper. Pa and I started to connect up the old and new cesspool about 7 PM. Strung a light out from the porch and worked till 4 A.M. or dawn. Would have been done sooner only our tunnel caved in and we had to dig out the whole front yard it seemed - had coffee and toast about 2 A.M. To bed about 4:30 A.M.

Wed. June 22, 1915

Cloudy and cool

Up at 9 filled in holes - played 3 games of checkers with Cliff and he beat 2. Rode over to The Pavilion in eve, heard 3 pieces and then it started to rain so I beat it. Rain all eve.

Official Signature

Harold T. Crane

Thurs. June 24, 1915

Cloudy, but sun in aft. quite warm.

I finished filling cesspool hole and replaced sod. Monkeyed around went down to lake and rode around - read and to bed.