Dec. 2 - 4, 1914

I believe this is Kathryn Graves (early 1920s)

Dec 2.

Taught History class. (word unclear) of the teachers have bean letting classes teach themselves lately and I was elected to teach history class today. Got 100 in monthly algebra test. Further acquainted with Kathryn.
Came home and rode bike around lake for exercise, did lessons, and to bed. A little cooler 32 still cloudy.


Dec. 3
Rode down with Kathryn went to pub. library and monkeyed around. Came home - Cliff came over and we kicked football - each beat 1 game of checkers. Bandy Morgan came and called for him.
Sat up looking over college courses and trying to decide what to be.

Dec. 4
Got A average for 1st 3 months and don;t have to write out anymore daily work. Got University catalogues for Mr. Jordan and looked over courses. Guess that I will take engineering course.
Walked home with Kathryn, met mother, bought working pants and came home.
We got a letter from Aunt Ethel - more optimistic than usual. Grandpa has traded the Ford that I drove while out there for a " Studebaker" with electric starter etc.. Wish I was out there now to drive it. Clint got fines 10 plunks for speeding.

Dec. 1, 1914

Cloudy and warm
Got acquainted with Kathryn Graves. Rode down on the car with her. Met mother and we went to The Grand. Went to the Y CLUB and heard a Dr. Fischer talk on making the most of life spiritually. Good discussion.
Came Home - did lessons and to bed.

Here's what the street cars in Minneapolis looked like back in the early teens when my grandfather was chatting up girls.

November 26, 1914 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving
Very warm about 60-65.
Pa and Ma to church in AM. I shingled a little.
Had a big duck dinner. Pa and I played tennis in the afternoon. Each got 1 set. Cliff beat me one set 7-5. I went over and we played handball in Cliff's basement until 6pm. Sat around in eve.
Peace and prosperity in America
War and desolation in Europe.

Nov. 15, 1914

Very hard west wind. Very cold but clear.
Pa bought a brown mackinaw- Looks funny on him.
Has been little edge on H. for last (word unclear). Pa has adopted absolute silence. Out this PM. Left about 8pm. Gone?

Brown Mackinaw: Funny he would say it looked funny on his father as it's just the kind of thing he wore when I knew him in the 70s.

Nov. 6 1914

Fine and cool. Went to the West-Central game. We beat 15-0. Parade after game. We all walked down to Lake St. We had some fun in Bryant car, too. I went to the Shubert in eve and had some fun. Good Show - BABY MINE.


Here is a production still from BABY MINE's Broadway production in 1910.

Nov. 1 - 4, 1914

Nov. 1

Bright and warm.
Mother and I went to Lynn. Congregational Church. Pretty Desolate and Gloomy. No spirit.
We went to the symphony in the afternoon. Pretty Good.

Nov. 3

Fine and Warm
Vacation - Election Day
Pa is an election clerk all day and till midnight, I guess.
I monkeyed with Cliff and football in AM and shingled part of the garage the rest of the day.
Nearly done.
Lesson and to bed

Nov. 4

Mayor Wallace Nye

Hard wind.
Pa got home from election work about 5:45 am.
Hammond is Governor
Nye mayor
The democrats have lost a large majority in congress.
We got a box of nuts and oranges from Aunt Ethel today.

Oct 28, 29, 30 1914

Wed. Oct 28

Clear & little warmer.

Had Hist. & Alg test. Heard (unclear word) lecture on conservation of forests by a C.H.S Gazebelle.

Walt, Cliff, I & a kid for center had a  whirlwind signal practice. We & Newell Clark played kick goal earlier in aft. Cup came down & Walt, Cup, Cliff & I had H.L.J.Q game. Walt was 24 & I was 10. He made a slam and beat. 

Ma to 2nd church. Pa to L. St. one. Me to my lessons.

Author notes: 

From high school yearbook:
Newell CLARK was graduated from West in January, 1918, and joined the U. S. Marines the same day. In three months he won the expert marksman medal and was sent to do guard duty at the Prison Detachment at Portsmouth, H.H. Here he became a victim of the influenza and died October 1, 1918.

Gordon Bates Class President West High Yearbook photo and tag line. 

Thurs. Oct 29

Clear & Fine

Had class elections. Gordon Bates Pres. Saw cross country run with central.

Home and went down to lake with Walt & brot home rest of pillows 'etc'.

Wrote letter to Truman.

Author Notes:

Based on the 1940 census Gordon went on to marry and have 3 children and become president of a shoe store. He died in Pomona, Ca in 1967.

Fri. Oct 30

Fine & quite warm

Fred, Cup, Walt, Ann, Jay & I beat canoe up on our shoulders in cal. ( Author note: probably referring to Lake Calhoun)

Beat Pa 5 games on High, low "etc".

Oct 27 1914

Oct 27

Clear & cool

Played kick goal with Cliff in the aft. Then to the Bean Club & heard talk on "Wasting Time". Stayed & did lessons.

Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan

Winifield Scott Hammond

Pa called for me at 8:20 & we (unclear word) to auditorium to hear Bryan. Suppose to have ticket but we went around to the side & a man came out & told about 12 of us that there were a few seats in 2nd bal. We went in & left the mob in front behind. Heard Hammond (running for governor) talk & then Bryan came. He was fine. Talked on the necessity for Democratic Comgress to help Wilson carry out his good works the next two years.

Home at 11:30

Oct. 24, 25, & 26 1914

Sat. Oct 24

Worked. Nice Day. Turned out quite warm. $2.25 not much to do.

Sun. Oct 25

Fine & a little cool. Had my new clothes on but did not go out of house. Read paper & did lessons all day. West beat East yesterday 33 to 0. Minnesota beat Iowa 7 to 0. There was a 100 mile race at fair grounds yesterday. The record was broken for that distance.

Mon. Oct 26

Cold but bright. About freezing (33 or 4) all day. 

Jay is not going to take his gas car to school any more so I took Horace Lowry taxi.
Wore my new suit, & brown hat - but got mad at hat & bought a cap in afternoon. Walked to town from school. Also got a school book (unclear word, likely the text book he got) Came home & Stew, Walt, Cliff & I had good signal practice & scrimmage lots of fun.

Did lessons & to bed.

Author note: At this time Horace Lowry was the president of the Twin City Rapid Transportation Company. So I think a Horace Lowry Taxi means the street car.

Oct 22 & 23 1914

The Ford is my shepherd... Grandpa was a car guy for sure!

Thursday Oct 22

No school, teachers convention.

Rainy but warm.

Took new pants and vest down town to be tailored.

Wrote a letter to Mr. Hargreve in aft. Wrote a parody on the 23 Psalm in favor of the Ford in answer to one True sent me. Am going to send it to the Co.

Author note: I'm guessing this last part means grandpa sent his parody to Ford Motor Cars. I found in 1917 there is a record of this 23 psalm Ford parody. Probably not grandpa's but still fun to read.

The Ford is my car;
I shall not want another.
It maketh me to lie down in wet places;
It soileth my soul;
It leadeth me into deep waters;
It leadeth me into paths of ridicule for its namesake;
It prepareth a breakdown for me in the presence of mine enemies.
Yea, though I run through the valleys, I am towed up the hill;
I fear great evil when it is with me.
Its rods and its engines discomfort me;
It annointeth my face with oil;
Its tank runneth over.
Surely to goodness if this thing follow me all the days of my life,
I shall dwell in the house of the insane forever.



Friday Oct 23.

Cloudy and threatening very warm in morning but colder in aft. 

Stew, Walt & I monkeyed with foot ball this am signal practice "etc".

Arnold & I played kick goal in aft. Cliff came over & we three played a few games of H.L.J & Q

I wrote comp today. Sat around with mother  & recalled old times most of  evening. Pa had to work.

Oct 19, 20, 21, 1914

Because there was a time you took your pen in for repairs...

Monday Oct 19

Excellent & very warm

Rode to school - 48 (unclear word) Deep. Went around L. of the Isles.

Got haircut & walked down town. Bought deck of cards & left my fountain pen to be fixed.(bent the (unclear word) back the other day)

Came home, lessons & bath.

Letter from Aunt Ethel. She does not like her life in Cal. at all. Every letter is despondent.

Tuesday Oct 20

Fine  & warm. On way to school we ran out of gas. Jay had to walk down to 35 or 6 & get some. Were 1 or 2 min late.

Went down town & looked at some clothes. Have not decided on one yet. Got my pen again. Went out to bean club & heard "Jim" talk on profanity.

Home, lessons & to bed

Wednesday Oct 21

Fine & warm

Ride to and from with Jay. In aft. we took a spin went to the Minn. River. Fine scenery. Came home pretty fast. We stopped at a store in Richfield & Harry Townsend drove up & said we had scared his horse & dumped two (unclear word maybe dailies) out of the back. Another auto took them to a Doc. to see if anything was the matter I guess. He was mad & going to make trouble. Jay was scared. I guess it will be alright tho.

Decided on my suit in the aft. went to 2nd meeting in evening with mother.

Oct 17 & 18, 1914

Oct. 17

Fine & warm. Certainly have had fine weather this Fall.

Worked - Wagon broke down about 11AM & I sat guard while Harris went for another. He came back with (unclear word) seatless cheese cart & we got thru alright.

Home & to bed.

Have not heard how the games came out yet.

Lake Calhoun in the late 1910s

Oct 18

Excellent day. Warm.

Went to 2nd Church. In aft. we walked to Dan Patch line intending to go out to Savage - no car for a couple of hrs. So we went to Calhoun & took three lake launch trip. Was fine.

Home at 6:30. Tried to write a book report about half done - & to bed 10:30

Author note:

From Wiki - The Dan Patch Corridor was the brainchild of entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage. Incorporated in 1907 as the Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company (MStPR&D), the line began service in 1908 as a passenger line running south from Minneapolis. Savage marketed the line as the "Dan Patch Line," a connection from Minneapolis to his farm in Savage, Minnesota, where he housed his famous harness racing horse, Dan Patch. After realizing that his horse was not enough to draw people to his rail line, he began work on Antlers Park, an amusement park on Lake Marion which opened in 1910. The line then experienced steady ridership growth between 1911–1915, and revenue obtained from the park was used to extend the line south to Northfield.

West Calhoun Neighborhood council - In 1914, the Minneapolis Park Board purchased two launches and offered scheduled trips around Lake Calhoun and into Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake and Brownie Lake. Stops on the boat trip included 31st Street, 34th Street, Thomas Avenue, 36th Street (referred to as “Mineral Springs), “Spring Beach” (opposite the Minikahda Club) and Lake Street. The Park Board also operated a boat concession, renting rowboats and sailboats.  

Oct 15 & 16, 1914

Oct 15

Fine & quite warm.

Rode down and back with Jay. Was very foggy in early morning- so much that I read a fellow walked into a streetcar and broke his nose.

Cliff came over in the aft. & we played 2 fine lively sets of tennis 6-4 (Cliff) & 7-5 (me). I have improved a great deal since I have started playing in July, Aug. I did not then have a serve, no backhand or even return but now I am good at all? Also beat 3 out of 5 A. L. J. & G games.

Lessons, rattled bones & to bed at 9 PM.

HTC (New signature)

Oct 16

Fine & Warm

To & from with Jay. Going home we had 10 in his 5 pers. car for a way.

I walked down to Nic. Park & saw last of central North game. 13-0 in favor of N. N. has only one more game & if they win that they will get the championship. West plays South Tomorrow.

The Saxe Theater

Ma, Pa, & I went down to the New Palace Theater tonight. Saw the best show that I have ever been to. The theater is beautiful large & clean. Just opened 2 weeks ago. Minneapolis has 9 large theaters now. The Saxe opened up 3 weeks ago. It is also fine - Enormous pipe organ "etc". Motion pictures only (10 cents The Palace has 5 or 6 reels of pictures & 5 acts for 10-20 cents) There is a stock company at this Shubert - low prices & the Bijou has been made over for the Brainbridge players (stock) high priced. Mpls. is pretty with her new G.N. Depot - new post office, new 20 story bldg., improvved park system "etc".

Oct. 14, 1914

This is likely the car grandpa talks about. 

Sunny & Cool. Had frost last night (therma about 28)

Rode down with Jay and Burl. Wore overcoat & still it was pretty cool when we hit it up. On our way home - Jay, Burl, Fat, Fred, & Pudge - We made about 50. Walked down to lake & brot a few fellows home.

A fellow had broken his crank handle on the hill by the lake. So I helped him push his car & start the engine that way. Rode up the hill & had gone a block when he killed it again. We pushed it back to the hill, started it & got away alright. He had an Oakland Racer and his name was Bullet.

Lessons and to bed.

Here's a Pontiac Oakland Roadster around 1914.

Author's note: Grandpa says the car he helped with was a racer but going through the internet I can't find Oakland ever making a racer. This Roadster seems like what he was talking about. In trying to find the Oakland racer I learned a lot about the Oakland Motor Company. Their tag line was "A Car With A Conscience". As explained by the Oakland Motor Car Company, it was built by men who did their best at all times and was delivered to the customer with a “clean mechanical conscience.” Also the fully loaded Oakland for $1785 of 1914 translate to about $40,000 today.

Oct 12 &13, 1914

Oct 12

1914 Boston Braves were the come from behind team.

Rainy & cool all day. Wore overcoat & went down on the car. Read in the aft. 

Cliff dropped in in eve & we played H.L.J.&G. He beat 4-6.

Took bath and to bed.

Germans captured Antwerp a few days ago - now marching toward Ostend. Belgians and allies in successful retreat.

World series - Boston has won 2 games from Philadelphia.

Author note: the teams in the series are the Boston Braves and the Philadelphia Athletics. Also I finally found out that H. L. J. & G stands for High Low Jack and Game. It's a card game.

Oct 13

Minneapolis YMCA

Quite cold in morning & evening. Cleaned up in mid of day. Wore overcoat took car. Went down town in aft. bought (word unclear) sweater for $4.95, 2 pr. 25 cents wool sox for 38 cents & a pair of W. L. Douglas shoes for $3.50. Thought that I lost a dollar but after getting home in eve. found it in my pocketbook.

Walked up to Y.M. & had bean supper. City Attorney talked on honesty. Did not stay for discussion.

Came home with Stan and George. Did lessons and to bed.

Boston has won 4 games (the series)

Oct 10 & 11, 1914

 Saturday night date, Genevieve 4 years later at University of Minnesota

Oct 10

Worked $2.25
Left at 6:30, got ready and went down to get a girl to take to Walt's 500 party. Genevieve Hobart her name. Stew, Fred, F, E. Smith, M. Reed, R. Aines, and a few others were out. Had good time, got booby prize. 
Had the worst back yet. Walt and I were passed by 2 38th St. cars. We walked down to about 20th. We finally got car about 1P.M. I don't believe Stew is home yet- had to go out St. Louis Parkway.

Oct 11

Up at 4:30 Read paper- Pa & I for a walk, did alg. & wrote comp.
Mother & Pa to church at night
Fine & cool day

Oct 8 & 9, 1914

Oct 8
Grey day. Rode down with Jay.

Handed in my membership to Y Club. Subscribed to the "Spectator" a few days ago. Went down town in aft but did not do anything. Came home and sat around. Read some of "Gulliver's Travels". Supper, talked with mother and to bed.  Pa had to work late.

West High Football Team

Oct 9
Good Day. Bought rooters hat. Cliff met me and we went to football game in aft. North beat 7 to 6. It was a good game, but we had a little hard luck. Came within in a (unclear word) of making another touchdown several times. Teams pretty evenly matched.
To school, got books, and went home.

Oct. 6 and 7, 1914

Oct. 6th

Cloudy and Misty. To and from with Jay, Fred, Burl, Pudget, Cup. Took a little spin half-way out to Hopkins this AM, All late for school.

Played 2 sets of tennis with Cliff. I beat the first set that I have ever beat Cliff (unclear word). He also beat me 7-5. We then came in and played H.L.J &the G (this last initial is unclear). I beat 3 out of 5.

Lessons and to bed

Turned to be a pretty good day.

Oct 7th

Fine day. To and from with Jay and the kids. Showed Southworth (author note: this is the mechanical drawing teacher at the high school) my A.U.H.S.(Author Note: Anaheim Union High School where grandpa went to school the year before while in California)drawings and he said that I was a ++ draftsman in West (author note:West is the name of grandpa's high school) but the drawings were worth about 85%.

Jay, Geo, Daniel, Burl, Fat C, Dewey and more took a ride out to Edina after school. 
(author Note: Edina is a small city south west of Minneapolis.)

Played a set of tennis with Cliff 6-4. Walt came down with his football and we had some fun going thru (unclear word) practice "etc". 

Came in a played a couple games of H.L.J.G. I beat 1 and Cliff the other.

Lessons and to bed.

Mother and Pa are at meeting.

Oct. 5, 1914

1914 hand crank sewing machine this one is the King Tut special

Oct. 5th

A little cloudy fairly warm. To & from with Jay.

Got cards. + in Lit, Hist. & machine and ++ in Alg.

Came home and monkeyed around with sewing machine trying so to figure out how to work it. Finally got it alright.

Cliff stopped in almost 5:30 and we played a set of tennis 6-4

Lessons & re-tired

Oct 4, 1914

These are the trolley cars Grandpa talks about.

All went to 2nd church. Very windy day. Was Peace Sunday - church was packed. Had to sit near platform.

They are putting in a new car line on 11th St.

Walt came over in aft. and we walked (unclear word) and over
 to Penn - to lake for a little canoe ride and home. He invited me to a 500 party next Saturday.(unclear word) know which girl to invite.

Wrote Eng. Comp. in eve and to bed.

Oct 2 and 3, 1914

Oct 2

Fine Day. To and from with Jay
Got an invite to go to a dance at H. Hewett's. Had to wash a shirt myself - Mother away.
Played 3 sets of tennis with Cliff.
Went to dance with Stew, R, A, and Erma. Kind of state entertainment. Took R, A, and Erma home. In bed at 12.

Oct 3

Worked - Windy Day
Got $2.25 and 50 cents for Tues aft.
Took bath and to bed.

Sept 30 and Oct 1, 1914

Sept 30th
Rode down with Jay, R, B, F, Cup and rode home also. Fine Day. Sat around lessons and to bed.

Oct 1st
Fine and Mild. Rode to and from with Jay.Got 95 in month's Alg test.
Mother and I took a canoe ride this aft.
Lessons and the dreamland (written with a nice long flourish off the end of the d)

Sept 29, 1914

Went to the bean club. Had good (Illegible word) and speech from U. professor on the "The Laws of Habit". In discussion we learned the (Illegible word) to be charged in the Y Club and we are going to have pins. Are also going to give a reception for Freshman soon. Came home with (Illegible word) Creighton,and L. Freeman and Deinhard Brothers..(Illegible word). I am back from 2:30 to 5 at store. Fine day.

Notes: Sorry for all the  (Illegible word) spots this was a particularly faint entry and very difficult to read. Below is the description of the Y Club from grandpa's yearbook.  I believe Y Club and Bean club are used interchangeably

 The Y Club
AT the opening of the " b e a n " season the " Y " officers and members real-
ized that they would have a big job to keep up the record made by the
"West Club of last year. Nevertheless all who have been connected with,
or have known the work of the Club realize that its influence has been
felt throughout the school.
"We wish to thank Mr. Jordan and our two faculty advisors, Mr. Parsons and
Mr. Jones for the interest they have taken in our work and the help they have
given us. Although we have fallen down in membership, the conduct and qual-
ity of the "West fellows has gained the respect of the other High Schools.
Last fall at the beginning of the semester we started campaigns against pro-
fanity, smoking, and cribbing. We have had many interesting and instructive
speeches by prominent business men, preachers, and politicians, including Gov-
ernor Hammond.
The Club at present is pushing the movement for a Students' Executive
Board. The Club believes if this scheme is given a good trial it will give West
a chance to show the other schools a thing or two in the way of partial self-gov-
ernment. We all hope that through an Executive Board we shall bring the
students and faculty into a closer and friendlier relationship, and put the spirit
of "West W i n s " into the heart and soul of every student.

Sept. 28, 1914

Fine and quiet day. Learned that I got 80 in my 1000 word essay. Rode home with Jay, Cup, Fred, "Fat", and Dewey. Jay is going to charge 5 cents for both ways after this and call for me in the morning.

Minneapolis Journal Sunday Magazine from June 1914

Went down to the lake in the Aft. Lay in the canoe and drifted while reading Sunday Magazine. Came home, raked a few leaves from front yard, had sup, lessons, and to bed.

Sept. 27, 1914

Minnehaha Falls postcard with Longfellow poem that brought it some fame

Up pretty early for Sunday. Fine warm day. We all went to Knox church. This was Doc Cool's farewell to Lynnwood Cong. Came home and had fine dinner Veal, potatoes, watermelon, pumpkin pie, etc.

Soldier's Home still in operation

Took car to Minnehaha - did not get off at transfer point but stayed on till we got to the river. Had a fine walk down the river to Soldier home and then to Minnehaha Falls. Beautiful creek full of water. Took car for home about 6pm. Had sup - did lessons and to bed.

Minnehaha Falls photo from 1910

Sept. 25 & 26, 1914

Canoeing was a hot trend in the early teen years in Minneapolis

Sept 25, 1914
Fine and Cool. Rode home with Jay, R,B, L etc..
Mother and I for a canoe ride in Aft.Water nice and smooth. Trees turning brown. Very fine.
Pa beat 3 out of 5 games of H.L.J & S. To bed.

Sept 26, 1914
Fine day.
Worked got $2.25 for Sat. & .80 for 4 hours last Monday.
Came home & went to bed.

Sept. 24, 1914

Windom Cassius Crane Hal's Pa

Fine Day. To school. Rode home with Jay, Ber., etc..
Ran down to the lake, paddled around in stiff breeze a while.
Came in. Ran home. Did alg. Ate sup.
Played High Low Jack & game with Pa all eve. Beat 3 out of 5 games.
To bed.

Sept. 23, 1914

Both torpedoed & sunk in North Sea off by SM U-9 Kaiserliche Marine (capt. pictured)on Sept 22

Fine and cool day. Changed to my blue suit and vest from grey one.
Rode home with Jay, Ruth, Bernice, Cup"etes"
Cut lawn in Aft, lessons and help Stew with physics in eve.
Allies pushing back and turn Ger. right wing. Reported about 1800-1600 lost in yesterday's naval battle.

Have just figured out my average for all my high school work so far and find it to be about 89.

Notes- Here is a description of the WWI battle referred to, written by the German Lieutenant Weddigen, pictured above.

Sept. 22, 1914

SMS Cap Trafalgar and HMSCarmania sunk Sept 14, 1914

Fine day- cooler. 80 in Alg. test. Rode home from school with Ruth, Bernice, Lucile, nother girl, Fred H in Jay's Packard machine.
Played tennis with Cliff in aft. 6-4 6-2 6-2 7-5
Had ticket for Bean Club but did not start in time so did not go.
Lessons and to the mattress in eve.
German submarines have sunk 3 British warships recently. Helps to make up for German losses. Allies are pushing German right wing back. -About Oriles.

Sept 21, 1914

Grandpa's West High School yearbook pic. Could the bio be more dead on?

Fine Day. Up at 6:50. Went to school without keys - could get no books etc..Copied essay before school, 1st per and in Eng. recitation. Got 100 in Eng test and 60 in Hist-(not my fault) 100 in Alg. Had a chance to ride home in Jay Packard auto with Ruth, Bernice etc.. But had to leave early and help out --- Quist. Worked there 2:30 -6:30

1914 Packard

Played 500 with Pa. Took swim in bath tub and retired on the springs.

French, Eng., and Germans still at a standstill. Been fighting this 1 battle for 10 days.

Author Notes:

I was able to find a digital page for Grandpa's 1915 West High year book. I only saw one Bernice but there are 3 Ruth's in the senior class.

Who knew they used "slam" in 1914?

Sept 20, 1914

Fine Day. Sat around and read paper. Had to write that --- --- essay in evening. To bed at eleven

Author Note

The dashes are in the diary and I assume are in place of an expletive.

Sept. 19th, 1914

Worked at the Quists. Earned $2.25. Pa and I played 300 all eve till about 11pm. Fine mild day.

Notes

I spent a good deal of time trying to find out what 300 is, as grandpa mentions playing it quite often over the years. The only thing I can find is a version of Gin Rummy where you play to 300 points.

Sept 18, 1914

Margaret Fuller School built 1896 demolished 1974

Another hot day. Had an Eng. test. Have to write a 1000 word essay for Mon. Sat around and rode bike a little in aft. Mother and Pa gone canoeing this eve.German and French still at a stand still and fighting hard.

Fact About Myself
put on long pants at 15
Age 17
Height 5'7"
Weight 117
Weighed 122 in Cal last Winter
Graduated from Margaret Fuller School at 13
Went to Vancouver that Winter. Came back in Summer of 1908.
Went to Cal. 1st time in Winter 1910- age 13. Stayed 3 months. Went 2nd time in Aug 1913. Stayed 11 months. Went to school there Drove auto.

Sept. 17, 1914

Sunny and fairly warm. Turned out to be quite hot. Had history test. Mother's birthday. Went down town and bought her a large picture of roses and box of candy. Went for a paddle in my canoe with me, and myself.

Sept. 16 1914

Have settled down to the grind. Forgot to mention that I have been to several parties and 2 dances - play a little tennis. Get lessons? and hit the feathers. Went to Bean Club last evening. Good club, good feed and good time. Played tennis this aft. Has been chilly but quite warm today. 

Forgot to mention the war! Started about 1st or 2nd week of August.Germans aimed to make a quick trip to Paris. Halted a no. of days by a stubborn defense of Liege. Finally got within 10 miles of Paris fortification a few days ago, but Eng. and France after drawing them thus far, suddenly turned offensive and drove them back 55 miles.Germans now making a stand. Russians have pushed back and defeated Austrians, but find more resistance from Germans. Pres. Wilson has today ordered our troops to leave Vera Cruz.

Have been going to Knox Church. Doc Cool has Vamoosed.

NOTES

I think The Bean Club could be a school organization something like student government.

Loving all the slang in this entry!

I believe the part of WWI he is describing is the Battle of The Marne.

Wiki desription- The Battle of the Marne (French: Première bataille de la Marne; also known as the Miracle of the Marne) was a First World War battle fought from 5–12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle was the culmination of the German advance into France and pursuit of the Allied armies which followed the Battle of the Frontiers in August, which had reached the eastern outskirts of Paris. The counterattack of six French field armies and theBritish Expeditionary Force ("BEF") along the Marne River forced the German Imperial Army to abandon its push on Paris and retreat north-west, leading to the "Race to the Sea". The Battle of the Marne was a victory for the Allies and set the stage for four years of trench warfare on the Western Front.

Aug 31, 1914

Flinch was a card game

School starts. Came down 2 or 3 days ago and got credits fixed. Could graduate in January by taking 5 subjects but will take 4 and wait till June. Enrolled in English Lit II, Advanced Algebra, R. History, and Machine. Met Miss Crogan 3rd or 4th day of school.Quite a surprise. Ruth, Bernice , and Lucile were playing tennis, started to rain, came in and played Flinch. Rained like blazes. Cliff and I have been playing tennis quite a bit. Last Friday Cliff and I took canoe over to Calhoun - ate luncheon Cedar. Got home about 5pm. Good time and coat (unclear about this word) of tan.

Aug 1914

Started Working Saturdays for Quist about mid of month. Fixed up a single grass tennis court on So. lot and am enjoying it a great deal  very much.

NOTES

I looked up Quist and it looks to be a popular last name at the time. I couldn't find any store associated with it.

I would love to know why grandpa thought he should strike out "a great deal" for "very much" Must have been cooler???

July 19 1914

Lake Harriet 1914

Arrived from California about 1st. Stayed with Aunt Ethel and Floyd 3 or 4 days and then we all moved over home. I bought a canoe and Floyd and I fished and paddled.

15th Ethel and Floyd left for California Great Northern. Soon after the 1st I went and surprised Ruth. Was offered $15 per week by Skogmo. Did not accept. Working around house; fixing step bank painting,cutting lawn, and fixing boulevard "etc". 

Hot weather.

NOTES

I have tried doing some research to find out about Skogmo. It looks like it may have been an early automotive venture by two guys named Gamble and Skogmo, who would go on to have a sucessful department store in the 1920's.

Where the diaries begin

Hal was born in 1897 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near Lake Harriet at 4912 Emerson Ave. S, 55419  it is near the South East corner of Lake Harriet. The house still stand today, follow the link to see it. During Hal's junior year in high school he and his mother came out to live with her father on his ranch in Anaheim. They returned to Minnesota for his senior year, and then, after his graduation they moved to California in July 1915.

His diaries begin during their return to Minnesota for his senior year.