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Memories of Bertha
Brackett (Swope)
Editor’s Note (2007):
This was in a bound notebook,
written with lead pencil – a book that is soiled,
broken, and fragile. There were some class notes
in the front, including some notes on Latin. The
diary starts about ten pages later. The inside
front cover says, “Bertha Brackett, Chamberlain, South
Dak.” Assuming that it was Bertha’s notebook, she
would have been 14 when she started this diary in
1898. She frequently mentions her brother Charlie,
who would have turned nine years old a few days before
she starts the diary. The following note is on the
page before the diary and she probably wrote it later.
“Following is a diary which I
began June 12. I put down many unimportant things
to other minds than my own, but I think few will care to
read it. The writing is poor, for mostly I
have been obliged to hold the book on my knees or in
some other unhandy position.”
June 12, 1898 (Children’s Day)
Slightly cloudy in
the morning but nice in the afternoon. Papa, Carrie,
Joey & Winnie came over yesterday & Carrie & I
watered his horses this morning & gathered a boquet of
flowers (cacti & roses) on the way home. I
studied hard on my piece for I had to speak and had to be
prompted as I knew I would. The exercises were very
nice in the evening. I did not go to Church or S.S.
in the A.M. but stayed to C.E. in the eve. Expect to
go out on the ranch tomorrow.
June 13, 1898
Lovely day. Got ready
to go out to White R. Bro’t up the team but did not
go until P.M. Reached “camp” about three hours
before sundown. All that I could see was a tin stove
full of fuel, a bed on the ground, a chair, and a box
covered with a canvas bag which contained papers (the
bag). The box held the dishes & food. Papa
started for the shanty on the bottom to get a load of
posts to build a corral for the cattle, nights. He
is coming back tomorrow. Charlie & I are going
to stay here alone. I rode horseback until nearly
dark then we ate supper and crept into our bed. It
is water-proof. We were obliged to cover our heads
on account of the mosquitoes. I am afraid I shall be
rather stiff in the morning.
Tuesday, June 14
I slept very well last
night, considering the change. I felt very limber
this morning too and I was glad for I have ridden a great
deal today. When we woke up, we looked for cattle
and saw some north of the camp. We did hurry not
much and after eating our breakfast we saddled our horses
and mounted. The horses grazed near the camp through
the night. Some of them were loose but had their
bridles on and the rest were picketed. We rode up to
the cattle but to our surprise & dismay found that
they did not bear our brand (7▬). Then we began our
search in good earnest. We rode all the forenoon but
found no traces of them. Papa came up from the
bottom at noon with Mamie & after we had a lunch, I
took Mamie part way to Oacoma and Papa & Charlie
started out to look for the cattle. We all returned
to camp about 5 o’clock P.M. & Charlie & I went
down on the bottom to look around intending to stay at the
shanty over night. We found no traces of the cattle
& after a hearty supper, as we had taken care of our
horses, and bro’t in the cow, before, we retired. We
had not been long in bed before Papa came
unexpectedly. He stayed all night with us.
Wednesday, June 15
Cloudy, looks very much
like rain. Papa & Charlie & I stayed at the
shanty until afternoon and then Papa & C. started out
again. I remained there and slept, read, and walked
to occupy my time. Before sundown, shortly, I went
for the cow and watered my pony but saw nothing of Papa
& C. Returned, ate supper, read awhile, then
went to bed, thinking Papa & C. would stay over night
at the camp.
Thursday, June 16
Pleasant but very warm.
Rose about with the sun & saddled Curly (the pony) and
went down to the river. Came back, ate breakfast,
made my bed, milked the cow & turned her out, and then
started for the camp. Before I crossed White R. I
met Charlie who told me to go up to the camp & take
care of the cattle they had found, 80 head, while he &
Papa went to look for those still missing. They came
up shortly before noon. After dinner they started
out again, leaving me to watch those at the camp.
Finding the remainder of the cattle at Oacoma, Papa came
home & built a corral & Charlie brot the
cattle. Papa & C., thinking it was time to bring
in the cattle, started out to help me; but I had taken the
cattle to water and after they had ridden about twenty
five miles overtook me just as I was driving the cattle
into the corral. Papa said he did not know when he
had been so frightened.
Friday, June 17
Beautiful morning. I
stayed alone on the prairie last night. Papa &
C. went down on the bottom. Took the cattle out
about sunrise. Mosquitoes bothered greatly.
Horses were very uneasy in the night. Charlie came
up in the A.M. with a pail of ice-water. Cattle
quiet. Papa went down to the mouth of White R. to
look for two steers that have been gone for some time and
came back about 4 o’clock P.M. Took the cattle in
very late. I got supper, or rather I fried some
pancakes. We cook on the camp fire – just a hole in
the ground with fire in – as the tin stove uses so much
wood to make a little heat. A very, very
hot day. Cloudy at dusk
Saturday, June 18
It did not rain last night
but it is still very warm. Papa took the cattle out
before I was awake. I did very little today as the
cattle were quiet, until nearly sundown when we started to
bring the cattle in. Papa & C. went down on the
bottom after a load of wood. They bro’t back a lot
of ice water & Papa went to town with the wood.
Sunday, June 19
Sunday is like all other
days on the ranche. It is slightly cloudy but not so
very warm. I had to go for the horses this
morning before I could let the cattle out. Rode
Nellie last night for the first time. She goes first
rate. Mosquitoes were terrible this morning.
Nellie was very uneasy because they bit her so. I
did not sleep very well last night – they were so
bad. Cattle fairly quiet in the morning. Had
breakfast about the middle of the forenoon. Tied up
the heifer, Nellie, to milk. Met a boy on a bicycle
on the way to Earling. He did not seem very bashful
and talked to me for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Monday, June 20
Quite warm. Papa has
not come home yet. Expect him tomorrow. We
have not found Prince yet so I am riding Nellie
some. We see George Juelfo nearly every day,
sometimes more than once. He is making fence down
below. Knothead (one of the cattle) got stuck in the
waterhole last night but John Maris pulled him out this
morning as he was coming by. He lives with George,
John Maris does.
Tuesday, June 21
Looks like rain but not so very
warm (Windy). Knothead is lying down & won’t get
up. He is thin as he has just gotten over the
“maggots.” Am afraid he will die. George J.
caught me asleep this noon when he came up to
dinner. I was lying on the ground holding Nellie
when he went by, asleep. He stopped to talk with
Charlie & when I woke up I went over and he said he
caught me asleep – that time. He told us that Prince
was down to the place. I ride “Donkey Jack” all the
time when Prince is home. He is such a little fellow
and stronger than any of the horses. Papa came home
tonight, went down to Knothead & found him dead.
He bro’t out bread, cake, jam (canned), salmon (canned)
& various other eatables. Said they were fixing
up the island for the Fourth.
Wednesday, June 22
Very cloudy. Papa
took the cattle out before sunrise. Rather
warm. Cleared off later in the day & was very
warm, tho’ a strong breeze blew. Cattle quiet.
Charlie & I came down to the place in the P.M. with
the wagon and the intentions of staying until Monday
morning. We bro’t a cow down. We took quite an
extended bath in the river. It feels good to get
real wet after such a hot day. I like the water when
it is not dangerous. Came home, did our few chores
& retired.
Thursday, June 23
Very pleasant in the
morning but most uncomfortably warm about noon. Papa
bro’t all the cattle down this morning. He quite
took us by surprise. I went down to the river and
dug a hole for the water to seep into and settle so that
we could drink it without waiting so long for it to settle
after we bring it up.
Papa came near having a bad
accident this morning. He stopped to pick some
juneberries (by the way, the juneberries & black
currants are just beginning to ripen) as the cattle were
coming along all right & he did not want to drive
them, and left Nellie, his horse, eating grass, tho’ he
was right beside her. She started, then the colt
shot ahead and Papa, fearing Nellie would run, stooped
& picked up the rein but just as he stooped she kicked
at him, striking his jaw. She kicked hard enough to
enable him to feel it on the other side of his face.
Quite lucky she did not strike him five inches higher.
Later on, while crossing the
river, she began to sink; as the sand reached her knees,
Papa threw his feet out of the stirrups. Getting her
own foot into the stirrup, she floundered around and as
Papa still held her, broke a link, or rather pulled it
out, of the bridle rein. He again attempted to
recross & Nellie got in to the sand deep. He got
off & was obliged to urge her pretty hard before she
got loose: he tried to get across but she was so
tired, they came back. Both were wet. Nellie
had hardly a dry hair anywhere and Papa was very
wet. He was not hurt more than a slight stiffness in
his little finger & one leg. He has been in many
worse dangers & yet he’s still a-living.
He is not the least timid, I’m sure.
Friday, June 24
Warm, as usual. Papa
came down last night after we had been in bed for a while,
bringing all the things he could carry from the
camp. We now intend to keep the cattle mostly on the
bottom, for a week at least. Papa was sick this
forenoon, not seriously of course. I was sick to my
stomach in the night but feel perfectly well today.
Charlie & Papa gathered up the cattle this morning,
which stay on the other side of the river during the
night. We picked currants to eat in milk, for
dinner. They are very nice. Papa is feeling
better this P.M. but is still quite weak. He tho’t
of going to town, but gave it up. We have plenty of
ice water when ever we want it bad enough to bring the ice
from the cave & wash it.
Saturday, 25
It rained a few drops last
night not long before sundown. There was a very hard
wind for a while, too. It is a great deal cooler
today. The cattle stayed on this side last
night. They were very quiet all day today,
too. Fred Schooler came this P.M. and he & Papa
went to town. Fred used to work for us.
Sunday, 26
This is my second Sunday out here
yet I rather like it. I shall get tired of it
though. We got in very late last night. In the
night the cattle came up to the house and began to rub;
they bothered me and as I was afraid they would go into
the millet, I woke Charlie and after we slipped on some of
our clothes, we went out & started the cattle out
towards the corral. They stayed quiet the remainder
of the night and I got up just as it begun to get light
this morning so as to start them out before they got into
the millet. Fortunately not one of the cattle had
got in; tho’ some “E▬” horses had come up and one of them
had got in. Five strange cattle came up last night
but we drove them across the river. Cattle quiet all
day. It was real cold last night for this time of
year. We counted the cattle yesterday, about twenty
times over I think, each of us. There are 107
besides 5 calves. Two are missing and have been for
a long time, making 109, really. The reason we
counted them so many times was because we tho’t there were
only 106 as one got away. I think he must have come
back.
Monday, 27
Clear & cool.
Cattle very quiet last night. I sleep every day, yet
I feel sleepy. I go to bed late at night and get up
early when Papa is away. One week from today is the
Fourth of July and two weeks ago today I was in
town. Expect Papa back today. We don’t see
George now since we came down from the prairie, in fact we
don’t see anyone down here. On the prairie there are
teams passing all the time. I rode Prince today as
he pitches some and Charlie doesn’t like to ride him.
Tuesday, 28
Cool in the morning but
very hot in the afternoon. Cattle quiet. One
steer got stuck in the sand. Will Powell &
another man pulled him out. Gus Everson &
Mr. Boatman came for the wire this morn. We expect
Papa every day but he has not yet come. We get along
nicely when he is gone yet it is much pleasanter and
easier when he is here. I don’t have to get up so
early and I don’t hold all the responsibility then.
I rode Prince today, too. Had the nosebleed twice today
which is very unusual for me. We had wild sweet peas for
breakfast this morning. They were good and tasted
about like other peas. If they had been poisonous I
think we would have found it out.
Wednesday, 29
Will Powell, Ed Leeson
& Gus Everson were here this morning. They took
another spool of wire. I looked at Prince’s back
this morning and found it all swollen up, from the side
saddle; so I had to ride him with the surcingle &
blanket till I got the other horses up. Then I
caught Nellie and put the blanket & surcingle on
her. I rode her that way in the A.M. as Papa has his
saddle and she has never had the sidesaddle on. I
had to cut out some stray cattle this morning:
Charlie can’t do very much with the donkey. This
P.M. I put the sidesaddle on Nellie. It is very
warm. The cattle came up last night and I had to get
up and drive them back from the millet into the
corral. I didnot stop to call Charlie. He is
so hard to wake.
Thursday, 30
This is the last day of
June. We corralled the cattle last night because we
were afraid they would get into the millet. It was
very cool this morning, and we had a little rain last
night with considerable thunder & lightning.
Papa is not yet home. We counted the cattle this
morning and found they were all here. I was rather
surprised for they have been in the brush and across the
river so much the last two days that I was sure I had
missed some in getting them out. My stockings and
skirt are just full of holes. I tear them riding
around under and through and over trees, bushes,
etc. I don’t care for that though. But I was
afraid I would get the “jiggers.” I haven’t yet
however. The buffalo berry bushes are the worst,
they scratch so, and besides they have lots of little bugs
on & when you go through them you get covered with
little bugs. I like to ride through willows the
best. Charlie is afraid Papa won’t get home before
the Fourth but I don’t worry for I know he will return as
soon as he can. Charlie wants to go to town the
Fourth and so do I but I shan’t unless Papa gets back
before then. Charlie must go anyway, though he
says he won’t if I don’t providing Papa is absent.
We shall see.
Friday, July 1
Clear in the morning but
cloudy later. Part of the cattle crossed the river
this afternoon but we had no trouble in getting them
back. We went to Mr. Boatman’s to ask him to get our
mail if he went to Oacoma Saturday. He was
gone. Papa came home not very long before
sundown and he was soaking wet. It rained very hard
and the roof leaked pretty bad. There were dishes
sitting all over the floor yet the floor was wet almost
all over. When the rain slacked up a little and the
roof began to get so it did not leak so much, I swept out
the water and wiped up the floor. Papa passed Mr.
& Mr. Boatman on the way home from Oacoma. They
had tried to get to Chamberlain but failed. The
Missouri was so high that the pontoon bridge went out on
the west side of the island and Papa had some trouble in
getting across. That was one reason he did not come
before. He bro’t two loaves of bread but they were
rather wet. The best thing he brought was a long
long letter from Inez. I was so glad to get
it. Mamie wrote one too. We leave the cattle
out all night tonight as it is too rainy to bring them in,
and they are not near the millet.
Saturday, July 2
The rain is over. It
is still cloudy but appears to be clearing off. My
bed is rather damp but I slept well. Papa &
Charlie went to look up the cattle this morning.
They found them all. Papa & I & Charlie made
fence this P.M., on one side of the millet. I cut in
the neighborhood of twenty posts, averaging about three
inches in diameter. They were the first trees that I
ever cut down. It is fun if you can stop when you
get tired. Papa says we must finish it tomorrow
morning – on Sunday! – so that he can go in the
Fourth. It is too bad but I think it must be
necessary. Papa says I am a good hand with the ax
but I think Charlie is better.
Sunday, July 3
We finished the fence this
A.M. and then got ready to come to town. We bro’t a
load of wood. When we got to the west side of the
river we found they had not yet finished fixing the bridge
that high water had taken out. We had to wait until
it was done before we could cross. While waiting, I
saw a rather loving couple come up the river bank; they
too were waiting for the bridge. I cut twenty posts
this morning; Charlie helped me some in trimming &
barking them. He cut down two or three.
Editor’s Note:
Unfortunately, the diary ends here, although there are
lots of blank pages left.
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