Lennie Plants Potatoes and Buys New Shoes

This week Lennie celebrates Easter, enjoys a walk with his "girlfriend" Gertie, and comments on the senior class. Lennie is a junior this year. It was a busy week but Lennie is brief with his words. The guy is not very verbal. At least not in writing. But I'm thinking he was a talker...just like his grandson (my hubby). And I bet he laughed a lot, just like my hubby. And interested in many things. Here are his writings for the week of April 10-16.

Sunday, April 10, 1898
Easter Sunday.
Fine day.
Saw Ella.
Gertie and me took a walk.

Monday, April 11, 1898
Windy.
Had examination. Stood to an average of 81 percent. (Good job, Lennie! Study pays off!)
Went to band practice.

Tuesday, April 12, 1898
Rained all day but not hard.
Senior class had a social in JOGT hall. (The JOGT was somehow connected to Odd Fellows. But I'm not an Odd Fellows expert, so can't explain further.)

Wednesday, April 13, 1898
Graduates had their picture taken.

Thursday, April 14, 1898
John Madden came home.

Friday, April 15, 1898
Went to band practice.

Saturday, April 16, 1898
Hot all day.
Plowed and planted potatoes. He would have plowed and planted the potatoes using horses. No tractors yet in Lennie's teen years.
Got new shoes on credit. Cost $1.25.
I like the idea of Lennie getting a new pair of shoes. His feet were probably still growing at age seventeen and a new pair of spring shoes was probably necessary. The shoes cost only $1.25 which was probably a lot of money in those days. As you can see from this ad in the Omaha Bee he could have purchased an entire suit for $6.75. And a hat for 99 cents.

By the way! Wilbur Wright (of Wright brothers fame) will celebrate his 31st birthday this week. He will not make his famous flight (the first ever heavier than air, manned, powered flight) for another five years in 1903. Airplanes were still a thing of the future and the skies were clear of contrails in those days.
.