April 3-5, 1910

April 3, 1910

Arose at 6:30 & 7:30 Oscar, Bess & I walked out through the gully near gran may's. Very pretty and we got some fine pictures. Up home to dinner and Art and I met Pearce Smith downtown and we went up home & walked over to the gully again. Art and I back home to supper. 


W. Fine
R. 11

April 4, 1910

Went over home tonight and developed & printed. Clara & Bess to dress maker. Babcock told me Bill gets through Sat & he gets the job. 


W. Colder, some rain.
R. 11

April 5, 1910

Halley's Comet 1910!

Up at 4:30 to see Halley's Comet but it was not clear. Bill told me he gets through. Etta Brandt & Florence stopped me in front of the factory and Ethel Stanly past. I taped shoes. 


W. Fine, Hot
R. 10:30

Seriously, Halley's Comet!! I LOVE THIS! I simply LOVE this. Just this evening I told  my husband that I think this diary is  a great representation of 1910. In fact, I was reading a few things about the comet aloud to him and when I flipped to those dates in the diary, Adam MENTIONED those things in the diary on those dates! I can't tell you how excited that made me. I wish I could tell him how much I appreciate that accuracy!

I know I sometimes project onto Adam & family a bit but I really do love this man a little.  He goes to classes, builds things, gardens, takes pictures, and walks in gullys.

I hope he and Bess are somewhere reading this and turn to each other and say, "Remember that day we walked in the gully, that was a fine day wasn't it?" Sometimes when I stumble over a word & then it becomes clear I imagine him whispering in my ear something like, "It's PORCH, not port."  I'm the only person who can actually read this little book. I'm used to the writing is what I say,  but I wonder if it's not Adam helping me out.

When I think about him, I hold the diary in my hands and marvel that a real man held it in his hands at one time, recording a day from his ordinary life, never knowing that I would happen upon it & love it & share it with others 100 years later.  I think of the trip it made from his hand to mine, being tossed into boxes or drawers, finally ending up in a heap at an estate sale of someone whom I'm unable to ascertain if they are related. I drove back to the house where I bought it, noted the address and the looked up the prior owners. None were named Filsinger.

Although the entries are short and very often leave me wanting a little more information, I marvel at the fact that he did, indeed, write every day.  Is this his first and only diary, chronicling his first year of marriage or did he write volumes? Is there a Filsinger ancestor out there with every pocket diary Adam ever wrote with a gap where 1910 should be? If there is, I NEED to read the full set....

Find me Filsingers, find me! I'm looking for you!

I've discovered it is far easier to trace a family back in time than it is to trace them forward, but that is a discussion for another day!!