John Milton Binckley, June 1859 Travel Diary, Pages 1-2

[Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy, Sally Young and Sue Davis for their ongoing research collaboration; specifically to William for providing scans of the original document, and in turn many thanks to Peter Johnston Binckley and Patricia D'Arcy "Trish" Binckley (1951-2007), at the source.

The handwriting is difficult to translate and transcribe. Sally Young and William Myers helpfully made additional suggestions. Corrections and clarifications will be ongoing.]

[John Milton Binckley,  June 1859 Travel Diary, pages 1-2.]

                                                                        Wash DC

                                                                        1 June 1859

In the back & on the way – told mother several weeks ago, I frequently seem to make up her mind as to what route -- of course I had made my mind, but now I asked her depot in sight “what I wrote?” She began to speculate on it, I had no sort of determination of imagination.

Dr. Dermullen [Mullen?] met us at depot by appointment. He took mother for a walk, while I  . . . & baggage. Well he did, for I had barely time to see my baggage checked, when I had to p--- at one End, & get back to mother, without seeing Dr. Dermullen [Mullen?] good-bye, after cars had got on the road, found mother with a male passenger, very crowded, but gave up & hunted another seat, kindly gave me his to sit with mother. A simple rough gentleman he was.

Ticket to Burlington $27 = 54 $

I want a chew of tobacco. Mother sits next car window. Don’t want

2

to disturb her, but she is unable to decide . . . is the . . . observing the foliage. Mother remarks when we get to Ohio the green will be darker.

Riley House. Here I put Mother in the parlor return found her on the porch pointing at some wild roses at a distance of about ¾ of a mile.

Of course, want to get them in the woods – they were beautiful & were the Envy of the . . . gave one to a little girl, to her great gratitude – we wait here about 1/2 hour. Threatening rain. Here come the cars. Basket, can, satchel, umbrella, etc. etc.  Enough to insure our destruction or somebody else who may be on the platform. There stands, waiting to get in, a lone Irish woman & her child. The poor never looks so poor as when they travel. Poor creature! Here pass two coal trains – one 32 & another 33 cars coal.

In the cars – dropp'd my cane getting in - recovered it of course, but 

[John Milton Binckley (1831-1878).
Mother = Charlotte Stocker Binckley (1788-1877).]