Alice Mabel Allen (1886-1976) grew up in the village of Adams in Jefferson County. In 1908, while attending Syracuse University, Mabel, as she was known, kept a diary which New York Almanack is publishing each week.
Monday, October 26
Katherine [Katherine Jackson, a Alpha Xi Delta sister] died this morning at two thirty. She was not once conscious.
Studied early for the Psychology quiz, which was not so difficult as it was catchy. At chapel a Mr. Clark, missionary to Africa, gave a very interesting talk on study of the language and customs there.
This afternoon I went down to study Latin Prose with Jessie Barnes. She was not there at first. Came home just in time to escape a rain. Ironed and pressed before supper. Rain kept me from going over to get laundry and seeing Edith and Alma. We brot chocolate to-night, Pettie, Harry and I.
[It’s not known how Katharine Jackson died suddenly, but in the early 20th century young adults frequently succumbed to infectious illnesses such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and influenza which regularly affected campus communities.]
Tuesday, October 27
Got up rather early and studied. Came home and found letters from father and Edna [her sister], with one from Dora [her sister in California] enclosed. After dinner Reba went with me to tell Angie Vicher I could not come down to-night. After Latin I went down to order some flowers for Katherine’s funeral.
Met Edith and Alma down there and went to the station with them. Also saw Stacie Bemis in the library. After supper I went over to Δ Δ Δ after a package Edith brot down. Met Carl Norton there for same purpose. The girls put in ten cents apiece to buy ice-cream to-night.
Wednesday, October 28
Got up rather early and studied. Left on the 9:15 train for Pulaski to attend Katharine’s funeral. Sixteen of her fraternity sisters went down. There was a drizzling disagreeable rain all day. Father was down there and I had dinner with him at the hotel. We took the 3:05 train home.
It seemed as tho I could never take things up where I left off; yet Katharine was never close to me. I admired her deeply and only wish I could have known her better.
Thursday, October 29
In Eng. II, Miss Richards read Stevenson’s “Will of the Mill,” which I had never read before. Mr. Bebanroth [?] was very kind to Margaret Knapp and me regarding the quiz because we had not been able to prepare for it as we wished.
Helen came up after dinner to do Psychology and Latin. Angie Visher and Mannie Stanley invited me down to dinner with them to-night, and we talked over Adams. Was sorry not to go with the girls down to hear [William Jennings] Bryan as I had hoped.
Friday, October 30
Studied Latin up at Classical Club room. Found letter from mother saying she would come this afternoon. After dinner Harry and I dusted. Went over to read the Sketch Book and then walked down to the city with Harry and Emma.
Went to meet mother and then we met Emma at the Cafeteria. Went to library but could not get the books I wished. Mother took us to the grand where we heard fine Hawaiian music and saw good shadow pictures. The rest was flat.
Saturday, October 31
Mother and I rested and visited until it was too late to go to breakfast. Excused from elocution; met mother downtown; saw Dora “Thorn” Norton. We had dinner at the Cafeteria. Had to hurry back to see the Syracuse vs. Williams football game 23-0.
Went back downtown and met mother, saw Amelia Goss and Etta Stillman. Mother left at 6:00. Then Harriet, Emma and I went to the “Sterling” for dinner. We all studied this evening when we did not talk or laugh, or eat; or drink. Reba came up and slept with me while Petty and Harriet watched by my bedside.
Sunday, November 1
We slept until after eight and did not have breakfast until Emma came at nine. Helen came and we went to the Orphanage and to Park Presbyterian. The girls asked me over to the Kappa house because Marian Wright was there.
She brot all the girls remembrances of Katherine; to me a set of combs. Helen came back and spent the afternoon. We made fudge, wrote letters and ?? to-night. I read the Sketch Book but did not finish it as I hoped.
Photos: top, Mabel Allen; bottom, Clara Cooper Allen, Mabel’s stepmother
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