The Place on Laurel St. The Diary of Judge Edgar Spalsbury. This book has been out for a while, and I'm sure all the local historians have read it, hoping for the same thing I did, which was some cool picture of life in Santa Cruz in 1877. It's not though. It's the daily notes of a drug addict lawyer, who doesn't appear to actually work during the year of this diary, although the preface says that he had a thriving practice with many Chinese clients. He lived with this wife and her sister ; they both taught at Laurel School. I couldn't put it down.
Typical entries:
March 10--Friday--Mostly pleasent with two or three slight indications of showers, just barely sprinkling. I slept so poorly last night and the bed seemed so hard that this forenoon I went to town to see about buying a spring bed, but decided to make no decision until Sara could decide, so after school we went again. Came back without deciding anything. Spent the evening at home. Tried chloral without success and after midnight took 40 drops elixir opium and slept nicely.
May 29--Monday--Pleasant. Not feeling so well. In spite of all I could do I was continually brooding on the unpleasant things of the past and present and imagining evil for the future, and of course it makes me very unhappy and wretched. Unfortunately facts are stubborn things. During the day I wrote some. Everything about the house in someway goes unpleasant. Partly decded to go to the beach tomorrow. Slept poorly.
June 8--Thursday--Pleasant. Was much better today inasmuch as I had no fever but otherwise poorly enough. The calomel operated very severely through out the day and caused me a good deal of pain and weakened me somewhat. After school Sara sent Glora to see Dr. Anderson who recommended laudanum injections which I tried with some relief. As is usual my illness is beginning to tell on Sara. A long letter from Dr. tonight urging me to come home.
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