The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Rebuilding The Stone Work

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Tuesday May 23, 1854: Today I tended to chores. I am quite lame. This evening after I had got to bed, an Irishman, a stranger, came by the name of Linsley and his son a boy 17 years of age by the name of Thomas, he made a conditional bargain with John F. for his son Thomas to work for us for 5 months at 9½ dollars per month and do chores on Sunday and husk corn evenings, and is to work the term of time mentioned providing both parties is suited.
Wednesday: Today John F. and John Merrils and John Hatch and Wm Henry Hatch and Thomas Linsley worked on the hill plowing and planting, they plowed with my ox team and John F. young horses.
Thursday: We all worked on the hill plowing and planting potatoes till ten o’clock, then it rained and we quit work. John F. is unwell.
Friday: We finished planting potatoes about 3 o’clock. John F went at 4 o’clock and plowed for Geo P. I and Thomas worked in the garden setting out seed carrots, seed turnips, and a few seed beets. Towards night an eclipse of the sun but not total darkness.
Saturday: I went up to Geo P. house and carried a rope and led home the young dog that John Merrils let John F. have on Thursday evening. He said that he paid one dol 50 cts for the dog to Lebanon that day, the dog had run away or followed John F. up to Geo P. house and I was fearful the dog would be lost. Today John Merrils laid up celler wall where it had fallen down.
Tuesday: This afternoon I and Thomas worked in the garden bushing peas and hoeing sweet corn. Tonight John F. paid John Merrils 1½ dollars cash. Today Geo P. and wife went to Lenox and stayed, Charlotte went with them and stayed to Pittsfield to F. J. Wylie’s.
Wednesday: We shelled John F. corn with J.B. Maxon sheller. John F. and Thomas shelled corn and wired the hogs’ noses. Geo P. and wife and Charlotte E. returned from Pittsfield, Charlotte E. got a dress and curtain calico, sugar and codfish. I let her have 7 dollars.
Thursday: I cleaned things out of the cheese house for John Merrils to take down the chimney and he worked taking down said chimney, this afternoon he had bargained if it had to be taken down to rebuild it again and  stone in up the celler wall and door way, all for six dollars for the job.