The Life Of George Holcomb – A Death In The Snow: Demon Rum is Blamed

Sunday, December 23, 1827: Today I took the cutter and carried my wife to the funeral of one Mr. Powell, he died on Monday night it is expected, in the snow storm.  He was intoxicated and on his way home from the store with a jug of rum.  Elder Jones preached his funeral at the schoolhouse in Goodrich Hollow, but sermon was out before we got there.  Today cousin widow Nelly Holcomb and her son called to see if we would take her daughter to work for her board and go to school.
Monday: I carried my children to school and drew wood from my Rodgers Farm.  Tonight I started to go to see the widow Nelly Holcomb to let her know that she might send her girl and we would take her as proposed.  I sent word by her son without going any further. Tonight we kept a trunk peddler, and he paid us in pins and thread.
Thursday: Today some stormy.  I tended to chores and chopped wood to the door, and we, brother Wm and I, tended to dividing our sheep.  We had to divide our sheep over again on account of the marks getting rubbed off.
Friday: I called down to the Shakers to David Munson’s and paid one dol and 61 cts for five pounds of 3/4 of shoe leather.  I called into J. Gold’s store and exchanged 21 dols Vermont money for Albany, Troy, and Pittsfield money.  Some rainy.
Saturday: I called to Samuel Holcomb’s to see if widow Nelly Holcomb was going to let me have her little girl to help us, as has been talked, but she has engaged her elsewhere.  On the way I called to M. Platt’s store and paid ten cents for my wife a small hair comb.
Thursday, January 10, 1828: We chopped and piled wood in my Rodgers swamp.  On this morning Miss Alma Booge died.  She has been for months unwell with bloating, and died at last with quick consumption.
Friday: Today my wife and I walked down to the widow Booge’s to the funeral of Alma Booge.  Mr. Silas Churchill preached.  I went up Goodrich Hollow in Hancock to Gideon Martin’s to engage money to borrow to make out a payment to brother Wm the first of April for land, but I did not engage any for a certainty.  I called to Henry Stanton and got the promise of three hundred dollars the first of April next.
Thursday, January 24: Today I took the cutter and carried my wife and Mother Holcomb to Hazard Morey’s to the funeral of Old Mrs. Morey, her age 89 years.  A Quaker from Adams preached and today Mr. Sylvester Gardner was married to Miss Alma Russell by Elder Jones, and this evening Mr. John Hatch to Miss Lecta Tyler, and tonight I walked over to H. Platt’s store and left my tax money and brother Wm’s with said Platt to hand to the said collector Mittle according to his orders. Our taxes were five dol and 80 cts, and brother Wm’s taxes were one dol and 88 cts.