The Life Of George Holcomb – Peddling Cider And Cake

Tuesday, September 24, 1828: I took my wife and Aseneth and Miriam Newton and Eliza Wylie and Sarah Egleston and our hired girl Almyra Buten all to the Methodist Camp Meeting in Lebanon near Bigalow’s tavern, and this evening I rode to the pool and got two chests of cake for training.
Wednesday: Today I went to New Ashford to Muster training peddling.  I cleared about three dol and 50 cts. I went with the covered wagon and brother Wm went and I Newton and I carried their loading to peddle and Platt Wylie rode with me.
Thursday: Today I went to muster training to Lenox peddling and Mr. I Newton went with me and from Lenox we went up to Dalton and stayed to Holding’s tavern.  We paid 25 cts each for our horse keeping and lodging and bitters.
Friday: This morning we went on from Holding’s tavern to the middle of the town to training peddling.  I made about nine dollars and a half yesterday and today, and tonight I got home about midnight.
Saturday we gathered apples and made cider.  I Newton helped and is to have cider to peddle.  I made Gen Caleb Carr a present of 50 cts to talk with Colonel Hosey Bennet and acquaint him of my complaint and for him not to try to make me do military duty.  Tonight we made cider.
Sunday: This evening I walked over to Mr. Amos Chapman’s to see if he had made a pair of shoes for Almyra Buten, but he had not got them done.
Monday: This forenoon I took a cow to Mr. Sylvenas Carpenter’s for an increase, and today I drew rails to fence stacks.
Tuesday: I drew a load of wood and we cut up and drew in corn, and I handed Samuel Holcomb one dollar to hand to Squ Nathan Howard to advance for the Hartford Watchman for the next six months.
Wednesday, October 1: Today I went to Pittsfield with the double wagon peddling to the cattle show.  Brother Wm and I Newton went with me peddling, and I carried Jared Harrison as a passenger and carried our victuals and Harrison ate with me.  He agreed to make two pair of shoes for going with me.  We stayed all night in Pittsfield.  We went to the east part of the town and stayed to get good feed for my horses.  I paid six cents for my lodging and ten cents for one horse and brother Wm paid the other horse keeping.  Some rainy day and night.  We stayed to a mulatoe’s by the name of David.  We had good accommodations and lodgings.
Thursday we peddled to aid cattle show.  We carried J. Bull’s cake and sold out, and bought of the whole sale peddler from Greenbush.  We got home this evening.  I made about eleven dollars.
Tuesday, October 7: I racked cider and made out a load of nearly five barrels, and brother Wm carried it with my wagon and horses for me to N. Nichols distillery and said Nichols had bargained to pay me in tallow at ten cts per pound and give 50 cts per barrel for cider.  Wm fetched a chest of cake from Bull’s to carry to training to sell tonight.  Platt Wylie put his horse to my wagon and we rode to Doc Right’s and he gave me a writing to carry to Doctor Graves to clear me from military duty on account of deafness.
Wednesday: This morning Mr. John Russell rode with me to Doctor Graves to see if he would give me a discharge from military duty.  He wrote certificate to have my neighbors sign that I was deaf in one ear.  I like got all my neighbors to sign it. I carried it back this evening and said Graves gave me certificate, and I carried the said certificate to Capt Sylvester Gardner and he signed it.
Thursday, October 9, 1828: I went to Berlin to Doc Hammond’s old stand to Nicholas Harrington’s to muster training peddling.  I cleared about 8 dols. Hiram Beers went with me and peddled for me.  I gave him fifty cts for his day’s work.  Brother Wm went with me to training peddling.
Friday: I peddled in our own town to Simon Cranston’s to muster.  Said Beers helped me the same as yesterday.  I cleared or made about eight dols today again.
Saturday: This morning after we tended to some chores I took the covered wagon and carried my wife and daughter went with me to Pittsfield on a visit to Mr. Joseph Fairfields.  I called in the village and left Henry H. Strong three bushels of apples towards my newspapers.  I carried my big bible to Pittsfield to be bound at $1.37 cts.  We called up to Pontoosuc and stayed to Mr. Joseph Fairfields.
Sunday: today I went to a Methodist meeting at a school house near said Fairfield’s, and this afternoon we came home.  I handed said Fairfield 14 cts to pay the pasturing of my horses to a man nearby or said landlord to Fairfield, his name I do not remember.  We came home through Lanesborough.
Monday: Today quite a high wind.  We dug potatoes and I gathered apples and I gathered walnuts.  Tonight I went to school meeting.  I was chosen first trustee and Adam Brown the second and Zachariah Chapman the third.  The wind blew off the roof to my hovel.
Tuesday: We dug potatoes and mended our hovel.