The Life Of George Holcomb – Unruly Cattle, Unruly Dogs

Tuesday, May 27, 1828: We worked on the highway.  Myself and cart was allowed me two days and Samuel worked his day’s assessment. I went up to brother Wm’s with Zach Chapman’s oxen and they worked on my cart on the highway.  On this day Squ John King’s son John Yates was buried.  He died on Sunday on the way from Hudson in the carriage near Whiting’s Pond.  He had the quick consumption.
Wednesday: We worked on the highway, myself and cart  and Samuel and Isaac Newton, we all, it counted me four days works.
Thursday: Today I took the single wagon and my bay mare and went to Pittsfield peddling to the Baptist Association.  The meeting was out at noon.  I peddled but little there, and some on the way home.  I sold two gallons and a half of cider wine to the printer Henry K. String at his shoe store for a pair of calf skin shoes for my son George P., price for them one dol, and agreed with him to take his newspaper commencing this week for the price advertised on said paper, two dollars delivered, and he agreed to take his pay in apples this fall – I am to deliver them. I returned said Bull’s cake, what I did not sell, and returned 75 cts for what I did not sell. I only cleared about 3 dollars for my day’s work, 50 cts of it trusted to the lame Stodder’s wife for two gallons of cider wine.
Friday: Today Platt Wylie sheered 17 sheep for me and agreed to take his pay in pasturing, and today Calvin P. Sackett put a yoke of unruly cattle into my pasture at 37 cts per week, providing they stay peaceable and gave me no trouble, nor did me no damage.  I called to Nathan Howard’s post office, and he sent a letter by me to brother Sylvester, and Squ Sylvester Howard sent by me brother Wm’s deed that had been sent to Rome to be executed.
Monday: We plowed the bean ground on my Rodgers farm with my ox team and then we carted in stone and gravel and made a small bridge in my pasture for a road to draw wood.  On this day the school mistress began to board with us.  Her name is Kittle, the daughter of Wm Kittle Jnr.
Sunday June 8: Today my sheep was chased by dogs and one wounded, and I went over to my Rodgers farm and put them in the barn together with Mr. Newton’s sheep, and he helped put them up and I employed him to doctor my wounded sheep, but the said sheep died tonight.  I walked up to Harvey Wheeler’s and told him that his neighbors frequently see his dogs chasing sheep, and he had better kill his dogs, and if I could make it more evident, I should expect payment from him.