Butchering Pigs And Making Sausages
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, October 25, 1844: This forenoon we drew stone to put in the wall in front of my house. This afternoon I took my two wheel carriage and carried my wife to the funeral of Henry Runnals at the Baptist Meeting House. Elder Jones preached and then we went to the Presbyterian meeting house to an anti-rent meeting and from there we went to Doctor Elijah Graves and took tea.
Saturday: I laid up wall in front of my house. On this day my son Geo P went to Brunswick to James Bush’s after his sister Charlotte and on the way he called to Sand lake to Rufus Withee’s and took up a note of 24 dol given February 9, 1843, and paid principal and interest, which was 26 dol and forty seven cents.
Tuesday: Some rainy and high wind. We laid up some fence that blew down and I repaired a gate that blew down, and we husked corn.
Tuesday, November 5: I went to election at Lathum’s.
Wednesday: I went to see Russel Palmer and engaged him to come tomorrow and butcher for us. I found him to Kent Harrison’s and I called in to Ezra D. Sackett’s and got the receit of his wife to prepare powders for my wife’s cough, gum moniac and blue vitrial.
Thursday: We butchered our hogs, five of them. Russel Palmer helped and is to take his pay in turnips and on this evening I took my single wagon and carried Gilbert R. Green a hog weight 269 pounds at five cents per and he gave me a note payable in fifty days which is thirteen dollars and forty five cents. On Tuesday while to election to Lathum’s I paid four cts for cake and I gave one shilling to Hiram W. Brown to help defray the expenses of election.
Friday: Today I cut up and salted my pork, and on this evening I took my single wagon and carried Mr. Wells half a hog, weight one hundred and 17 pounds at five cts per, he credits me on account.
Saturday: This forenoon I helped cut up lard and sausage meat and this afternoon I took my ox wagon and went to Lebanon and carried James the covered wagon box which makes two boxes I gave him for making me one box to the wagon he took to finish for me last June, and I paid him two dollars cash which pays him up in full for finishing said wagon for me and he credits me three dollars for the paint mill he had last May and I fetched my new wagon home but the wagon was not done in workmanlike manner neither am I satisfied with it.
Saturday, November 23: This morning I rode to Hancock Village and borrowed one hundred and fifty dollars of Reuben Eldridge and gave my note for one year at six per cent and I took up a note of seventeen dollars and fifty cents, note given last April.
Sunday: Quite a change in the weather, quite cold. Geo P banked up the house, and this evening we closed up our celler door.