Selling Apples And Buying Sheep
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Wednesday October 1, 1845: Today Henry P. Wylie put his horse before my two wheel carriage and we rode to Pittsfield to cattle show and I paid fifty cents at auction for different lots of buttons and other small articles and I bought coats trimmings to Fens and Blosses store to the amount of two dol and 52 cts.
Thursday: I gathered apples and I took my single wagon and carried the Irishman that works in Nathan Howard’s blacksmith shop two bushels of apples at 25 cts per, and I fetched home his cider barrel to fill at one dol and 25 cts price agreed on.
Friday: I and my son Geo P went up to Stephen Sheldon’s to look at some sheep that he offered to trade for a new milk cow, but we could not agree how to trade and today we gathered apples and this afternoon I took my single wagon and carried Mr. Calwell six ½ bushels of fall greenings and charged the same to him at 31 cts per to be paid in cash, and I carried four bushels apples to Geo Clark. Today Geo P went and drove home the sheep that we bought of Daniel Gardner. They got out of my pasture and went back to said D. Gardner’s.
Saturday: This morning Mr. Zebulon Simmons bought a cow and calf and gave his note for fifteen dollars and fifty cents to be paid when we pay him up for building our school house.
Monday: Today Stephen Van Rensselaer Jolls was passing my house and bargained with me to come and pick out 40 lambs out of 60 lambs for 87½ cts per head.
Tuesday: Today I went to Pittsfield with 15 bushels of apples. I let Mr. Said Squires have 7½ bushels of fall greenings apples at 40 cts per which fulfills the contract. James M. Glass fetched two cider barrels from Pittsfield for me, one was Mr. Gregory’s and the other was for his journeyman. I am to have one dol and 50 cts per for filling them, the cutting of John’s coat is to be deducted out.
Wednesday: This forenoon Geo P took the ox team and sled and helped Henry P. Wylie drawing his corn and said Wylie went with us up to Stephen Van Rensselaer Jolls to help us select out the sheep that I bargained for on Monday and paid him the cash, thirty five dollars.
Thursday: This evening I went to school meeting and tonight Frederick Russell was chosen trustee in the run of my self whose time had expired for a school trustee.
Friday: This forenoon I took my single wagon and carried the blacksmith that works in Nathan Howard’s shop a barrel of cider and he credits me one dol and 25 cts, his name I do not recollect, he is Irish. I called into Howard’s post office and paid five cts for October Repository postage and got my Troy Budget. Today H. P. Wylie went with my self and Geo P over to J. B. Maxon’s and we selected out 21 sheep out of his cullings and when I went to pay him he told me I must pay him 87½ cts per head which was 12½ cts per head more than I agreed to pay him and we did not take the sheep.