George is “Discustified”
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Sunday November 9, 1845: Today I am quite unwell with a sudden cold, being on the road to Pittsfield yesterday in the rain.
Wednesday: I offered up my horses to Palmer and Grant to take off their shoes but I read to them this book the time was not out until the 23rd and they left the shoes on, the reason why I state this said Palmer and Grant sent for me to come today for the year was up that they shoe my horses by the year and today my two sons and ox team and wagon did one day’s work on the highway.
Thursday: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried a grist of corn to Adams Mill of two bushels and swapped for rye and left to be ground and then I drove to George W. Glass’s and bargained with him to shoe my span of horses for one year and agrees to take three barrels of cider at one dollar and 25 cts per and the rest of the pay in barter and then I returned home.
Friday I went to Pittsfield with my one horse wagon and carried eight and a half bushels of apples, I sold two bushels of sweet ones for 75 cts and the remainder at 33 cts per excepting one bushel I sold for four yards cotton cloth.
Monday: I took my one horse wagon and carried Geo W. Glass two casks of cider, one of 40 gallons and the other 38 gallons to answer on the contract that I bargained with him on the 13th and on the way home I called to Zebulon Simmons and reckoned with him. I found that his board and drawing his lumber and the brick and drawing brick and Geo P’s work on the school house was twenty dollars, and the note for the wool was twenty dollars and fifty cents and the note for the cow and the calf was fifteen dol and fifty cents, which makes fifty six dollars that I had paid him towards building the school house in our district that he receited to me. I gave him up the two notes when he receited the whole amount towards building the school house.
Friday: This afternoon I took my two horse team and wagon and rode to Hancock to Palmer’s and Grant and paid them up for shoeing my horses for the year. I paid in cash two dollars and fifty six cts which makes six dollars I have paid them for the year shoeing which was one dollar more than I bargained for, which discustified me, they demanding the dollar more than was the bargain and then I bought the eight shoes that were on my horses of said Palmer and Grant at fifty cts and we reckoned our other account.