High Finance, 1840s Style
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, April 2, 1846: I called to cousin Josiah Egleston’s and got five kitchen chairs that he had bottomed and repaired that I had paid him in cider and apples for doing the work.
Friday: I walked to Hancock to Thomas Briggs Eldridge and I gave my note for one year for one hundred dollars and I took up the note that was in his hands of Mr. Turner of two hundred and sixty seven dollars and borrowed thirty three dollars more and gave a new note of three hundred dollars and dated it the first of April. From Hancock I walked to Howard’s post office and took out a letter from brother William Holcomb dated Collins, March 21st, 1846 and he directed me to direct my letters to Collins Center, and from Howard’s I went to Newton Gould’s and paid up a note of sixty nine dollars and interest for three months which was one dol and 20 cts and took up said note, and from there I started to go to Lebanon to John Adams to pay up a note but I called to Elisha Bennett’s and Mrs Bennett told me that said Adams was repairing the saw mill of Hosea Bennett and I found him there and I paid said Adams twenty three dollars and fifty five cts, which is the full amount of the note of principal and interest, which pays him up for the cow I bought of him two years this month. From there I returned home and gathered one and a half barrels of sap.
Saturday: We drew stone and laid up stone fence on side the meadow on the hill near the young orchard.