Getting The Ditch Dug Right
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, June 26, 1846: This afternoon I went to Randal A. Brown’s as a juror on a case between George Rose plaintiff and John and Wanton Chapman. The verdict was six cts in the favor of the defendants.
Friday: I cleared away my mortar board, and the mortar I had left I painted into my celler wall.
Tuesday: I rode to Allen Spencer’s and told him I had a yoke of oxen for sale and he told me he would call and look at them, and tonight Miss Caroline Eldridge called and stayed with us, she is the school teacher in our school district.
Wednesday, July 1: Today quite rainy, we only tended to putting up the shelves in the new buttery.
Thursday: On this forenoon I took my one horse wagon and Geo P. with me and we rode up Goodrich Hollow to James MacFeelie’s, the Irishman that is digging a ditch on my Rodgers farm. I went and forbid him digging any more, for he has not got it dug according to agreement. It was to be dug immediately, that is in two weeks, but not finished yet. We then called to see if Joel Goodrich would pasture our oxen but could not. This afternoon this same James MacFeelie came and agreed to finish the ditch at 37 cts by next week Saturday and I agreed to pay him fifty cts for what he had dug providing it was dug according to agreement.
Wednesday, July 8: This morning at two o’clock I started for Troy with my one horse wagon and I got into Troy at ten o’clock. I went up on the Hoosic Road half a mile from the city to see the widow Anna Moffitt and she paid me for the cow her brother Andrew bargained for her this spring which was twenty one dollars.