Trading Oxen
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Monday, October 5, 1846: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried cousin Elisha Morton and wife to Troy to take the boat home to Rome. I paid two cts for beer to Worden’s tavern and I sold 9 quarts of chestnuts for 83 cts for John F. and I paid one dol and 25 cts for one barrel of salt and came to Sand Lake and stayed to Rufus Withees.
Tuesday: I returned home from Sand Lake from Mr. Rufus Withees and his daughter Clarrisa rode home with me and got home about 2 o’clock. This afternoon Geo P. bargained to sell his oxen for ninety dollars to two men from near Connecticut River, their names we did not learn but they paid ten dollars and agree to take the oxen next Wednesday and pay the remainder, eighty dollars.
Wednesday: Today my son John F. rode to Pittsfield with H. P. Wylie to cattle show.
Thursday: Today I took my two horse pleasure wagon and went to Pittsfield to the fair, I carried my two daughters and Clarrissa Withees.
Friday: Today an Irish man came and I bargained with him to ditch for one month for ten dollars and in proportion if he left before. He is not to stay any appointed time if he wants to quit or if I wanted him to quit at any time. His name is Patrick Masterson.
Saturday: Today we dug potatoes on our Rodgers farm and the Irishman ditched in the swamp on said farm.
Tuesday: We drew in shocks of corn from off the hill and this afternoon quite rainy and high wind. I threshed beans and the children gathered chestnuts.
Wednesday: I and my children gathered nuts and one of the men that bargained last week for Geo P. oxen came and paid the remainder for them which was eighty dollars and ninety in all and Geo P delivered the oxen to the old widow Morey’s and this afternoon I took my one horse wagon and started for Troy and went as far as Sand Lake to Mr. Rufus Withees and stayed and his daughter Clarrissa returned home with me and my loading was apples and nuts.
Saturday: Today I and John F. dug potatoes and gathered apples on my Rodgers farm and Geo P helped the Irishman ditch or worked with him ditching in my swamp meadow.
Monday: Today I took my one horse wagon and my son Geo P went with me. We went to the west part of town to look at young oxen but we did not buy any.
Tuesday: Today we gathered apples and Geo P rode to Lebanon to look at young oxen but did not buy any, and he returned home and went with me to Lebanon and carried three bushels of turnips to the tailor then we went on and overtook a drove of cattle that put up for the night and we bought a yoke of three year old oxen at 59 dollars and paid the cash to C.B. Fay of Vermont and drove them home.