Buying The School House Bell
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Saturday, March 27, 1847: Quite a snow and blow, we only tended to chores and boiling sap.
Monday: I bargained with John Castle to move a load of goods to North Lee, Berkshire, and went home and took my two horse lumber sleigh and came to Dr. Elijah Graves tenant house and loaded and came home.
Tuesday: This morning at or near sunrise I started with my two horse sleigh with the load of household furniture, about twenty hundred weight in company with Tyler Ayres with another load for said Castle. We went by the way of Pittsfield and Lenox and got to North Lee at half past ten o’clock. We delivered the goods at Edward Castle’s, brother to John Castle, and we took dinner with said Edward Castle. We stayed with him until two o’clock and John Castle did not come with his family and the remainder of his goods, and said Edward Castle paid us for moving his brother John Castle. He paid us six dollars each, which was what I bargained for with John Castle on yesterday, we came home the same road we went and I got home about sunset.
Wednesday: On this morning Joshua B. Maxon called to my house and I agreed to meet him in west Troy at eleven o’clock tomorrow at the bell foundry to select a bell for our school district and lecture room. At twelve o’clock today I started for Troy with twelve bushels of signefider apples and nearly one bushel of fall greenings. I got to Alba Factorys near Troy and stayed to Knight’s old stand. I sold nearly all of my apples on the road going and sold them all at one dollar per bushel.
Thursday: I went into Troy at eight o’clock and sold my apples, which was but a few. I got one dollar per bushel for all, I got twelve dollars and eighty cents for my load. I then went to Bacon’s boosom store and carried boosoms for my family, two dozen and got four pieces cotton cloth for my wife’s account. I carried one dozen for Weltha Wylie and got her two dozen more and got her a piece cotton cloth, I carried boosoms for Freelove and Jane Wylie and got them more boosoms, I got four dozen boosoms for my family. I then passed over the railroad bridge into West Troy and met Joshua B. Maxon at the bell foundry at the time agreed, eleven o’clock, and we selected a bell. It weighed 335 pounds at 30 cts per and a yoke at seven dollars, but after talking with Andrew Meneely, he made us a present of four dollars and 50 cents which left the bell and yoke one hundred and three dollars and I paid in 91 dollars subscription and I paid six dollars out of my own money and Mr. J. B. Maxon paid six dollars of his own money, which makes out the full demand of 103 dollars for the bell and yoke and took a receit and bell warrenteed for one year. Mr. Maxon took the bell in charge to fetch home.