Hanging The Bell
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, June 10, 1847: We this morning got our sheep home from my Rodgers farm to sheer. Today Ezra Sackett worked for me to make up lost time sheering sheep and my two sons sheered sheep. Today I sold three to a stranger from Lanesborough for five dollars and 75 cents and towards night I took my one horse wagon and rode to Lebanon and Gay and Pierce charged 36 cts for six pounds damaged plug tobacco to dip sheep in the juice
Friday: I took my two horse wagon and went over to Charles Wheeler’s store and carried twenty five pounds and nine ounces of butter at fifteen cents per. Today I boiled the six pounds of tobacco in my potash. Today Ezra Sackett helped my two sons sheer sheep and dip them in tobacco juice, and I borrowed Mr. James Glass half hogshead to dip my sheep in, and returned it tonight. One of my sheep froze or chilled in the rain today after being sheered. Ezra Sackett’s work today makes up for lost time for last week. This afternoon Hiram Newton and wife visited us and he sheered a sheep and altered my buck lambs.
Sunday, June 13: Today I and my wife and son Geo P. and two daughters went down to the Chapel to meeting, I gave 12 cts contribution to clean the meeting house, Elder Havens preached. Today I am fifty six years old.
Monday: Today I went to Wm Brown’s to inquire for pine lumber. Towards night and this evening I walked to Lebanon and called to several places to find pine lumber. I went as far as Mr. Salmon Owens but did not engage any, but I could have some to Mr. Jerry Gillett’s but it was not seasoned.
Tuesday: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried a bag of corn to Adams mill and got ground for hog feed. From there I went uptown to Thomas Carpenter’s and he agreed to let Samuel Mercy work for our school district to hang the bell and do other work on the belfrey. From there I went to Mr. Benj. Kittles and left a bundle of boosums for them to carry to Troy to Gardner and Bennetts. This afternoon I took my two horse wagon and went to Lebanon to Mr. Jerry Gillett’s and got two hundred ninety seven feet of pine boards and paid four dollars.
Wednesday: This forenoon I took my two horse wagon and carried my work bench and a little lumber such as two inch pine and oak over to our school house and I took some short pieces scantling and short old boards and Wm Maxon found two elm scantling to hang the bell on, and he found a few old ruff boards to shingle on and then I went with my team to Joshua B. Maxon’s and he found a few new hemlock boards and a few new scantling to carry to fix to hang the bell, and this afternoon Mr. Samuel Mercy and his hired man Kingman began to work on the belfrey to our school house, his price one dollar per day and hired man 75 cts per day and boarded. They board to Mr. John Russell until tomorrow night and the rest of the week to my house. We gave the board and after this week when said Mercy works on said house Mr. J. B. Maxon and Sylvenas Carpenter agreed to board them and not make any charge.