Drinking Beer At The Temperance Lecture
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Saturday, July 24, 1847: This morning before daylight I started for Pittsfield with potatoes. I had 13 bushels in all. I sold seven and a half bushels to Rockwell for 75 cts and the remainder by the peck at one dollar per, and returned home before night. On this evening my two sons went to Pool Hill and sold one turkey for one dol and two turkeys for one dol 50 cts.
Monday: Today John F. went to Pittsfield with nine bushels of potatoes and got seven dollars and 60 cents. Today Ezra Sackett only worked a spell in the morning and broke his scythe and went to Lebanon and bought a new scythe and we helped him grind it, but did not work this afternoon.
Tuesday: Today John F. went to Pittsfield with one horse wagon and sold ten bushels of potatoes for eight dollars and fifty cents.
Thursday: We hayed and Ezra with us and towards night I rode up to Hancock and had my horse shod to Bartlett’s, and had a scythe charged to Lapum’s store one dollar. Miss Dolla, the school teacher rode to Hancock and back again with me. I put up a notice that Hughes preaches at our school house on Sunday at 5 o’clock.
Friday: This afternoon I rode up to Sylvenas Carpenter’s for one of Elder Ford’s cradle and scythe, all ready for use, and I paid to Wheeler’s store 19 cents for a sickle and I paid Wm Clark six cts for a pamphlet, title Mate to the Temperance Ox.
Sunday, August 1: The afternoon at five o’clock the Rev. C.E. Hughes preached in the lecture room over the school room, and I paid him three dollars cash for coming and preaching. My family all attended meeting and said Hughes returned to my house and stayed tonight, took supper and breakfast.
Sunday, Aug. 8: Today I walked up to Lathum village to meeting at one o’clock, the Rev. C.E. Hughes preached and at five o’clock he delivered a temperance address and my children all went to the Shaker meeting and then my two sons took the two horse team and came and heard the temperance lecture and fetched me home. While I was up to meeting I paid seven cents for cake and beer to Town’s Temperance house. I paid up Johnson Brown for his son Chester’s work in cash, eight dol 75 cts.