George And His Wife Go Visiting
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, September 1, 1848: Today I and John F. dug and drew stone from off the hill out of the young orchard for wall on side the highway. Today Geo P. returned from Troy. R. G. Pierce paid four dollars for carrying the load of goods to Troy for him, and Geo P. fetched in ten cwt of Lehigh Coal at 25 cts per cwt and delivered it to Lapum’s Furnace in Hancock village. Today Geo P. and R. G. Pierce drew writings, Geo P. is to take charge and do the work for his nursery and have half the profits for three years and take his bees to the halves for one year.
Monday: Today I took my two horse wagon and drew stone for Westalo Rodgers to fill a blind ditch and for the same he credits me on account two dollars and my two sons cut up corn and drew stone.
Tuesday: Today I took my two horse pleasure wagon and carried my wife to Pittstown to cousin Ira Humphreys on a visit and Charlotte E. went along to Troy to Doc Hogan’s on a visit. On the way I bated in Sand Lake to Sliter’s. I paid six cents for hay and three cts for a glass lemonade and then we went on to Greenbush to Wynantskill village to James Bush’s and took dinner. I put my team to the tavern and paid six cts for bating of hay and two cts for a glass beer. We got into Troy at 3 o’clock and left Charlotte to Bennett’s boosum store and I paid four cts for peaches and then we went on to Pittstown on the mackadamized road to the village of Reymortown through one gate 12½ cts and to Mr. Ira Humphreys at five o’clock.
Wednesday: Today while I and my wife were to cousin Humphreys he put a shoe on my horse and set over two more. then I took my team and carried cousin Humphrey and wife and my wife to Mr. Carpenter’s, cousin Humphrey’s wife’s father’s, on a visit and took dinner and supper and at night we all returned home to cousin Humphrey’s.
Thursday: This morning we started for home. On the way in to Troy a traveller rode with us and paid the gate 12½ cts. We got some boosums in Troy to Bacon’s shop for our neighbors and got six dozen from Bennett’s for ourselves, then we came on to Wynantskill to James Bush’s and took dinner. We at three o’clock went to Sand Lake to Rufus Withees and stayed tonight on a visit.