Geo P. Completes A Sale Of Oxen
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Saturday, October 21, 1848: This forenoon I took my two horse wagon and carried six bushels and a peck of turnips to Hancock. I paid Asa Palmer three ½ bushels that was on a contract for shoeing a horse which pays him up, and I sold one bushel to Tracy’s store and one bushel and three pecks that others paid me to said store. I paid in cash to Davises store one dol and 12½ cts for an umbrella and I left iron to Bartlett’s shop to make me six sets of hinges to my hog house. Tonight brother Sylvester stayed with us, his horse died last night.
Monday: I and my two sons pulled turnips and put into the celler and this afternoon or towards night I took my two horse team and went on to my Rodgers farm and got 24 bushels of the carrots that Mr. Aaron Merrils raised on shares or to the halves. I took said carrots from the barn floor and carried them to Palmer Barnes at 25 cts per bushel price agreed and I am to take my pay in his work at wagons.
Friday: Today I and my two sons dug carrots and this afternoon the Irishman that lives in my house by the name of McNaught worked for us digging carrots and I paid him in carrots two bushels.
Saturday: This forenoon I took my two horse team and went on to my Rodgers farm and got 25 bushels of carrots that Mr. Aaron Merrils raised to the halves. They were in my barn. I carried the 25 bushels to Lebanon to Ludwick Babcock’s and he credits me 25 cts per bushel and what overpays for the log chain I bought of him on the 23rd day of August.
Wednesday, November 1: This forenoon I drew stone with the horse team moving said wall and my two sons shingled on the hog house. Today one Mr. Graves came yesterday and gave Geo P. orders to deliver his oxen to Judah Rowley to drive them to Hancock Shakers to Joseph Patten and there the remainder of the pay which was one hundred and fifteen dollars was and today noon Geo P. delivered his oxen to said Rowley.
Thursday: I made cider and John F. cut turnips and Geo P. went to Richmond and stayed to Rufus Mendall’s. He went to buy turkey but did not buy any.
Friday: This forenoon I took my one horse wagon and carried my wife and brother Simeon’s wife to John Wylie’s and left them on a visit and on the way home I called on my Rodgers farm and fetched home seventeen bushels of carrots which makes in all 66 bushels that he raised to the halves.