Getting Ready To Make Sausage
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Tuesday, November 28, 1848: Today I chopped and John F. drew shingle logs and Odell and I sawed some shingles. This morning at three o’clock Geo P. went with one horse wagon to Pittsfield and carried his turkeys and sent them to Boston on the railroad and at five o’clock this morning John F. walked to Lebanon to Jarvis the tailor and got his coat and vest that he had cut out and paid for cutting out the two garments 75 cts and today I sent the cash.
Friday, Dec. 1: Today I sawed shingle blocks and Ralph Odell helped until three o’clock and then said Odell started for home. I paid him two dollars cash towards his making shingle which makes three dollars and fifty cents that I have paid him. This evening John F. rode to Lebanon and got Dr. Right and he came this evening to my wife for she is taken with the same complaint as before.
Saturday: Today quite high wind and rainy. Today or this forenoon Mr. James M. Glass came and helped us butcher two old hogs in the way of changing works and we agree to help him butcher his hogs. Towards night John F. rode to Lebanon to the store and paid in cash 19 cts for salaratus and alcohol. I split my pork and quartered it but did not cut it up, judge to weigh 550 pounds.
Sunday: Today I walked over to my Rodgers farm and got some turpentine for to make a strengthening plaster for my wife, and towards night a young man by the name of Johnson came from Nassau to inform us of the death of Chauncey Rowe. He died early this morning.
Monday: Today I and my son Geo P. went to Nassau to the funeral of Chauncey Rowe. We went to the house of the deceased and went with the funeral procession to the union meeting house. We got home at sunset.
Tuesday: This morning at ten o’clock Dryden Rowe and wife left. They called last night at nine o’clock and stayed with us. This morning Mr. Odell returned to making shingle. Today I tended to cut up my pork and salted it.
Wednesday: Today some rainy, I took my one horse wagon and went to Hancock. I carried to Barker’s Factory the two brothers Barker six bushels of turnips, and they credit me on account 25 cts per bushel, on the account that John F. got charged the other day which was two dol and 88 cts that is for two yards and 3/4 of yard satin for pantaloons, and I left three bushels of turnips to Tracys store to sell and I had one pound sage charged. I carried seventy pounds of sausage meat to Eldridge Hadsell and he ground it for me, I turned the crank and paid him one cent a pound for grinding. On the way home I called to Russell Palmer’s and borrowed a sausage filler that was owned by Elick Hadsell.