Mr. Odell Finishes Making 14,000 Shingles
George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brook
Thursday, December 21, 1848: This morning I took my one horse wagon and caried my wife to brother Simeon Wylie’s and left her on a visit. Then I drove the fat cow to Russel Palmer’s to be butchered, he agreed to butcher it for fifty cents and Tyler Ayers agrees to pay for his half and this afternoon I took my one horse wagon and carried four bushels of turnips up town. I sold three bushels for cash at 25 cents per and trusted one bushel to Mr. Bassett.
Friday: Quite a blow and snow storm. Today Mr. Reeve Odell finished making shingle, he bunched up 14 thousand and judged two thousand more and I paid him in cash five dol and 47 cts in addition to the three dollars and 59 cents that I had paid him before and a paper of tobacco 15 cents which makes in all nine dol and 12½ cents I paid said Odell in cash and he bought a lot of turkey feathers by the lump and credited one dol and twenty five cents and I let him have one bushel of white beans and we balanced our accounts which makes seventy five cents a thousand for making the 14 thousand that he bunched up and 62 cents a thousand that he did not bunch that he judged to be two thousand. Said Odell is a cripple and walks with two crutches.
Saturday: This morning said Odell leaves for home with his horse on horseback. Today I took my cutter and went to Hancock, I carried the beef hide that belongs to Tyler Ayers and myself, I carried said hide to Mason the tanner and said Mason credited my half at four cents per, hide said to weigh 71 pounds by Russel Palmer, and left Ayers half with said Mason and I got a pair of new calf skin boots for my wife and said Mason charged one dol and 59 cents. From Hancock Village I called to Russel Palmer’s and fetched home my half of the beef he butchered for myself and Tyler Ayers.
Monday, Dec. 25: This forenoon I and Geo P. helped James M. Glass butcher two hogs. This afternoon Geo P. took the cutter and carried Deborah Wylie to Pittsfield to brother F. J. Wylie’s and Geo P. stayed tonight.