A Big Sale of Wool
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Wednesday, January 31, 1849: Today I walked to Lebanon to the Baptist Church to the funeral of Hampton Babcock.The Rev. Mr. Shepherd preached and I called to N. Nichols and he told me I owed him six dollars and 25 cents and I paid ten cents to Bull’s post office for the second letter from John F. at Cincinnati and Geo P. and Sarah rode to funeral in a cutter.
Thursday, February 1: Today some blustering and snow. Tonight Geo P. took the cutter and rode up to Hancock and watched with Chauncey Baldwin.
Friday: Today Geo P. took the cutter and rode to Pittsfield to see Squ Gold concerning Charlotte’s law suit at Lenox with Marcellus Ross.
Tuesday: Today I took my cutter and carried my wife to Elijah Goodrich’s on a visit and today Geo P. rode to Williamstown to look at a nursery of Mr. Roots. Some snow squalls today.
Wednesday, February 14: Today Geo P. took the cutter and carried his two sisters to Hoosic on a visit and stayed to Mr. Ford’s and called to other places. Today the old widow Morey visited to my house, she was the wife of Hazard Morey.
Friday: I chopped and drew a load of alders from the swamp and on the way home I met Pardie Lapum and Leonard Doty and I told said Doty he might put me down five dollars to be paid in team work on a subscription for the Barkers that had their factory burned.
Saturday: I tended to chores and helped my wife make candles. Tonight Geo P. and his two sisters returned home, they went from Hoosic to Pittstown to cousin Ira Humphrey’s and his father Carpenter and visited.
Tuesday: Today I took my cutter and rode to Hancock village and bargained with Mr. Bartlett to fetch him any quantity of alder wood for coal wood at two dollars per cord and then to take my pay in his smith work, and from there I rode up to Amos James vendue, he lives on R. A. Brown’s farm.
Wednesday: Today I chopped two loads of alders and Geo P. took the horse team and drew them to Hancock to Mr. Bartlett the blacksmith as I bargained yesterday and we chopped a load of wood and fetched home. At night while we were in my swamp Mr. Colt from Pittsfield came and bargained for my wool at 37½ cents per and paid me ten dollars in advance and I agreed to deliver said wool tomorrow to Mr. Frederick Everetts, said Everetts is with Mr. Colt today when the bargain was made.
Thursday: This forenoon I chopped alders in my swamp and Geo P. drew one load of alder wood to Bartlett’s with horse team and then he went with another load with the ox team and Cornelius MacNaute chopped for us in said swamp towards his rent, and this afternoon I took the horses and sleigh and carried my wool to Mr. Frederick Everett’s according to bargain. There was 252 pounds at 37½ cents and said Everetts paid me 84 dol and 50 cts which makes 94 dol and 59 cents that was paid me in all.