A Lost Umbrella
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, July 27, 1849: I and my son Geo P. went to Pittsfield, each a one horse wagon with new potatoes and we both carried seventeen bushels. We sold them mostly to the groceries at one dollar per bushel. We got home in time to dig and sort more potatoes.
Saturday: I went to Pittsfield with the one horse wagon and carried twelve bushels of potatoes, I sold them at one dollar per.
Tuesday: This morning at half past one o’clock Geo P. went to Pittsfield with six bushels and a peck of new potatoes and sold them for six dollars and 25 cents. Today when Geo P. returned from Pittsfield he paid for a letter for me five cents from Squ Gold in Pittsfield and paid up on the Budget from the first July up to the first October to N. Nichols Post Office, a mistake, he paid for the Agriculturalist of Pittsfield instead of the Repository, thirteen cents for the Budget and 14 cents for the Agriculturalist.
Wednesday: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried my daughter Charlotte to Pittsfield to Squ Gold’s, he wanted to know the correspondence concerning Mrs. Eliza Bert and Charlotte E. for it may have some bearing in the trial with Ross. We took dinner to brother F. Jay Wylie’s.
Thursday, August 9: Today cloudy and some rainy, I began to cradle oats but bad weather and I quit. Towards night I took my one horse wagon and rode to Lebanon and carried Frederick Everetts thirty pounds of pulled wool at twenty eight cents per and he credits me the same on account, and I sold him a new cheese of nine pounds at 5 cts per. On the way down to said store I called to Mr. Pomeroy’s the mason by trade and I paid his wife 75 cents in cash for an old umbrella that she left in my wagon through a mistake and took mine and Geo P. lost her umbrella, she sent mine home.
Saturday: I am unwell with a coramorbus, I only tended to chores. Today Wm. Ross passed my house and left word with James M. Glass if I wanted to see him I must call to Lebanon Springs or Pittsfield.
Saturday, Aug 18: This afternoon Geo P. hired man Abraham Haley worked for the widow Matthews or her son-in-law Mr. Shaw and said Shaw made a bargain with Geo P. for Abraham to work six days at 75 cts per day and said Shaw is to find employ for Abraham the whole time let the weather be good or bad.