A Trip North To Buy Sheep
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, August 23, 1849: This morning at one o’clock Geo P. took the one horse wagon and goes to Troy to carry Charlotte E. to take the cars to go to Utica and then she leaves for New Hartford and other places to visit connections. Sarah O. went to Troy with Charlotte to carry and get boosums to make. They had quite rainy going and Geo P. and Sarah returned from Troy to Sand Lake and stayed tonight to Mr. Rufus Withees. I let Charlotte have seven dollars towards her expences. Today I am quite unwell with the dysentery or coramorbus, I took hop tea and sweet firm tea and I took cider made into medicine by putting hot embers into it, to drink and a drink of rose tea then take phisic.
Friday: I am better of the dysentery. Today Geo P. and Sarah returned home from Troy.
Sunday: Today Abraham Haley left, his time was out working for Geo P.
Monday: This morning at one o’clock I went to Pittsfield with one horse wagon and carried three and a half bushel potatoes and sold them at 75 cts per. Geo P. walked to Lebanon and Hancock Shakers, he made some bargain to sell them apples and turnips and partly bargained to sell them fruit trees.
Wednesday, September 5: Today brother F. Jay Wylie and wife came and stayed tonight on a visit. Towards night I rode with F. Jay to Simeon Wylie’s and stopped a short time and I paid Simeon twelve cents for fixing my umbrella.
Saturday: Today I took my lumber one horse wagon and carried my wool to Pittsfield to Robert Colt according to agreement. There was two hundred and ninety one pounds at 37½ cts per and he paid me one hundred and nine dol and twelve cents in all for said wool. Then I called into the village and I sold ten quarts plums to a shop where they repaired umbrellas and got my umbrella repaired for 30 cents.
Tuesday: Today I and Geo P. took the one horse wagon and went to the north to buy sheep. We went through Berlin and Petersburgh and Hoosic into Cambridge and stayed near the Checard House near the gate to Mr. Preston. He had sheep to sell but we could not bargain for them. I called in Hoosic to old David Barnhart’s to inquire after brother Wm’s wife and they informed me she had returned home last April to her family.
Wednesday: This morning Geo P. paid our bill in Cambridge to Preston’s which was 88 cts for four meals, horse-keeping and lodging.