A Month With An Irishman
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Tuesday, January 15, 1850: Today I met with an Irishman to Lebanon and bargained to pay him five dollars for a month’s work if we were both suited with each other, and he agreed to begin work tomorrow.
Wednesday: This evening the before-mentioned Irishman by the name of Patrick Sorrel came to work for me as is agreed at five dollars per month.
Tuesday, February 5: Today I went to Pittsfield with cutter and six bushel apples and sold from fifty to one dollar per bushel and I sold two bushel turnips for fifty cents and I got five dollars for the whole. Today Patrick threshed part of the day and finished threshing oats and then Patrick tended to chores and chopped wood to the door. Today while I was in Pittsfield I did see the Medical College burn down.
Wednesday: I took my cutter and rode up to Erastus Runnals and got the two dozen boosums he got to Troy to Bennets for my women to make and I paid him 12 cts for the trouble. This forenoon Mr. Newton Goold fetched the wife and three children of Mr. James Bush and left them with us on a visit, and today Patrick chopped wood to the door.
Thursday: Today I took my cutter and carried the wife of James Bush to Aaron Sackett’s and left her and returned home and the widow Amy Moffitt was at my house on a visit and wished to see Mrs. Bush, and I returned to Sackett’s and fetched her back to my house. Today the widow Moffitt paid me one dollar for four times calling up to her house to appraise property.
Wednesday, Feb. 13: I took the one horse sled and called to Charles Wheeler’s store and got trusted for a pair thick boots two dollars and 50 cts and agreed to pay in corn at one cent per pound and carried the boots to John F. up to his school. This afternoon Geo P. walked up to Erastus Runnals and carried a bag boosums for him to carry to Troy and paid said Runnals 12 cts for carrying them.
Thursday: I took my one horse wagon and carried two hundred and seventy two pounds corn to Charles Wheeler’s store and paid up for John F’s boots and a balance 22 cts due me.
Friday: Today Patrick Sorrel chopped and sawed wood to the door and finished his month’s work for me and I paid him the cash which was five dollars price agreed on.
Saturday: This morning Patrick Sorrel went away or left us.