Geo P Gets The Mumps
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, March 21, 1850: John F. drew manure on the garden with the oxen and sled and I helped load, and we drew some seasoned wood from the young orchard. Tonight a man stayed with us by the name of Wilson from Pittsfield, he is in insurance in buildings and insuring people’s health.
Friday: I tended to chores and drew appletree wood from the orchard to the cheese house to boil sap.
Saturday: This forenoon I walked to Lebanon and had Dr. Bates come to Geo P. Said Bates left some medicine and ordered mustard seed draughts applied to his throat where it was swelled with the mumps and this afternoon I took the one horse wagon and carried part of my Franklin stove to Hancock to Lapum’s furnace, 150 pounds at one cent per pound and exchanged for five cultivator teeth at the same price, one dol and 50 cts, and I had one pint mustard seed charged to said Lapum’s store, and I called to Mr. J. Acox and paid 18 dollars interest for one year on three hundred dollar note paid up to April the first in 1850.
Sunday: Today Doctor Bates called to see Geo P., but did not leave any medicine. He ordered phisic and blistering. I gathered one barrel sap.
Monday: I tended to boiling sap. John F. took the one horse wagon and carried six bushels of ears of corn to be ground at Hancock mill and got my grist that he left the other day and he carried three and a half pounds butter and traded it at Lapum’s store for family necessaries. Today continues cold and freezing, today and tonight we had our first lambs four of them, Geo P. continues to be sick with the mumps and quite weak,
Tuesday: This forenoon I walked over onto my Rodgers farm with Benj. Nichols to divide fence and find the line but we could not find all the bounds and said Nichols agreed to pay a surveyor or I would get Mr. Strait to come and survey the line betwixt us according to our deeds. He would pay what said Strait charged and I agreed that I would go and get Strait to come and survey the line.
Thursday: John F. took the one horse wagon and rode up to Mr. Canada’s and carried boosums for him to carry to Troy. Canada had gone to Troy and John F. fetched the boosums home again. Geo P. is some better of the mumps.
Friday: This afternoon I took the ox team and went to Wm Bliss Maxon’s and helped draw battery that was joining the Zach Chapman house. We only drew it into the highway. The teams, six yoke of oxen could not draw it up to the house that Wm. Bliss Maxon lives in and we quit and he concluded to take the building down.