The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

George Holcomb

Getting A New Stove

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Thursday, December 26, 1839: Today I took my cutter and carried my two daughters and left them to the widow Humphreys on a visit. I took dinner there and this evening my daughters went to singing school to Samuel Holcomb’s with Mrs Humphreys’ people and Geo P took the cutter and went after them. I went to Daniel Smith’s to look at a stove but did not like it. I called to Hiram Brown’s to see if Washington Carpenter had left three dollars there for me for the counterfeit bill I returned to his wife, but he had not left any money. Today Mr. Elem Tilden’s daughter died, of a very short illness. Henryette is her given name.

Friday: Today I went to Troy with a two-horse sleigh and carried 16 cheese, five of them late made, at six cts per pound. I sold them for six dol and the eleven cheese came to about 26 dollars at eight, eight & half, and nine cts per pound.

Saturday: On this morning I paid my bill to Miles in Congress Street in Troy where I put up last night with my two horse team to hay and I had tea with my victuals and bitters last night and this morning which was 75 cts. I then went into River Street to the hardware store to the firm of Bigelow Pierce and Wicks and bought a railway stove and furniture and paid forty dollars, the stove no pipe and I paid five dol and 53 cts for stove pipe. Last night and today quite a snow storm. We came out of Troy at two o’clock, the storm increased. We bated at Dunum’s old stand and I paid four cts for cider. We came to Potter Tifft’s and got stuck in a drift and we stayed to said Tifft’s. It was high wind and some stormy.

Sunday: This morning I paid my bill to said Tifft’s which was 56 cts and we came on to Danel Allen’s stayed two hours for the road to be broken out and we came on to Lathrum’s and I paid six cts for bitters and I left my sleigh and load and led my horses to cousin Samuel Holcomb’s and left them and I walked home. There was no road broken out. I walked the snow and got home at sunset.

Monday: Today I and my two sons worked on the highway and shovelled snow for the roads are all badly drifted.

Tuesday: Today I walked up to cousin Samuel Holcomb’s and took my horses and went up to Joel Lathrom’s and got my sleigh and load and I paid said Lathrom three cts for bitters. I then came to cousin Samuel Holcomb’s and left my team and load and walked home again for the road was not broken out, the drifts yet. I walked home by the way of Benj Douglasses and by my Rodgers farm to see if the road was passable. I found it mostly broken out. Today quite cold.

Wednesday, January 1, 1840: This morning I walked up to Samuel Holcomb’s again. I paid him two dollars for a year to come for a New York paper called the Christian Messenger, a Universalist. I took my team and load from cousin Samuel Holcomb’s and went on the turnpike to Hosey Brown’s Store and there Simeon A. Wylie met me with his ox team and drew my load home through the drifts and I paid him 94 cts and Alonzo Rodgers came home with me and helped set up my new railway stove and he sawed the hole for the pipe larger and I stand indebted to him for the same. Tonight Mr. Bush the singing master came and stayed with us.

Thursday: Today I tended to my chores and took my cutter and carried Angeline to Simeon’s corner and from there Mr. Bush carried her and Charlotte to singing school. Today I hired out my old Philadelphia stove to Mr. Marrels until April next for two dol.