The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Tuesday August 25, 1835: Some rainy. We mowed in the forenoon and this afternoon I borrowed Mr. Alonzo Chapman cradle and Peter cradled oats and I bound. Today two Irish men bargained for my sorrel mare at 30 dollars to be paid in ditching. The said Irishmen agree to come on the first Sunday in Sept to ditch at 20 cts per rod on my Rodgers farm and to make said ditch three feet wide and 1½ deep, and my ditch to home is to be 2½ wide and 1½ deep at 1/3 pence per rod and not to have the mare until paid for nor I do not warrent her sound nor with foal nor to be at any certain age.

Wednesday: Quite rainy. I chopped wood to the door. Tonight my wife returned home from the west. Her passage from Rome to Schenectady on the boat was one dol 50 cts and on the railroad to Albany was 50 cts, and the stage to Lebanon one dol 50 cts.

Friday: Quite showery, we mowed and this afternoon I took my single wagon and carried Fanna Roberts home. She has worked for us three weeks and two days and I paid her three dol and 25 cts.

Thursday, September 10: We mowed rowing and stubble and pulled out my stacks and topped up stacks and drew in two loads rowing. Today Peter Surdam helped, which pays me up the month’s work that he gives for his house rent.

Friday: Today I worked on the highway with my team and plow and I had three days credited me.

Monday: Today brother Sylvester cleared out my cider house and made a small pressing cider of about one barrel and had half of it, and tonight I sold brother Sylvester my bay mare. He shingles my house and gives ten days works, and gives in what I owed him for a trifle of work.

Tuesday: I drew twelve slabs from Elijah Goodrich sawmill and repaired the bridge where I turn my cows to pasture. On this morning the widow of Rockman Pierce died of a lingering consumption.

Wednesday: I moved a gate and laid the wall in the old gate road to go into my milk yard and drew rails and made a hog yard.

Thursday: This morning I went with my covered wagon and carried my family to the funeral of the widow Pierce. Elder Jones preached. Towards night I went with my team and fetched part of a load of apples for Peter Surdam from Asa Sheldon’s to my cider mill and said Peter gathered apples for me while I was gone. On this evening I walked over onto my Rodgers Farm to turn out cattle that had broken into my pasture, but Mr. A. Chapman had turned them out.

Friday: Today I went to Pittsfield with bushels of apples and sold them from 25 cts to 37 cts per bushel.