The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

February 1829 – A Wild Steer And A Blizzard

By

Friday, January 30, 1829: While I was in Troy there was a boy by the name of Harvey Holbrook and wanted a priviledge to ride into the country with me to get work.  I told him he might ride with me, and he found no place and he came home with me.  We got home about 11 this evening.  We stopped to Woodward’s Tavern in Nassau and bated.  I paid six cents for cider.
Saturday: Today I told the said boy by the name of Harvey Holbrook that he might work at present to pay for his board and he went to work.  Today I sledded wood with the oxen and we went with the horse team and got one load.
(He chopped wood all week with the boy)
Friday: I chopped wood in said swamp and we teamed home the wood, Samuel and Harvey Holbrook.
Saturday, February 14; Today brother Wm came and we divided the pine planks and boards and clapboards that were in the old house of brother Wm that Garret Hirse lives in, and I fetched my half home.  We divided all the timber plank and pieces of all descriptions whatever that was in my cider mill house excepting three sticks that we left to pay Francis Buten for the timber we borrowed of him a few years past.
Sunday: Tonight I sent over to and fetched sister Newton to our house to stay a spell on a visit.
Monday:  This morning I walked to Lebanon and bought a coming three year old steer of Old Squire Samuel Hand, and paid 17 dol for to match one I had.  I took breakfast at Mr. Rowland Danford.  I stayed all day to have brother Wm help get my steer home.  He was to Mr. Danford’s getting his oxen shod.  The said steer was quite wild and we roped him and hitched him to Wm’s oxen, but the rope broke and he followed on and went into Mr. Hazard Morey’s lot and I left him.  Tonight we came home.  This evening I spent the evening to Mother Spring’s with brother Jay Wylie and Sylvester Tracy.
Tuesday: This morning we took our oxen and cattle and went to Mr. Morey’s and got the odd steer home that I left last night.
Friday: We got wood from said swamp till noon and it snowed and we all came home and towards night I walked over to doctor Elijah Graves after him to come and doctor Mother Spring, but he did not come, for he was gone to Albany.  Tonight very stormy.
Saturday: Today we only tended to our chores and chopped a little wood to the door.  It was drifted up to the orads (eaves?) and the snow blowed bad.