Transcribed by Betty McClave, Edited by Alex Brooks
Saturday, December 17, 1842: Today Russel Palmer came and butchered a beef and took a piece of beef for pay, ten or twelve pound I gave him, his price fifty cts and the hide.
On this morning John F. rode over and fetched Doctor Green and fetched sister Polly Wylie for my wife was not so well.
Sunday: My wife continued quite unwell but did not sleep any last night.
Tuesday: I this morning took my cutter and borrowed Mr. John Russel’s iron kettle to try up our tallow in and I helped cut up and try up said tallow. This afternoon I took my cutter and rode over to Tyler Ayres and left the calf skin for Sarah’s shoe and fetched away the shoe leather that Angeline went and had cut out for her a pair of shoes on 25 day Nov. and I called to Wm Potters and fetched Ruana Chittenden home with me to make mourning hats and other work.
Thursday: On this evening Doctor Ludwick Green visited my wife.
Friday: Today I went to Pittsfield with my cutter and carried four bushels of apples and sold them at 37 cts per, and one bushel of small onions for 50 cts. I took my pay in sugar at store at nine cts per.
Saturday: This morning I rode to Lebanon to Moses Tiden’s store and got trusted for one yard bonbazine, one dollar and 50 cts, one box pills 25 cts and two doz fish hooks which was 19 cts.
Tonight Ruana Chittenden finished making my daughters mourning hats and other work, and her bill was 88 cts.
I paid her 59 cts cash and the remainder she had in store pay.
Sunday, Dec 25: My oldest son took the cutter and carried Ruana Chittenden home and carried his two sisters to the Presbyterian meeting near Hiram W. Brown’s.
Tuesday: I rode to Squ Philander Woodard to see if he had collected L. Angeline’s school bill, but had not, but promised me he would tend to it and then I went to Hosea W. Brown’s and sold him two skim cheese, weigh 41 pounds at four cents per and I bought ten yards calico at 12 cts per.
Wednesday: Today I took my cutter and I and my oldest son and two daughters went to the funeral of cousin Eliza Broad at their own dwelling house. She died on Sunday evening.
Thursday: Today I took my cutter and carried Charlotte E to Pittsfield and she bought two pair kid black gloves which was one dol and 38 cts and two cravats 50 cts.
I paid 12 cts for six oysters to fetch home to my sick wife.
We started for home at five in the afternoon and got home at seven o’clock, we rode home in a severe snow storm and wind.
Friday: Today we shoveled out roads on the highway and today I helped my family make candles, we made thirty eight dozen and eight (468) candles.
I went on the highway with my one horse team and two sons half a day.
Saturday, Dec 31: We shoveled snow on the highway half a day, I and my two sons.