Monday, November 27, 1843: We butchered our pork and Mr. Russel Palmer helped. We butchered five hogs and I carried the lightest one to Lebanon to Frederick Everett’s store, weight 217 pounds at 5½ dol per cwt.
Tuesday: Today I cut up and tonight salted my pork. Today is the second day that Aaron Merrils wife has helped my women on butchering day and today trying up lard.
Thursday: Today I took my one horse team and went to Elanson Carpenter’s and there I put up the wood lot at public sale and Christopher Clifford was the vendue auctioneer and I bid it off myself at 90 dollars. It is the same Swan lot I advertised the other day. I paid 34 cts for liquor that was drank on the occasion of the sale.
Friday, December 1: Today we butchered a beef. Mr. Russel Palmer helped and he had the beef’s head and heart for helping, and on this evening I took my one horse team and carried the beef hide to Lebanon Shakers to Jonathan Wood’s office and he paid me cash, four cts per pound, 61 pounds. I on the way home called to Allen Spencer’s and paid him 25 cts for a vial of a composition to put on a windfall or a puff on my colt’s leg. I called to Lias Dike and he told me he would chop our sausage meat at one cent per pound. Aaron Merrils came and bought two barrels of cider of me at one dollar per barrel and agreed to deduct out the 75 cts that his wife had charged us for two days work.
Saturday: This forenoon I cut up our beef and this afternoon I walked up town round by Daniel Gardner’s and to Doctor Thomas and I found him at Philander Woodard’s and he drew a tooth for me. I paid 12 cts. I then went into the Chapel to see if they were to hire Elder Smith another year and I offered 15 dollars in house rent if they would hire him, but it was too late. From the Chapel I called to the post office and to cousin widow Verona Holcomb’s and she made me a present of a picture of the likeness of old Hosey Balloe.
Sunday: Today I took my one horse team and wagon and carried my wife and Sarah to the Chapel to meeting. Elder Smith preached his farewell sermon.
Monday: Today I went to Pittsfield with nearly twelve bushel of apples and sold them for nearly 4 dol and 50 cents.
Tuesday: I went and got the wife of apprentice Johnson to come and doctor Sarah for she was taken quite unwell. I walked to Hancock Village and called to Lapum’s store and paid 32 cts for a bottle of number six and I called to Foster’s store and paid 25 cts for a box of Moffitt’s Pills. Tonight Jane Wylie stayed with Sarah and took care of her.
Wednesday: I took my one horse wagon and rode over to Wm Potter’s to try to hire a girl but could not get any.
Saturday: John and I went onto my Rodgers farm and chopped and drew a load or half a cord of wood to the school house.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: Today I took my cutter and carried Sarah to school and Charlotte to brother Simeon Wylie’s and I returned and my wife went with me. I carried our sausage meat to Lebanon to Lias Dike to have him make it into sausages. We found all the materials and he agreed to make them at one ½ cent per.