July 10 thru July 13, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Click on the map link to the right of this entry to see more about where places are. Other information can be checked out with the links to the right, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Saturday -- Henry pays Brother (Elder) Hibbard for the "Hearld of Gospel Liberty". This publication was first published in 1808. Henry pays $1.50 for this "Christian Paper" as he describes it in his financial records for July in the back of the diary.Henry takes grist to Naples, and goes to Jordans hardware to buy a fork handle, some horseshoes, and a pair of clinces? Not sure what the latter is.... possibly some sort of clamping or crimping device? I'm interested that he bought horseshoes. I thought Avery the blacksmith sold him that stuff, but maybe he shod his own horses and went to Avery for special stuff? Omar plows (cultivates?) the potatoes in the forenoon, and Mills mows thistles in the cow pasture. They cut some wheat in the afternoon. (it seems pretty early for wheat harvest, but they must be harvesting because they get almost $26 for wheat from Lyon's Mill later in the month.) A peddlar by the name of Williams came by and stayed overnight. They go to an ice cream social in the evening.

Sunday -- Henry mentions Williams the peddlar again, and that he works for DeLaney of Rochester, NY. Sarah and Henry go to church and Sunday school. R. Smith has evidently asked Sarah to get some change in exchange for bills from the collection plate money, but she doesn't get the change, and Henry returns the $13 to him that evening. Omar went to Prattsburgh during the day, and to Bloods in the evening. Somebody named Sue came back to their house from Prattsburgh to help with picking berries.

Monday --- The whole family, plus Sue, pick 250 quarts of raspberries on Monday. D.D. Clark takes 4 40quart crates of the berries at the agreed 3 cents a quart. (I thought the crates were 36 quarts, but these were 40 quarts.) He leaves them 800 1 qt. berry baskets.
Henry then lists how many quarts they each picked. Sue - 55, Sarah 57, Lois and Cad pick 58 quarts. Omar works for Richard Smith cutting wheat.

Tuesday --- They pick more berries on Tuesday, and D.D.Clark picks up another 4 crates. He records that Sue picked 40 quarts. (probably this is Sue Stanton --- Henry records payment of 64 cents to Mrs. Charles Stanton for picking berries on 19th of July) Omar and Henry cut wheat. They pick some strawberries for supper. Henry comments on the light rain during the day, and indicates that he hope they get some serious rain soon.

July 6 thru July 9, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Click on the map link to the right of this entry to see more about where places are. Other information can be checked out with the links to the right, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Tuesday --- Henry rakes and puts up more hay, and draws 6 loads. D. D. Clark comes by and arranges with Henry to pay him 3 cents/quart for his raspberries. He is acting as sort of a middle man, and will provide the baskets, and the crates, and will take them to the train in Bloods. Henry probably figures that is a better deal than doing the hauling and providing his own crates. He got 5 cents a quart last week at Slatterys.

Wednesday -- They draw more hay, and do more cultivating. Sarah and Lois continue picking berries for R. Smith. Mills mows thistles in the pasture. Don's note: I used to cut thistles in the pasture for my grandfather - William Olney - Bart's son. I got paid 50 cents for my work. The cows will eat the grass, etc. but will avoid the area near the large thistles that will poke them! Nate Polmateer comes by and borrows a rip saw, a bevel square, and a 1 inch chisel.

Thursday -- Mills, Cad, and Henry pick potato bugs off the potatoes again, and get them "nearly all off." Henry and Sarah go to Ingleside to the blacksmith - Avery - and get two shoes repaired, and they get Old John weighed - 1050 pounds with the harness. I'm not sure why they would do this. Possibly to subtrach his weight when weighing a load of goods like potatoes, hay, etc? They stay over for prayer meeting. Sarah goes to Bloods to get sugar from Slatterys.

Friday -- Sarah and Henry and the children pick the Tyler raspberries, and D. D. Clark comes by to pick up the berries - $1.92 for 64 quarts. He also buys some currants for 75 cents. Clark promises to bring by 10 crates for picking raspberries by Tuesday. Over the rest of the month they will sell a total of about 1200 quarts of raspberries to Mr. Clark. I can't find any information or pictures of Tyler Raspberries except that they are a common variety of raspberries at the time. Henry cuts some grass, and tops off the hay stack on the Tenny place. Omar works in the potatoes.