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Part II
The following biography is taken from Vermont History: The Proceedings
of the Vermont Historical Society, Volume 31, No. 4 (October 1963), Montpelier.
It was written by Eliakim 's nephew, Edwin L. Bigelow. Thanks
to Clare B. Sheppard, St. Albans, VT for this contribution. Part
I appeared in Vol. 29, No. 3 (July 2000).
Since the pay for road work has been
mentioned in the above account, we might go on from here to the subject of
pay in general. There are a number of diary entries that tell something about
the wages of hired help. Quite often the pay for small jobs was in kind.
Eliakim had a son Edwin who worked at home a good deal, and then too, there
was some exchange of work with neighbors. It is also likely that was more
hired help than the diaries have accounted for, but we find the following:
In 1888 Hollis Edson was paid four bushels of apples for a day's work, and
on October 11 that year he paid Mr. Rollins for a day's labor in pork. On
December 18, 1885, Mr. Powers helped skid logs on the hill in payment for
a stove. We learn that on September 20, 1898, Mr. Lincoln has husked 120
bushels (corn) for every tenth and on September 22 of that year Mr. Lincoln
agreed to work four days for a buckboard Eliakim sold him. In 1883 Willis
Cady was hired for six months for $100. In 1886 Mr. Sallies was paid $3 for
three days work on a shed and in 1898 George Thomas was hired six months
for $115. In 1888 Eliakim hired Mr. Godfrey to cut loo cords of eighteen
inch wood at 52 cents a cord. On June 27, of that year Mr. Rollins commenced
work for one month at $35, apparently without board, for on August 29, Russell
Barrows was hired for a month at $16. On April i, Alvan Edson began work
for five months at $15 a month but he got through May 2. George Sallies began
work February 26, 1888, for one month at $17 and July 2 he began work for
one month at $30 if the weather was good, otherwise $28. Apparently that
was a haying job. On January 19, 1895, Chauncey Barrows was hired for seven
months at $22 a month. On September 26, 1892, Ira Munn commenced work at
$16 a month.
The cost of hired help was reduced to some extent
by work exchange on the part of neighbors. An example of that is found when
in 1881 Fred Sears helped Eliakim skid logs with his steers. Then a few
days later he chopped two days for Fred and put a sled tongue in for him.
In August he mowed oats for Fred until eleven o'clock one morning and a
little later Fred helped him get in his barley. The next spring he helped
Fred plant corn May 23 and Fred helped him plant on May 25.
One other source of income was that of summer
boarders, but as to how extensive it may have been we know nothing as the
only hint of it in the diaries is occasional mention of some activity concerning
"the boarders." Probably the women folk took care of that business. I know
my parents boarded there and took me there when I was very young.
Some of the above transactions indicate that cash
was not always plentiful, a fact borne out by the following entries dealing
with other business:
August 18, 1881 Sold George Clark 4 steers
$170. Received $10 due $160.
November 3, 1888 Sold calves to A. Wilkins. Reed. $5,
due $16.[This was paid later.]
November 27, 1888 Milo got through tonight. Paid him
$15. $18 due him.
October 26, 1891 Bought a pair of oxen $105. Pd $20.
January 5, 1903 Bought a yearling bull of O. Sanborn
$15. Paid $10. He is to keep him until Feb. 1.
The self sufficiency of the farm
is interesting. Attention has already been called to the fact that practically
all the lumber for building and repairs was secured from the farm's woodland,
which also provided all the fuel. Grists of grain were frequently taken to
the mill for grinding. As late as January 5, 1890, Eliakim dipped thirty dozen
candles. Other amounts were dipped April 5, 1881, and January 9, 1883; and
on January 17, 1888, he dipped candles in the forenoon. Soap was made as
late as June 20, 1903, after he had moved off the farm. That it was regular
practice is attested by entries of doing it January 26, 1885; May 25, 1894,
and January 13 of that year.
Beef, pork, sausage, butter, and poultry as well
as the garden vegetables were provided for the table. Fameuse and Wolf River
apples seem to have been the principal varieties raised, and we may be quite
certain that they along with pop corn and cider provided many an evening's
enjoyment. In 1896, 138 gallons of cider went into the cellar and, while
the amount is not specified for every year, the cleaning of the cider barrels,
and taking the apples to the mill is usually mentioned. Only once is cheese
mentioned, when one was made July 4, 1888. Hams were smoked, but there is
one peculiar feature of the record in that canning of fruits and vegetables
is never mentioned. The total potato crop of 1893 was 230 bushels. Maple
sugar was exchanged for "coffee sugar."
Thus, while ready cash may not always have been
plentiful, the people on that farmstead lived well. I have heard the daughters
tell that Eliakim always wanted to have plenty of food on the table, and
was critical if there was not food left over at each meal. Whether the diet
was a balanced one in the modern sense may be questioned, but one thing is
certain about it, no one went hungry, and guests were always welcome, even
peddlers.
The farm's woodland was the source of considerable
income secured by a prodigious amount of labor. As previously noted, the
lot embracing that farm was originally sold in 1801, and Eliakim purchased
it in 1859. Though we have no way of knowing how heavily it was originally
wooded, and how much had to be cleared to provide the crop and pasture lands,
it is evident that the previous owners had left a considerable stand of timber.
We find mention of spruce, hemlock, birch, maple, bass, cherry, and ash
logs being cut and drawn. In addition to these, logs were cut for block
wood for sale. Most of the limb wood probably went to the sugar house.
The wood from the back lot and elsewhere to be
sold or used at home was drawn as logs to the house where it was sawed by
machine by a crew of traveling sawyers. The job generally took about two days.
The sugar operations required a lot of wood which was usually cut in the
fall or late summer to be drawn to the sugar house and put under cover. The
ashes from the sugar house were spread on the fields in the spring. Some of
the trees cut were enough larger than ordinary or average to be mentioned
as big ones.
February 6, 1885 Drew three loads of logs. 3 for shingle,
1 for plank.
January 7,1895 Got up two of the big hemlocks.
December 25, 1899 Skidded birch and maple logs.
December 9,1900 Cut three large birch trees on the hill.
January 14, 1885 Mother and Louise went down to Tine's
awhile in the afternoon.
January 16, 1885 Newell and wife visited here.
January 30, 1885 Louise visited down to Fred's.
January 31, 1885 Flora Sears and Susie Barrows staid with
the girls, [overnight]
February 3, 1885 Carried Louise to Mr. Sanborn's for the
Circle.
February 10, 1883 We all went to the party at Mr. Robinson's
in the evening.
March 9, 1885 Louise visited at Mrs. Colburn's.
April 24, 1885 Mr. Moody paid us a visit.
May 10, 1885 Carried Louise down to the Sewing Circle
at Mr. Moody's.
February 21, 1891 We went to Aunt Salome's birthday party.
March 4, 1891 We went to L. A. Barrow's visiting.
March 10, 1891 Fred and Pret's folks visited here.
August 8, 1891 Louise and I went up to Newell's in the
afternoon.
In addition to the family and neighbor social life
of which the above entries are only samplings, the community offered its share
of cultural and social life. Singing School seems to have been a somewhat
regular institution, as attendance by some members of the family, even Eliakim
himself, is frequently mentioned. He once paid a dollar toward it and another
time bought a singing book for thirty-three cents. On January 23, 1883, Eddie
and Annie went to Writing School but that seems to be the only mention of
that activity.
It would seem that Eliakim seldom missed a Grange meeting
either Pomona or local and apparently held some office, for on one occasion
he mentions installing the officers, and he must have held some office himself
to have been qualified to do that. As for politics he attended Republican
meetings whenever they occurred.
Continued in Forge Vol. 30, No.1;
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