THE JOURNALS OF EDWARD PAYSON CHASE

1878

Jan 1 through 11 Worked all day at the church
Jan 12 Worked all day on old lumber
Monday Jan 14 Helped do the washing
Jan 15 Worked 7 hours at the church, finished the job
Jan 16 Cut down a tallow tree and began to get it to pieces
Jan 17 Cut some wood
Jan 18 Went claming, got about half a bushell
Jan 19 Cut some wood, etc
Monday Jan 21 Helped do the washing; went to the blacksmiths and got the horse shod
Jan 22 Received of Joseph Coggeshall one hundred dollars ($100.) on account
Jan 23 Went to the City and paid up all the bills. Settled with Father up to Jan 1878. Paid him $49.93. Coldest night of the season
Jan 24, 25 Cut wood all day
Jan 26 Repaired ladder and cut some wood
Monday Jan 28 Helped with the washing and cut some wood
Jan 30 Lilly Weaver went home to night, she is paid up to this date.
Jan 31 Heavy snowstorm

Feb 2 Helped shovel out the roads; worked 7 hours [Their 2^nd born, another son, Joseph Weaver Chase, born Aug 8, 1876, died on this day, Feb 2, 1878. Not mentioned in diary]
Feb 3 Lilly Weaver came back to night
Feb 9 Worked all day sawing and splitting old lumber
Monday Feb 11 Worked all day on old lumber
Feb 13 Went to the City
Feb 14 Worked all day getting some wood and pilling it up
Feb 15 Finished the wood pile, and sawed out some fence stringers
Feb 16 Worked all day on fencing stuff
Feb 19 Worked 8 ½ hours repairing Father’s cart
Feb 21 Worked all day in the shop
Feb 23 Worked all day on papers
Monday, Feb 25 Worked all day in the shop, four hours on wheelbarrow
Feb 27 Worked 6 hours puting up gaps in the wall. Received of Joseph Coggeshall $30.62 in full of all demands
Feb 28 Worked 8 hours putting up wall

Mar 1 Worked all day at Mrs Howe’s, painting tin works
Mar 2 Worked all day; finished painting at Mrs Howe’s and helped on bay window frame.
Mar 3 Settled with Father to March; paid him $30.00
Mar 4 Carried Lilly home. She is paid up to this date. Repaired sink, and worked 4 hours putting up gaps.
Mar 5, 6 Worked 5 and 6 hours on the gaps
Mar 7, 8 Worked all day on baywindow for A Coggeshall
Mar 9 Went to the City; moved some peach trees and dug up the garden. Washed the buggy.
Monday Mar 11, 12, 13 Worked all day Abraham Coggeshall’s
Mar 14 Worked 3 hours at Abraham Coggeshall’s. Took up carpet and put it down. Took off storm sash
Mar 15 Began Parker Lawton’s crib, worked all day
Mar 16 Worked all day at Parker Lawton’s
Monday Mar 18 Went out to Uncle Wm’s and did some small jobs.
Mar 19 Worked all day at Lawton’s
Mar 20 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s
Mar 21 Worked all day at Lawton’s
Mar 22 Worked all day at Lawton’s. Set a hen tonight on 15 eggs
Mar 23 Worked all day at Abraham Coggeshall’s on bay window
Mar 25, 26 Worked 7 and 8 hours and Wm. B. Chase’s
Mar 27 Worked all day on altar for the church
Mar 28 Worked all day on the altar. Hen sett to day
Mar 29 Worked 2 hours on the altar
Mar 30 Made some hen coops, filed saws, and planted potatoes.

Apr 1 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s. Lilly is paid to this date.
Apr 2 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s
Apr 3 Went to town meeting
Apr 4 Worked all day at Wm B Chase’s
Aapr 5 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s, getting out old sill.
Apr 6, 8, 9, 10 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s on sill of old house.
Apr 11 Worked all day Wm. B. Chase’s; finished new silling and went inside laying floor over chimney hole.
Apr 12 Put down two carpets for Dan; Received of Joseph Coggeshall $50 on account. Settled with father for the month of march
Apr 13 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s; cuting out for new chimney. Received of J Coggeshall $13, in full of all accounts to date
Apr15, 16, 17, 18 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s on the old house.
Apr 18 Dr. Green called
Apr 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 Worked all day at Wm. B. Chase’s on the old house. Only worked 9 hours on the 23.
Apr 27 Worked 9 hours at Wm. B. Chase’s on old house. Theresa Gordon Chase born this evening at half past eight. [Theresa died 29 April 1886, aged 8 years; they had no more children]
Monday Apr 29 Received of Joseph Coggeshall $26.78 on account of work at Wm. B. Chase’s
Apr 29, 30, May 1, 2, 3, 4 Worked all day at W. B. Chase’s

Monday May 6 Worked all day at W B Chase’s. Lilly is paid to this date.
May 7 Worked all day at W B Chase’s. Plowed garden to night
May 8, 9, 10 Worked all day at W B Chase’s
May 11 Worked all day at W. B. Chase’s. Miss Sherman went home.
May 12 Paid Uncle Jos. $10.00 for flour and meal; Paid Betsy Sherman $16.00 for nursing.
Monday May 13 Worked all day at W B Chase’s; alone: all ready for the masons.
May 14 Worked all day at Ben White’s. Dr. Green called this evening to see Sallie.
May 15, 16 Worked all day at Ben White’s.
May 17 Worked all day at Ben White’s, raised the barn.
May 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 Worked all day at Ben White’s
May 20 Received a load of coal weighing 3999 lbs.
May 27, 28, 29 Worked all day at Abr. Coggeshall’s & 6 hours the 30. Finished.

June 1 Worked all day at W. B.Chase’s: dog [dug?]
Monday June 3 Lilly paid to this date. Worked all day at W. B. Chase’s; 3 hours by the day.
June 4 Worked all day at W. B. Chase’s
June 5 Worked all day at W B Chase’s; half a day on contract
June 6, 7 Worked all day at W B Chase’s fiting sash
June 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 Worked all day at W. B. Chase’s
June 18 Worked all day at W B Chase’s. Received of Joseph Coggeshall thirty dollars ($30.00) on account
June 19, 20, 21, 22 Worked all day at W B Chase’s
June 23 Began to take butter of Wm. Weaver
June 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Worked all day at W B Chase’s
June 27 Received of Joseph Coggeshall $40. on account.
June 29 Worked all day at W B Chase’s. Went to the City this evening and ordered suit of clothes cut

July 1 Lilly is paid to this date. Received of J Coggeshall $18.76 for all work up to Saturday night June 29^th.
July 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18, 19, 20, 22 Worked all day for W. B. Chases.
July 13 Received of Joseph Coggeshall $27.00 in full of all accounts.
July 23 Received of Joseph Coggeshall $15.75 in full of all accounts.
July 24 Began to concrete the cellar
July 25 Went to the City. afternoon went over to Uncle John’s and took down partition. Worked a while in the cellar.
July 26 Dug potatoes and worked in the cellar
July 27 Worked awhile in the cellar etc, washed harness
Monday July 29 Went to the shore and got two load of gravel. Lilly is paid to this date.

Aug 1, 2 Worked all day in the cellar
Aug 3 Went to see Polo
Aug 5 Went blackberying
Aug 6, 7 Worked all day at W B Chase’s
Aug 8, 9, 10 Worked all day at G. A. Brown’s
Monday Aug 12 and 13, 14 Worked all day for Mrs. Dennis
Monday Aug 19 Worked part of the day, got stone for the walks
Aug 20 Worked all day carting stone for the walks.
Aug 21 Began work at G. A. Brown’s, worked all day framing
Aug 22 Worked all day at G A Brown’s framing
Aug 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17 Worked all day at G. A. Brown’s. Whole number of days worked 23

Sept 19 Went to the blacksmiths. Worked a while of cess pool
Sept 20 Worked on cellpool
Sept 21 Went to the City. Finished cleaning cesspool. Received of Joseph Coggeshall a check for $51.75 for work at G. A. Brown’s.
Sept 23 Went to the City. Lilly is paid to this date.
Sept 24, 25 Worked all day building wall for Father
Sept 26, 27 Worked all day for Joshua Coggeshall repairing hog house
Sept 28 Went to the City, afternoon worked on the wall
Sept 30 Worked half a day building wall for Father, and half a day for Uncle John making corn crib.

Oct 1 Worked all day for Father building wall.
Oct 2 Worked 9 hours for Father jobing
Oct 3, 4, 5 , 6, 8, Worked all day at Will Thurston’s
Oct 9 Worked 7 hours at Will Thurston’s
Oct 10 Picked apples all day for aunt Nancy. Received of Joseph Coggeshall $4.30 for work
Oct 11 Worked all day at David Coggeshall’s
Oct 12 Worked 3 hours at David Coggeshall’s. Cleaned out cistern.
Oct 14 Worked 7 hours at David Coggeshall’s and 2 hours at Father’s
Oct 15 Worked half a day patching barn, afternoon put down carpet in hall.
Oct 16 Took up bedroom carpet and put it down again
Oct 17 Took up seting room carpet and put it down again. Afternoon worked 3 ½ hours for Father repairing gate. Paid Uncle Joseph $10 on account.
Oct 18 Worked all day for Father repairing
Oct 19 Went to the City this morning; bought some books for the library. Worked half a day for Father building wall.
Oct 21 Worked all day for Father building wall
Oct 22, 23, 24 Worked all day at Parker Lawton’s shingleing house only 3 hours on 23^rd
Oct 25 Worked all day; ¾ at Parker Lawton’s and ¼ at Anderson’s.
Oct 26, 28, 29, 31 Worked all day at Anderson’s

Nov 1 Worked at Anderson's 4 hours
Nov 2 Went to the City
Nov 4 Went to the City, afternoon tended mason for Father
Nov 5 Went to town meeting
Nov 6 Began to put the finish on Geo. Brown’s house, worked all day. First snow this season.
Nov 7, 8 Worked all day at G A Brown’s. on 8^th, received of Joseph Coggeshall $26.32 in full of all demands to Nov. 6.
Nov 9 Worked all day at G. A. Brown’s. Received a load of nut coal , 2850
Nov 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Worked all day at G. A. Brown’s Lilly went home today
Monday Nov 18 Worked all day at G. A. Brown’s. Mr. Clark came to board with us today.
Nov 19 Worked all day at G A Brown’s. Lilly came back this morning.
Nov 20, 21, 22, 23 Worked all day at G A Browns, Mr. Clark has had eleven meals this week.
Nov 25 Worked all day painting the house
Nov 26 Went up to the church and sett monument
Nov 27 Worked all day painting the house
Nov 28 Began Edward Almy’s house, worked 9 hours.
Nov 29 Worked 9 ½ hours on Almy’s house
Nov 30 Worked 9 ½ hours at Almy’s

Dec 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Worked 5, 9 ½, 6, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½ hours at Almy’s.
Dec 9 Worked 5 hours at Almy’s, raising
Dec 10 Worked 1 hour at Almy’s. Received a pig of John Coggeshall, weight 100 lbs.
Dec 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24. Worked 8, 9 ½, 9 ½, 8 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½, 5, 9 ½, 9 ½.
Dec 24 Received $36 for work done at G. A. Brown’s
Dec 25 Went to the City
Dec 26, 27, 28 Worked 9 ½, 9 ½, 9 ½ hours at Almy’s.
Dec 28 Rec. a load of stone coal, weight 4330 lb. at 5 ½ per ton
Monday, Dec 30 Lilly is paid to this date. Worked 9 ½ hours at Almy’s
Dec 31 Worked 9 ½ hours at Almy’s

Account of work at the church:
Jan 1, 2, 3 10 hours each
Jan 4 5 hours
Jan 5, 7, 8 , 9 10 hours each
Jan 10 7 hours
Jan 11 10 hours
Jan 15 7 hours
99 hours
From 1877 280 hours
379 hours
37 9/10 days @ 2.00 $75.80
34 days @ 2.25= $76.50
3 7/10 days @ 2.25= $ 8.32
$160.62
Cash received 130.00
Cash to balance $ 30.62

1878 Balance Sheet
Date	Item	Paid
Jan 1	1 peck of meal	$0.25
2	bag of tobacco	$0.25
	repair lamp	$0.30
3	11 lbs shank	$0.44
	lb. coffee	$0.40
	new diary	$0.40
	cookies	$0.10
4	15½ lbs ham	$1.94
	2 lbs crackers	$0.16
7	1 gal molasses	$0.85
	cookies	$0.10
	bread	$0.24
	repair lamp	$0.10
10	medicine	$0.30
11	spr. of nitre	$0.25
	corned beef	$0.60
15	cookies	$0.10
16	Lard	$0.75
	tobacco	$0.25
	? and meal	$1.25
18	salt fish	$0.18
	cloth	$0.56
	sugar	$1.00
19	buttons	$0.28
21	6½ lbs pork	$0.91
	cookies	$0.06
22	kerosene	$1.10
	crackers	$0.16
24	teapot & cookies	$0.35
	Edging & coffee	$0.62
25	mollasses	$0.65
	powder & fuse	$0.42
28	19½ lbs ham 12½	$1.81
	cookies	$0.06
	tobacco	$0.50
31	cookies	$0.06
	nipples	$0.25
total		$17.80
	SETTLED

Feb 1	medicine	$0.30
2	dried apples	$0.50
	suet
3	bread & salt petre	$0.20
4	Tea & sugar	$1.40
5	Apples	$0.70
8	Bread	$0.10
11	Saleratus,blueing,cinnamon	$0.38
12	crackers	$0.16
14	corned beef	$0.55
	flannel & cotton	$0.29
16	gal molasses	$0.65
18	Tobacco	$0.75
20	2 lbs tea	$0.80
21	beef	$0.99
23	Lemmons	$0.10
28	Corned beef	$0.50
total	SETTLED	$8.12

March 1	sugar	$1.00
	nutmegs	$0.35
	Ball Cotton	$0.12
2	Ham & soda	$1.82
	Bal. from Feb.	$5.92
6	cotton cloth	$0.56
7	sugar	$0.50
	medicine	$0.60
8	box of cloves	$0.20
9	corned beef	$0.65
	beef steak	$0.38
	tobacco	$0.20
11	bread	$0.10
	matches	$0.60
14	Molasses	$0.64
	Salt fish	$0.30
19	Medicine	$0.46
	Beef & Lime	$12.40
20	Apples & suet	$0.76
	crackers & cider	$0.24
	Corned beef etc	$0.80
27	crackers	$0.16
	tea .40 & oysters .30	$1.10
29	Molasses	$0.66
	Tobacco	$0.25
30	Beef & sugar	$1.80
Total		$20.67
	by work	$3.60
	by 2½ dz eggs	$0.60
Due		$16.57
	SETTLED

April 3	oatmeal	$0.24
	kniting cot	$0.16
4	saleratus	$0.12
	cinamon	$0.16
8	Corned beef	$0.65
	Epson salts	$0.03
9	Tobacco	$0.50
10	Lard	$0.70
12	Mutton	$0.72
15	Herring	$0.30
16	A Sugar	$1.00
19	Fish & crackers	$0.95
	Rubarb	$0.10
23	Corned beef	$0.46
24	bacon tartar	$0.35
	nutmets	$0.37
	tea & peper	$0.95
	Molasses	$0.64
27	Kerosene	$1.00
	repair girt	$0.10
30	18 lbs ham	$1.80
	1 pt gin	$0.65
	peppermint	$0.35
	sugar	$0.50
totals	SETTLED	$11.95

May 1	peppermint	$0.35
	P. S_dar	$0.50
2	A. S_dar	$1.00
3	crackers	$0.19
	manna	$0.25
6	Chicken feed	$0.15
7	Lard & salt	$0.98
13	A sugar	$1.00
14	Tobacco	$1.00
	Gum Camphor	$0.05
15	Tea & crackers	$0.96
	cinamon	$0.18
	corned beef	$0.65
16	Ginger codfish	$0.36
	amonia	$0.50
	Flannel	$0.37
18	Wheat grits	$0.18
	Lemons	$0.10
22	2 lbs butter	$0.60
	Lamp chimneys	$0.20
23	Belt & nipples .25	$0.69
24	Cabbage seed	$0.05
	Molasses	$0.69
	Bal. from April	$0.45
28	Cucumber seed	$0.05
29	A sugar	$1.00
	Bismuth	$0.35
	4 lbs butter	$1.20
total		$13.92
	Paid cash	$10.00
		$3.92

June 1	tea strainer	$0.13
2	meeicine	$0.30
4	salt	$0.05
5	½ yd crinoline	$0.15
	25 lbs wheat	$0.37
	machine needles	$0.30
7	Salts & Lemmons	$0.17
10	Shold. veal	$0.75
11	Blueing	$0.15
12	A sugar	$1.00
15	Lemons	$0.15
	tea	$0.80
	medicine	$0.50
	wheat	$0.38
17	butter	$0.56
	molasses	$0.64
18	Pork	$0.15
	Bal. from May	$2.72
19	Crackers	$0.25
	starch	$0.65
	½ yd net	$0.05
23	bus. corn	$0.75
24	Lard & tobacco	$1.25
	Saleratus	$0.25
	strawberries	$0.20
25	Carrot seed	$0.25
total	Paid	$12.92

July 2	Sugar	$1.00
	Braid	$0.06
5	Lemmons	$0.15
6	Cutting cloths	$2.21
8	Molasses	$0.69
12	Sugar	$1.00
	rice & broom	$0.75
	Tea .80 & tobacco	$1.80
	Pattern	$0.35
14	Ointment	$0.25
	bush corn	$0.75
20	Lemmons	$0.28
	Sugar	$0.50
22	Cloth	$0.57
	bolts	$0.08
	Fly paper	$0.10
	Coffee	$0.40
24	Cement	$1.25
25	11 ¼ lb ham	$1.58
27	1 bbl cement	$1.25
28	A sugar	$1.00
	Molasses	$0.64
	Turnip seed	$0.04
totals	Settled	$11.03
	some credit for chickens & eggs

Aug 1	bbl cement	$1.25
	lime	$0.02
2	Tea kettle	$0.80
	Tumblers	$0.25
4	Bus corn	$0.75
7	A sugar	$1.00
10	Berries & salt	$0.45
	cement	$0.20
14	Salt fish	$0.14
	Lard	$0.75
	Tobacco	$1.00
15	Yeast cakes	$0.12
17	Yarn	$0.35
	Berries	$0.15
18	Molasses	$0.64
22	Potash	$0.20
	Mending tra--	$0.10
23	Saxon yarn	$0.50
	Gingham	$0.46
	A sugar	$1.00
30	raisons	$0.30
	coffee	$0.56
31	salt	$0.20
	Cash	$0.95
total		$12.14

Sept 1	Lobsters	$0.15
	Cash	$0.55
2	The paper	$0.05
7	A sugar	$1.00
	9-3/4 lb ham	$1.37
	Apples	$0.25
8	bushel corn	$0.70
9	Lard	$0.70
12	pepper	$0.18
	by Cash	$1.50
18	Medicine	$0.32
20	beef steak	$0.40
	Sweet potatoes	$0.15
22	castor oil	$0.20
23	bal. old act.	$3.17
24	Cloth	$0.36
25	A sugar	$1.00
28	Codfish & oil	$0.41
	Sweet potatoes	$0.13
	Molasses	$0.65
	Yarn & needles	$0.26
29	Pills, Cream of tartar	$0.75
	Potatoes	$0.25
total		$13.59
	By 8-3/4 days work	$13.12
	bal.	$0.47
	By eggs	$1.88
	Due me $2.35	$2.35

Oct. 3	Molasses	$0.65
	yarn & needles	$0.36
9	Pills & C of tartar	$0.75
	Sw potatoes	$0.25
10	Beef steak	$0.32
11	A sugar	$1.00
	Lard 70, brush 6	$0.76
	Cookies	$0.03
21	Kerosene	$1.00
	butter	$0.86
22	nutmets & cin.	$0.57
	Tea & matches	$1.40
23	A sugar	$1.00
24	Molasses	$0.60
	Cloth	$0.80
	Saleratus	$0.12
26	Paper for books	$0.45
	bush. corn	$0.70
27	Sweet potatoes	$0.25
	Butter & fish	$0.94
totals		$12.51

Nov 3	ginger & salt	$0.36
8	Salt fish	$0.12
	A sugar	$1.00
11	Tanin & gliserine	$0.30
	Glass & putty	$0.15
	Crackers	$0.08
14	Lard & cookies	$0.73
15	Tobacco	$0.50
	2¼ lbs butter	$0.58
	Bal. from Oct	$0.34
	Corn beef	$0.60
	Fringe	$0.28
18	Coffee	$0.76
	Pattern	$0.30
19	Cookies	$0.10
	Swt potatoes	$0.25
23	Glass & putty	$0.60
	A Sugar	$1.00
26	yarn	$0.84
	Beef steak	$0.50
27	Corn beef	$0.67
30	11½ lb ham	$1.61
	Braid	$0.06
totals		$11.90

Dec 2	Kerosene	$1.00
4	oysters	$0.23
	Crackers	$0.10
7	bush. corn	$0.70
9	Corn beef	$0.65
	Potatoes	$0.13
	Salts	$0.15
	Tobbacco	$0.25
	Sauce pan	$0.75
11	Pepper & sage	$0.18
	Garrett claps	$0.20
	oatmeal	$0.06
	salt	$0.12
	Cord & H----	$0.31
16	Mutton	$0.60
17	Silk	$0.63
18	Pork	$0.68
19	Tobacco	$0.25
20	Sugar	$1.00
	Stove handle	$0.10
	cookies	$0.06
23	cranberries	$0.10
	Beef	$0.24
24	Whiskey	$0.40
	Salt	$0.95
26	Molasses	$0.60
28	Beef	$0.65
	Pepper & cloves	$0.37
30	Cord & Knob	$0.14
	Tobacco	$0.25
totals		$11.75
	By 8½ lb turkey 1.45	$10.30
	From Nov. $11.90	$22.20
	cash	$2.00
	balance	$20.20
	By cash	$5.00
	Balance due	$15.20

Transcriptions, text, and pictures provided by Barbara J. Austin 2002. All spellings are as written. Any comments by transcriber are entered in brackets [ ]. Diarist is Edward Payson Chase. See genealogy before this series.

Journals of Edward Payson Chase: 1872 | 1874 | 1875 | 1878 | 1881 | 1887 |

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