22 Nov 1858 Made a sled for Thomas.
27 Hov 1858 Finished glazing windows for new washhouse -
1212 panes.
20 Jan 1859 He and David Buckinghammade a coffin for
Morrell Baker.
7 Feb 1859 He and David made coffin for Frederick
Wicker.
In 1857 (VII B-276, p. 65) Freegift commented "When I made
silver pens for sale I kept an exact account of all stock which I
used, even to files and sand paper. I also kept an exact account
of the pens which I made and delivered for sale at the wholesale
prices; and in one year I cleared $530..."
Freegift also did such things as repair clocks, repair
spectacles, make bonnet patterns, repair shelves, make a trundle
bedstead, make "pinboards," make flynet frames for the infirmary,
ground and sharpen knives for cutting seed bags, repair and make
seed boxes and continually turn broom handles and set window
glass. In early 1862 he started getting material to make chairs
and some cherry dining room tables. He had to plane and steam
bend the back slats for the chairs,m as well as turn all the
posts and rungs. The first chair was put together on Oct. 12; by
24 Dec. he had finished 30, and by Feb. 28, 1863 had finished 86
"small chairs." Then he made at least 10 "great chairs" with
arms and rockets by May 22. It wasn't until Oct. 1863 that he
started to work on the tables, having allowed the chery wood that
long to season. Then the wood had to be pinned and glued
together for the tops and leaves and, in Jan. 1864, they finished
Table #1 and gave it "3 coats of hot or warmed boiled oil." He
finished the 3d table on Jan 26th and 4t/h and last on Feb. 4th.
In the meantime, Thomas, his apprentice, was drilling andyf
putting the pegs in hundreds of broom handles and Freegift was
doing such things as glazing window sash, repairing clocks, -
making coffins and, in Sept. 1863, getting oak trees in the woods
to split and weave into eel pots. He did complain that this
"caused great pain in his hands and arms." (He was 78 yrs. old
at this point.)
In Oct. 1863 he made a form for stretching muskrat skins so
they could be used to line rubber boots. On Feb. 29, 1864 he
reported his first attack of "cholic" which continued off and on
the rest of his life. There are periods of 1-2 weeks when he
writes nothing at all; some days when he comoplains of being so
feeble that he can do nothing but read and write. In March 1865
he had a period of better health and ground and polished "broken-
pointed and dull-pointed sewing needles - ground about 240 and
have more to do."; made a pair of oak whiffletrees; cut a large
table in the visitors'" dining room at the Office in half and made
two tables of it; and bored and turned spools . In October he and
Thomas went to the WF and gathered 2 1/2 bu. of black walnuts.
Freegift shucked these and this is the last thing he records
doing.
From the journals which proceed through the years, written
by David Austin Buckingham (1840-1847, 1854-1884), identified as
DAB, and Phebe Ann Buckingham et al (1837-1878),identified as PAB
give us these facts: