Prior (1872)
Next (1874)
For the year 1873
Prior (1872)
Next (1874)
19 Dec Elder Giles is staying at2d Family, seeing to theirbusiness while A. Youngs isdoctoring
and being card for in the infirmary.
23 Dec Elder Daniel Boler came'from Mt. Lebanon to help.
24 Dec Dr. Wade came to see A .Youngs. "Says he does not think he can live, he has the brain
fever. IThe fire has overpowered his nerves and he has not been well fora long time. They
will miss him very much for he has given his allfor the cause. "
28 Dec Elders Daniel and Giles returned to Mt. Lebanon.
29 Dec Alexander Youngs "passed to the higher life this morning."
31 Dec Alexander Youngs funeral . (he is not buried in the cemetery !)
1873
2 Jan CM went to Rosendale with Augustus Blaze (of 2d Family) to see about renting the Vedder
farm to John Scarf forhis son for $900 per year.
"Lydia is making little baskets forcushions to be put in,"
9 Jan "Edwin brought home a hogshead of molasses and a sewing machine for his wife. The little
boy that carries the mail is topay for it with theproceeds from his part in the mail business. "
10 Jan CM is negotiatingto sell the WF river farm. A man named Ol iver is interestedin it.
Stephen Conway and his dog watch every night (for arsonists).
17 Jan Orin Haskins, who had been visiting, started for hdme this morning with the covered sleigh
and George went with him to see him safe over the river. They "had closed the gate thinking
itunsafe to cross but a man went ahead of the team and he crossed over safely. " But the ice
broke up in the afternoon and two ladies were on the ice and nearly drowned.
23 Jan "Now and then there^is a lamb comes into thiscold world of ours. Sarah Ann Male came
and helped both here and at the wash house. 11
25 Jan A Mrs. Wood came to fry and get them to take a girl 12-13 years old, no relation of hers.
Sent to the SF .
31 Jan Lydia is making covered ball or knitting baskets.
Charles Brackett finished teaching school at the WF and Chauncy Dibble is totake itand
move it back to the schoolhouse.
1 Feb Hauling two carloads of coal from Niskayuna depot. Woman from Troy came to see ifthey
Would take two boys, 5 and 77 "but nay, positively nay."
3 Feb By request Elder Giles begins a singing meeting for the purpose of instruction in theevening
in the Stgne Shop.
4 Feb Have visit from Elder Peter, Sisters Matilda Reed and Phoebe Van Houghton of ML who
have been visiting at Groveland for 6 weeks. Sister Phoebe is to show them about tailoring/
cutting, fitting and the like.
5 Feb "CM is getting a billor something in the Legislature to have a policeman in our town or
vicinity. "
11 Feb Their teamsters are drawing slate tothe SF and cobblestone for the 2d Family; then alternate
drawing lumber to the two families. (Getting ready torebuild their barns)
15 Feb CM went to Albany and Troy. "He expected the cabbage suit was coming on and went to
get his witnesses but was informed it had been postponed by the opposite party. "
19 Feb CM went to Albany to appear before the committee relative tohaving a detective in this
town with power to act 7 etc."
1 Mar Sam Waterman and brother-in-law are working in CF mill making window and door frames
for the WF barns.
21 Mar Emeline Clark died at 2d Family 7 about 75 yrs., had lived their from her childhood.
26 Mar "Frederick Bisgrove and George Duck quit^ 7hoping to get higher wages. They quit Monday
a.m. They are two good hired men and English at that but there is alot more coming to take
their places. "
Also quitting were Albert Reed 7 Tom Marks7 Charles Duck and George Duare.
27 Mar Four new Englishmen came^ in evening. Very snowy and blowy. "Secretary of State Scribner
and his familyRa&fout tosee the Shakers. They were on the road two hours and were very
unprepared for the cold."
A woman wocbbed from Waterford walked from the depot with her littleboy to have him
taken.
28 Mar Woman and boy taken back to depot.
1 April Mark Male has begun working for CM, at present helping Philip Wiseman at the sawmill
because they have so much sawing to do for the 2d Family.
2 April James Mucker (ci'or something like it")began working for CF.
3 April Charles Duck has gone to work forthe Cregiers, hoping to get more money.
4 April "Iti the afternoon nearly every sister went to the Stone Shop to attend a concert got up by
fhe juveniles. They spoke pieces, sang and played on the cordion. We all enjoyed it
right well . They had refreshment/ candies etc. "
8 April "Charles Hooper and Mark Male went to Albany to start some of theirEngl ishfrre'nds on their
way west, to pay their fare, get their tickets, etc. for they cannot read. "
"The places are all filled that the othermen left and new applications are daily made. "
9 April Lydia is trimmingoff splintbaskets.
11 April Samantha is working at Deaconesses Shop making some "draw baskets."
12 April Two carriages from Schenectady - children and grandchildren of Dr. Nott 7 President of Unk>n
College, broke a spring on one of their carriages. Chas. Hooper mended it for them. They
had lunch, bought a number of baskets, looked around some and returned home.
16 April Simeon Tribley was married at ourriver farm this afternoon to Chas. Duck's sister. Sarah
Vvfed. Ann was bridesmaid.
22 April Two sisters from New Enfield - Charlott Heart and Sarah Dean - came. They have spent a
few days in Troy with Sarah's daughter.
25 April Brussels carpeting put down In sisters and brethrenrooms.
29 April Sisters had cleaned old Meeting House and used the space topaint the new blinds for the
dwelling house. Now today C. Miller is hanging the blinds.
13 May Summer school started with 21 -23 studnts. Mary Nelson is the teacher.
17 May Ephraim has a hired boy today to help him fix the wlk around the Joiners' Shop/ grade it,
etc. but he has overdone himself/ had a bad fit this evening and had to be carried out of
meeting.
20 May "Jesse is on the go every day but he w i l l
be done by and by and then what shallwe do?"
24 May John Robe (who had left the Shakers) came to see the Ministry.
26 May Elders came to Office to tellJohn "he might go to the North Family or 2d Family but they
Mon. could not consent for him to returnto the Church Family."
29 May C. Mil ler went to Albany - "the cabbage law suit is aboutcoming on again . "
30 Miay "Adelaide and Julia whitened the cloth yesterday - bleaching salts/ soaked it all night in
clear water and today it is drying and looks eyerynice . "
3 June Alvira Conkling/ Rachel McDonald and another young sister from 2d Family and Sarah Ann
Nleal and Angel ine Cox from 2d Order came to work on caps at the Ministry Shop. Finish
on June 5. "They have made a nice lot of them and got them drawed up. "
4 June "They allsent to court- Jesse/ Staunton and Nehemiah besides C. Miller. Nothing done
for us yet, "
6 June C . Miller got home about 11 and said they did not go to court again until Monday.
9 June Lawyer Ward and his 1 ittle boy here to dinner. He told C . Miller the cabbage suit was
Sun. postponed until October.
10 June Jesse went to Albany and around and informed those they had subpoened as witnesses of the
postponement of the suit.
12 June "The governor's lady (Gov. is John A/ Dix) and two grandchildren and two of her servants/
one of each sex besides the coachman. She is a splendid woman/ did not letus know who
she was till a short time before she left. "
13 June Thurlow Weed's daughter Emily came with some English friends. They walked around some
and bought a few things.
/ .
17 June Patience Earl died. Funeral June 19.
24-25 Ju Raising the new barn at South Family. Eight of CF brethren and hired men go to help.
Exceptionally dry spring. No rain has fallen since snow melted.
29 June A woman named Padock who came from Mississippi a few weeks ago with her daughter,
Sun. Proved to have a tumor,, was sent to the hospital tobe doctored and died today. El dress
Harriet had been to see her a number of times, so telegraphed to her husband to know what
tJo do with the corpse. The little girlis at theSF. (Buried in Shaker Cemetery on June 30.)
1 July WF barn being raised so some CF sisters went to help but there were not many (men) there to
help With the raisingbesides their own people so CF sisters not really needed.
3 July Ruth is making "peacock brushes of lastyear's growth."
4 July CM brought straw home from the river farm and "EldressLucy and some of the sisters are
cutting and preparing the straw with the intention of making some table mats of it."
7 July "The haying is in progress. Hired men do it all but the bossing and that C. Miller does, i.e.
to say when and where and see that it is wel I done . "
8 July "CM brought home some white shawls for the sisters, boughtat Whitneys. "
21 July "This afternoon our esteemed friend Thurlow Weed with his daughter Harriet, Emily with her
husband Barker and their two daughters. The old gentleman is very feeble. Itis not likely
he w i l l
ever come to see us again. He has been a greatfriend to the Shakers. Seward and
he were great friends."
29 July Severe thunderstorm with 3" rain. "A little boy of Arm's living with his breather at the
tavern went to Water/Met Centre where there were some carpenters working who board at
the tavern to take them their dinner. Lightning struck the building they were working on,
killing the boy, paralyzing one man and injuring another."
4 Aug Dogs got in theirflock of sheep, killed some, maimed many more that had to be killed because
of broken legs., maggots in wounds, etc. Two men are killing and skinning some, burying
those that could not be skinned.
12 Aug C. Copley came with his team before breakfast, had breakfast at Office and,when rain stopped
about 9 a.m., Staunton B., CC, Eldresses Ann and Lucy leftfor Schoharie where the Buck-
inghams came from 55 years ago. The trip has been talked about for 15-20 years.
15 Aug Elder Albert Lomas 7 Mary Ann Ayres and Rosetta leave for Philadelphia where they have been
invited to preach by the Spiritualists.
16 Aug A man and woman came to board a week with us but we informed them that itcould not be
so they left with a neighbor who was here who agreed to take them to the depot for $1 .
17 Aug "John y Isaac and Brother Galen (Richmond) came (from SF) and wanted C M togo with them
Sat. to Albany. They have been very much annoyed with a women that lives with Mr, Socks
in the Bush on or near their land. They are a poor degraded set and they are anxious to be
rid of them if possible. "
19 Aug Elder Austin, Nehemiah, Maria Gillett, Katie Hallenbeck and Ella Benedict started for
Saratoga Springs. Back on 21st.
21 Aug Dog has been in sheep again, damaged between 20-30. Brethren tracked dogs "to or near
neighbor Hills and found the tracks exactly fitted but the old lady declared the dog was in
the house all night. "
23 Aug The woman who purported to be the wife of Mike Socks a beggar, an idiot. They are both
in the penitentiary.
29 Aug About 2a.m. they heard a gun go off and Daniel had caught a dog in a trap he had set when
the sheep were killed. They killed the dog, put him on a wheelbarrow and brought it to the
house. Some after breakfast, Elder Albert and Brother Galen of SF came and said dogs had
been at theirsheep and bit nearly 20 of them. Also had been in WF sheep.
After dinner John Hill came and admitted itwas his dog. They opened the dog and found wool
and part of a sheep's bag so there was no mistake they had one of the sheep killers.
22 Sept Mary Call's mother and stepfather came and would have been pleased to have Mary go with
them but behaved well.
9 Oct Man named Goodrich came about bedtime, walked from depot, is 73, hale and hearty.
Is grandson of Pitman Cook, nephew of Thankful Goodrich of Mt. Lebanon Church Family.
He intends to visit atHancock and neighborhood where he has friends.
10 Oct A young man came and stayed all night. He and Bro. Goodrich had a grand time, they sung
Fri. and carried partsin the evening meeting, happy as two boys."
15 Oct Lydia finished "picking out husks" - the husks from which corn had been cut fordrying or
canning. She has been working on itfor 6 weeks whenever she could with whatever help
she could get and has produced about 600 Ibs.
Lydia put seatsin two large arm chairs.
16 Oct No. 6 armchair that had been ordered was taken to Troy - got $8.00.
22 Oct CMiller went to West Albany to have papers drawn up relative to renting the river farm.
27 Oct John Twiss and his wife came to see their uncle Albert at NF.
29 Oct Jesse went to Troy and carried a large armchair to one of the Wiswells and got the pay.
Geo. Wickersham and Orrin Haskins came after "the ministry's oldriding sleigh .Freegift
made itfor Mother Lucy Wright in her day. Elder Frederick (Evans) is to have itby paying
something for it. "
2 Nov "Some fiend attempted to burn the SF mill by placing a pan of oil afire with inflammable stuff
Sat. nearby. Someone saw the fire coming through the roof and made the alarm and itwas extin-
guished with very littleloss."
5 Nov "Lydia went -J^o the weave shop to do some twisting."
"Mrs. Fort, the flower woman as we call her, came after husks for a bed. She paid $3 for 30"
5 Nov "A young man from West Troy came and stayed all night. He is about 17 and lives with his
(cont.) sister. He talks about their coming to live with the Shakers and thinks his sister w i l l be
here tomorrow. "
6 Nov The young man (John B. McGray) was taken to the depot after dinner. His sister sent word
she could not come. He said he did not sleep any lastnight. He got frightened. He saw a
spirit dressedlike the Shaker sisters and he could not stir for1/2 hour and was very much
frightened."
7 Nov Took 228 Ibs. of husks to Sisters ofCharity School on No. Pearl St. They did not pay for
them today but w i l l soon.
14 Nov Town Commissioners have accepted Shakers' claim for killing of their sheep by dogs "but
C. Miller thinks it w i l l
be 5-6 years before they get enough from the dog tax" to pay for
damages.
25 Nov "CM went to Albany. It is about time for thecourt to sit and he must be looking about to
see if cabbage is to be served at this sitting. "
2> Nov "Cm went to Albany looking after cabbage/ raw or cooked."
1 Dec CM went to notify his witnesses that the court was to siton Tuesday and it was expected
the law suit would be on the docket. But in the afternoon there came a telegram that the
vessel that Judge Peckham and his wife were travel ing on to France had col I ided .with another
at 2 a.m. and 265 lives were lost, the Peckhams among them. The Shaker lawyer is their
son Rufus and consequently the suitis postponed.
2 Dec CM went to Albany and Troy and now the conclusion is tohave the cabbage suit next time
before a Schenectady judge or referee.
5 Dec Lydia is working on very small baskets; Mary is making straw bonnets for the sisters; Samantha
is doing poplar work this week.
:Julia McNeliy has agreed to take the dairy; Sarah Taylor has lostthe use of one eye besides
being lame."
1 1 g)ec A little before dinnerGeorge took the ministry's team and went to the depot after a man
(called Guilford here7 but later Gilmore) and his daughter Minnie from Lansinaburg. Minnie
is in 17th year and anxious to be a Shaker. Llbbie Neal had written to Aurelia about her so
they had sent for her father tobring her. He stayed all night, looked around and left.
12 Dec Minnie went to shop, visited, is sleeping atOffice. Eldress Ann came to Office in evening,
"had quite a visit with Minnie, told her what she would have to do to be a Shaker which she
thought she could do and did do italready. We have a great love for her. "
13 Dec Wter dinner Minnie went to the Stone Shop. She is to remain there for the present with
Abbie and Ella. She is bent on being a Shaker."
18 Dec Sistershurrying to get a few straw ma.ts made to send to the Boston Store in Albany. Jesse
carried two lots of baskets to Albany/ one to Whitney's, the other to Boston Store. "We are
hoping to sell a few before New Year's."
20 Dec Minnie "is al I dressedin Shaker costume today. "
25 Dec "We have meeting as usual. Most of the men go away to spend the day. We have a still
quiet time about home. Jesse got oysters forthe family and the hired men and for dinner
all had raisin pudding."
31 Dec Some friends brought New Year's cakes for the children. Another friend, Polly Owen, sent
a basket of New Year's cakes and another bagket of lemons /so all the family had a cake
and all the sisters also had a lemon.
1874
10 Jan Elder Albert Lomas invited the elders and others to come to SF and hear Brother J. M. Spear,
Sat. a Spiritualist from Philadelphia, speak. The greatest part of the family went.
12 Jan Aboyf' 7 p . m .
Brother Spear, his companion Jul ia Edmond, J. M. Peebles (a Spiritualist
from Troy), E. Waters and Elder Albert came to the meeting room in the CF dwelling house
where most of the Society was assembled in a circle. "Elder Albert introduced Peebles and
he stated in brief his voyagearound the world, the reception he met with, state of religion.
The others spoke (Waters was very brief). At the clost of the meeting the chairs were removed
and we marched, Peebles uniting all the time. Others finallyjoined and we had a very good
meeting, Peebles and-Waters stayed at the Office. They also spent the morning visiting
in the shops."
19 Jan CM went to Albany to make arrangements about getting the witnesses again forthe seed case
Mon is coming on again.
21 Jan Daniel took CM to the depot. Today is theday that the case comes on. The referee comes
from Schenectady. Jesse started forTroy with Staunton and Nehemiah - they are witnesses.
22 Jan CM did not come home with the others yesterday. The referee decided to take the testimony
given at lastcourt and examine itat his leisure and thenhave the witnesses come into court
again.
Chas. Hooper was taken quite sick Tuesday, took an emetic and yesterday went to Sarah Ann's
to have her do something for him,
23 Jan Lydia sent "12 doz. little small baskets toPolly Lewis (at Mt. Lebanon) to have cushions in,
a n d 4 d o z , thimble baskets, "
4 Feb CM brought home from the Boston Store the rest of the baskets. They only sold $10-11 worth.
7 Feb Ephraim Prentiss went to sick room today; has been laid up in his room 2-3 days.
Sat. Three-four teams go to Waterford and Lansingburgh after kiln dust formanure.
9 Feb Elder Giles and C. Miller went to Albany and bought an organ for $115, were home before
dinner and put it in the music hall in the Stone Shop, Catie Hallenbeck played on it in the
evening.
10. Feb Visitors from New Enfleld - Bro. James Russell,Isabell Russelland Eudora Arnc
singing meeting.
For the year 1873
Prior (1872)
Next (1874)