Excerpt of Clarence Lee Journal
Morris County, New Jersey

Morris Co. Up


I have been transcribing the 176 page journal of Clarence Lee kept between Dec 1857 and Feb 1859. I hope to have separated my misspellings from his by the end of the month. In the mean time I put together the following excerpts from it related to interactions with other Morris county residents especially involving money or events he felt were noteworthy.

Hoping they well seem interesting to others:
Modenna Labaugh

Part I

The following are events recorded in the journal of Clarence Fisher Lee, son of Cyrus Lee and Emily Maria (Fisher) Lee, of Littleton Morris County New Jersey kept between Dec 5th 1857 and Feb 25 1859.

Feb 17 1858 Baptist Festival in Morris Town

Feb 26 1858 we went up to the corner to a revivile meeting Cousin Susannah A Tuttle came home with us

Mar 23 1858 Mr Ball's funeral at Parsippany

April 10 1858 Father went to election at Mr H H Millers Corner to elect Rode master Father and Mr James Fairchild was all ther was there They elected Mr h h Miller By a large majority

April 12 1858 town meeting in Morris Town

June 21 1858 Methodist Episcaple Concert Whippany

August 8 1858 Went to Methodist meeting to day Mr Wiley of Newark NJ preached the sermon and raised $225 for the Newark and New Jersey Institute ( I believe this really means two dollars twenty five cents)

Sept 18 1858 The Commet is getting verry larg

Oct 5 1858 the commet is beautifull to night

Oct 14 1858 the commet is a bout gon

Nov 4 1858 it is said there is a nother commet to be sean now I have not sean it as yet but expect to when it clears of if it ever does

Nov 7 1858 Robert and myself went down to Morris Town to day to Presbyterian meeting the text was in the 26 chapter and the 27 verce of sante Mathue the Minister was Mr Ervin he has been pastor at the Presbyterian church for over three years I think he is a tolerable good minister for a fellow without whiskers

Jan 21 1859 Mr Vail's funeral at the Episcopal Church in Morris Town

Feb 15 1859 Robert and myself went down to Mr Henry Luis,s funeral the sermon was preached by the Rev Mr Bridgman the Babtist Minister and was at the Babtist Meeting house

Feb 22 1859 Robert and myself cut wood in the woods till four oclock we then went down to Morris Town to the musical and Military festival Washingtons birth day it was a verry nice getup

Part II

The following are transaction between Cyrus Lee and/or his family and other Morris county New Jersey residents as recorded in the journal Clarence Fisher Lee, son of Cyrus Lee and Emily Maria (Fisher) Lee, of Littleton Morris County New Jersey kept between Dec 5th 1857 and Feb 25 1859:

Jan 9 1858

  • Father gave Mr Shelly one Heifer and a note of sixteen and a half dollars Interest amountaing to Seventy four sents and Two dollars in Cash for a pair of 3 year old stears

Jan 18 1858

  • Father Went up to the Blacksmiths shop to get the leder to the hay wagon fixed this afternoon he Went to morristown With 12 Booshels of Buckwheat soled it got 60 Cents per Booshel

Jan 21 1858

  • Robert and my self Went to mill took five Booshels of Wheat and two of Corn took it to Smith and Caskeys Mill Below the Morristown depot I took down a stand and got twenty five cents for it Got two pair of hinges five cts per pair two dozen scrues 4 cts per dozen One clozet lock 16 cts, one desk lock 18 pence;

Feb 2 1858

  • father Went over to Mr Grigorys after a half inch ducks bill
  • chisel for Robert to make a pannel door Robert Worked at the door to day
  • a Mr Masker brung some Baskets here to day, 3 Markets paid him in Cabbages

Feb 10 1858

  • To day father went up to Powervile With a grist of Buckwheat 8 1/2 Booshels frome there he went to Denvile and got 1200 lath 15 shillings per hundred

March 9 1858

  • this afternoon Father Went to Morristown he took down some old iron to Spedwill got 3/4 of a sent per pound for 112 pounds for a hundred Wate

April 2 1858

  • this morning Father Robert and myself sode and harrowed in two and 1/4 acers of oats in the lot back of the Russet apple tree got done at about 10 oclock Then we Commenced plowing in the lot in front of Samuel Tuttles door for Oats plowed pretty mutch all of it Mr H H Miller came here to day and got 15 Bushels at 45 cts

April 7 1858

  • Mr Garigus came here after some oats this forenoon for Mr Corwin paid 45 cts per bushel

April 15

  • Mr Stirges Came here and got 20 Bushels of oats at 50 cts per Bushel

April 26 1858

  • father Robert and myself took in a load of hay and then took a load down to Mr G Candfield 1200/ 80 pounds

April 27 1858

  • this morning Father Robert and myself loded up a load of hay 1200 / 14 pounds at $12 per ton

May 10 1858

  • after dinner Father went down to Mr Robert Jones took down a hen witch Mr Jones Bought yesterday and paid 31 cts

May 22 1858

  • Robert and myself worked there all day we planted two acers of corn Mr Jones paid us 100 dollar per day whitch amounted to 275 2/ _ for the horse whitch Father struck out with
    (100 dollar must really signify 1 dollar and this annotation lacks decimal places)

June 2 1858

  • Mr Jones bought a half Bushel of corn for sead to day at 18 pence / Ears

June 4 1858

  • Mr Shelly came here this morning and Bought White Face and took her home with him pade $4100 and 20 cents or $4000 with Interest from date for six month at six per cent
    (White face is a cow. 100 dollar must really signify 1 dollar and this annotation lacks decimal places)

June 7 1858

  • This afternoon father Robert and myself worked for Mr Jones planted his corn over and drawed out manuer 10 lodes: what we all three done we charged three dollars for Mr E Miller came hear just at night and got five Bushels of Oats paid $250 for them
    (100 dollar must really signify 1 dollar and this annotation lacks decimal places)

June 18 1858

  • Father bought a Grine-Stone Priced two fifty or $240 made a mistake he paid $320 it wajed 160 lbs and he paid 2cts per pound

July 2 1858

  • father went to morris town took 8 chickings got 15cts per pound

August 13 1858

  • to day I worked at this that and the Other Robert worked at the Hen house this morning Father went down to Morris town after some lumber got 1 two inch plank and a couple of hunderd ft of inch Boards and fourteen hundred of North Carolina Shaved shingles 16in long and seven wide when Father got Back I helped him put up thirthy Bushels of oats and then he took them down to Mr Issac Canfields at Speedwell at fifty cts per Bushel.

August 19 1858

  • Father has done this that and the Other settled with Mr Miller for dammiag done in our woods by fire 10 dollars. Mr Nehemiah Jonsons Barn was struke by lightning last night and consumed by fire with three Hay stacks
    ( Mr Miller had a brush fire get out of control April 17 1858 and burn 8 acres of the Lee's wood before they could put it out )

September 2

  • we finished thrashing to day had of Oats 135 Wheat 69 1/2 Bushels For thrashing Oats three and a half cts Wheat ten cts
    For thrashing Oats $472 1/2
    For thrashing wheat 635
    $11,07 1/2
    The thrashers left about noon
    (The thrashers started work two o'clock August 31 and worked each day thru noon Sept 2)

September 10 1858

  • To day Father went up to Denvile after a load of shingles got 3000 and Five hundered at $10 per thousend and got 98 ft of inch Boards and 65 ft of 3/4 inch drest Boards got home about three O clock

November 6 1858

  • I went over to Mr H H Millers after the papers as he agreed to get this forenoon got them and a plug of tobaco for dad the prise which i paid was four cts

November 17 1858

  • Father went to Morris town after a Bushel basket, and several other artecles took down twelve and two thirds bushels of old corn got for it 75 cts per bushel.
  • this afternoon Father and myself took over to Mr Cumings one hundred bundles of stalks we then took over to his son one hundred bundles of stalks we got for then $300 per hundred
    (100 dollar must really signify 1 dollar and this annotation lacks decimal places)

November 25 1858

  • This morning Father and myself put up 25 Bushels of Oats and then Father went down to Morris Town with them got fifty cents per bushel took them to Mr Smith and Caskey

November 29 1858

  • we buchered a Beef this day Mr Smith helped us pade him 5 shillings Father went down to whippany and after he got home he went to Morris Town took down two quarters of Beef one to Mr Louis C Vogt and one to Henry Doyle, the Blacksmith

December 13 1858

  • this morning father went down to Mr Edmond Fairchilds took down three loads of wood at four dollars per cord;

December 15 1858

  • This forenoon Father and myself cut wood at the door Exsept a little while we stoped to put a waggon tung into Mr Peats waggon charged him twenty five cts

December 28 1858

  • I sold my skunk possum and weazle skins: got for them six shillings
    (these are animals he trapped earlier in the fall and skinned)

January 1 1859

  • Father went to Mill after the grist this morning there was 182 pounds of meal from 236 pounds of corn

January 5 1859

  • This morning Mr William Allen came here and bought our slead paid 22 dollars

February 7 1859

  • about four oclock Father went up to Mr Whealers after a pig got it, it waid 67 pounds paid for it four dollars

February 10 1859

  • This morning Father sold one of our cows Mr Mccarty was the purchaser the prise was $37 1/2 Father took the calf up to the Widdow, S Guerings and I drove the cow, got back to whippany about noon. Father purchased a cow of Hyram Luis and paid $30 for her I drove her home
 

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