Obed Macy: Journal 6

15) 1839. 12th. 7 o/m. When we drew near to the building, we heard the rumbling noise of the Machinery, we then viewed the inside of the building, where we found about 36 females, and 4 or 5 males, all at work on the various parts of the work, preparing the raw silk, in order to convert it into sewing silk. The girls all appeared bright & clean, and very active in the parts they were engaged in. The whole was very interesting, and the greatest curiosity I ever beheld of the kind.

I judged from the appearance, that the whole did not cost much less than 20000$. It is generally believed that it will prove a profitable business.

21.7. Wind at SW with some rain, which was very acceptable, as it had been dry for some time. The weather of late has been uncommonly warm more like Dog days than else

2nd. Muggy & foggy - very seasonable. Our markets full of vegetables, such as turneps [TURNIPS] potatoes, Beans, Pease [PEAS], Squashes, Cucumbers.

The country papers gives very flattering prospects of great crops of every kind of country produce. Much damage has been sustained in various parts of the country by lightening, Barns burnt, houses much damaged. Fields of Wheat &c totally spoiled, Hogs, Cows, Sheep & Horses, & some persons. Hail stones from two to seven inches in circumference.

29.7 The weather has been very warm of later, and something dry. A heavy rain would be acceptable.

28. A Jew by the name of Levy belonging to St. Augustine Florida, called at our house to inform us about Hezekiah Pinkham who lives there, he is brother to my wife.

30. Henry C. Wright called to see us, he thinks of leaving tomorrow for Cotuit.

16 1839 31st 7 mo Very close, warm, sultry weather, wind southeasterly. Toward night, some indications of rain in the evening there was a little rain sufficient to lay the dust.

1st 8 mo Pleasant wind at west, no fog, a little cooler 7th The weather continues dry and uncommonly warm. Out on the common land it looks parched up. The lots are very much dried Gardens &c No appearance of an approaching rain.

8th In the afternoon some rain, which was very refreshing. It lay the dust & will have a good effect on vegetation. 9th Foggy & wet

14th 8 mo A little sprinkling rain which wet the top of the ground, but is a very little service towards wetting the ground through to the damp earth. The ground is dry 3 feet below the surface. Pretty much all around us in Massachusetts they have plenty of rain the whole season. 15 Strong NE wind & very little rain

16th Cold NE wind and appears likely to rain. In the afternoon it rained considerable. In the evening it rain powerfully wind SE and blew a strong Gale. We have not had such a rain storm since the summer commenced. It pretty much wet the ground through. We received 3 feet of water in our cistern.

28th 8 mo The weather has been uncommonly dry & warm since the rain 16th until this morning. This morning at 3 o'clock it began to thunder and lightening [LIGHTNING] and increased for two hours, but it did rain a great deal, but the tempest was very severe not withstanding it did not clear the air. It rained more or less until in the afternoon. Although it is late in the season, it help some branches of vegetation very much particulary the grass, turneps [TURNIPS] &c.

1839 29th 8th mo Strong wind at NE, it rain some the most of the day. At night it grew very cold & windy at NE and looks stormy some rain. In the evening the wind came in to East & blew tremendously, it was the hardest gale of wind that we have had for many years. The rain fell in torrents. The storm proved disastrous on many accounts. A brig got ashore at Great Point. Sloop Amazon went ashore at Eel Point. Schooner [TELLESCOPE?] went ashore in the Powder Hole. The wharfs were much damaged, the fields of corn almost ruined, the gardens pretty much spoiled. 31 A good fire was comfortable to warm us.

The above mentioned storm was the hardest & most disasterous of any one since 1815. The distresses and disasters occasioned by it are very extensive. The storm was long and extended throughout the coast of N. America. Much ship wreck & some vessels not heard from are supposed to be lost. A number wreckt on Cape Cod. Sloop George Ammial Russell bound to Boston bilged on Cape Cod. A brig bound to New York wreckt with the loss of 8 persons. Another vessel with the loss of one. Schr. [SCHOONER] Exact got ashore on Cape May, cargo saved. James H. Barnard 130 miles ENE of Cape Henry lost both masts, bowsprit & every thing appertaining except his mainsail & arrived in Norfolk with loss of 50 barrels of oil off his deck. A vessel freighted by Capt. Barnard has not been heard of, is supposed to be lost. Thomas Potter arrived ther with the loss of his deck load of Oil and Wreckt.

The vessel mentioned above freighted by James H. Bard. [BARNARD] has not been heard of, is likely to be lost. 15th Since writing the above, the vessel was fallen in with bottom up, and considerable part of her taken out, and arrived in Charleston S. Carolina, but no men to be found.

9th mo The weather has been uncommonly unfavorable for vessels to go or come the most of this month. Our harbor has been almost clear of Vessels. One only at the Straight Wharf, three at the Old South and three at the Commercial.

18 1839 10th mo The pressure on the commerce of the United States at this time is uncommonly tight (as it is called). The difficulties among the mercantile part of the community in every part of the country is far beyond anything of the kind within the space of many years. The U.S. Bank and many others in different places have suspended specie payments and refused [DISCOUNT?] notes. If this state of things continues very long it will cause a large number of failures. There are a combination of causes that has led to this distress. The long importation of Goods from England, and the dull sale of Cotton obliges the Merchants to ship out specie to pay their debts. Many causes might be assigned for the distress, but is thought it will not continue long. 22nd 11 mo The difficulties in the money market still continue without abatement, but from information received there appears a prospect, that the Banks will generally resume their wonted course in a short time. It already has ruined many & without a speedy alteration the number will increase to an alarming degree. 24th 10 mo Within three days the weather is changed, the wind has come westerly, which has brought a large number of Vessels here, with the produce of the country. Our market at this time is full of all the good things needed to live upon. The scarcity of money will make business wade heavyly [HEAVILY]. People will try to 'live near' 22nd Our markets are overrun with various articles of the first necessity, not because they are not wanted, but because there is a scarcity of money among the people. Our Wharves are loaded with wood, flour & corn plentiful & wanted, but very sale for want of money. I think it will fare hard with the laboring poor the ensuing winter if there is not an alteration, as respects money

19) 1839 22nd 11 mo In consequence of the difficulty of the times the price of oil has fell from 110 cts to 85 cts per gallon, and no purchasers at that. The storm mentioned in page 17 which occured 30th 9 mo wrecked the Straight Wharf very much, I as Wharf manager have had 10 or 12 men at work building and repairing up to the present time. The north [T] was so much wrecked that we drove down piles all around it & covered it with 4 inch plank. The expense will probably be 2000$

A Schooner from eastward, bound westward got on Tuckernuck Shoal & sprung a leak. She got off & come to our Bar & bilged. She got & came in & is repairing on the Ways.

Thomas James caught a black fish below the ropewalk, which exhibited as a curiosity through the town.

The weather is cold for the season. This morning 22, the Ice was quite thick.

28th 11 mo The weather is delightful, finished rebuilding the North [T] of the Straight Wharf. In order to have the Wharf repaired in the best manner, we sent to the Vineyard and hire a Pile driver with which we drove down Piles all around the T, 10 or 12 feet in the ground. We found it very a very great improvement in building Wharves. I think it save 25 P [PER] Cent in building the Wharf, compared with the old fashion with Pitch pine Logs.

29th & 30th The weather uncommonly fine. A small air easterly, which is the third pleasant day in succession. By some called a storm breeder. 1st 12 mo A strong NE wind with some rain 2nd A tremendous NE storm and a remarkable high tide. 3rd The weather today the same as yesterday 4th & 5th The storm continues with much [ABATEMENT?] Torrents of rain every day. The tide flowed over the lower part of the Wharf.