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Tri-Counties Genealogy &
History by Joyce M. Tice
Diaries & Letters of Tri-Counties
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Bradford County PA
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Chemung County NY
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Tioga County PA
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| 1837 - 1840 Albert M. Potter
of Elmira NY |
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| Diary of Albert M. Potter |
| Elmira, Chemung County NY |
| Year: 1837-1840 |
| Transcribed by Diane Bender |
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Joyce's Search Tip - December 2010
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Do You Know that you can search just the
355 pages of our
Diaries and Letters on this site by using the Diaries
button in the Partitioned search engine at the bottom of the Current
What's New Page? But diaries and letters are wonderful sources
to understand the culture of time and place. Read them and enjoy them slowly. |
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Nov 2d 1839 — There seems nothing else thought or talked about but the
politics of the day. The Van Buren or Loco-foco party have assailed by
every weapon that their genius all combined can produce to break down the
Whig candidate once their own man, & the Whigs as strongly opposing
them. Mr. A. B. Dickinson senator now nominated by the Whigs seems
to bring out all the malice & corruption of the Loco-foco in every
respect but especially they attack his private character & business
affairs in which he is as innocent as any driving & industrious money
making man can be.
Wrote to Julia last evening in answer to hers of Oct 31st & now
hope to go to Ithaca on Monday or Tuesday. I go now in preference to Thurs
as contemplated in order if possible to do some good in i.Dryden, NY;Dryden
on Wed the last day of Election. I feel that great interests are at stake
& will do all I can to further my own party thinking them right.
Nov 8th [1839] Friday. Ithaca. This week on Monday I left Elmira for
Ithaca via of Owego. After giving in my vote I stepped into the stage &
reached Owego in the evening & started about 12 oclk for this place.
Came in about 6 oclk Tuesday morning. I found Julia not so well as I had
expected. Her health seems delicate & her spirits low. I wish I could
remove all her depression of feelings & create a lively & cheerful
state of mind for the effect upon her health would be highly beneficial.
—— I find that the Election thus far seems to have gone favorably &
shall wish the Whigs all the success their cause deserves. The weather
since Monday has been stormy & unpleasant. Some snow & rain with
cold & unpleasant winds. Real Nov weather.
Nov 16th [1839] Saturday Still at Ithaca doing nothing & nothing
to do. Making a virtue of necessity I try to enjoy myself tolerably well
but often wish myself back to Elmira. My time is however as pleasantly
occupied as the times admit. If I was in Elmira I should be entirely idle
& here I am surrounded with friends & in the society of old acquaintances.
— Never since the memorable days of the last war has there been such times
as the business community now see. In fact every individual in the whole
community feels the pressure & knows not how to turn or what to do.
Business seems entirely stopped & all gaze around them expecting the
crash, the destruction of hard earned fortunes. When these days will end
no one pretends to know. As yet very few have failed but all would if forced
to meet their demands. I am occasionally very much depressed in spirits
but derive comfort from the knowledge that thousands are in similar &
worse condition.
Weather fine for the season with but very little rain.
Nov 19th 1839 Tuesday. Yesterday PM Julia & myself went to Willseyville
& remained untill this PM 4 oclk & then returned to Ithaca. The
weather for a few days past has been the very beau ideal of November. Snow
& rain with sunshine & heavy threatening clouds, high winds &
mud being the usual accompaniment of such weather.
We found Br AFP & family in fine spirits & enjoyed the visit
much.
Times about as usual & no very promising appearances of a change.
I am getting impatient & want to be at something. I cannot sit still
too long for time drags heavily & the consciousness of being without
business is enough to make any one feel unpleasant.
A few days after coming to Ithaca I thought it would be advisable for
Julia to go South for the winter & after consulting with her physicians
wrote to Father & Br H.W.S. for advice. Pa answers that it would be
impossible to assist me & Henry that he thought it not necessary unless
positively demanded. For the willingness Pa manifested I was heartily grateful
& doubt not had the time been favorable he would have said not a word
to our going & readily assisted us if needful. This shows the effect
of the pressure for when health comes in competition with money & if
money is ours to command it is freely given. In good times we could command
hundreds where we cannot ten now.
Nov 21st ‘39. Thursday. Weather severely cold with snow & high winds.
Roads all frozen & everything like winter.
Yesterday I saw the celebrated paintings of Dunlaps — Christ rejected
& Calvary. I thought they were fine but did not answer my expectations.
I should not dare to attempt a criticism for I scarcely could detect a
fault so great as to deserve notice but the general design I did not like,
especially Calvary.
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To Introduction
Published On Tri-Counties Site On 7/27/99
By Joyce M. Tice
Email: JoyceTice@aol.com
