David Frost
Journal of Sanford Porter, Pg. 92-95, residing in Holland, Erie Co, New York, approx. 1814
I think it was in August that the brush was burnt and it burnt over very well and now I must have a yoke of oxen to hall logs and rait cuts and after I had taken a good nap of sleep, I awake and went to studying whire I will go and git trusted for a yoke of oxen. It came to mind that I could git a yoke of good oxen of David Frost and pay him in cord wood next winter. I knew he had to buy cord wood for his distillery. I had seen the oxen sometime before I lay and study about it. I thought give him forty dollars and pay him in cord wood, delivered at his house the next winter. After breakfast I jumped on to a horse and went to see Mr Frost. He happened to be at home. I told him what I wanted and how I wanted to pay. He said he had a yoke of oxen he supposed he could spare and said he would go with me and we would look at them. He hadent thought of selling them. He dident know what they ware worth. We went and looked at the oxen, he said they ware good and handy. I asked him his price. He thought they was worth forty or forty five dollars. I thought that was rather high but I must have oxen to do that work for young John and I would give him forty dollars for them and pay him good sound wood if he let me have a good yoke and log chain. After dallying a while he said I might take them and I took them and drove them home. They ware of good age, five or six years olf and ware a good yoke of oxen, well matcht and handy to drive.
I told him not to be so troubled for I don’t owe any man in this country, only David Frost of Holland. I told him gaved David Frost forty dollars to be paid in cord wood nex winter, that was on the debt gaved in than country. I gave him a history how I had manged and he was mutch pleased. He went and put on his clothes and came and sat down by the fire and asked many questions.