Box 1, Folder 6: Diaries 1828-1830

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24th April Went down to Portsmouth - in the afternoon I ran a part of the test level again. 25th Sunday Stayed at home - rainy 26th Mr. Bates is obliged to go to the Yellow Springs before he can take charge of the line. He started today & will probably be gone 2 or 3 weeks during which time am required to stay on this line - Laid out the lower lock on one next the Ohio River & then went over the canal & done some work at the locks on sec 246 27th Went up the canal as far as Brush Creek - Layed out work at several places 28th Went up to Mr. McBurns job & at night returned as far as Brush...

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...Creek layed out culvert for Dr. Farquar. 29th Done some work about Brush Creek in the forenoon - afternoon went down to 246. 30th Done some work on 246 & layed out some on 247 & then went over to Portsmouth about noon. 1st May 1830 Rainy - Stayed at Portsmouth. 2d Sunday Stayed at Portsmouth. 3d Went over to the canal staked out a lock pit &c. 4th Staked out work on sec 240 which is now entirely layed out - commenced on 239 but there came on a shower of rain & we went up to Brush Creek 5th The rain continued until noon - Afternoon we done some 'laying out' on sections 230, 231 & 232. 6th Went up to McLane's & after dinner we went down the canal - finished our work...

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11th Sunday Took a walk to the hills in Kentucky opposite this place - had a handsome view of the Scioto valley for some miles up. Found many new & interesting plants 12th Finished running the test level from the locks over to Portsmouth. Portsmouth fair 13th Done some work in Dec 248 near Portsmouth 14th Worked near the lock on 246 in the forenoon and in the afternoon went up the canal as far as Brush Creek - Cleveland also went up the canal 15th Went up to the upper end of our line set stakes in sec 229 and returned at night to Brush Creek 16th Went down the canal & went over to Portsmouth although it commenced raining soon after we started - Found that Mr. J.G. Bates had returned from New York. 17 Went over to the lock to level the foundation...

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timbers but found that the rains of yesterday and last night had so filled the posts with water that they could not be laid. Returned to Portsmouth - In the evening I got my suit of blue clothes from the tailor. 18th Sunday Wrote a letter to Darius. Mr. Bates is unwell so that I shall remain here longer. 19th Went up the canal as far as Brush Creek layed out work on Sec 245, 244, & 235 20th Went up to sec 239 & then went down the canal to Portsmouth - Layed out work on Sec 239 21st Stayed at Portsmouth 22d Went up the canal - made an alteration in the canal on sec 242 in order to avoid a graveyard & done some work on sec 240 - continued on to Brush Creek after dark! 23d Went up to sec 226 & layed out work for McLane. Returned to Brush Creek.

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24th April Went down to Portsmouth in the afternoon to run a part of the 'test level' again 25th Sunday Stayed at home - rainy 26th Mr. Bates is obliged to go to the Yellow Springs before he can take change of the line - He started today & will probably be gone 2 or 3 weeks during which time am required to stay on this line - Laid out the lower lock on one next the Ohio River - & then went over the canal & done some work at the locks on sec 246 27th Went up the canal as far as Brush Creek - layed out work at several places 28th Went up to Mr McLanes job at night returned as far as Brush...

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...Creek layed out culvert for Dr. Farquar 29th Done some work about Brush Creek in the forenoon - after noon went down to 246 30th Done some work on 246 & layed out some on 247 & then went over to Portsmouth about noon. 1st May 1830 Rainy stayed at Portsmouth 2d Sunday Stayed at Portsmouth 3d Went over to the canal staked out a lock pit &c. 4th Staked out work on sec 240 which is now entirely layed out - Commenced on 239 but there came on a shower of rain & we went up to Brush Creek 5th The rain continued until noon - Afternoon we done some laying out in sections 230, 231 & 232 6th Went up to McLane's & after dinner we went down the canal - finished our work...

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...on 239 done some on 243 7th Went up to 243 & set some stakes in the middle lock pits on 246 - afternoon went to Portsmouth. Got a letter from Mr. Danl. Carrol of Louisville. 8th Went over to [Ead's] locks to see them lay the foundation timber & returned. 9th Sunday Wrote a letter to Mr. D. Carrol - Mr. Andre & Watson (formerly stonecutters & on the Louisville canal) came here. I gave them a letter of recommendation to father & told them that he would probably give them a job of building a culvert over Dry Run crest. 10th Went up the canal to Brush Creek 11th Layed out osme work for McLane & set back stakes &c for Dr. Farquer. 12th Set stakes on sec 231 & in the afternoon went down the canal

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13th May 1830 Went up to sec 243 & set some bottom pegs &c & then went over to Portsmouth 14th Went over to Edds lock with Mr. Cleveland to see the foundation & returned. 15th Stayed at Portsmouth got another letter from Carrol 16th Sunday Stayed at Portsmouth 17th Rainy - Went over to the lock in the afternoon but nobody at work - we returned 18th Went up to 244 & layed out work - Returned to Portsmouth Mr. Bates returned from the Miami 19th Layed out lock pit on 249 for Mr. [illegible] & layed out the upper lock on 246 for Judge [illegible]. Went up the canal as far as Pond Creek. Set bank stakes on sec 263 - We were accompanied by John Barnell who is to be our ax-man after 1st line. 20th Continued up - Set bank stakes for 235

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Laying out Curves:

First find the number of chains which the curve will consist of; also the number of feet that the point to which you wish to bring your line varies from your present course. Set this last down for your dividend. Add 1 to the number of chains and multiply by 1/2 the number of chains (before adding) for the divisor. The result of this division will be the offset for each chain in the curve.

[Mathematical curve illustration and figures]