source: copy of a handwritten document found in a trunk on the Mary Carr Greer farmhouse on River View Farm (now the Ivy Creek Natural Area) ~
This agreement made this 19th November, 1875 between J.R. Wingfield and Hugh Carr, witness that said Hugh Carr agrees to serve J. R. Wingfield for term of one year beginning 22nd November, 1875 and ending 24th November 1876 inclusive in the capacity of manager on his farm / Woodlands near Hydraulic Mills in Albemarle County. The said Hugh Carr undertakes and binds himself to manage hired hands, to have and require them to do their duty to see that all hands are in place for work at proper time and that they do their work well and faithfully, to act with judgement and discretion in working crops, as when ground is to (sic)
wet, to be prompt and energetic in pitching crops, as for instance, in setting out tobacco - striking down tobacco, &c., to see that crops are well managed and prepared for market so as to bring the highest price; to attend to the feeding and proper sheltering of stock, every day in the year, both on week days, and on Sunday & holidays; to manage so as to keep stock
and work animals in good condition and yet see that feed is not wasted, to see that horses & stock are made comfortable in their stables - for instance that troughs kept clean of cobs, &c. - & good dry bed of straw or cornstalks(?); to keep the keys in his possession and control; and to see that nothing is stolen or wasted; to keep tools in place and in good repair for work. - Also gearing for horses & oxen - to look after horses & have an eye especially that they shall not be hurt or
cribbed & galled by their gearing. In the management of hands the said Hugh Carr shall act with justice, firmness &
moderation. He shall require strict & faithful compliance with their agreements, yet he shall not be overbearing or oppressive. He shall require, among hands, polite & becoming behavior, and strict honesty - enforcing this rule that, no one who misbehaves - or is dishonest shall remain on the place. He shall note accurately all time, lost by hands -
whether an entire day or parts of a day - and shall pay them for their work, with money furnished him by the said J.R. Wingfield. He shall make weekly reports to the said J.R. Wingfield or as often as he may require - of the condition of things under his management, what hands have lost time, late at work, misbehaved, dishonest or guilty of other impropriety and account for what money has been placed in his hands. He shall have power & authority to dismiss hands for neglect or unfaithfulness in doing their work- or for gross misbehavior. He shall work himself when it is the interest of said J.R. Wingfield for him to work - as when there is a small gang of hands & the work simple needing no especial instruction or supervision and he shall not work when it is the interest of J.R. Wingfield for him to give his whole time & attention
to supervision and instruction, or when he has a large number of hands employed. He shall exercise foresight in always having tools ready in good order when time to commence work, in speaking(?) and making arrangements with hands, for busy seasons - as for instance - harvest - planting tobacco, &c. - He shall not be absent from said farm more than is absolutely
necessary - but shall give his whole time & attention to work he has undertaken for the interest of his employer - and when he wishes to be absent he shall not leave if said J.R. Wingfield refuses to consent - and for lost time said Hugh Carr shall not compensate for same by putting an ordinary hand in his place - but a deduction must be made from his wages in proportion to what he gets, say at the rate of 85 cents per day. In a word the said Hugh Car shall give his whole time & attention &
head all his energies & exercises all the forethought he can, with a view to keep the said farm, in a good & improving condition; to keep everything in order about house & elsewhere; to make good crops - without an undue expenditure for labor - to look after horses - cattle & other stock - see they are salted, kept in proper places - receive proper attention & kept in good condition, and to carry out the wishes & directions of the said J.R. Wingfield to the best of his ability. He shall keep tool bags, &c under his control & be able to account for all the receives.
In consideration of which services said J.R. Wingfield agrees to pay said Hugh Carr the sum of one hundred & fifty dollars and furnish him a house, firewood & garden lot for himself & mother
- also to allow him to keep one heifer on pasture in summer & fall - & on roughness in winter & spring - Also to raise two hogs, which however the said Hugh Carr shall keep in a pen & raise at his own expense. Also to furnish him four pounds of bacon per week and one barrel of extra flour, one and one half bushel of corn per month of four weeks. Also may
raise chickens at his own expense on the place. If not more than three days lost, nothing shall be charged for lost time.
Witness my hand & seal this 22nd Day of Nov. 1875
Hugh Carr (seal)
J.R. Wingfield (seal)
Memorandum of winter work for Hugh Carr -
1st Attend to stock
Anderson & Henry Wood feed horses. Oliver feed steers. Henry Powers feed cows. Alfred feed hogs.
Salt all stock including sheep every Saturday morning. Feed horses, as to keep fat & strong - feed them with hay and not with corn fodder. Feed work horses in middle of day on rainy days. Haul in fodder for cattle, when dry enough - Feed oats to sheep in frozen & snowy weather. Let Nelson feed sheep. Get sheep troughs together & put on
new barn hill where we expect to prepare for tobacco. Repair sheep troughs. Give stock hogs sulphur several times with salt - also give half bushel of ashes to hogs once a week - do not give sulphur to brood sows with pig.
Put rings in hogs noses. Haul several loads of leaves to shed at tobacco house for hog beds.
Let Shelton make & repair implements before breakfast - such as single trees - axe helves, mattox helves &c. or do odd jobs, also call on Nelson for odd jobs before breakfast. get out Coulters & Mattoxes & send to shop.
2. Plow for tobacco &corn - Tobacco land first. Do not plow when ground too wet. Plow hill to where plowers are occasionally & have land well broken on which hog pen &old sheep shelter first.
3. Move hog pen to run fence from garden to branch to fence in orchard grass lots.
4. Clean up land &pile up brush before plowers get wood & c up - get up all dead timber & stack up. Assign such work to Nelson & occasionally with other hands as a rest from stripping tobacco. Get some flat nails for post &nail fence - have some hauled to make fence from hen house to garden.
5. Get up plant land first suitable weather. Send out to little plant bed on ridge & leave straw thrown up in heaps to dry so it will burn. Get brush all around & burn over.
Extend this bed down hill & edges as much as seems to be good land - so as to take in several hundred yards. And same with reference to bed in Jackson s Woods, gotten up by Pa late in spring. have straw thrown up & burn over with brush.
6. Take down & strip out tobacco. Do not take down either too high or too low. Bulk down in frame house - Tobacco in new house on branch bulk down in passage. Except little corn field Tobacco in passage, This bring to cellar - also cornfield Tobacco in old log house can be brought to cellar as taken down.
7. I wish Hugh Alfred & Shelton to do all the sorting & no one else. Keep just enough ties to tie after them - not more than six. Nelson & John you can employ in packing & repacking occasionally.
Weigh each hand lot he strips every day &
pack away at least every two days - see the leaves pulled close from stalk & that leaves not carried out in stalks. Keep accurate statement of weights.
8. Look about & see that stock do not get in mischief - particularly the wheat fields. Notice wheat lot at walnut tree at least twice a week. Keep sheep away from Ivy.
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