Collection comprises an account and commonplace book maintained by Gallup between 1857 and 1859. Gallup began using the item as an account book for "expenses while in the employ of Henry Bill, Norwich, Conn." during a trip to Chicago from 7 Apr 1857 to 20 Jan 1858 (pp. 3-6). Expenses noted included fares for travel, board, washing, omnibuses, etc. He also maintained records of his personal account with Bill (pp. 26-27) which he marked as settled on 27 Jan 1857. Despite these accounts, the nature of his employment is unclear. Gallup also used the item as a commonplace book, where he recorded such information as his weight, state and road taxes, the amounts of his shares held in whaling and other ventures (p. 39), lists of sundry expenses (pp. 42-43), instructions for calculating weights and measures, as well as his church attendance (Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist), notes from a lecture on anatomy and physiology by Dr. Weiting at Metropolitan Hall in Chicago (19 Apr 1857), and lists of letters written. The final entry in the piece is noted on the inside back cover, for cash in funds, [bills?], and change, on 2 Jan 1859.
