The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-01-23
s O e Z L - ~ Z @ u S
THE mINT-MAsTER's DAUGHTER
By GRANDFATHER WHITEHEAD.

CAPTAIN JOHN HULL was the mint-master
ot Massachusetts, and coined all the none
that was made. His was ii new line of
business for, III the earlier days of The
colony, the current coinage consisted of
the gold and silver money of England,
Portugal and Spain. These coins being
scarce, the people were often forced 10
barter their commodities instead of selling
them. For instance, if man wanted TO
buy 4 coat, he perhaps exchanged d bear
skin for 1t; if he wished for a barrel of
molasses, he might purchase it for pile
OF pine boards. MuskeL balls were used
instead of tartllings. The Indians had a
sorl OF money called wampum, which was
made of clam shells, and This strange kind
OF specie was likewise taken in payment
Of debt by English settlers. Bank bills
had never been heard of. There was not
money enough Of any kind, in many paris
OF the country, to pay their minister; so
that they had sometimes TO take qulntals
Of fish, bushels of corn, or cords of wood,
instead of silver and gold.
As The people grew more numerous,
and their trade with one another increased,
the want Of current money was still more
sensibly felt. To supply tue demand,
General Court passed law for establish
ing coinage of shllings and sixPences
Captain Hull was appointed to mauutlc-
,ure this money, and was to have one
shilling out OF every twenty, 10 pay him
for his trouble in making for them.
Hereupon, all the Old silver in the colo
ny was handed over TO Captain II ull.
The battered silver cans and lamkards, |
euppose, and silver buckles and broken
spoons, and silver hills OF swords that had
figured al Court-ail such curious old
articles were doubtless thrown into the
meting-po together. Bat by far the
greater part of The silver consisted of bull
hon from the mines OF SOuih America,
which the English buccaneers (who were
llliie letter than pIrales) had taken from
the Spaniards and brought 10 MasSachu-
sets.
All this old and new silver being melted
down and coined. the result was an I'M
mense amount OF splendid shIllngs, SIX
pences and threepences. Each had the
date of 1852 on the one side, and the
figure of a pine tree on the other slde.-
Hence they were called plne-tree shllIngs.
coined, you wall remember, Captain John
Hull was entitled 10 put one shilling into
his own pocket. The magistrates soon
began to suspect that the mIut-master
would have the best of The bargain. The :
offered him large sum Of money it he
would give up that twentieth shilling
which he was continually dropping into
his pocket But Captain Hull declared
that he was perfectly satisfied with The
shilling; and we'll he might be, for 80 dill
gently did ne labour that in few years
his pockets, his money bags, and his
strong box were overiiowing with pine
tree shillings. This was probably the
case when he came into possession of his
ggandlaher's chair; and, as he worked so
hard at the mint, il was certainly proper
that he should have comfortable chair TO
rest himself on.
When the mint-master was grown very
rich, 4 young man, Samuel Sewell by
name, came courting his daughter Betsy,
fine, hearty damsel, by no means so
slender as some young ladies' of our own
days On the contrary, having always
fed heartily OH pumpkin pies, doughuuIs
Indian puddings, and other Puritan daIn-
ties, she was as round and plump as a
pudding herself. With this round, rosy
Miss Betsy did Samuel Sewell fall IN
love. AS he was young man of good
character, industrious in his business, and
member of the church, the mint-master
very readily gave his consent.
Yes, you may take her." said he. in
his rough way, land you will find her a
heavy burden enough.
On the weddingday, we may suppose
that honest John Hull dressed himself in
PLAIN coat, all the buttons OF which were
made OF Pine-tree shillings. The buttons
OF his waistcoat were slxpences, and the
knees OF his small cloths were buttoned
with silver threepences. Thus attired, he
sat with great dignity in his grandfather
chair, and being portly old gentleman.
he completely filled it from elbow to
elbow. On the opposite side of the room.
between her bridesmaids, sat Miss Betsy.
She was blushing with all her might, and
looked like a full-blown peony, grea
red appl e, or any orher round and scarle
object.
There, too, was the bridegroom, dressed
IN hne purple coat and gold-lace waist
coat, with as much other finery as the
Puritan laws and customs would allow