The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-12
Prices in the States and Canada-Currency.
To the Editor Of the Press:

Prices in the States and Canada-Currency.
To the Editor of the Press:
LONDON, c. W., March Z, 1865.
AS one passes from the States into the
Queens dominions, via Suspension Bridge, he
soon becomes familiar with nomenclature
to which his ears have been unfamiliar in the
"down east" regions of tie "Pine Tree State"
Instead of hearing at every point discussions
about finance, currency, reconstruction, the
veto, President johnson, negro suffrage, and
constitutional amendment, he begins to hear
about if not to smell the great oleaginous
staple which promises to do for this country
what discoveries have done for California or
the silver mines for Nevada He hears about
"oil shows, "gas, ~" Indications" sand
pumps" "sucker-rods," "boring," pumping"
ETC., and this kind of language becomes more
and more prevalent as he approaches the great
oil centres, where it becomes the only living
language of the day.
Of oil, oil springs and oil wells, do not
now propose to speak, but of other matters of
more immediate interest to those who propose
travelling from Maine to Canada West. And
first, let no one be deluded by the idea that it
is necessary, either as matter OF economy or
convenience, to convert his greenbacks in Or
der to travel or do business in Canada. "Un-
Gle SAM is highly respected here, and his
promises" are no longer 'sneered at" evenly
the most thick-headed John Bulls to be found
in this Province. Indeed, for all real, practi-
cal purposes a greenback is worth more here
than at home; it is worth more because it will
travel. A ticket from London or any other
station in this region to Boston or Portland,
is the same price here, paid in greenbacks,
that it would be if bought at your end of the
route. am now stopping, for instance, at
the Tecumseh House, house as large as the
Preble and United States if rolled into one: a
house well built, well furnished and well
kept,-in all respects first class house,-and
on calling for my bill find it to be 81 30 per
day, in silver, or, if pay, as did, in your
common fractional currency or greenbacks, it
is from So 90 to 80 IL, according to the rates
of gold. In Boston, Albany, and suppose
Portland. the same accommodations would
cost the traveller 81 90 per day, in the lawful
money of the place. t--t f--
For class of travellers it may not be unin-
teresting to learn that herein acity of II, 900
inhabitants--as well as in Hamilton, Toronto,
and all through this Province, the best of
brandy is sold at the public bars-so am
told-for ten cents drink, while other liquors
and ale are but five cents. Think of that, ye
brandy-loving guzzlers, who pay half a dollar
glass for villainous decoction of logwood,
and ye whiskey lovers who indulge in "R. G."
warranted o kill at forty rods, at present
prices in the Estates" s t
lido not, Of course, advise friends in Maine
to come here to find cheap liquors, or those Of
apurer quality than they can find at home;
would rather counsel them to give all such
decisions as wide berth as the nature of the
circumstances will admit Of, and patronize the
pure, simple beverage which the great and
| good Father has caused to distill from the
| rocks and mountain sides. / have referred to
this matter as it, as well as anything else, il
Illustrates the difference in prices, and the ex-
ten. to which our much abused currency may
| be made available in the two countries.
would not be understood as condemn
| ing too severely those who feel compelled,
when in portions Of this country, to "let up"
on their tetotal pledges; for, actually, have
| been in one locality-and am told it is not
the worst to be found-where the best water
to be found is thick, Shiny, nasty, offensive to
smell, sight and taste, so that when boiled and
made into tea or coffee it retains all its Of
fensive qualities, though in diminished or
somewhat modified degree. To require man
to drink such filth-ininitely less inviting than
the water in the CUTTERS Of your city during q
shower-in order TO preserve consistency. is a
| little too much, especially when hop beer and
| good ale can be had at five cents tumbler
full. You may believe that, at the dinner ia
bles in such localities, the ale pitcher is pat
ronized, while the water pitcher is al
lowed to go begging. Those localities are the
famous oil centres at Oil Springs and Pc
| trolia.
The ruling prices in this vicinity, for all
leading articles in the subsistence line, are
about one-half what they are in Portland,
while for greenbacks you are allowed seventy
five per cent. with a prospect of increase upon
this amount Every effort is now being made
to rush the surplus beef, wheat, flour, potatoes,
ETC., across the Suspension Bridge or the river
at Detroit and Sarnia, before the 18th, when
all this must stop by the termination of the
Reciprocity Treaty. The termination of that
arrangement must produce disastrous results
to producers in this country, and provisions
will take sudden fall after that day, as the
country was last year productive, and large
surplus remains unsold. The same will be the
case with all kinds of rough lumber. It seems
to me that annexation is the only reliable
means of cure for the evils under which this
country must soon groan and the masses of
the people, according to the indications" will
not seriously object to such transfer
SPURwINK.
ITEMS OF STATE NEWS
Us A correspondent of the Ellsworth Jour-