The New York herald., 1869-12-26
How Gold Fluctuations Have Affected
the Retail Trade In New York.
Pleasant Scenes in interviewing Corner
Groceries, Butchers, Bakers, Dry
Goods Merchants and Others.
Imported Goods Coming Down to Gold Prices
and Downward Tendency Of Domestic
Fabrics DulnesS Of Holiday Busi-
ness-fhe Future and What
IL Expected Of II.

when financial crisis ovcrtakcs the community
there IS general sharp censure of speculation, and
speoulators are consigned to an ABYSS Of ooloquy.
We are passing through the ordeal OF q financial
crisis. Without stopping to unite in this general
censure OF speculation and spectators this one fact
Is evident that from the present financial chaos the
public anticipating good results In the end-the
advent OF the long prophesied better time coming"
o time OF content with small and reasonable profits,
time when greed OF gain is not the ''ruling pas
sion strongn OF everybody engaged In trade.
God Is still going down. Greenbacks are going up.
The result is clear that there must be general re-
ducJiOn III the prices of commodities OF trade pro-
pOrtlOnate TO the enhanced value or our paper
currency. There VIII be ruin TO many. This Is IN
evitaDe. Failures are daily reported The list VIII
continue 70 be enlarged. Those who are lucky
enough to escape ruin will make their escape, not
through avoidance OF losses, but from being
blessed with the capital to stand 1t. Lord
Timothy Dexter, he facetlously called, shipped
warming pans 70 The West Indies IN defiance OF all
geographical objections to the venture and made
money by the shipment, not because warming pans
were wanted there, but because the natives mistooK
and used them Tor molasses ladies'. Very few can
rely on sucn luck as this The fates OF deprecating
gold and market choSed with ImpOrtations are
against them The unwrltten chapter Of these mer-
camille specuat1ons and speculations Ia gold, cor
vulsng our great money mart und all the great
centres Of trade, Will be long and interesting one
when the end is reached and the whole story be
told. The campaign Is only IN Its inceptive pro.
gress. The war has only begun. 1t is q war OF
money and prices, contest OF spectators and tine
public struggle between capital and the necessa-
RES OF life We give below the condition oil the
tail trade In this city to show the effects OF present
gold prices ut these diversified trading places OF the
great bulk OF our population 1t will be seen that
the hopeful dreams OF the latter are yet far from
realization, and tnat while the grocer and the
butcher aud the BAKER and dry goods dealers and
every class of trading people, IN fact, have been
quick in the past to note the rising value OF gold
and to put up their prices accordingly they arc slow
now to note the decline In gold and diminish their
prices proportonatey.
THE GROCERY TRADE
Retail grocery stores in times OF severcst financial
pressure are more sure Of being less curtaiied IN
trade than any other class OF business. From
these stores the bulk OF the OF lie
great class whose meager earnings enable them TO
live only from hand to mouth, and whose existence,
In fact, Ia lifelong struggle with poverty and want
live by their small OF potatoes their paltry
lnputlon purchases OF butter III they are able 80
far venturesome as indulge In this luxury, their
small bags of -four, their pailfuls Of coal,
their Tied up bundles or k!ndllng wood, their
fractional bars OF soap, their few ounces OF tea,
sugar and coffee, and SO on nearly to the end OF
their chapter OF wants. Everybody knows the high
prices such poor buyers have to pay by Inus pur-
chasing In infniIesima quantities and how by large
numbers Of grocers they are cheated in weight and
measure. Those Of increased financial ability and
able to buy IN larger quantities fare little better
They get more coffee at q time, but with more
cnicory in IT, and more sugar with larger aggre
gate OF dampness and IN their increasing purchases
are only the greater victims Of deficient weights and
measures and augmented aduteraton. Let
Il not be understood that this system OF
atrocous swindling Is practised by all
grOcers There are many who do not indulge In
this defiant and INSCRIPTIONS cheating, but In the
matter Of prices they are remorseless In exoctlng
she highest possible rates There are, In fact three
kinds OF grocers-the 1rst who cheat oil they can;
tho second who cheat all they dare, and the third,
who give good goods. good weights and good
measures, but insist on good round prices. We
visited number Of these grocery stores, taking In
some OF each Of the different classes rs we have
catalOgued them. A lively Teuton was the pro-
prietor OF the first place we entered I'm
perious TO wintry weather and unmindrul OF
ths advent OF the ides of December, he
wore no coat, and with his shirt sleeves rolled up
to the elbows displayed very powerful brachia
muscles and very coarse, dirty hands. His counte-
nance, to say the least that be said against IT,
was not suggestive OF person one would like to
meet In dark alley on O dark night. mixed
aroma OF soap rancid butter Limburger cheese, cab
bages, antique Goldfish and superannuated mackerel
yervaded the place. we explained to him polite iy
~ we could the OBJECT OF our visit.
"You wants to know my brlces ~ he replied.
la.s
goldaent down. and VIII e,her'-
m wants 10 put my name In te papers y he In
terrupted.
'Not at ALL"
81 shant tells you notings."
"weu--
'well, you get out Of my blace or I split your
tanned head OPEN"
Not caring to submit our head to auch vigorous
surgical dissection we left The next two places we
called at though treated with some pollteness--upon
that matter we are happy to say that the instance
we have cited is the only exceptional case in this re-
Eard-the information we geamed was too posi-.
fvey negative to admit Of predicating any thing
Affirmative on the subject. The problem OF npance
beyond knowing how to exact the utmost
possible prices for their goods, does not
bother their brains. Nothing but an earthquake
could sarte their stupidity into any show of sprighs-
illness. they remind one or the soldier placed on
guard the neid OF Waterloo after the battle who
remained there forty years because no one relieved
him. These stupid grocers because they charged
big prices when gold was lo0 not only do STILL but
think II their bounden duty to continue doing so.
TIE remaining and more communicative grocers
all told about the story, the and substance
OF which Is tnat their prices except In sugar and
some lew articles whose prices are controlled by
special cxlgencies OF supply and demand, remain
very nearly the same as when god reached Its high
est quotations.
"fou can buy more with greenbacks now - we
suggested TO one, "than you could when gold was
up.u
Certainly, very much moren
"Inen why do you not sell cneaperfo
my nelgnpors don't; don'tn
- Here y tne mystery partially unravcllcd to say
the least mere are some people who cry out
against the greed OF landlords, and yet their own
Avarici0usness Is Just as intense and unyIcldInr.
Owners OF buildings Know thar their houses must be
Cccupies and thus put up their rents Lrocers know
tnat people must buy OF tneu ana thus put M their