Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1870-10-13
Old lines and New.

~ "'' oO iSmohlDS'ou " iho"' VI Jul
gray haired readers that prices Of farm
produce were very low from 1925 to
1880. There was little money in the
country, and that was mainly kept out
of circulation, The following statement
of the prices of stock and produce, as
well as rates Of wages is believed to be
below rather than above the general av-
crage. In the spring Of each of these
years good working oxen, from four to
six.ycars old were sold from for ty'
five to iGy-Gve dollars pair: if they
we're older, forty dollars was considered
a large price. The same cattle would
have sold in the spring of 1869 for from
two hundred to two hundred and fifty
dollars II pair. At the same time COWS,
of the best quality were worth about
eighteen dollars, while ordinary animals
brought from twclv to sixteen; and TAX
ing them together the native
COWS then were quite as good as the same
grade of cows now In the fall, the
same quality were sold for eight and
ten dollars. In 1869 these cows would
have sold in the spring for sixty and
seventy dollars, and iu the fall at least
fifty, nearly five times as much now
as then. Good OK beef sold in the fall
of 1929 for three dollars and twenty
five cents hundred, dressed, and com
mon COW or steer beef for two and a
half and three dollars. The same an
imaIs how would have sold respectively
for fourteen and say ten dollars. Calv-
es in the spring, in these years, could
be bought for two and a half dollars a
head, and at the height of the season
veal sold at two cents pound for the
fore, and three for the hind quarters.
Calfskins were then but six cents a
pound Lambs that would weigh alive
fifty pounds and from that up to seventy,
were sold by the season for one dollar a
head.
Butter, the very best, went to fami-
lies for New England shilling pound,
and in June, when feed was flush it
brought ten to twelve cents. Cheese in
1929 sold for five cents a pound pork
at the same figure, aud eggs not far
from ten cents q dozen. Potatoes sold
at twelve and a half cents bushel
corn at fifty cents oats not over twenty
five cider at the mill fifty ents bar,
rel, and good winter apples at twenty
five cents bushcl.
On the other hand. good help was hir-
ed fol; six, seven and eight dollars a
month and board, men who would do a
a quarter more work than those who
ask and get twenty-five and twenty-five
dollars and board now.-Thc day began
then at sunrise and lasted till sundown ;
generally the COWS were MIXED before
sunrise at that. Good women to do
housework could then be hired for fifty
cents week-girls that would do az
much work in lone day as at least three
wish to do now, beside being trusty ant
honest. Lady School teachers, well ed
ucated, taught during the summer for
the same price, and men teachers in the
winter at from five to six dollars
month for beginners, aut
aud from eight 10 twelve dollars there
after, and not unfrequcntly they ha(
from seventy five to eighty scholar;
each and in addition TO instruction in
the various branches then taught, they
not unfrequen,ly ruled the home made
writing books, and always made th'
goose quill pens, beside setting the copy
les, that numbered sometimes fifty each
day i Hearth and Home