The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-03

OAPTAIN JOIN HULL was the mint
master of Massachusetts,, and coined all the
money that was made there His was a
new line of business, for in the earlier part
ol the colony the current coinage consisted
oil The gold and silver money of England
Portugal, and Spain These coins being
scarce, the people were often forced TO
barter their commodities instead of selling
them.
For instance, if a man wanted to buy a
coat, ne perhaps exchanged a bear skin for
IT, If ne wished for barrel of moIaSses.
he might purchase it with a pile of pine
boards. Musket bullets were used instead
of larthings
The Indians had Il sort of money called
wampum, which was made of clam shells :
and this Strange sort of specie was like
wise taken in payment OF debts by the
English settlers Bank bills had i'm those
days never been heard OF. There was not
money enough Of any kind in many parts
OF the country, to pay their ministers, so
that they Ind sometimes TO take Qtlaintals
OF fish, bushels of corn. or cords of wood.
instead of silver or gold. As the people
grew more numerous and their trade in
creased, the want of current money was
still more sensibly felt TO supply the de
mand the general court passed law for
establishing coinage OF shllings. six
pences and three-pences. Captain John
Hull was appointed to manufacture this
money, and was To have about one shilling
out of every twenty, to- pay him for his
labor. IlereupOn all the old silver in the
colony was handed over To the Captain.
The battered silver cans and lankarls. |
suppose, and silver buckles and broken
spoons, old buttons from worn ont coats,
silver hilts from old swords that had tigrr-
ed at court, were doubtless thrown into the
melting pot. But by far the greater part
of the silver con listed of bullion from the
mines of South America, which the Eng
lish buccaneers who were little better than
pirltes) had taken from the Spaniards and
brought to Massachusetts.
All this old and new silver being turned
into coin, the result was an immense
amount Of splendid shillings, &c, bearing
the date of 1862 on the one side, and on
she other figure of il pine trcc-hence
they were called pine tree shillings. Cap
tain Hull coined very large amount. and
the Judges of the Court began To suspect
that the mint master would have the best
of the bargain. They therefore offered him
a large sum if he would resign his claim to
the both shilling-this he declined by say
ing that he was perfectly satisfied with his
perquisitcs, and well he might he; for so
diligently did he labor that in a few years
his pockets, money bags and strong box
were all filled with pine tree shillngs.
While he was still mint master a Young
man by the name of Samuel Sewall was
counting Hulrs daughter Betsey" She
was fine girl, but by no means so slender
as some young ladies of the present dav,
in fact she was as round and plump as a
pudding. Young Sewall was man of
good character, industrious in business,
and a member Of the church, and when he
asked the mint master for his daughter i'm
marriage he readily gave his consent.
Yes-you may take her" he said, in his
rough way, and you will find her a heavy
burden enough"
On the wedding day we may suppose that
honest Hull dressed himself in a plain col
ored cloak all the buttons of which were
pine tree shillings, the buttons of his
waistcoat were sixpences, and the knees of
his small clothes were buttOned with sill
yer threepences. Thus attired he sat with
great dignity in his grandfather's chair; on
the opposite side of the room, between her
bridesmaids, sat Miss Betsey. There too