The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-04-02
From the New York MALI
TIE DOWNFALL.
A Glance at the Decline In Herchan-
disc, JeWeIry, Etc.

er Of the necessities or Injuries OF
living are falling in price as gold falls,
is to a v but a very vague idea to
most people how much that reduc-
ton really is compared with prices
three months, q year, or five years
ago; and knowing how much inter
csted readers Of every class are just
now in this decline, we have taken
some trouble to procure information
Efficiently specific to crafty the gen
eral desire for details-such reading,
la fact, can be quite as readily under
stood by the lady of the house as the
lord thereof, with his learned head
full Of par values and discounts, APP
proximate prices, and so forth.
From ali we learn, the downfall of
prices has not waited on the decline
az gold. but in most cases preceded
FL he somewhat dull season having
made all sellers anxious tO>realize.
Sterling silver goods are always
sold at gold rates, the premium Of
the day-of the hour ~even-being
added to the bill of the purchaser.
Notwithstanding the fact that since
the war the wage of employees have
been materially increased-doubled,
in many Observation-Disclosures has
not increased in price. This is to be
attributed to the fact that during this
time important improvements In ma
chinery have been effected, with
great saving Of time and labor. Ster-
ling silver forks and spoons, staple ar
ticles Of trade, and indicators OF
the prices of other goods, arc
now sold at 81 20 per ounce in
gold. which is less, even, than the
price at which they were held In 1861.
AS sugar with the grocer, these are
leading articles in trade-coaxers of
custom, we ought to say-and the
profit made by their sale is not worth
taking about. The silver, before
manufacture, is worth about 81 80
per ounce, leaving forty cents for
manufacture, interest on money in
vested and profit of sale. These
figures apply to all solid silverware,
tho difference per ounce as between
the price of one article and another
being made by the greater or lesser
amount oflabor In their manufacture.
During the past ten years the i'm
nrovements 10 the manufacture OF sill
yer goods in this country are more
marked than In other branches Of this
multifariOus business. We are now
ahead of either France or England In
the manufacture of articles of daily
use. and, aud although we do not
manufacture artistic work for the mar
ket, as they do, we produce occasional
articles quite as fine as they make on
The other side. IL we do not compete
with them ia the lighter artistic work
In precious metals. it is not that we
lack the talent Of either design or ex-
e%cution, for we have both raised it
and imported a stock of it, but be-
cause much OF this work, if not all, is
the labor of head and hand solely;
ann for the service of these we pay
much higher prices.
Another leading article Illustrative
Of the decline Is the omnlpresent
watch. of which we have got a word to
saw. "Out Of respect to the ladies', y
al thew say on the ferryboats, and he
enuse we know how much more they
value time and money than the de-
generate sons of men of the present
we shall begin with their ehrOnome,
tiers.
The watch which in the spring o.
1859 would have cost a hundred dol.
lars, can now be bought for eighty
ave. Self-winders, then worth a hun
dred and eighty, now sell for a hun.
dred and fifty. On richer watches
eaameled and jeweled cases, the re
dustion In prices has been In thi;
ratio.
A geutleman's watch of the cele
bvated FFodman's make can now h
bought for 1926; in March of las
Fearit vas worth 1920. A first elias
Tiffany watch, then worth 1920, nov
sells for $265; the second grade a
500. then worth 1915.
Gold chains for ladies, sold in 1876
for $50, 800 and 1920, have been re
duoed to $50, s85 and 500 respect
iVely. -.
Gentlemen's guard chains, weighin
ffty pennyweights and Of eightee
carat gold, sold at $110 a year ag'
can now be bought for $50.
OF jewelry it is more difficult I
convey q clear idea of the important
of the fall than of those goods names
so endless is the variety, so unlimite
the range of prices; but we a Civ
Il law interesting facts about then
5efs of jewelry for everyday wea
sold last March for from 500 to $40
can now be had for from 800 to 50
and so on, the reduction varying {
tho element Of labor in the produ,
zion of the articles lessons or II
ereases. Diamond jewelry are GtCd.
sold for gold. Those precious gen
have been steadily increasing in prii
for many years, owing to the simp
fact that the quantity Of gold abo,
ground is increasing much mo
RAPIDLY than is the quantity
diau.onds. The calculation is th
the rate of this advance is a
nually about equal to the
terest on their value; in other wore
that the diamonds purchased tod
will be worth twice as much mon
sixteen years hence, provided IN {
mean time another GolcOnda be .
discovered. This increase, hoWevl
applies only to diamonds OF III
wa:er; off color. diamonds do not a
vance in the same proportion. Ii
letter Just received from Amsterda
the writer speaking of diamonds, So
that diamonds are deaTer and mt
difficult to obtain than ever; the
FiFals to Europe Of rough diamoI
are very small and they are held
high that they are cutting very /
IL Amst erdam."
A few other quotations and we
done. The opera glass sold a "
ago for ST. 80 can now be had
three dollars less; ladies' shopp.
bags worth $40 to SIG. for So %
$l3 so; dressing cases sold at $25
500, for $50 to $S5, and the higl
goods at proportionate reduction.
BrOnzes simply vary with the {
ference in the price Of gold, but as
example of the decrease of prices
nay say that a handsome mantle