Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-02-09
WHAT DID WITH SHILLING
by WILLIAM GILBERT.

One foggy evening, at the commencement
OF November, 1871, was returning hurredly
home, when, passing 0 flaiing gin shop, ]
noticed coming out of il u labOring man and
woman, From the lew words OF cOnYersa-
ton | heard passing between them, 1t ap-
peaied that the man, alter receiving his
wages, instead ofgoing directly homewards,
had entered a public house, and his vile,
having found him In il, was scolding him
severely for wasting his money 10 go useless
a manner. The husband, who appeared 10
be half drunk, endeavored TO exoulpate him
self TO his better half. The last words l
heard him utter before he and his vile were
lost IN the fog were, "Well, come now, I've
only spent a shilling, go it's not much loss
what can fellow do with shilipgg"
Possibly from the halt drunken, hall digDi-
fed tone he made use oi when he uttered
the words, "What can fellow do with
;shilhne?" they remained peIsistenily on my
mind during the evening, and when awoke
the next morning they were still fresh on my
memory. On taking my seal at the breakfast
table the words again occurred to me, and
on putting the question. 10 myself, repled,
I q tT5. --.----T - Z
opened the teacaddy, AID from it took,
perhaps, half an ounce Of tea, which placed
in lhe teapot, aud, having poured on the
beiling water, left il to draw, turning over
the while in my mind the history and ad-
ventures of the half ounce OF ten, from its
first starting into lie ON the plantation Of
Assam till It came into my possession, and
the cost II had incurred.
began by watching an imaginary coole
plucking the leaf in the tea garden some ~
miles fiom Gowhatty, the province. 1t oc.
cupled the coolle but few moments, and he
placed it in a basket with some other leaves
lie had collected. When the basket was
filled Il was taken by another coolie to the
tea house, where each separate petal was
rolled up letween the fingers of al ASA
mese woman, and then placed on an iron
drying stove. There ii was kept I'LL the
drying process was over, and then 1t was
nut into a bag, carried to the elephant calt
and taken TO Gowhatty. There had been
some heavy rain, and the journey occupied
two days. My half ounce ol tea was then
carried 10 The packing house, where some
Assamese carpenters had prepared che'l
lined with lead for ii, and some eighty
hounds more of the same quality, and all
was then carefully soldered down, SO that
its flavor and fragrance might not be lost
during its Journey TO England.
The tea being packed, some other coolies
took il to the river side 10 await the steamer
which was 10 carry It down the Bramapootra
10 Calcutta, where at length il arrived safely
having suffered no damage on the way.
Al Calcutta the chest containing my lea
was taken on shore, and placed in the charge
OF a merchant, and after having passed
through different iormalities and been hand
led by many men, II was placed on board q
shin bound 10 England via Suez Canal. On
landing In England other men were en-
,ployed TO unship the chest, and il was
lodged 10 the dock warehouses. Afterwards
il was sold at q public auction by tea
broker 10 wholesale grocer, who, having
employed one OF his clerks 10 pay tie duty
az the Custom House, sold ii to Fetal
tradesman, who in turn sold II to my ser
want. And thus my half ounce Of tea had
assisted ia procuring the means OF existanct
and supeffuitics OF life to the coolies ant
tea packers in Assam, tue sailors on th'
steamer on the BTamapOotra, the difleren
agencies and porlers at Calcutta, the wage
of the seamen on board tho ship whiel
brought it to England, the profits ol the tel
brokers, wholesale and retail grOcers II
London, besides many other individuals
and was at length placed 10 my teapot at tn
small cost OF one penny, the tea having beeI
purchased Of the grocer at three shillings
pound.
ASH considered the tea 10 be now full
drawn, proceeded TO put the sugar in th
cup, How much sugar shall usey AS
have a sweet tooth in my head, say an oune
and halffor my breakfast. This sugar wa
grown In the West Iudies. The cane wa
afterwards cut down, placed between ro'leri
Ihe iuice extracted from it and evaporated i
boilers, and the evaporation being complete
lhe sugar deposited WAS placed IN hogshead
and sent 10 Kingston. A number Of person
were there employed to place it in the hOl
Of the ship, and the insurance was paid upo
n, Il was then landed in London and sci
TO the docks, many hands and much mt
ohinsrY being employed in doing So Fro
lie docks it was taken to the sugar rehner
where 1t was made into loaf sugar, and afte
ward sold to the retail tradesman, VIII
having cut il up into small pieces, il WI
bought by my servant and placed on Il
breakfast table ready for use. The sug
for my breakfast had contributed 10 pay Il
wages of the black workmen 10 Jamaica al
the profits OF the planter, the loss by wear
his machinery, aud the wages Of the NJ,
who placed 1t on board the We sci Th
there were the wages Of lie sailors on
Journey home, the wages of the dock labC
ers, the profits Of the sugar refner, /
profits OF the retail grocer who sold il to n
and many other agencies, till al length
was placed on my breakfast table at a c.
OF something less than a halt penny, the
tail price being slxpence pound