The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-26
ROBINSON ORUsOE's MONEY.

Gently published q treatise on money en-
titled " Robinson Crnsoe's Money; or the
Remarkable Financial Fortunes and Misfor.
tunes of Remote Island Community" 1t is
illustrated by Mast and published by Harper
& Brothers. For the pleasure Of an early in
spection Of the work, our thanks are due to
Eyrich, Of 100 Canal street.
The book deserves something more than the
brief mention to which crowded columns usu-
ally limit rs in our comments on books and
authors. 1t is not a work that can be read
without thought, or when read be easily for
gotten.
Robinson Crusoe, some time after his ship
wreck, is related in the popular version of the
immortal story to have found three bags OF
gold ana silver among the shattered timbers
of the luckless ship that broke up on the reefs
of Juan Fernandez. His biographer relates
that he did not value all this coin as much Is
jack-knife or sixpence worth Of garden
seeds, or few tobacco pipes. Il is on this
suggestion that the author has constructed an
ingenious and instructive allegory, in which
are developed the primitive occasions for
money, and he successive steps in q natural
progress from savage barter to tho use Of q
true measure of values.
When Crusoe was alone on his island
money was neither useful nor valuable. He
was joined by Friday and Fridays father, but
this accession called for no exchanges and
required no money. Then came Will Atkins
and other English sailors, and the little
colony ceased to be one family. A division
of labor resulted in Q variety of fabrics
What each produced was needed by the rest;
hence arose the idea of value and the expe-
dent of exchange or barter. But in barter
many obstacles were encountered. The
hungry tailor could not sell his coat for bread ;
the baker wanted grain, but the farmer did
not want bread; the mason wanted the coat,
bu. had nothing to give in exchange for it
but chimney; there was no just standard OF
value, no price to anything. So that when
two met who desired to exchange products,
neither knew how much he ought to give to
the other. Another trouble was in being
obliged 10 take the total exchangeable pro-
CocuS VI any oIuStO oAsA0A0 Al oA0 So'AAu~oAAty
only, regardless Of the amount desired.
Coal was discovered, and q man who was
employed in loading q vessel with it was paid
Tor days work ton Of coal He was
obliged to buy his supper and lodging with .
wheelbarrow load Of coal trundled around
from door to door until he found an islander
in want Of coal and willing to feed and shelter
him in exchange. Similar Inconvenience re-
suited to butchers. bakers, blacksmiths and
carpenters.
This trouble led Crusoe and his friends TO
the invention of sen intermediate object, by
agreement exchangeabIe for every other pro-
duct at q rate fixed upon.
To avoid imposition from the shfewd, the
idle and the INSCRIPTIONS, it was necessary
( to select an intermediate of exchange that
had real value. No intrinsically worthless
commodity would meet their requirements
They knew "that nothing can be reliable and
good money under all circumstances which
does not of itself possess the full amour. Of
tho value which it processes on its face to
possess"
So at first they agreed to use q scarce and
pretty little shell much in vogue amongst the
women Of the island for personal adornment
This answered the purpose until some lucky
fellows found on distant island vast guam
tity of these little shells, called cowries. The
scamps kept their secret; carried home the
money shells by boat loads, and spent their
money lavishly. Cowries became plentiful |;
prices advanced rapidly everybody felt as if
getting richer because his possessions brought
more money. It was Q season of wonderful
prosperity, because money was plenty But
in time other fellows found the cowry island,
and brought home such quantity Of shells
as to make one bushel of wheat cost four
horse wagon load of money. The importers
of shells were found to be the owners Of most
of the property on the island, and we're
always spoken of respectfully as "shrewd
fnanciers."
Next was tried q money of beads, in de-
mand as ornaments, small and durable; but
the use of beads ceased to be fashionable and
the beads themselves became worthless.
Their use as money therefore ceased.
Many efforts were made to discover that
valuable commodity which was to serve as
an intermediary in effscting the exchanges Of
other commodities Every trial led to now
disappointment The islanders found that
much loss resulted from the want Of mea-
sure of values that should be without change.
At length accident led to solution of their
difficulty. "a man, walking in q ravine one
day, picked up small bright mass of shin
ing metal" Attracted by its lustre and
beauty he carried it home to his wife who
hung it about her neck as an ornament.
Other women wanted it and 1t was diligently
sought for. It's remarkable malleabili.y and
ductility were soon discovered. Its lus-
ire was found to be indestructib!e, it
was easily divisib!e and always uni