The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1878-10-19
A Greenbacker's Dream.
October 9, 1878.

October 9, 1878.
Editor Chronicle -
1t was recently my fortune to listen to
one of Mr.. Erastus E. Potter's delusive
discourses upon the Greenback ques-
ton. His seemingly logical sophistry
set me to thinking. As | slowly returned
from the meeting where Mr.. Potter had
painted the workingman's future in at
tractive greenish tints, pondered over
what had heard.
Upon arriving home, l lighted my pipe
and sought the comforting recesses OF
my easy chair, and as | watched the fan
tastic curling of the smoke, | sought to
find solution of the problem in the
weird shapes there formed.
Methought saw the Greenback move
menti in the aseendency, indeed fancy car
ried me to 1880; and saw the machin
cry of the Government run entirely by
the Greenbackers.
Silver had been demonetlzed. and gold
was no longer the basis of our currency.
Greenbacks were all in all. and Just as
plenty as the most radical Morris County
Schoolmaster could desire.
Muir's pasteboard mill was turned into
a Government paper mill, and was daily
turning out the regulation greenback
paper by the ton.
Brother Garrison having foreseen " the
glad day SO long foretold," had directed
his massive intellect toward the green
future, and was rewarded by contract
from the Government to print greenbacks
for Morris County.
The National Banks were turned into
national repositories for the new circu-
lating medium, and were dispensing it to
any and all for the asking. The country
was truly flooded with greenbacks, and
the workingman had attained the coveted
flush times.', ~
In fancy, saw five years more added
to the history of our country, and green
backs were still the circulating medium.
The workinghnan worked as usual, and
received his pay in greenbacks but now
he was compelled to go to and from his
work with horse and wagon, with which
to bring back his days wages
Every body went to market with large
basket full of greenbacks, and it took a
bushel of them to buy smoked mackerell
Dry goods and grocery stores were fur
nished with large bucket elevators to
transfer the receipts to immense store
rooms overhead, where gray rats reveled
in unchecked glory. Cigar stores kept
strings of Greenbacks on hand with which
to light cigars. Upholsterers and furni-
ture dealers utilized the fiat money! in
stuffing chairs and sofas, and even made
mattresses of it, and took live geese
feathers for pay Hotels pooled the issue
and made bed>spreads and bedding of
greenbacks, and kept the travellers bag
gage for his bill
1t took bushel of greenbacks to buy
a dozen hairpins, and ladies wore larger
bustles than ever, because there was less
rustic in Greenbacks than newspapers
Editors were glad to take pumpkins and
potatoes for subscriptions, and Autumn
leaves were not more plenty and but
little less valuable than were Greenbacks.
Barnum was advertising for genuine
old-iashioned three cent piece, and a
trade dollar commanded as much reyer
ent respect as the New Jersey Synod.
The Government had rebuilt all the
old hay presses used during the war, and
now baled Greenbacks with which to pay
Congressman, and Potter drew his /" fat !"
bales with religious regularity.
People were oppressed with unlim-
tied Greenbacks,' and sighed for the