The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-07-13

hominy.
Another occupation was cooking
beans and selling them by the plates
fol to such hungry ones as could af-
ford 10 trade for them. Various
we're the means Of raising the wind"
to obtain a supply to carry on the
trade. Often some article Of cloth.
ing. or buttons Of the jacket. were
traded for them. But more COM
mon method was to trade the but
tons or clothing for tobacco, and
then trade tobacco for beans for
those addicted TO the use Of the
weed would frequently remark that
IL was easier to go without a portion
Of their food, however scapty, than
without their tobacco.
In prison one thus paid the pen-
alties of bad habits previously form
ed. One accustomed to the habit Of
taking dram Of something stimu-
latiug each day, died in prison for
want of il Habits, like chickens,
"come home to roost," and we're Of
ten the millstones that sunk their
possessors into tho hopeless mise ry
which went before death. Thus
when only about half pint Of beans
uncooked, per day were issued,
sometimes with little bacon, men
would lay aside few each day to
trade for tobocco,
The modes OF selling were various;
but tho most common way Of finding
purchasers by those who had but q
small capital Of few pints of beans,
Was TO proceed to the principle
thorougfare-for even here We were
compelled to have paths unoccupied
by recumbent men aud their traps
through general understanding, or
VIC shoald have continually trod on
one another. Broadway, as we
termed it, was the scone Of most of
the trading done in camp.
The venders, sitting with their
legs under them, like tailors, pro.
claimed loudly the quantity and
quality Of beans or mush they could
sell for stated price, Some would
exultantly state that theirs had pep-
er and salt ION to um,' aud some.
times vinegar was cried out as one
OF the virtues possessed by the ven
der Of beans, aud then there would
be rush to see, il not to eat.
Sometimes | have seen on Broad
way from fifty to seventy vonders OF
beans, who. together with small gam
blers with sweat-boards, on (which
could DO staked five cents, and has
ty pudding dealers and sour beer
sellers, all OF whom sat on the
ground, looking anxious, dirty, and
hungry enough to made the hardest
part Of their task resisting Of temp
tation to eat up their stock in trade
cannot refrain from narrating my
own experience in that line, it was
so characteristic OF experience cons
mon to those who engaged in like
speculations.
Frank H. and myself possessed q
joint capital Of an old watch, men
ton of which has been made, aud Q
surplus Of one pair of army shoes
for I went bare-footed, disdsinine
TO abridge the freedom of my fee,
when it interfered with business
We invested them in beans, which
we're, like those usually issued, pos.
sessed, previous TO our possession
by grubs and worms. The terms o.
our copartnership we're, that he
Frank, was to do the selling, while
and q companion named Cross cook
cd, ,bargsined for wood, and transact
cd the general business Of the "con'
cern." Accordingly Frank showed
his anxioue face aud raised his tre.
BILE voice shrilly in the market-place
The first days sale brought us about
one pint Of extra beans. The mex,
day Franks hunger got the better
of his judgement and firm resolve tc
be prudent, and he ate up near hall
our stock in trade, which was vexa'
tious but could not reprove him
seeing how cheerful it made him feel
and how sorry be really was. BE.
sides his full stomach gave him rose.
colored views of the morrow's trade
The morrow came, aud Frank made
q "ten-strike," selling off all the
beans i could cook, aud was beside
himself at the prospects of our hav
ing enough to eat fright smar'
along" The rext morning I invest