West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-09-25
PRICES IN SAN FRANCISCO.
How the Once Dcspised Nickel Itas Chcap
onOd some Things.

Among the recent contributions to
the hodge-podge OF attractions on the
dimo-muscum side OF Market street are
several little 'holeS-in-t thc-wall. " where
any of the articles displayed may be
purchased for five cents The array
and variety of the goods are remark
able whom the price is considered On
the walls and shelves arc walking
sticks, tinware. collars, neckties. soap.
pipes and, to quote the usual tag of an
auctionoer's catalogue, other things
too numerous TO MENTION" ali at the
low price of half dime. The novelty
of the venture and the fact that tho
once deSpiscd nickel had grown 10 loo a
purchasing factor of somo CONSEQUENCE
led Chronic Z reporter to put together
the results of certain observations on
the gradual tendency of small prices to
become smaller. The change has been
especially noticeable during tho past
five years, and whilo the greater items
OF expenditure have not bocu affected,
and while housekeeping remains lust as
expensive rs ever, the little things and
the luXurles have been cut down sew
eral notches. The five-ceut piece has
been called the "despised nickel" and
1t Is n fact, rs everyone knows, that un-
I'll within n comparatively recent date
San Franciscans looked with supreme
and most unreasonable contempt on
anything that was not gold or silver
The street car companies were mainly
instrumental in breaking down this
prejudice. Silver half-dim were get
ting very scarce, owing TO the discon-
lintInnnn nf fhniV
importations of the nickel were made
Once put into circulation, now uses
were naturally found for it, and while
" would be impossible 60 give the gono-
sis of these new uses, IL will be lust as
Interesting to- point them out With
the reduction of internal revenue on
tobacco, smokers were not slow i'm dis
covering what could bc done with the
nickel. Fivo-cent cigars came strongly
into fashion, cigarettes went down to
live cents pack, and chewing tobacco
followed In unsavory suit Before the
change the bit cigar was the cheap
est, and when man wanted TO do the
swell thing in treating he put up dol
lar for the two Now, not only is a
iive-center considered good enough for
the ordinary puffcr but moderately
good cigars can be had at the rate of
SIX for quarter. and when "A treat is TO
be made none but the eXtravagant think
of taking anything but two for %
cents Reference Is not made here
TO Chinese cigars, which can bo bought
at almost any price, peddlers i'm China
town Offering them as low as ten for 10
cents.
Plush-covered chairs set in rooms or
wooden sheds, all the daily papers to
read and n brush-oif are among the in
duccmcnts to n shine Ten cents used
to be the lowest price for all these com
forts, while II quarter were tendered
there would be but 10 cents change,
and the shine would cost ID cents
Some Italians started n new order of
things in Pauper alley (LiedersdoriI
street,, with fixed charge of five
cents, and though there was n vigorous
attempt made to crush out the danger
Gus chespness, patronage went all that
| way, and now the l0-cent boOt-black
stands can be counted on the fingers OF
one hand. Closely allied 10 the boot
blacks are the BARRIERS. and though the
iive-cent regime has not yet reached
the "tonsorlal artists" a material re-
duction OF charges obtains among them
twenty-five cents was at one time the
ANAAhk DAAtt AOI II shave ana tlO cents
was no unusual price 10 pay for hair
cutting. Now there are plenty ofplaces
whore man can be well shaved for 3
cents and shorn for 25 cents. while
those wEo arc on stricter economy bent
could furnish one with the addresses of
BARRIERS who shave for dime and cut
hair for 10 cents.
The "bit" was for many years one
Of the local monetary pecuiiarities OF
San Francisco. There were, as every
one knows, two "bits"-the "lonQ" and
the "short Tho short bit' was ia
cents. and the "lonQ' ID cents. Like
the York shilling, the 12J cents was a
fiction. There never was such coin.
and the difficulty here was that there
were no copper cents 20 make up the
change. The result was that the pur-
chaser, whenever the price was i'm odd
bits. invariably contributed ~ cents 20
the illegitimato profit of tho seller.
Especially was this the case at restati-
rants. Checks were made out for three.
four, five OF six bits, and so on The
meal having cost three bits. say-that
means 371 cents q half-dolar would
be- rendered and 10 cents given in
change which meant that instead Of 87l
cents the customer paid 80 cents Now
the checks are in cents. and if the lunch
costs 90 cents the customer pays ex-
actly that amount
With All the mulctinp of an occa-
sional ~ cents. San Francisco main
tanned a wellioundod reputation for
being ono Of the cheapest places for
food in the United States but latterlv n
new order ~ chcapness has come n. a
few years ago a frugal Dane opened "a
lO-cent coffee saloon on California
street The customers used To- stink i'm
there afraid Of being seen. but the fact
that o good cup Of coffee and q plate of
cake or doughnuts could be- had there
for dime was something that over
came false pride, and lO-cont coffee
houses are at present 10 bo found In
San Francisco by tho score. II not by
the hundred, while the patrons Of the
places walk IN with head erect and in
clude among the number the wives and
sisters Of well-tO-dO men.
These arc q few of the examples Of
the many that might be given in sup
port of the statement that the luxuricq
and little things are cheaper now than
thoy were five years a0o Others may
~ briefly referred TO- Fruits used only
90 De sold az so many pouuda fof. ~,