Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-23
PRICES IN SAN FRANCISCO.
How tho Once Dssplsal Nickel Has Cheap
pue1 SOmO rlluQl

/ tHeu S'thh
u Among the recent contribution to
tho hodge podgc OF attractions On the
dimemuscum side OF Market street arc
sovera! little "ho 'cs-in-the-wall," where
any of the articles displayed may DO
purchased for five cents. Tho array
and variety of the goods are remark.
able whoa the price is considered. On
the walls and shelves are walking
sticks, tinwarc, collars, necktics, soap,
pipes aud, TO duote th9u;ual tag OF an
auctioncur's cata.oyuei "other things
too numerous to MENTION" all at the
low pr.ce OF half dime. The novelty
OF lhc venture and thu fact that the
once dcspised nickel had grown 10 be a
| purchasing factor OF some consequence
4 led Chronic c reporter tD put together
tho results OF certain observations Oh
tho gradual tendency Of small prices 10
become smaller. Tic change has been
especially noticeable during tho past
1.-Two years. and w,ilc the greater tens
Of expenditure havG not bo-n Affected,
aud while housekeeping rema IL, Just as
expensive US ever. the l.ttlu ihings and
th1 luxures have b,On cut down sew
urnl notchcss lie iive-cent piece las
been called to "lcspigeJ nick j, " and
II is fact. MS everyone knows. that iln-
til within a comparat ycly recent date
San Franc.scaasl loose with supreme
and most unrolsonab 0 contempt on
anything that was not gid OF silvcc.
i The street Car compGnl s were mainly
instrumental in, breaking down this
proud c.. Silver half d mss were get
TIN, very scarce, owing to the diScoiii
tinuancc of their coinage, aud largo
importations, Of the nickel wore made.
'Gncc put into circulation. now uses
were naturally found for 1t, and while
it would BIO impossible 10 give the gone
sis OF these new uses, II will be Just as
interesting 10 point them out. With
the reduction OF internal revenue on
tobacco, smokers were not slow In Dis
covering what could be done with the
nickel. Fivo-cent cigars came strongly
into fashion, cigarettes went down to
five cents-a pack, and Glowing tobacco
followed in unsavory suit. Before the
change the "blt' 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 u
five-cen or considered good enough for
the ordinary puif1r, but moderately
good cigars can be had at the rate Of
six for quarter, and when treat is 10
b. made none but tho extravagant think
Of taking anything but two for rs
cents. Reference Is not mad, here
to Chinese cigars, which can be bought
OF almost any price, peddlers in China
town offering them as low as ten for 10
cents.
Plush-covered chairs set in rooms or
wooden sheds. all tn, daily papers to
read and brush-off are among the in
duccments TO shine. Ten cents used
to be the lowest price for all these COM
forts. willie II quarter were rendered
there would DO but 10 cents change,
and tho shine would cost 10 cents.
Some Italians started a new order of
things In Pahper alley (Lieder- dorff
street,, with a fixed charge OF five
nu' aou IiouSh .ncio was vigorous
alteinp' maze 10 crush out the danger
ous caeapness, patronage went all that
way ana now inc lucent Dootoiack
sthh Is Gun pe counted on tne nngers OF
o,in nalu' loseiy alliea 70 the boot
oiacAs are 1he parD rs ana though the
iFe'cent regime mas not yei reache
tnc ionsor1h artis . materiaio re
auetioh oi charges oota'hs among thtm
iwehty-h.e cents was NJ one tlme the
ruling price Tor shave ana % cents
was no Nnus11i pres 70 pay ior lii'lr
cu'llnS Wv .ncIot'iru ''cut, o, Places
wnelo u man e''.l w EeS fllaVcu iot -, 10
ccn.s anu shoth LOT % csIl1s. wn Ia,
oonjd nry;sh oma H ',,;.h ,L ooo it.y u'n II,
borhers ,yho shaw co. V din'a ' onJ " y,
hair far Il conts w ,''i'' "''N '"'
Inc ..hi,', wos tbr ~ 40 ,oors ono
NJ tho Local n,nna,a.r ,9 o - ou 70
San Francisco m ~ woro 90 oror -,
onn LnowS tw,d oh;ts,; t,o'Iion
tho ..sho., - Tho =. .ho,t ~, ,vo I III
can,s nnd ,,o .'Ionoa 'lk aor,s wa" 1ita
Inc Yort sb;ll;,r tb, Ioi can't was ny =
Gct;nn Thoro Sova,. ,raS sroh we" oa;n q
md Tho dil,iou,,v o,, voc no SUI" ,hat ,har,
were M conne. cen,s TN mali Iaa, yn ny" ,ho
cbnngS Tx ro,,,lt woS ,hat ~ ~ ~
chaser ,vbenevnrf Tho n,jce yas n, od,,