Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-09-11
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
The Value ofWorIz and Building Materials
in OIden Times.

The Value ofWOrk and Building Materials
in Olden Times.
Turning over some old papers the
other day, saws the editor Of the AHlsTf-
can architect, We came upon two or
three bills for carpenter work and plas-
tering, dating back to 1921 and 1922,
which have q certain interest, as showing
the value OF work and materials at that
time, compared with the prices now cur
rent. One thing which surprised Us,
and will, perhaps, be equally as surpris-
ing to our readers, Is that the cost Of
lumber, keeping in view the comparative
purchasing power OF money, was at that
time far greater than it is now Sixty
five years ago a large part Of the United
States which is now cleared, was an IN
broken forest, and every township II the
eastern states must have contained a
good deal Of timber Of the original
growth, yet we find "refuse boards"
charged in 1921 at S11 a thousand feet,
which would be a high price now, while
painters work, which is the only labor
charged In the bills Just now before US,
is put down on the bill, which would
naturally include profit, at Is, and Cd, or
SIPS per day. The inference is that it
would take a painter or carpenter In
those good old days at least twice as
long to earn money enough to pay for
| boards to cover his house as it does now
Notwithstanding the fact that the timber
| is brought ten times farther to market
now than then, and that the supply is,
| according to all accounts, nearly eZ-
/ hausted.
Among the other items we find laths
/ charged at seven shilliDgs, or SLIT per
/ thousand, and clapboards at ''25 cents for
ten" or S25 per thousand. This would
/ be a low price for pine clapboards now In
/ Massachusetts,, but it was a high price
then compared with the value Of labor.
/ Contrary to the general impression,
/ spruce and hemlock seem to have been
very generally used, and We find items
| Of hemlock boards at 81 a thousand
feet, and spruce at $14 or SO. Clear
pine plank, which many people imagine
to DO a much scarcer material now than
in the days when second growth timber
was unknown, is charged In the bills at
$50 a thousand feet, which would be a
tOlersbly high price in the same locality
to-day, and correspondent then to about
twice the value IN the form OF labor and
.
now. OF some materials, the cost seems
to have been even greater then than at
the present. In a bill for painters work,
dated 1927, We find oil charged at %
cents a quart, which, even allowing for
profit, is higher price than most archi-
tects would now approve In a day
work bill, and varnish is put down at
the rate Of "a a gallon, charge which
would just about pass an architects
criticism IN these days. One Of the items
is for 'green paint for chairs," so that if
any Of our readers are Of an archeologi-
cal turn OF mind. they may make a note
here that the fashion Of covering furni-
ture with this ugly and adhesive coating,
which has not died out even in our col
lege days, dates back at least 90 years.
The credits on this bill, which amount
to about $40, include items Of thirty
five bushels OF potatoes at thirty cents q
bushel, and two barrels of cider, differ
ing apparently either In size or quality
as one is credited at 50 and the other at
eight shiIings, Massachusetts currency
or S1.33.