Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-12-31

each. Pants and vests were then got
up in the then prevailing style from
twenty-five to fifty cents each. The
hero of these accounts was then a bach
Ter some 30 years of age, and several en-
tries show where fifty cents per dozen
was the price paid for laundry work.
Old folks remember "dckies," sort
of false shirt front, which are in several
places charged forty cents each. OF
building material bricks are quoted at SO
per NJ; clear pine lumber at $40 per NJ:
nails, twelve cents per pound; glass Sx1O
light, fifteen cents; lime per bushel.
fifteen cents hauling with team per day,
Sl.75. Laborers' wages were sixty to
forty cents per day. Stone-masons, brick
layers and carpenters are in several
places credited with work at 81 80 per
day. Board for workingmen nine cents
per meal, or Sl.75 per week. Smoked
hams were seven cents per pound; fresh
beef, four cents; fresh pork, 3 l-2 cents
mutton, by the quarter, twenty-five
cents; tea, Young Hyson, 81 40 per
pound; rice, six cents; sugar, seven
cents; molasses, forty cents per gallon:
maple molasses and sugar were quoted
at about the same prices; salt. seventy
cents per bushel; "locofoco' matches
twenty-five cents per box, for about as
many as are now sold for three cents. and
very few appeared to be sold, as finder
and steel were relied on for fire. Why
the matches were called 'locofoco" I
nave never understood, but presume
some OF our old grandsires could tell.
Coal for fuel was not then used. and
rour-foot cord wood is in several places
charged for at 81 per cord. COOKING
stoves were then just coming in use. of
the " Horseback" pattern, and cost BIS
each. Corn was sixty-fve cents per
: bushel. Flour fluctuated from 81 70 S1o
per barrel, but the average was nearer
the former price. Tobacco sold at forty
cents per pound, and cigars appear to
nave been unknown, at least none are
charged Whiskey, not our modern tan
glefoot, but good, was thrty-five cents
per gallon. Santa Cruz, Jamaica, Porto
kico and various kinds of rum were from
hfty cents to 81 per gallon. "Black-
strap, favorite old-time beverage. COM
manded 81 per gallon and was the favor
lite tlpple for general training day." as
the day for general muster of the State
militia was called, and which in those
days was called roaring farce.
Among the items of the spring of 1927
Is one as follows: "Rev. William Pat
| terson, Cr.: By service at wedding. S."
= and about the same time Mr.. p is charged
a lone Hat, So" from which it is pre-
: sumed that these were the ruling prices
$ for those necessaries of life. Money
: was of gold, silver and paper, as to-day.
: Dut was very scarce, and "barter or
e trade was mostly used in traffic.
/ Only the larger cities and towns had
their own newspapers, and the news was
II stale. Postage on letters was twelve
e and half, eighteen and three-quarters
D or twenty-five cents per letter, according
a to the distance carried, and stamps were
IT unknown for near twenty years after.
IL At the option of the sender postage on
q letters could be prepaid or not, and right
Il here one OF the most highly esteemed old
II ladies of this country one day received
n notice of letter with "Twentv-five cents
n due that was held in the post-office for
Il her. Not having the money, she herself
e killed and skinned a calf, selling the
l. hide to tanner for twenty-five cents,
l. to redeem the letter. Cor. National
A Weekly.