Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-05-13
AN OLD LEDGER,
Its Leaves Tell Two Real Stories Of Cali
fornia Life in '49,

Its Leaves Tell Two Real Stories OF Cali
fornia Life in 40.
But here are two real stories unrav-
eled from the tangled thread of charges
and counter charges, that have plots
and denouements like novels. Among
the debtors of a firm. the name s.Pat
Doody'' occurs quite often. He was
miner, for there are many credits for
gold dust to his account For some
time, at decent intervals, he bought a
moderate amount of liquor; but sudden
II one Wednesday, the charges against
him for various kinds of alcoholic re-
freshments assumed alarming proper
tons. That day his liquor bill was $40,
the following day S23, and up to the
next Tuesday, or during six days, he
spent S99 for liquor. He did not con-
fine himself to one kind. but bought
about equal proportions of ale. claret,
brandy, gin and whisky, besides the
drinks" After this there is a suggest
i've absence of the name of Pat Doody
from the books for several weeks. Then
on two consecutive days there are two
charges to '.P. Doody (by Mrs. d."
Women, as every one knows, were very
scarce in the mines then, and this is the
only woman's name in the book. So
it seems that Pat had a wife. There
can be no doubt that his fearful week 5
spree had Frustrated him, and at last
she had to come to the store herself to
make some purchases. The first article
that she called for, or, at least, the first
article charged, is whisky, 81" The
next day, among other articles, she got
"whisky, So" These are signs that
Pat was coming to again. He had,
however, evidently learned the lesson
not to fool with mixed drinks, but to
stick to the good old Irish beverage.
whisky, and 60 it straight. Although
Mrs. Doody was compelled to buy 80
worth of liquor for her convalescent
husband, she was much more frugal in
her purchases than Pat had ever been,
for she also bought $50 worth of provi-
sions. Two days after this, ''P. Doody'
makes his appearance again. and is
charged with zone box of seidlitz pow
ders. So so" This move on the part of
Pat will be easily understood by any one
who is in the least familiar with the
habits Of the topers of those times.
These powders were very much esteemed
by them, and were taken as means of
regulating the disordered digestive APP
paratus after prolonged sprees. Innu-
merable boxes were sold, and $3.50 a
box was invariably charged.
The following incident happened
| about the same time as the former. 1t
seems that the firm had man doing
| teaming for them, who is simply called
| Dick in the accounts. Dick must have
| been an unusually hard drinker, for
| liquor charges against him are very fire.
quent. At last, on July q. 40, he was
paid 81, perhaps all that was due him.
although it is evident from a former
| item that Transfers received 5000 a
| month for their services. Immediately
| following the settlement is this men,
orandum: George commenced work in
place of Dick The experience of his
predecessor should have taught the new
week the charges against George for
champagne, champagne cider, ale,
wine and "drinks'' are even more
numerous than had formerly been en-
tered against Dick. Then George
name entirely disappears from the
books till, at the end of two weeks, the
| following memorandum occurs: Paid
for digging grave for George, $3.50. -
| There is something pathetic and char
acteristic of the times in the fact that
the last mention of the unfortunate
Transfers name is simply George. "
This is undoubtedly the only name by
which he was known, and If a head
board or rude stone was put up to mark
his grave, it bore the simple inscription
George" The $3.50 paid for digging
the grave was probably the only ex-
pense of the burial. Dead men were
rolled in the blankets in which they
died, and buried without ceremony.
Collins were seldom used, for lumber
was scarce and costly. The miners
were glad to get enough lumber for
the cradles with which they washed
their dirt. A small cradle containing
about fifteen feet of lumber was worth
$40.
Dick was then reinstated in his old
position. He, in turn, did not take
warning by the even more serious ex-
perience of George. On the very day OF
the grave-digging memorandum there
are two liquor charges against Dick,
and almost every day thereafter he is
charged with more or less liquor
Overland Monthly.