Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-06-22
TRUST COMBINATIONS.
One That Existed IN Now York More
Than n Century Ago.

one Tint Existed In Now YORK More
Than u Century Ago.
A document has Just como to light
which shows that business, combina-
tions resembling trusts arc no new
thing, but were formed by merchants
in this city before the Declaration of
Independence was signed. In looking
over the records and papers left by
his father. who dicdin 1886, Mr.. Geo.
w. Campbell, senior member of the
firm of Campbell & Thayor. dealers in
linsced oil. 80 Maiden lane. one day
recently discovered musty, yellow
leaf had been torn from. some minute
book. 1t was among n lot of papers
that were considered of no account
except as antique relics, and had prob
ably never been read since the day old
Samuel Campbell, tho bookseller, put
it away. 1t was all in one handwrit-
ing, including tho signatures OF the
nine merchants names that were sub
scribed. showing that it was copy.
1t was dated New York. August 80,
1770. and read rs follows:
I'VE, the subscribers (being in pos
session of Bohca teal, do hereby most
solomnly engage to each other that We
will not from this moment sell, or en-
ploy any person to sell it for us, either
directly or indirectly. by tho casl or
larger quantity, for y less price than
five shillings aud sixpcncc currency
per pound. clear Of commission or
other charges, 10 any factor we may
employ"
Tho names of tho merchants were
Greg. Cunningham & Co., Jacobus
Van Zandt, Rad q Yates rheophilus
Bachc, Perry Hayes 6 Sherbrooke,
Christopher Smith. Thomas Randall.
Uriah Hendricks and Jacobus LeiTerts,
four of which appear in the first
directory of this city, which was pub
lished sixteen years later.
"How my father came by the docu-
mcnt, l can't say" said Mr.. Camp
bell yesterday. who is n wcll preserved
old gentleman. but | think 1t is
genuine. 1t certainly wasn't made
since his death in 1886 He camc to
New York between 1880 and 1890
from Edinburgh and opened u book
store on Hanover square, which he
kept until 1928. whom he sold out at
auction. l never heard Of another trust
that reached RS far back as that"
Mr.. John McKcsson, who is related
TO the Leiferts mentioned in the docu-
ment, has many historical relics of the
colonial period. Ic is over eighty,
and remembers many things that oc-
Cured in the early part Of this cent
ury.
II don't remember about any
trusts" he said. "but know that tea
was scarce, and they kept the price
up somehow pretty high. Bohea tea
was black tea. l haven't seen it for
years. 1t was tho cheapest grade and
tho kind most in use. Green tea cost
from two to three times os much. But
tea was luxury, aud We didn' drink
it every day. and when We did, on
festivo occasions. il was in very small
thimble-liko cups. The sugar with
which We sweetened the tea was q
luxury, too. for the refined sugar all
had to he imported. My conscience!
Sugar was so scarce that there was
only a small lump in each family.
This was tied 10 string and suspend
cd from the ceiling over the center of
tho table. The string was revolved
about the table, and each one took q
suck at the lump thus sweotening his
palate rather than his tea. No; each
ono didn't bite OF n piece; there wasn't
enough in the family for that. Coarse
brownsugar was commonly used for
other purposes, but oftenor molasscs.
They used to fry pork in molasscs"-
NJ Sam