Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1892-05-12
COMPARISON OF PRICES OF FOR.
TY YEARS AGO WITH THOSE
OF THE PRESENT.
No Mortgages on Audrain Lands Then
When the Mother WOye the Wear.
ing Apparel For Her Family.
The Tariff For Protection, Thrust on the
People by the Republican Party. En-
riching the Baron Manufacturers of
the East and Bearing Down
Upon the Producer.
To the Editor of the Ledger.

|
my office vault this morning, my
eye CHANGED to rest upon dust-cov-
cred and shelf-worn record. | took
il from its long resting place and
pursued its time-tattered pages, now
brown with age. 1t proved to be a
merchants account book-a ledger
of the firm of Thornton, Northcutt &
Co., dating back into the fifties.
With curious but almost reverent
touch | turned its musty pages and
read with wonder the doings of COM
merce in the then infant days of
our now proud but progressive city.
As leaf by leaf | turned its yellow
pages the lives, faces and fates of
those whose names are therein
written came back and were before
and around me. How intimately
they and their family history are
connected with and woven into the
growth and past development of
Audrain County. AS | scanned
from page to page | could but con-
trast the then with the now and
think and ponder over the mighty
changes and the unnatural and I'M
reasonable positions that the sons
and descendants of some of these
grand old pioneers have taken in
these latter days of political degen
eracy and unprincipled political
and social affiliation. The very
corner stones and charter-principles
OF the commercial, social and politi-
cal faith of our fo efathers are being
changed upon the delusive decep-
ton that the new is better than the
old. Oh, that we could call back
the honor confidence and valor of
that olden time. But the war-the
honor-humiliating, oath breaking,
virtue, truth and Notwithstanding
war-we will never recover from its
demoralizing effects. Some say that
it is politics that has unsettled socie-
ty, y,unhinged husbandry set at naught
ard defiance the examples and doc
trines of our ancestors, and, in fact,
ruined our happiness, our prosperity
ard our once contented country.
But we do not believe it. The ex-
istence of two political parties is an
absolute necessity to the perpetulty
ard prosperity of the American
Union. For either party with
out the other becomes corrupt
and dictatorial. We look to an
other source for most of the ills
we bear and seemingly know not or,
knowing, dare not rid ourselves of
the yoke of bondage that we have
worn 50 long. Let us look into this
old book. Again, we see from it
that Samuel A. Murray and John
G. Dingle, two of the grandest men
who ever lived in Audrain County,
were teamsters, who hauled in
wagons from Hannibal nearly all
the merchandise that was sold in
Mexico, for which they received IS
cents per hundred pounds. But
notice what those goods were. sold
at. We know most of the families
of these customers, but the old
folks have nearly all passed away.
Goods sold in 1854 to 1856.
A. E. Inflow, to 100 lbs. -four s. 50; now 81 80.
Jas W. Kilgore, tos yards calico, 81; now cts.
to 6t2 cts. per yard.
j. Ct. Muldrow, to IL lbs. best N O. sugar, 81;
now cts. to 5 cts per lb.
Thos. Brown to man S wool hat, 81 ID now 80
cts. to 81.
DaI. ! Gaibreath, to fourth reader, 55 cts; now
4U cts.
J. IL Pearson, to 10 yards Indian Head 80
cts; now cts. per yard.
| j. n. Pearson, to 10 yards calico, 81 10; now 4
| to 6is cts, per yard
| Isaac Black, to OF. gum camphor 10 cts; now
to cts. per OF.
T. e. Stone to zinc washboard, 10 cts; now Ii
| cts.
W. o. johnson, to pair small boys boots
| 81 =; now 81 to 81 .25.
William Young, to l gallon melasses, IS cts;
! 45 cts.
DIR. N Allison, to lbs. almonds, socts; now IL
! &c ~ cts.
DR.. N. Allison. to . lbs. candy, IS cts; now 10 to
| 70 cts.
Alfred Cauthorn, Parker Philosophy, 81; now
Reuben Canterbury. to ! doz- spin cotton, q
cts: now Is cts. per doz.
n. 3. Barnett, to lb. shot 10 cts; now sis cts.
| per ib,
N. B. Barnett to / lb. powder, 35 cts; now %
cts.
N. 3. Barnett, to H. soda, Wcts; now cts
DR.; Ed. Raeklitf, to pair calf boots, si 80; now
John Gregg, to Is lbs. nails, 81 6s; now cts
| per lb.
Joha Gregg, to two spools thread. 20 cts: now
/ cts.
Joha Gregg, to one paper pins. 10 cts; now cts
R. Gibbs, TO 10 lbs coffee, 81 80; now 2sis cts
! par ID.
Joseph Rutledge, to 2 lbs. crackers, 40 cts; now
| SITS
! whiskey per pint, 10 cts: now 80 cts.
/ Tol aeco per III, 30 cts: now IS cts.
The people sold to merchants
then or to others.
/ A. u. Inflow, 3 loads of wood, So; now 81 50.
Joha S. Bishop, 3 doz. eggs, 90 cts; now 30 cts
Johi Bishop. bushel dried apples 81; now 81 60
wni. d. Harrison, l7Ug lbs hams, shoulders
! al d sides at 2 cts per ID: now to 10 cts.
She Hed oats, 100 bushels, Is cts: now 30 cts.
A g,od sucking mule then brought SIS to Ss5
nav $40 to SO.
Thrse-year- steers, SIS to SIS; now Sss Il
I SCI
Agod farm horse $50 ito SO; now SIS 20 500.
A gr,od milk cow, IS 10 SO; now SIS to $50
god two horse wagon from 500 to $50; nov
$5lto so;
There were no mortgages ON the