The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-03-17
THE ROOT OFALL EVIL
MONEY AND THE VARIOUS TERMS
USED IofDESiGNATE lT.

Mediums Of Exchange Among Many Ma
tions-Rude Articles That Were OF Stable
of the Great World.
In Great Britain at the time OF the
money-"living money" i. e.. slaves and
cattle, and dead money. that OF metal.
In the 18th century Nicolo and Matteo
Polo found a money in use In China
which was made of the inner bark of the
mulberry tree. and which 1t was death
by torture to counterfeit or to refuse to
take in any part of the country. Among
the South Sea islanders iron was so
valued that'it became money, and axes
a standard of payment, the value of other
articles being stated at so many axes.
Cowrie shells are used as small coins in
India, the East Indian islands and Africa,
more than 900 tons being brought to
Liverpool in 1851 from India to be ex-
ported to the African coast in exchange
for palm oil. In America wampum was
used by the Indians and was even coun-
forfeited in 1885 by the colcnists of Mas
sachusetts.
In India cakes of tea and in China
pieces of silk pass rs money, while at the
great annual fair at Nizhnee-N ovgorod in
Russia the price of ten has to be known
before the prices of other commodities
are fixed. it being the standard by which
all exchange of merchandise is regulated.
In 1871. quantities of pasteboard were
coined IN Holland, and in TITO in Scot
land werknien carried nails as money to
bake shops and alekouses. Notched
wood was used at one time In England,
and in central parts of South America
soap. chocolate, ~cocoanuts. eggs, etc.
pass as money. In British West Indies
until OF late years pins, a slice of bread,
a pinch of snuff or 4 dram of WHISKY
served the same purpose. In America
at various times raccoon. deer and bear
skins, corn. beef. tobacco ard Goldfish
have been legal tender.
The Jews. i'll addition TO their ordinary
money of shekels. talents and drains
OF silver. had Jewel money" To this
people we are also indebted to the use Of
paper money in lien Of hat Of metal.
And amony the curious facts i'm connec-
ton with this snblcct may be,noted that
the sum paid JIplas for TIE Betrayal Of
his master would be. according to the
relative value Of money in our day, 4
little more than 40 cents, IA small price
with whiel, 10 purchase eternal infarny.
The first mention OF money i'll any of the
ancient records speaks OF it as being
weighed and not counted, and no mutt
lated piece WIS; ever rejected. Under
the Norman kings silver was coined with
deep crosses, SO that smaller bits could
be obtained BY si:nply breaking off what
was required. something rs we tear of
postage stamps today.
An interesting study is found in trac-
ing out the, origin of the names of coins
familiar to us now. The American dol
Lar has quite a little history of its own.
In northern Bohemia is a little valley
called Joachimstal, or Joachim's valley.
and in the 10th century the reigning duke
of this region authorized this little min
ing city or district to coin q silver piece,
which was called Joachimstaller. But
the Joachim part of the name proving
too much for everyday use, it was dropped
and that OF thaler deemed sufficient. The
piece being of convenient size and well
nodded passed into general use in Ger
many and Denmark, and again under
went a change in photography, finally
turning mp as the s'daler," whence it
came into English as the dollar, and was
adopted as such by the Americans.
In France the Mexican dollar is gener-
ally called the .piastre," and the name
Is also applied to the American coin, but
in either case the appellation is incorrect,
for the name piastre, or plaster, has for
the past 90 years been applied correctly
only to a small silver coin used in Turkey
and Egypt, and which is worth from
about 5 to 8 cents in American coinage.
The word cent comes Of course from
centum. being a hundredth part of the
American dollar. the dime Also meaning
atenth.,
The word shilling is of Saxon origin
and was introduced into England by
that people. Pc g. formerly .pfen-
mig" was also bro. t into England by
the Saxons and was first coined in sill
yer and originally derived from the
word '.pand." to pawn. with the diminu-
tive suffix ing" The cognomen,
crown of the English piece. worth
ahnnt 81 90 in American cnina9e. was