Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-07
HAIL HALF PENNIES.
WILL THEY CROWD THE CENT PIECES
OUT OF THE FIELD?

Quarter" Will Be One For 12 1-2.
1t is tradition that the smallest coin
in circulation in the mining camps of.
the west few years ago was the dime,
and it was held to be such an insignifi-
can't coin that miner who was given
dime in change felt insulted.
In the Mississippi valley the smallest
coin in general use was the cent
piece. The price of the cheapest trihe
sold in the shops was 5 cents. Western
citizens who came to New York state
were amazed to see eastern people go
into the shops and buy cents worth
of yeast. They were also surprised to
learn that great number and great
variety of things might be bought for a
cent. They found the old fashioned
cart wheel American penny to be nim-
BILE and active coin east of the Allegha-
nies.
Probably there are few people living
except coin collectors who have ever
seen half cent. In the early days Of
the republic there was such coin, and
80 years ago thrifty Yankees used to go
to the shop and buy half cents worth
of candy for the children, or a half
cents worth Of tea, or half cents
worth Of tobacco.
Of course almost everything was
much cheaper than it is in these days,
and half a cent would buy about as
much as cents will purchase now. The
purchasing power of money at the time
of the American revolution is said to
have been four and one-sixth times as
great as it is at present. If the rate Of
pay in the army kept pace with the de-
cline in the purchasing power of mon
ey, the soldier who got S13 a month for
carrying musket during the war of a
century ago ought now to receive $52 a
month.
Hard times have taken the American
penny by the hand and travelled with it
across the continent. 1t entered the
western towns as q shy stranger, but is
now much at home in them. Indeed it
is more in evidence than the round and
dignifed silver dollar, while that for
merly exclusive aristoorat, the $1,000
bill, is hardly ever seen.
Tt has lately been proposed to revive
the half penny and make it q member
of the lively family of American coins.
Some people oppose the introduction
of the half penny on the ground that it
will make the penny feel too proud. AS
soon as the half cent makes its appear
ance the penny will go strutting about
with insufferable pride and vanity and
will entertain patronizing air. for the
half cent.
All the street musicians and all the
professional beggars are strongly op-
posed to the Introduction of the hall
penny. They are going to petition con.
gress not to coin it. They feel that il
will be great injury to their profession.
Where it now takes cent to get a
hand organ to move on it would take
only half cent i'll the future, and q
tale of woe that will now draw penny
from the Golfers of a Russell Sage will
ere long be rewarded with only hall
cent. The hand organ men and others
who follow beggary as a chosen profes
sion say that the new coin will reduce
their receipts 80 per cent.
''If they coin the half cent, begging
will no longer be one of the learned pro.
fessions," said tattered but indignant
man who solicits aims.
The street musicians say that the
half cent will reduce the hand organ
men to beggary. The beggars say that
it will compel them either to work OF
starve.
The ministers and plate bearers are
logically and intelligently opposed to il
because it will diminish the church col
lections. People who have been accus-
toned to put penny on the plate for
carrying on the missionary movement
will give only half a cent. Half the
missionaries in India and China must
come home.
The business of the little confection-
cries will fall off Where the owner in
happier days sold cents worth of pea
nuts or cents worth Of candy, he will
sell only half CENTS worth. And then
the children will want little chrome
with the half cent purchase. The re-
ceipts of the confectioneries will be
likely to fall off 80 per cent, for, though
they will have more customers with
the new half cent trade, their aggregate
sales will be smaller.
Saloons which now sell one drink for
Is cents and two for quarter will sell
drinks at 121a cents apiece. Fifteen
cent cigars will be sold for 121a cents
each.
The half cent will destroy the deci-
NAL system i'll prices. Eggs, oranges,
dry goods, bridge tickets, now sold ac-
cording to the decimal system of prices,
will be sold hereafter according to the
fractional system brought in by the om-
nipotent half penny.
The penny in the slot machines must
go.
1t will be farreaching financial re-
form.-New York Journal.
Squire Reagan once heard case il
which there were no witnesses, and the
statements Of plaintiff and defendant
were all the court had to decide by.
Of course the plaintiff swore to facts
that were directly contradicted by the
testimony of the defendant. Here was 6
dilemma, but the judge was equal tc
the emergency.
Gentlemen, said he, perjury is 6
very heinous offense, and should never
be imputed to any man unless for good
and substantial reasons Now, in this
case the court occupies the position Of
both judge and jury-judge as to the law
i'll the case and jury as to the fact and
the preponderance of the evidence.
Therefore, as jury, the court, well know
ing the law bearing on the case, finds
itself unable to agree, and as judge de-
clares it mistrial, and, again, as judge
grants new trial before jury in this
court at the next term of said court,
which now stands adjourned. AT
lanta Journal.
The Tailor's Apology.
A tailor living in Swinemunde strasse,
after receiving "sound cudgeling, :"
has had likewise to apologize in the
agony" column of a Berlin newspa-
per. The advertisement is as follows:
II herewith declare that the Journey
man blacksmith Harr Rarl " I, n