The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-07-26
the BRIDGE OF DEBTS.
How the People OF Possey Keep
Their Accounts Straight.


The Credit system" rs il is ordinarily
known nowadays, appears to belong to
an advanced state Of society, and to be
impracticable under simple conditions OF
life, but it isin use, nevertheless, in some
very primitive communities. says a writer
in Youths Companion. In the valley Of
Possey, in the Austrian Tyroi. where the
Alpine inhabitants lead simple life,
practically all business and work are on
Quoted on credit, subject to an annual set
Element. On certain day in winter the
inhabitants Of the valley meet at the
bridge OF st. Leonards', a place which is
convenient to all, and the day is spent in
balancing accounts.
The first business in order at these meet
ings is the payment Of debts. Every one
pays what he owes; some depend upon
what they collect to meet debts owed to
others, but the inhabitants Of Possey are
thrifty and honest, and there is usually
money enough TO go around.
The bridge of St. Leonards', in other
words. is the clearinghouse OF the valley
Of Possey.
After the debts are paid. contracts are
entered into for the next year. Labor en-
cages itself, and the farmers crops are
often bargained for in advance.
II any debtor fails TO appear at the
bridge and meet his dues on this ''squar-
ing-up" day he is practically cut off from
further dealings with the other inhabi.
tants Of the valley. No more credit is al
lowed him and he is generally fain TO re-
establish himself in the good will of his
fellows by paying his debts as soon as be
possibly can. To be able to hold up ones
head on the bridge is the test OF solvency
and honor.
There is tradition in the Tyrol that
once, long time ago, after year Of
scarcity and. disaster, the inhabitants OF
the valley Of .Possey met at st. Leonard's
bridge. Each one owed some one else
and each one was owed by some one else.
Consequently each depended upon being
paid by his neighbor who owed HIM in
order to pay his neighbor whom he owed.
But as no one appeared to have any
money, no ones debts could be paid.
The people stood about in despair until
presently a well-to-do miller, who was
known to have money, arrived.
"Goodl" said Hans Melchoir the tailor.
Here is Wilhelm Cutpfennig. He will
set the ball rolling. Whom do you owe,
Wilhelm"
'No one."
$50? Well, will you lend me forty
gold thalers until noon?"
The miller thought the matter over for
q moment.
"Yes," he said; ~ believe you are
honest, Hans Melchoir. will lend you
the money"
He advanced forty thalers to Hans,
who used it to paw his debt to PETER the
weaver, and PETER the weaver passed it
on to discharge his obligation to another
citizen, and SO it went from hand to hand,
discharging the very moderate debts Of
the Possey inhabitants until ii came to
the last man, who happened to owe Hans
Melchoir Just forty thslers. He paid il,
OF course, and with it Melchoir at once
settled his debt to Gutpfennig the miller.
Now, since the miller had paid himself
out OF the grists as he went along, and
was owed by nobody, his forty gold thai
ers had paid all the debts in Possey, and
though every one else had come to the
bridge In the morning moneyless, every
one went home in the afternoon solvent
and hanny.