Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-11-29

HAIL HALE PENNIES.

HALL HALF HEN NlES.
wittrHEY CROWD THE.ceNT PIECES
OUT OF THE FlELD7
The Organ Grinders and Professional Beg
gars viii Have to Hustlc-Even Church
Collections VIII Suffer, and 1.-TWO For q
Quarter" VIII De Ono For ~ 1.e.
It is tradition that the smallest coin
in circulation In tho mining camps Of
the west o few years ago was the dime,
and 1t was held to be such an insiguifl-
cant coin that n miner who was given
dino in change felt insulted.
In tho Mississippi valley the smallest
coin IN general use was the 3 cent
piece. The price Of the cheapest trifle
sold in tho shops was cents. Western
citizens who came to New York state
were amazed to see eastern people 60
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
cent. They found tho old fashioned
cart wheel American penny to be MIN
bio and active coin east Of the Allegha-
MES.
Probably there arc few people living
except coin collectors who have ever
seen half cent. In tho early days Of
tho republic there was such coin, and
80 years ago thrifty Yankees used to 60
to the shop and buy q half cents worth
Of candy for the children, or 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 o cent would buy about a.
much as 2 cents will purchase now. The
purohasing power Of money at the time
Of the American revolution is said to
have been four and one.sixth times as
great as 1t Is at present II the rate Of
pay in tho army kept pace with the de-
cline In the purchasing power Of mon.
ey, the soldier who got e13 a month for
carrying muslset during the war Of q
century ago ought now to receive $50 q
month.
Hard times have taken the American
penny by tho hand and travelled with It
across the continent. It entered the
western towns US shy stranger, but Is
now much at homo in them. Indeed 1t
is moro in evidence than the round and
dignit1ed silver dollar. while that for.
merly exclusive aristocrat, the $1,000
bill, is hardly ever seen.
1t has lately been proposed to revive
tho half penny and make it q member
Of tho lively family Of American coins.
Some people oppose the introduction
Of tho half penny on the ground that 1t
will mako 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 dir for the
half cent.
All the street musicians and all the
professional beggars are strongly op-
posed to tho introduction of the half
penny. They are going to petition con-
gress not to coin 1t. They feel that 1t
will be great injury to their profession.
Where 1t now takes a cent to get o
hand organ to move on it would take
only q half cent in the future, and O
tale Of woe that will now draw a penny
from the Golfers Of Russell Sage will
ere long be rewarded with only half
cent. Tho hand organ men and others
who follow beggary as chosen profess
sion say that the new coin will reduce
their receipts 80 per cent.
If they coin the half cent, begging
will no longer DO one Of the learned pro.
fessions," said battered 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 or
starve.
Tho ministers and plate bearers are
logically and intelligently opposed to 1t
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 q cent. Half tho
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 q cents worth Of pea
nuts or cents worth Of candy, he will
sell only half cents worth. And then
the children will want o little chrome
with the half cent purchase. The re.
ceipts Of tho confectioneries will be
likely to fall of 80 per cent, for, though
they will have moro customers with
the new half cent trade, their aggregate
sales will be smaller
Saloons which now sell one drink for
10 cents and two for quarter Will sell
drinks at 1917 cents apiece. Fifteen
cent cigars will be sold for 1917 cents
each.
The half cent will destroy the deci-
NAL system In prices. Eggs, oranges.
dry goods, bridge tickets, now sold &C.
cording to the decimal system Of prices,
will be sold hereafter according to the
fractional system brought IN BY the ON.
nipotent half penny.
The penny in tho slot machines must
90.
1t will be q farreaching financial re.
form.-New York Journal.
Philip Stutz. farmer Of this county,
and his wife Mary have had remark.
nH1a ~ ~; r,opio1 coroar Roipr 1rU,ora