The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-09-20
How Time Has Affected Local Money.

How Time Has Affected Local Money.
The Spokane Outburst notes the fact
the copper cents are coming into very
general use, and that there are nine to
welcome it to one who deprecates an
approach to the day of small things.
Time was, within the memory Of some
of us pioneers, when "quarter" was
the unit of value, and the noble red
man who was then the universal servi-
tor, would have spurned any less a.
mount, had it been available, in ex-
change for the most trivial service.
Those were the halcyOn times when
the octagOn "slug," or fifty-dollar gold
piece, passed from hand to hand as a
measureJ OF larger values, and this was
supplemented by the "GIoffat" five and
ten dollar gold pieces, which resembled
very much in appearance those govern
ment coins of the present day. They
were issued for convenience by q bank
ing firm in San Francisco, and con-
tanned five and ten dollars worth of pure
gold The smaller currency consisted
of Mexican dollars and few American
half and quarter dollars. The supply
OF money was OF course not large, but
being in possession Of a sparse popula-
ton, it seemed to be much more plen-
tiful than now, and competent Jour
neymen could readily command from
five to ten dollars for days labor. A
few oid-fashioned copper cents, brought
"the plains across" by an immigrant
when he arrived in Olympia passed
quite readily as curios at the unit of
exchange yalue-as quarters. Whis-
ky then sold for "two-bits" drink.
and Il survival of Pacific coast customs
IS still observed in reduction to cone
bit" coin that never has existed. by
which fifteen cents has been invaria-
bly, charged for a single drink, and if
the dime was "blown in" for another
glass Of "the same" the bartender
would toss it into the till with an air
OF disdain. In the good old DAYS, up
to about the middle of the "sixties. y
eight dimes readily passed for dollar,
and it was not till the newcomers. de-
nominated "tenderfeet," imported
dimes for the express purpose of pass
ing them off in trade at profit of 90
per cent that it became necessary to
readJust frontier customs to conform
TO the changes wrought by time.
Even then the change was gradual and
Tor time nine dimes were received for
one dollars worth of merchandise
Then another step was made and the
dlme was accepted as a factor in bust
ness transactions at It's true value. but
at the same time a vigorous protest
was made against the nickel. which
was beginning to find its way to this
coast. This price of every commodity.
except whisky, was placed at multiples
OF ten, and for many years the five
cent-piece, as change, was only recog-
nlzed by the banks.
Now another change is coming a.
bout, and the cent is meeting with
about the same reception as its pred
ecessors, the dime and the nickel. in
making change. The establishment
OF gold coin as standard is materially
AIDING It's copper-colored brother in
obtaining a footing, for now almost
anything IN the shape of money "coes y
from eernecessity. Should the gold
bugs be successful in their crusade
the time will doubtless come when
The poor man will have to content
himself with a coin that has no mlsi-
cal jingle when it is turned over in his
pocket, and which when thrown unon
the counter falls with dull tbud that
finds no responsive echo in his heavy
lheart-Stantiard