The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-11-15

/ Sl6G6lt VI SlghCl "A1UC DCdAS,
from the ends OF periwinkle she'll, O.
black beads, made from clam shells
and after being polished artistically
arranged in strings or belts. One
black was worth two white beads
These beads not only had real valu
among the Indians, but in their sim
pie life made a perfect currency AM
gave evidence of the superiorit,
of these particular Indians. VAN
pun was early adopted b,
the colonists and soon be
came the prevailing currency. In /.
few years 'sSmart Alexis" among tn,
whites began to counterfeit wampun
by leaving the beads unpublished o.
unpierced or by making them of bone
horn, glass and even of wood. Boil
because of this depreciation and thu
need of the colonists (who were more
civilized, had greater division of labor
and who wished currency that could
be exported) for better money, wan
pun lost its place as money IN the diff
ferent colonies between the years '65(
and 100. It continued longer in use
in New Amsterdam (Hudson River
Valley, including NewJersey and Long
lland) than in other colonies, and il
| isto the strenuous but humorous eff
folts of the lawmakers of this colony
to prevent the inevitable that we now
wisl to call especial attention.
NJ. Simon w. Rosendale. of AL.
baDy New York, has recently pub.
lisheo ''The Involution Of Wampum as
Currelcy. It consists almost entire
~ of Ordinances of the Director and
Council. of New Netherlands regulat-
ing the Currency of Wampum." The
first lin .64I begins:
"Whenas, Very bad wampum is at
present Circulated here, aud payment
is made nothing but rough, un-
polished stiff, which is brought hith-
er from plaes where it is 50 per cent.
cheaper tha it is paid out here, and
the good, pdished wampum, common
ly called Manhattan Wampum, is
wholly put OF of sight or exported,
which tends the express ruin aud
destruction ofthis country; in order
to provide in lime therefor, We do,
therefore, for he public good, inter-
dict and forbid all persons of what
state, quality, " condition soever
they may be, to eceive in payment,
or to pay out, aF unpublished wan
pun during the nxt month of Nav,
except at five fc one silver lone
English penny, an that strung, and
then, after that, tx beads for one
silver. Whosoever 1all be found to
have acted contrar hereunto shall
Professionally forfeit the wampum
which is paid out and en- guilders for
the poor, and both paer aud payee
are alike liable. TIL well-polished
wampum shall remain,t its price as
before. to wit: Four IL one silver.
provided 1t be strung"
In 1647 a resolution permitting
loose wampum to circuEe, but de.
claring that all impeect beads
should be accepted only a bullion,
was passed.
Ga May 80, 1850, OWL to de-
probation, it was solemnly declared
that 'shenceforward no mo- loose
wampum shall be current or Sod nav
unless it be strung on cord. Never
theless t'to establish some ditrence
between the commercial wapum
and strung wampum, SO as in lture
to avoid all misunderstanding" .ery
one, under penalty of confiscati, Of
his trade or business, was commaled
to accept six white or three bck
commercial or eight white and f,r
black of "poor strung wampum" +
one silver.
On September IA, 1850. it was d.
clared that their previous ordinance
was not being observed or obeyed
They commanded every one under
penalty of 'stoppa2e for his trade O,
business to accept the poor strung
wsmpum at the rates fixed.
On January 8, 1867, the good Coun'
Gil again regretted the 'into'erable
dearness of all sorts OF commoditie:
and household supplies, the prices oil
which are enhanced from time to time
principally, among other causes, IL
consequence of the high price O
beaver and other peltries in this coun
try beyond the value, which, by rea
son OF the great abundance OF wan
pun, is advanced to ten, eleven and
twelve guilders for one beaver; and
wampum being for want of silver and
gold coin as yet the most general anc
common currency between man an6
man." They said that because brewers
bakers, grocers, ETC., "make a differ
ence of 80. 40 or so per cent. wher
they sell their wares for wampum OF
for beaver" that "the superior anG
inferior magistrates of this Province
are blamed, abused and cursed BY
strangers and inhabitants, and tbs
country generally receives bad name
while some greedy people do not hest
tate to sell the most necessary eata
bles and drinkables, according to theil
Unsuitable avarice, viz: the can O.
vinegar at Is 20 stivers; the can O.
oil at S guilders; the can o
French wine at 40 IS stivers; the
gill of brandy at Is stivers. and two
quarts of home brewed beer, far above
Its price, at IA Is stivers. etc. which
| the greater number endeavor to- ex
cuse on the ground that they lose .
| great deal in the counting of the wan
pun, that it is partly short and partly
long; that they must give IL IL anc
more gu1lders before they can convert
the wampum into beaver" Prices
were again fixed firmly under heavy
| penalties and the ordinance was pub
lished publicly.
In November, 1868, we find tn,
Council again Kicking Itself" be
cause,in defiance OF all its former ordi
nances, wampum had declined unit
it took 16 guiIders to equal l beaver,