Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-06


1t is quite interesting to look over old
accounts that show the manners and
prices prevailing in the days of our fore
fathers. ". b Neal Of this city, kindly
allowed the writer to inspect and make
notes from the well preserved account
book of his great great grandfather, VIM.
Barker. 1t was commenced somewhere
about the year 1882. The wording Is often
very quaint and suggestive. partiularly
when one so often finds the charge OF
one mug toddy, and in one instance a
charge of zone mug of toddy. lost in
play" This was here on the shore of the
kennebec when Gardiner must have
been quite wild and primitive, sort of
bowling wilderness" And yet in the
accounts are many goods charged at prices
not so very far away from present prices,
The difficulty as to select these from the
multitude of charges for :" / gal rum,
Il gal. mol, both being at that time
the family necessity, doled our by the
'deacons' and imbibed freely by the
ministers. The price for one gallon of
ram one gallon of molasses or six pounds
of sugar. drown, Of course being the
same, six shillings, SD. Three pounds
of coffee was also 81; . pounds tobacco, 80
cents; barrel flour, about sl1.50 ?
quarts vinegar, % cents; probably it, like
'all goods at that time, was nearer being
pure and unadulterated than now. One
pair blankets >7.75 they had not then
learned how to card in the cotton so cum
ningly Shingles, $40 per thousand
only one quality then, all good. One
Jack knife, 80 cents; rum and sugar, 4
pence; 6 sheets writing paper. pence
i pound gunpowdcr, 68 cents; l almanac,
Is cents: (we think it high now ut 10
cents)i T.. bushel wheat, So cents: yard
linen cloth, ST. lucky for them, the
billed shirt with llnen bosom WAS NOT
then fashionable. one hair comb. 33
cents; ! cake soap % cents: 100 board
nails, ;;i3 cents: - l pint rum in sling ;"
no price; | set knives and forks. (no
nickel or silver plate them about So =
cups and saucers. 90 cents; > nutmegs,
33 cents; l days work, rs cents: bushel
corn, $40; 2 pounds raisins, so cents .
. mug toddy when grinding ak, this
was no doubt TO jog the memory of the
delinquent; / quire writing paper, 33
cents; pounds butter, 33 cents; pounds
shot, 20 cents; y pound tea. % cents; 6
glass, 7x9, 6S cents unjust have seen
through glass darlzly' in many of the
houses); / paper pins, II cents; Bibles,
sl.S7; Qikely they interpreted 1t a little
rum for the stomach's sake"); horn
comb, Is cents; l felt hat, Sl.1s; yards
flannel, Sl.33; / bushel potatoes, 80 cents;
AK. si.33; fish hooks, cents; IS musk
rat skins, IS; raccoon skin, 20 cents; l
beaver skin, $40; 6 flints ~ cents One
poor man had taken up his whole account
for work in rum. The names of Andrew
McCausland, Jas. Stackpole, Beniah Dow,
Joshua Reed, Andrew Douglass, Barna.
has Baker, Eliph Smith. Joseph Haley.
Sam'l Norcross, Capt. Conner.
Abijah Richardson, Eben Dunlap,
Nathan Berry, Jas Winslow, An
drew Rradstreet, Bepi Hinckley.
and multitude of familiar names are
here recorded, and in looking over these
old accounts it freshens the memory of
our heroes of the long ago. revealing his
tory of the hardships they endured, that
we might enjoy the luxurles of the
present time, although no doubt they
were then more contentsd and happy
than their descendants of 1896.