Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-06-25
PENNY WISE.
Change In the Money Using Habits Of the
People.

People.
Americans of the class who 60 to
Europe take note that in Germany a
coin is used called ~ pfennis and
worth Il quarter of Il cent and that
in France Centimes are in use, which
are current ut one fifth of q cent.
This practice of using money in such
minute divisions excites the con-
tempt of Americans, which is, how
over, returned by the Germans and
French and is expressed freely at the
foolish and wasteful Americans
who, in their own country, make no
use of any coin less than Il cent.
And yet there is change gradual
ly extending over the United States
in what may be called the money
using habits of the people. There
was Il time within the remembrance
of western and southern Americans,
before United States silver coin was
in general circulation in the Missis-
sippi valley, when the picayune, a
Spanish coin worth when in good
condition Ga cents and when worn
smooth cents, was the smallest
coin in use. From the picayunc
came the word picay unish, signify
ing small, mean, renurious ma
ture In New England, where the
people SO divided the dollar as to
create many fractions and continued
to speak of shillings, pence and half
pence long after our separation from
England, copper coinage was main
tanned, and people contended for the
odd cents and even half cents due
them in making change from the
earliest ages, but beginning west of
the Hudson there was until a CON-
paratively recent period an absence
of copper coins, nothing for sale at
less than cents and general dis.
position to speak lightly of even s
cent transactions.
This has, within the present gen.
Grafton, greatly changed. The nickel
has come to stay, and cents are ov-
erywhere in circulation. The gov
eminent set all example in first re-
duoing letter postage to 3 cents and
later to 2 cents, The proud, naughty
and lavish American found himself
compelled to deal in coins less than
5 cents. The cheapening of postage
led to the selling Of many articles
of common use, such as newspapers,
at less than cents, and whatever
sacrifice of pride it may have cost,
the average American found himself
buying these things at the reduced
prices and dealing in nickels and
pennies. 1t was a come down, but
1t came.
1t should be remembered that
these SO called dealings were not the
result of decreasing wealth in the
country, since the supply of money
In the country has been steadily in.
creasing for many years, but were
the effect of increasing sense. The
massive and yet acute intellect Of
the American has erasped the fact
that there is no reason why he
should buy more OF a given article
than he needs or pay for it twice as
much as is asked. Slowly the most
intelligent and best educated inhab-
liant OF the earth has surrounded
the operation of buying Il cents
worth of something, it that is what
he needs, and paying cent for 1t,
With the increased use OF smaller
change has como the practice of buy.
ing and selling most things at once
unheard of prices. Tho word cheap,
once unpopular with Americans, il
quite common now. There is high
price and a low price tor everything.
and we'll to do people are not afraid
or ashamed to pay the latter.
We have not arrived yet at the
pfennig and the centime, but we
may get there. We do not save
matches and candle ends and Jumps
OF sugar which we have once bought
and paid for, as they do In the old
countries, but there is no good rea.
con why we should not. With all
our wisdom there is no just cause
why we should not accumulate pen,
ny wisdom. 1t is hard to predict
what the United States might arrive
ut if, in addition to being the richest
country in the world, it was in the
habits Of its people the most sensi.
BILE and saving. Kansas City Star.