The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-31
ANACONDA NEWS.
VIRGINIA CITY PRICES
An Old-Time Merchants Day
Book Tells Of Them.
MANY QUEER OLD ENTRIES
Coal OH Was Four Dollars Gallon and
Tooth Brushes Two and One-Halr
Dollars Each Whiskey
& High Also.
MANY QUEER OLD ENTRIES

I Some of the early history of Virginia
City is wrapped up in curious old
day book Harry Friedman, the trav-
cling man, has picked up and conf1ded
to the care of Rod Williams. 1t gives
an adequate idea of the prices that
We're charged in the good old days.
&. The book was the property of store
doing a drug and general merchandise
trade in Virginia City in 1869 and the
entries extend over period of several
months. Many a famous old name is
found in the entries. The covers of
the book are gone. The fact is it is
a wreck, but the writing is clear and
distinct.
One of the chief patrons Of the store
seems to have been Dr. Peter Mussig-
brod, then practicing in the placer dis
trict metropolis. He was having pre-
scriptions filled for his patients almost
every day, and was also making extern
sive purchases of drugs.
Under the date of June &c. 1869, APP
pears the first entry in which his name
was mentioned, and the prices charged
him are noticeably low in comparison
with those charged other customers,
though high in comparison with pres
ent-day rates. He evidently received
a PROFESSIONAL IIldll 5 uiSCouul. III 81
purchase consisted of two ounces of Gu
bebs, so cents-now worth about Is
cents an ounce; one ounce of glycerine.
so cents-now worth cents, and two
ounces of elixir acid, so cents, which
could be bought to-day for about 10
cents an ounce.
Feb 8, 1869, the book was opened.
On that day Its record shows that D.
W. Silton purchased half ream Of
foolscap, for which he paid "a. On the
same date Thomas Shorougham paid
& for a pound of hops. These two en-
tries would indicate that taking shots
of hop" and writing extensively were
expensive luxuries in the old days, al
though some meagerly paid newspaper
men OF to-day find it possible to indulge
in both practices frequently and sinful
taneously.
On March 1, 1869, Bob Anderson must
have decided to improve his personal
appearance, for it was then he pur-
chased half dozen paper collars, pay
ing therefor So, and perhaps became
the dandy of the camp until his pur-
Chases went the way of all paper col
lars.
Whiskey was a commodity that was
dealt in extensively. A peculiar thing
about the entries of whiskey sales was
that when a man bore the title Of
Judge he secured his whiskey at a
price a little below that Of the common
herd, while still greater discount was
given to a major, and majors, accord
ing to the entries in this book, were
frequent purchasers of corn Juice Some
majors got it as low as $1.75 a bot
tie; but when plain Mr." II. j. White
1y went to buy a quart bottle March
20, 1869, he was charged $3.50.
Majors didn't confine their purchases
to whiskey. All entry, under date of
May Z, 1852 shows that Major Barley
on that day bought a gallon of coal oil,
paying for it "a, price that would stir
the soul of the Standard Oil company
of to-day with delight.
Little did Dr. Daems think when on
April 49, 1869. he purchased that which
would restore to his carefully tended
hair and splendid professional whis-
kers their old-time color that 80 years
after the confidential transaction would
be told to the world. Here is the damn
ing entry:
April IS. DR.. Daems to box hair
dye, s1.75.''
On the same date appears this entry:
Bowling alley, to 21a pounds chalk,
$500
May % Wells, Fargo & Co.'S express
office needed liniment perhaps for the
company's horses. Ten dollars was the
charge for a quart.
Whoever Bob Hedges might have
been, he had murderous intentions on
some one or something during that
summer, for on June 90 he bought
bottle of strychnine for which he was
charged $1.50.
Mrs. D. C. Farwell wife of the then
express agent at Virginia City. appears
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