The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-30


English Denominations - Canada
ans Do Not Know What an Ameri-
can Dollar Means--FBalf Cents Are
Made by Cutting the Current Coin
I'm Twain.
From the Boston Globe.
The east and west branches OF Penobscot
river unite at Midway and proceed south
to the sea. passing over a number OF
dams before reaching tidewater at Bangor,
Me. The logs in all the big drives are
held up at Pea cove. above Oldtown, and
are sorted out to their respective owners,
every man getting the timbers which bear
his mark.
The tow big railroads in Eastern Maine
branch off at Oldtown, one going east to
Nanceboro and ST. John and the other
going north and east to Moosehead lake
and Caribou. For the above reason Old
town contains a larger transient popula-
ton and greater diversity of language
than any other city in Maine. In the au-
tumn, when the choppers are going to the
woods, and again in midsummer, when
the drives come out. the little city is filed
with babel of tongues that is not eaualed
anywhere In New England except in Fall
River. Mass These people do not only
talk in strange languages, but they COM
pute the prices of the goods they buy in
denominations that ere unfamiliar A few
evenings ago a French-Canadian walked
into q crowded grocery store after a
round of salt pork
You will please to me sell twenty
pounds ie salt pork" said he In his best
English
Yes" replied the trader. Anything
else?' ''e
No. Eet ISIS pork that ah'm bin want.
How much?" r.
Eight cents pound-s1. 60 for the lot :,
one dollar seektyl Oui, outflow much
heem be. Ah'm no comprehend VOLTA ~
Eight francs" replied the grocer.
Eight francs-oui vraimenti Ahm nav
heem now" said the Frenchman. He took
@ Dollar In paper and a 50-cent piece and n
lucent piece in silver from his pocket
DOCK and gave them to the trader, saying
as he went out:
Send heem oop."
shilIinRs Are Current.
Later in the evening an old farmer who
was on ms way home from Bangor 20 Ar
ing:
Let me- have pound of your s-shlll-
ing tea"
I'm sorry to say that I'm all out Of 10
cent tea" replied the trader, "but can
sell you some that is a lot better for g.
cents"
"All right" said the farmer. make n
three and ninepence. l guess can stand
it,"
AS the evening grew late and trade fell
or the grocer lighted his pipe and sat
down upon stool back Of his desk
IT'S queer about them two men," said
he. ITO hear 'em talk you'd think one was
a native Frenchman and the other was a
blooming Englishman, but they amt
one was born up In Quebec and has lived
In Oldtown for more than twenty wears
The other Is OF Plymouth Rock stock and
was born In the house where he now lives
more than sixty years ago. They are both
citizens and vote at every election. They
are fairly well educated. too but neither
Of them can talk United States when he
comes TO counting money. Both OF them
know Ill about our currency, SO you can't
cheat them for half cent, but when they
have 10 put the names OF value into words
they go away back for more than a CEN
fury and talk the lingo of their forefath-
ers. humor their whims and get good
part of their trade. because IL I talked
shillings and pence TO the farmer or francs
| and sous 10 the lumbermen they'd quit me
right away. Both Of them seem TO think
they hold monopoly on the outiandiSh
lingo and resent any Interference
what makes the business seem strange
| to me Is that Congress fixed upon dollars
and cents as the standard of value moro
than 100 years ago, and not over $40 rev
| Frenchmen have come over to Canada
since Quebec was captured by Wolfe's
troops in 1853. and yet both men ding 10
| their old methods Of talk ns IL II was he
| latest thing out. or course we expect the
| people OF Cuba and Porto Rico to bold
on to their old Spanish way Of counting
money for some years to come, but II any
body should say that they'll name moaey
values the way they do now In the year
1000 he'd be called a fool. SIN, that's just
what a lot of our home people are doing.
and I rather think their children and
grandchildren Will have the same habit.