The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-23

MONEY lF PRIMITIVE PEOPLES.


Every race IA the world has some
sort OF money, and as far back as
archaeologists have dug in the records
Of antiquity they never failed to find
some thing or things that serve as a
standard OF value. To this day IN
parts Of Africa. among some tribes Of
American Indians, and In various South
Sea islands the natives cling to their
own money. and spurn an offer OF gold
or silver.
Almost anything may be used as a
basis Of exchange. when all traders
accept them at the same value and
they pass current In exchange for an
other products. In Palestine In the
days Of Abraham and the patriarchs
cattle was the standard. IN Virginia
during the colonial period tobacco was
the currency. and al the same tine
some Englanders used Goldfish. In
Abysslnia salt was employed. rice IN
japan, silk IN China, and sugar in the
West Indies Nearly everyone raised
these products and they served as
basis for an estimate OF a mans tam
gible wealth. and we're readily ex-
changed for whatever else he might
need. The custom survives to-day IN
certain parts Of North Carolina and
Tennessee, where hides and pelts and
whisky are the basis or exchange.
But these commodities, although a
legal tender. were not really money. IN
the sense Of being coins. In olden
lines. before silver and gold became
the universal standard OF value. IN fact
before any metal coinage at an was
extant. all sorts OF things were en-
ployed as money. The Inconvenience
Of swapping commodities became ap-
parent and some natural form was by
common consent invested with the rep.
resentative quality and thus served the
purpose IN their tranic.
Shells. in some form or other. have
always been a faYorite money with
tribes Of men near the coasts. OF those
that are IN most general use Is the
cowrle. or prop shell, which is found
IN Pacific waters. Until very recently
Il was the standard coin OF HIndustan
IN southern Pacific islands. and on the
coast Of Africa A man who wished 10
do business with the natives had IN
have plentiful supply OF cowrles for
they would accept no other currency
4 is said that a man who lived IN
Cnitark, India, built him a house worth
$1,000. and to pay bis employees ~
spent 100000 Of the shells. In every
place on the coast OF Africa these shells
were regarded as money. and In spite
of their abundance we're regarded as
valuable. They we're the financial me-
dup &. iho African slave trade. and
many a poor negro has been sold for
a greater or less number OF cowries
Cowries are yet used as money in
many islands OF the Pacific ocean
which have not yet been drawn In
close commercial relations with the
world az large. A traveller relates thar
q starving man could not buy a meal
with gold or silver to-day IN the his
mark Islands. where To-Kinkin IA king
and cowries are a legal tender. Gold
is so much dr0ss. but "dewarra." as II
is called. made from cowrle shells. viii
bay anything. Small holes are bored
into the shells. which are strung on
pieces Of rattan about the diameter Of
a piece Of twine. Six feet OF this
money Is worth about a dollar and
when the possessor wants 10 buy a
dimes worth Of anything he chops on
a section with his knife and hands II
over Usually the money Is worn n
q coil around the natives neck when
DE- gees shopping. Chief To-IIinkin
g the richest man in the Islands He
has a big house filled with cowries
whioh he lends to hts subjects at 10
per cent interest Many Young men
borrow money from the chief to buy
wives. who cost about sixty feet Of
chain each. In the Bismark Islands
PITFALLS are also currency. The pig is
a highly honored animal. and hk tain.
f~7u.ifully coiored. adds value I'd any
s. .ng e which Il may be atachtd.