Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-27
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MINks AND oTTeRs V ERE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

The Days When MusIxrats and Coons
and Foxes and Wolves and Benrs
Were the Peoples Money, So to
! Speak, In New York State.
The man Of leisure from New York
city who had been lazlng away a
fortnight or SO Of his not particularly
valuable time at Kyserick, in Ulster
county, N. Y, had made up his mind
to return to his haunts in the metropo-
lis and nonchalantly tossed the tavern
keeper q one hundred dollar note out
OF which to take pay for his bill. The
landlord could not change the note.
Neither could Deacon Blimber, who
was by. it4
1t was not until 1t had been sent all
about the neighborhood that any one
was found with currency enough on
band to "break" the bill. Farmer
Beacks had just received pay for his
seasons tater crop and had change for
more than 500.
at beats all, an it's singular" said
the landlord as he counted out the New
Workers. change, "what folks goes an
does with all their ready money. There
don't seem to be no currency no more
no currency a-circulatin' at all"
This seemed to be Deacon Blimber's
opportunity.
"You orto ben here, then" said he.
"when my folks settled, somethin' like
seventy-five years an more ago. There
was currency enough then, l want to
tell ye. 1t want silver. though. Nor
it want gold. Nor it want paper. 1t
was pelts.
"The clrc'latin' mejum O. the deestric
in them days run from muskrat clean
up to bar. There was minks an there
was otters, an the man that could
manage to harvest plenty O. them crit.
ters was the man that stood way up
in the money market. But it want ev.
cry one that could getber in minks an
offers, an SO muskrats an coons an
foxes an wolves an bars was the real
circ'latin' mejum In them days.
"Minks an otterS was what you
mowt call government bonds Muskrats
an coons an foxes an wolves an bars
was the peoples money, so to speak.
If you went to the tavern an planked
down your muskrat skin. you'd git your
snifter O. rum and tanzy, but you
wouldn't git no change. If you planked
down coonskln, though, you'd git
your snifter an two muskrat skins
change.
"a feller that went in with a COON
skin he was tol'able well fixed, but
with n foxskin or q, wolfskip he could
shop around quite some. A man with
b'arskin-oh, well! Nobody didn't ask
no questions about man that had a
b'arskin with him when he went trad
in!
at didn't seem pertic'lar queer in
them days the way things was run on
that pelt currency, but I've an idee it'd
strike folks aAleetle sing'lar nowadays.
Pears to me, I'd have to snort out
laughin' my own self if a feller should
come to me an say:
"'Deacon, I'm leetle financially en-
barrassed today. Ken you lend me q
foxskln for couple O days or soY
'"That surely would make me snicker
II l heerd 1t now. An to hear some
shoppin' goin' on today like / use to
hear it many time / bet, would set
me to gigglin' like all possessed. Some
thin like this, fer instance. over yender
to Uncle Sile's store: ~
GLOW much fer them air cowskin
boots, Uncle Sile?
"'Them? Why fox an, coon.'
"'Leetle high, sllas. Can't STAN it
Give you three coons fer 'em.'
"'No. Can't be did nohow. Best
ken do is three c6ons an a muskrat.'
"That'd be funnier to me than mig
ger show now. An somethin' like this
would bust my buttons, know it
would:
"'Deacon, ken you give me- change
fer wolf?
"'Yes, but I'll have to give you all
muskrats'
"But we didn't think nothin' O. it in
them days, cause it was reg'lar bust.
ness. That circ'latin' mejum was a lee
tie onhandy in one way. though. Folks
had to carry their currency around in
bushel bag If they was out to do
much cash business, an If they was
b'arSkin men. why, Judas preachin'.
they mad to carry it in wagon.
"But them days O pelt currency was
the good old days. tell you. STILL" said
tha dao rop M flor n poi1sa at d,,Dp0 hut
] ken manage to slide along jest as
cheerful In these days O. gold an silver
an paper currency, even though it is
all pervadin' skeerce."- New York
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