The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-01-08
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MiNkS AND OFFERS WE'RE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

The Days When Muslsrats and Coons
and Foxes and Wolves and Bears
Were the Peoples Money, So to
Speak, In New York State.
The man OF leisure from New York
city who had been lazing away
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 a 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.
1t was not until it had been sent all
about the neighborhood that any one
was found with currency enough on
hand to "break" the bill. Farmer
Beacks had just received pay for his
seasons later 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-clrculatin' at all"
This seemed to be Deacon Blimber's
opportunity.
You orto ben here. then" said he,
when my folks settled. somethln' like
seventy-nye years an more ago. There
was currency enough then, l want to
tell We. 1t want silver. though Nor
1t want gold. Nor it want paper. 1t
was pelts.
THE clrc'latln' mejum O. the deestrlc
In them days run from muskrat clean
up TO bar. There was minks an there
was offers, 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 1t want ev-
cry one that could gether In mlnks an
offers, an so muskrats an coops an
foxes an wolves an bars was the real
clrc'latin' mejum in them days.
"Minks an offers 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. IL you planked
down coonskin, though, you'd git
your snlfter an two muskrat skins
change.
70 In, Will,
skin he was tolable we'll fixed, but
with a foXskin or wolfskin he could
shop around quite some. A man will
barskin-oh, WE'LL Nobody didn't ash
no questions about man that had {
b'arskin with him when he went trad
in!
ut didn't seem pertlclar queer IL
them days the way things was run OIL
that pelt currency, but I've an idee IT.
| strike fnlI,s a i<>~Ai, .is.s-iar ii0utouys
Pears TO me I'd have TO snort ou
laughin' my own self If feller shoul,
come to me an say:
"'Deacon, I'm leetle financially EN-
barrassed today. Ken you lend me I
foxskin for couple o. days or SOP
"Tbat surely would make me smoker
| IL l heerd It now. An to hear some
shoppln' goln' on today like | use tC
| hear 1t many time | bet would sci
me to glgglin' like all possessed. Some
thin like this, fer instance, over yender
to Uncle Slle's store:
"'How much fer them air cowskin
boots, Uncle SleT
"'Them? Why, fox an COON
"Leetle high, Silas. Can't stan 1t.
Give you three coons fer EN-
"'No Can't be did nohow. Best !
ken do is three coons an muskrat.'
"That'd be funnier to me than mig
ger show now. An somethin' like this
would bust my buttons, know 1t
would:
"'Deacon, ken you give me change
fer wolff
's'Yes, but I'll have TO give you all
muskrats.'
"rut we didn't think nothin' O 1t in
them days, cause 1t was reg'lar busi-
ness. That circ'latin' mejum was lee
tie onhandy In one way, though. Folks
had to carry their currency around In
a bushel bag If they was out to do
much cash business, an IL they was
b'arskln men, why, Judas preachln'.
they had to carry 1t In wagon.
But them days o pelt currency was
the good old days. tell you. Still" sud
the deacon after pause, 81 dunno but
l ken manage to slide along jest as
cheerful In these days O gold an silver
an paper currency, even though 1t Is
all pervadin' skeerce." - New York
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