The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-05
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MiNkS AND Offers WERE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

and Foxes and Wolves aui 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 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 a one hundred dollar note out
Of which to take pay for his bill. The
landlord could not change the note.
Neither could Deacon Rlimber, who
was by.
It 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 bad just received pay for his
seasons tater crop and had change for
more than 500.
"It 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.
'sYou orto ben here, then," said he,
when my folks settled, somethin' like
seyenty-f7e years an more ago. There
was currency enough then, I want to
tell ye. It want silver. though. Nor
It WANT gold. Nor it want paper. 1t
was pelts.
'The circ'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 1t want ev-
cry one that could gether in minks an
offers, an so muskrats an GOODS 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 musk-at skin, you'd git your
snifter O. rum and tanzy, but you
wouldn't git no change. If you planked
down q coorskin, though, you'd git
your snifter an two muskrat skins
change.
"a feller that went IN with a COON
skin be was tol'able we'll fixed, but
with a fozskin or a wolfskin he could
shop around quite some. A man with
b'arskin-oh, well! Nobody didn't ask
no questions about man that had q
b'arskin with him when be 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 leetle siDg'lar nowadays.
Pears to me I'd have to snort out
laughin' my own self if feller should
come to me an say:
"'Deacon, I'm q leetle financially en-
barrassed today. Ken you lend me a
foxskin for couple o days or so?'
THAT surely would make me smoker
If l heerd it now. An to hear some
shoppin' goin' on today like | use to
hear it many a time bet would set
me to giggln' like all possessed. Some
thin like this. fer instance. over yender
to Uncle Sile's store:
"tHow much fer them air cowskin
boots, Uncle SileT
"'Them? Why. a fox an q coon.'
"'Leetle high, Siias. Can't STAN it.
Give you three coons fer 'em.'
"'No. Can't be did nobow. Best l
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. 7 know it
would:
"'Deacon. ken sou give me change
fer wolf?
ayes, but III have to give you all
muskrats.'
"But we didn't think nothln' O. it in
them days, cause it was reglar busi-
ness. That circ'latir' mejum was 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'arsldn men, why, Judas preachin',
they had to carry it in wagon.
"But them days O pelt currency was
the good old days. tell you. STILL" said
the deacon after a pause, II dunno but
I ken manage to slide along jest as
cheerful in these days O gold an silver
an paper currency. even though it is
all per7adin' skeerce." New York