Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-13
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MlNKS AND OFFERS WERE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

The Days When Muskrats and Coons
and Foxes and Wolves and Bears
Were the Peoples Money, So to
Speak. In New York State.
The mar 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 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.
''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. them" said he,
tvuhon nv folks cotf1o1 cop,otbip, 1l-o
seventy-fve years an more ago.. There
was currency enough then, L want to
tell We. 1t want silver. though. Nor
it WANT gold. Nor it want paper. 1t
was pelts. 49,. "
''The circ'latin' mejum O. the deestric
in them days run from muskrat clean
up to bar. There was minks an there
was offers, an the man hat could
manage to harvest plenty O. them crit
tiers was the man that stood way up
in the money market. But it want ev-
cry one that could gether 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 offers was what you
mowt call government bonds. Muskrats
Don an foxes an wolves an bars
was the peoples money, so to speak.
II 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 nc change. If you planked
down a coonskin, though, you'd git
your snifter an two muskrat skins
change.
"a Teller that went. in with a coon
skin he was tol'able well fixed, but
with a foxskin or a wolfskin he could
shop around quite some. A man with
a b'arskin -oh, well! Nobody didn't ask
questions about a man that had a
b'arskin with him when he went trad
in! &
1T didn't seem pertic'lar queer in
thena days the way things was run on
that pelt currency, but I've an idee it'd
strike folks u ieetle singular nowadays.
Pears to me I'd have to snort out
laughin' my W self if a Teller should
come to me an say:
deacon, I'm a leetle financially en-
barrassed today. Ken you lend me a
foxskin for a couple O. days or so?
THAT surely would make me smoker
If I heerd it now. An to hear some
shoppin' goin' on today like l use to
hear. it many a time l bet would set
me to gigglin' like all possessed. Some
thin like this, fer instance, over yender
to Uncle Sile's store:
"'How much fer them air cowskin
boots, Uncle Sile?' ST..
"'Them? Why, a fox an a coon.'
"'Leetle high, silas. Can't STAN it.
Give you three coons fer EN-
emo. Can't be did nohow. Best I
ken do is three coons an a muskrat.'
"That'd be funnier to me than q mig
ger show now. An somethin' like this
would bust my buttons, / know it
would:
"'Deacon. ken you give me change
fer a wolfY =
"'Yes, but I'll have to give you all
muskrats.'
"But We didn't think nothin' O. it in
them days. cause it was regular bust
ness. That circ']atin' mejum was a lee
t
tie onhandy in n way, though. Folks
had to carry their currency around in
a bushel bag if they vas out to do
much cash business, an if they was
b'arskin men, why, Judas preachin',
they had to carry it in a wagon.
"But them days O. pelt currency was
the good old days, I tell you. STILL" said
the deacon after a pause, II dunno but
] 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
Times.
Some time ago my daughter caught
a severe cold. She complained of
pains in her chest and had a bad cough.
! gave her Chamberlain's Cough Rem
edy according to directions and in two
days she was well and able to go to
school. / have used this remedy in
family for the past seven years and