Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-01-09
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MINKs AND OFFERS WERE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

| GOVERNMENT oJiNISs
The Days when Musl1rats 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 lGl keen 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 L. UNITS in the metropo-
lis and nonchalantly tossed the tavern
keeper 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
hand to 'sbreak" the bill. Farmer
Beacks had just received pay for his
seasons later crop and had change for
more than 500.
ut 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-fve years an more ago. There
was currency enough then, want to
tell ye 1t 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 offers, an the man that 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 coops an
foxes am wolves an bars was the real
circ'latin' mejum i'll them days
"Minks an offers was what you
mowt call government bonds. Musklats
an coons an foxes an wolves an bars
was the peoples money, so to speak.
IT 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 a coonskin, though, you'd git
your snifter an two muskrat skins
change.
"A Teller that went in with COON
skin he was toPable 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
no questions about man that had
b'arSkin with him when he went trad
in!
1T 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 singular nowadays.
Pears to me I'd have to snort out
laughin' my own self if Teller should
come to me an say:
Deacon, I'm leetle financially en-
barrassed today. Ken you lend me g.
foxskin for couple O days or SOP
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 ggglin' 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?'
"'Them? Why, fox an coon.'
Leetle high, Silas. Can't STAN it.
Give you three coons fer EN-
".No. Can't be did nobow. Best
ken do is three coons an muskrat.'
'Thatd be funnier to me than a Mig
ger show now. An somethin' like this
would bust my buttons, know it
would:
Deacon, ken you give me change
fer wolf?'
Eyes. 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 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 if they was
b'arskin men, why, Judas preachin',
they had to carry it in wagon.
"But them days O pelt currency was
1.-THE good old days, tell you. STILL" said
the deacon after pause, II dunno but
l 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.
Tastes Differ.