Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-14
PELTS AS CURRENCY
MlNKs AND OFFERS WE'RE LIKE UNTO
GOVERNMENT BONDS.

and Foxes and Wolves and Bear
Were the Peoples Money, So I,
SPEAK, In New York State,
The man Of leisure from New Yorl
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 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.
1T 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 BIimbcr's
opportunity.
"iou orto ben here, then" said be-
when my folks settled. somethin' like
seventy-five 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. If
was pclts.
"The clrc'fatin' mcjum O. the deestrjc
in them days run from muskrat clean
up to bar There was mnks an there
was offers, an the man that could
manage to harvest plenty O. them crit.
tiers was the man that stood way I'M
III the money market. But it want ey-
cry one that could gether in miss an
0tters, an so muskrats an coops an
foxes an wolves an bars was the real
rc'latin' meium in them DAYS.
'Minks an offers was what Won $
nowt call government bonds. Muskrats S
IN coons an foxes an wolves an bars
vas the peoples money, so to speak.
you went to the tavern an planked
own your muskrat skin, you'd git your t
hi1ter o rum and .tanzy, but you r
wouldn't git no change. If you planked
own a coonskin, though, you'd git
our snifter an two muskrat skins p
hange.
1eller that went in with coon.
KIN he was tolable well fixed, but
'lth foXskin or wolfskip he could b
lop around quite some. A man with e.
barskin-oh, well! Nobody didn't ask
questions about man that had a el
arskin with him when he went trad. II
III didn't seem pertic'lar queer in
em days the way things was run on
at pelt currency, but I've an idee it'd A
rlke folks leetle singular nowadays. ho
ears to me I'd have to snort ont off
uehln my own self if Teller should PHI
me to me an say: IN
deacon, I'm leetle financially en- rev
rrassed today. Ken you lend me are
Nskin FOR a couple o days or soY dit
1 nat surely would make me smoker luz ,,i'
l heerd it now. An to hear some or
oppin' goln' on today like use to
lr 1t many time l bet would set
10 glgglin' like all possessed. Some.
n like this, fer instance, over ycnder j,
Uncle Sile's store: -
How much fer them air cowskin ,,l 80
Dts. Uncle SiIeY '','
Them! Why, fox an coon.' 49,.
Leetle high, Silas. Can't stan It. w.,
e you three coOnS fer EN- '''''
NO. Can't be did nobow. Rost
40 is three coons an a muskrat.' "Is
lhatd be funner to me than a mig lung
snow now An sOmethin' like this Tuc
lld bust my buttons, I know it orr.
nd cells
Deacon. ken you give me change hesi
Il WOLF? ierel
Yes, but III have to give YOU all lief lje -
'krats thro'
But we didn't think nothin' o. it in uneq
n days. cause it was regular bust ave-
!. That circ']atin' mejum was q lee
in one way, though. Folks
10 carry their. currency around in Nv
lsheI bag If they was out to do
h cash business, an If they was he !
SKIN men, why, Judas preachin', Ds l
had 10 carry it in wagon. nl'le
ut them days O pet currency was anu
'ood old days, tell you. Still" said VI
'eacon after a pause II dunno but ~
n manage to slide along Jest as p''''
rfu In these days O. gold an silver
'aper currency, even though it is Fl
perVadin' skeerce." - New York The
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