The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-02-12


and Foxes sSd wolves s.l Bears
Were the Peoples Money, SO to
Speak. In New YORK State.
The man of leisure from New Yors
city who had been lazia@ ava
fortnight or 50 of his not particular.
valuable tine ct kysel.:ck. il Ulsee;
county, n. Y, had made up his r.i;1a
to return to his hs,unts in the ractrci;c
lis and nonchalantly tossed tie tavel.
keeper one hundred dollar note oa..
oSwhieh to take pay for his bill. TE;.
landlord could not change the note
Neither could Deacon Blimber. wha
was by.
It was not until it had been sent &.
about the neighborhood that :ay oa.
was found with currency enough on
hard to 'sbreak" the bill. Farmer
Beacks had just received pay fer h::s
seasons tafer crop and had change e..
more than 500.
sIt beats all, an it's singular" saiG
TIE landlord as he counted out the Nex
Workers. change. what folks goes an
does with all their ready money. Their.
don't seem to be no currency no more
no currency a-circulatin' at all. :
This seemed to be Deacon Blin,ber'S
opportunity.
You orto ben here. then" said be.
when my folks settled. somethin' Ike
seYenty-fve years an more ago. There
was currency enough then. / want to
ten ye. It want silver. though Nor
itwa'n't gold. Nor it wa mt paper. II
was peltS.
The circ'latin' mejum O the deestric
~sn them days run from muskrat cleaD
M TO bar. There was minks an there
was offers, an the man that could
manage TO harvest plenty O them crit
fers was the man that stood way uE
in the money market But it wa'n't ev,
cry one that could gether in ninks an
otters. an SO muskrats an cooDs an
foxes an wolves an bars was the real
circlatin' mejum in them days.
.Ginks an otters was what you
mo,Wt call COVER 'ment bonds Muskrats
an coo1s an foxes an wolves an bars
was the peoples money. so 10 speak,
IF you went to the tavern an planked
down your muskrat skin. you'd git yeul
snifter O. rum and tanzy. but you
wouldn't git no change If you plankesl
down coonskin. though. you'd gil
yoar snifter an two muskrat skins
change
IS feller that wers in with coon
skin he was torable well fixed. but
With 4 fexskin or a wolfskin be could
shop around quite some. a nlaa With
- 6arskia-oh. well. Nobody didn't ask
no enestions about man that had 4
Darskin with him shen be went trad,
M
Is didn't seem persic,lar queer in
them days the way things was run on
that peli eurrencs. but I've an adee it'd
strike folks leetle singlar nowadays
Pears &c ne I'd have to snort out
Iaughin' my own self if feller should
come to me an say:
:. Deacon. I'm leetle financially en-
.harrassed today. Ken you lend me
foxskin for a couple o days or so?
That surely would make me snicker
If heerd it now. An TO hear some
shoppin' goin' on today like ! use to
hear it many time bet would set
me TO giggiin' ike all possessed. Some
thin ike this, fer instance. over yendef
TO Uncle Sile's store:
How much fer them air cowskin
boots. Uncle Sile?
: Them? Why. fox an COON
I. Leetle high, sias- Can't STAN it
Give you three coons fer 'em.'
= No. Can't be did nobow. Best !
ken do is three coons an a muskrat.'
That'd be funnier to me than mig
ger show now. An somethin' like this
swould hu'st my buttons, know it
would:
Deacon. ken you give me change
fer wolf?
Yes. but IN have TO give you ali
muskrats'
aBut we didn't think notbin' O. it IN
stben days, cause it was reg'lar busi-
ness. That circlatin' mejum was lee
lie onhandy IN one way. though Folks
had to carry their currency around in
a bushel bag il they was out to do
much cash business. an if they was
b'arsi,in 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
AL pervadin skecrce." New York
Tines
Tastes Differ.
raor1a hnro difsa-ant staS Dn rnt