Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-05

an offer in a lump sum that was &C.
copied. Mr.. Arnold then resumed his
old business at the old stand and it he
came known under the name of w. z.
Arnold & Co., which name has remain
ed to the present. The business las
steadily grown until at present II is
one of the largest in this section of the
State. AS already stated, eight people
are now employed and in addition to
the tin shop and regular hadware
business plumbing and steam fitting
have been added so that at present it is
Il thoroughly modern business o. G..
Springfield was admitted to the firm in
1883, and has since then been connected
with the business.
Mr.. Arnold gives some very interest
ing glimpses of the old days and of the
business life at that time. Thus in the
early days the store was lighted by
large whale oil lamps while small hand
lamps were used in the evening to con-
duct customers about the store. The
business day began at six in the morn
ing and ended at nine in the evening,
and there We're no closing nights.
The whale oil lamps We're succeeded
by camphene, a very dangerous ex-
plOsive that was not particularly popu-
lar. This was used in the houses but
not very much in the stores. This was
succeeded by kerosene and then every
one thought they had something pretty
fine in the She pc of lamps. This is only
one of the almost countless improve
ments and inventions that have been
1aUpInnad 611rirU Nv.
life.
Another interesting thing with which
Mr.. Arnold is familiar is the war prices.
These are familiar to many but few
quotations may be interesting. 1t was
very difficult to get turpentine from the
South and the price jumped to 81 per
gallon. The supply soon became so
limited that painters were obliged to
use benZine. But some turpentine had
to be used and the dealers got it in
gallon lots and were satisfied to do even
that. The price for this, which is
little higher than usual just at present,
is about rs cents per gallon. Then nails
were $40 per key and spring steel II
cents per pound, with everything else in
proportion.
The first barrel of flour purchased by
Mr.. Arnold when he began housekeep-
ing cost him $40. while sheeting was 50
cents per yard. Waterville suffered
with the rest of the country from high
prices during the struggle and some of
them in view of what is charged at
present seem hardly possible.
In the Olden days people had a habit
of milking their COW in the morning
and then turning her out to wander
and feed at will over the town. Every
yard had to have a fence and even then
gate would be left open occasionally
and some wandering moolie got into
garden and feast to her hearts content
and to the owners great anger.
Mr.. Arnold suffered so much on ac-
count of this custom that he managed
to get appointed pound keeper. He
built good strong pound in the rear
of his present store house and then is
sued a proclamation. This was publish
ed in the local paper of the day and
created quite a bit of sensation. 1t
was composed after the model of one of
President Lincoln's proclamations
which appeared about that time.
After giving the owners due warning
Mr.. Arnold offered a reward of 25
cents for anything on four feet found
wandering about the town unattended
when landed at his pound. This was a
snap for the boys and they fairly
coined money until the people realized
that Mr.. Arnold meant business. Then
they kept their four legged property
properly confined. Copies of the pro-
c!amation are still in existence and
some of the older citizens have quiet
laugh over them occasionally.
Mr.. Arnold well remembers the ia
nous days when navigation between
here and Augusta was in it's glory.
Three steamers pned regularly between
the two places and the competition was
naturally pretty keen between them at
times. The regular fare from here to
Augusta was 20 cents, but at times it
was cut to ninepence Q2k cents). Mr.
Arnold remembers an instance where
season ticket, good for the whole family
for one year, ride as much as they
would was sold for $780,
Then beside the steamers there was
a long boat service but this was de-
pendent on the caprice Of the wind and
was naturally not very reliable. When
the boats wished to come up river they
had to set their ungainly square sails
and wait for southerly wind. Moth
ing else would bring them up the river
1t might be hours or it might be days.
The current always took them back all
right. They were, however, used quite