The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-09
Sunday Observance.

The ordinance signed by Mayor Glib
bOns, April Is, 1894, on the observance
of the Sabbath in Savannah, was very
strict, prohibiting all kinds of amuse-
ments such as "bear batting, fddling,
football, dancing racing, or music for
the sake of merriment." Very serious
penalties were named for disturbing
church services-heavy fines for white
and "thirty-nine lashes" for slaves. No
work was permitted on Sunday except
that of necessity, for instance bread
might be baked early and meat slaugh-
tered latter Divine services in the aft
ernoon."
The city treasurer had a pace in
the Gazette regularly and it was a
notice to the bakers that their seven
pence loaves must weigh two pounds,
five ounces and 10 drains. The half
loaves about half as much. The no
tice stated, that superfine -four could
be bought for 50 per barrel.
An advertisement in a conspicuous
place gave call for purchasers at a
general store" where the commodities
ranged all along from rum, rice, cot
1 ton cloth, and bar iron to two ne
groes.' An honest man existed then,
and gave notice that he had found a
bank note that he would be glad to re-
turn If the owner would identify it.
POSSIBLY dut0OIDODlleS were III view
a hundred years ago, anyway an adj
vertiser appears in 1895, who wished to
purchase fifteen machine horses"
Pensions and MOOnshining.
The pension roll had begun and was
blooming, in the nineties, even though
the United States as a nation was in
her teens. The Department of War
frequently advertised Of payments
ready for pensioners.
In Pennsylvania in 1894, moonshining,
or illicit distilling, had assumed such
proportions as to call forth special or
ders from the President of the United
States, George Washington.
These were not all of Uncle Sans
troubles, however, for the country was
thick with counterfeiters. and the re-
port is made of a money-maker who.
when captured in Boston, endeavored
to swallow $3.50 in bills that he had
made himself.
Lottery to Build POOrhouse.
Gambling is now supposed to lead
many worthy and deserving people to
| the poorhouse, but In 1885 the city of
Savannah was in the business for keeps.
A grand lottery was arranged for
the purpose of making money to build
q Door house. and the scheme of
drawings and other details were adj
vertised extensively in the Gazette. The
fact that there were two-thirds blanks
and one-third prizes seemed to be all
| right at that time; but anything in
which there is chance to loose is cali
ed gambling in the twentieth century.
City Expenses.
Savannah was very good town in
1896, but it was not exactly what would
be called extravagant in its expendi-
/ lures. The report of the city treas
! urer for the period from June to
! Sept.>7, 1876. showed that officers sal
aries had been paid, to the amount
! OF 1862. S2lk; new fire engine had cost
| 5000; David Monday, the drummer, had
received IS for beating the tattoo. An
| item read, Cash to William Renshaw
| for work to be done on the Court
House." which shows that the method
was TO pay before work." instead OF
afterwards. as at present. A signih-
cant item is "Gunpowder, for use Of
| Michael Burke, health officer, slS15,'
/ the inference being that a shotgun
/ quarantine must have been In force.
/ IL ig also evident that the people were
/ good, or for the police bad. as the fines
collected IN tho time mentioned only
amounted TO 81.