The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17
Arithmetic In Early Days;
Severe Study for Children
Quaint Old of That a
Strange Lcoh o Modern Popular
Mans That

the trifing sum of cents a year for the
term OF twelve years toward a continental
tax, how many dollars would be raised
thereby An occasionally poeJiCal example
is pleasantly interpolated:
Whereas an eagle and a cent just three
score yards did buy.
How many yards OF that some cloth for
fifteen dimes had ~?
Privateer prize money is divided in va
rlous examples, between the mate and his
nine seamen, and John, James and Will
liam, three boys, buy lottery ticket, the
5000 prize of which is TO be divided among
the boys according to their differing invest
ments. Various problems in gin, wine
brandy and New England rum-and-water
edined the schooibOyS Of old times; and
unique out-of-date flavor of imports and
exports. spices, sugar. molasses. coffee. bar
iron, bohea tea. pepper, indigo, chocolate,
cheese, rattanS and bambOOs Is contributed
by the life of the time. One example mar
rates the hard fate of forty-five Mules for
the West indies which, TO tighten a cargo
of los mules, were thrown overheard by
the mariners in stress OF weather. Old
time fashions i'm garments and obsolete
dress goods, figure quantity in the ancient
Bills of Parcels shalloOn, doWlasS, cam
brick, holland, nankeen, kerseymere, tam
my. russell, red starmount calico, durant,
dimity, Persian, mode, blue shalloon, baize,
silk vests, beaver hats, gross OF gilt coat
buttons, with quilted humhums and
hulmul handkerchiefs from Bengal Prob
lens which smack of old London. too, pre-
sent gOldSmithS and SilverSmiths with their
sterling teaspoons, tablespoons. cups. salts,
tankards and snuff boxes. Coins in the
United States in the early times We're eagles.
half eagles, quarter eagles, dollars. half
dollars, quarter-dollars, dimes. half-dimes.
copper cents and half-cents. To master the
complicated exchange system then neces-
sary, reducing the differing currencies OF
the several United States into federal
money, and for foreign exchange, with its
bewildering items of pounds, shillings. nine
pence, sixpence, fourpence. threepence'
farthings crowns half-crowns guineas.
pistoles. moidores. forms. pistareens. half
Johannes, pounds Irish, soils, deniers, Rix
dollars. Marco-Banco. Dutch guilders.
stivers. greats. phenings. tales. cowries.
pagadas ard rupees, the early American
schOolboy must indeed have had a good
head Tare and trett. clon and suttle. with
simple and compound Fellowship in busi-
ness were other ancient arithmetical terms.
In the Farmers and Mechanics Book
keeping Appendix" the pioneer background
of that day is prominent; rye, barley. oats
and Indian corn are there to be reckoned
with. Saw-logs and hewn lumber are men
toned, with blacksmiths. carpenters and
threShers; orchards, fields and gardens;
inns and chests of drawers; markets. oxen.
cows and calves: sheep and pastures. stone
walls and post-and-rail fences The
"mealman" appears. too, with the malster.
the refiner, the vintner, the distiller, the
miller, the tobacconist, the grocer. the
trader, Captain Dix, OF the vessel Sea
Horse, the rope maker, Herodotus and the
pyramids, and General Washington. Com
pared with these interesting personages,
"A and b and Up and O" of latter-day
Picturesque and fascinating school days,
surely, were those in Wilhelm old Arith-
metic land, of course-the boy with the
rough slate encountered Thomas Yates.
buying a barrel of cider for $l.17. Ephraim
Dodge. to whom Daniel Mason sold yoke
Of oxen for $4S; Jonathan Curtis, who for
$65 bought an old bay horse, "A four-wheeled
wagon and n half-worn harness. and
Thomas Grosvenor, who paid 500 for the
frame of his house and SO for the frame
of his barn. Industrious women and girls
walked through the old arithmetic pages.
Also Ann Stacy daughter OF Samuel
Stacy. earned IS cents a week spinning
yarn. and Sarah Bradford, for cotton
coverlet. delivered TO Peter Daboll, re-
ceived s551 A diverting household glimpse
is given in the following list OF articles
purchased-in old Arithmetic landry An
thony Billings, Feb. p. 1922: Fourteen
pounds Muscavado sugar, $50; one large
| dish % cents; six plates, 30 cents; four
cups and saucers. 20 cents: one pint OF
Franch brandy, II cents; one quart of
| Cherry bounce 80 cents; thread and tape,
! IS cents: two thimbles. cents; one pair OF
scissors. Il cents: one quire paper. . cents:
waters 4 cents; ink. cents; one bottle,
| cents" Later April 6-als0 Anthony Bill
| lings-"Garden seeds of various kinds. IS
| cents; one pair of boots myself, 81; one
| pair for John. $3.50; one pair OF thick shoes
! for Joseph Sl25; tea, sugar lamp oil, 5Sc.
Given in trade, May 3, by Anthony Billings
-"Eighty-Tour bushels of seed potatoes,
| 80 l-3 cents; eight pair OF mittens, at 70
cents a pair; S14 in cash. Abigail and
| Dolly Billings. no doubt. knit the eight
| pair of mittens in old Arithmetic land.
EMMA CARLETON.
New Albany April Is.