The Washington herald., 1907-11-14
The Genuine "Good OId Times.Y

Usually the man who talks overmuch
about ''the good old times is a bore.
We do not trust him because. too often,
We find on investigation that he is badly
muddled, chronologically or otherwise,
and that he never knew any good times,
old or otherwise. But, Notwithstanding
this, we are now convinced that "the
good old times" were once in evidence.
and that the period was the early part of
the last century. We have been converted
to this belief by the publication, in the
Philadelphia Public Ledger, OF some very
interesting and entertaining comment on
Charles William Janson's book, THE
Stranger In America" published IN 1907
The author. an observant man, who OBJ
tained his material during a residence Of
some years duration in the young nation,
builded on the ruins Of King Georges
hopes and the defeat Of his armies. must
have been something Of an epicure, as
well as an economist. He not only told
the prices of the various edible commodi-
ties in the markets of the chief American
towns. but he wrote OF the eatabIes them
selves in such a way as 10 indicate an
abiding belief in the adage that civilized
men cannot live without cooks" 1t is the
price scales he quoted. however, that impeI
us TO speak Of the good old times" and
compel our admiration
MI Janson was particularly impressed
with the products displayed in the Phila-
dolphin market. After speaking of them
In terms calculated to sharpen ones an
petite, and referring particularly 10 the
cleanliness Of the buildings, he had this
to say of the prices prevailing at the time
presumably 1906:
Butchers meat on su average is ten IN trsl,e
cents pound. but poultry Is not oue-third Of the
London prlce. and of superior quality
Fowls Of all kinds within the compass OF
the purchase OF the lab0rer. A turkey Of SIXTEEN
pounds weight may often be bought in Philadel.
phia Tor a dollar, but / have seen them sold for
three shillings and even stin less. British money
"hd turkeys are sometimes brought to market Of
Inc enormous weight Of twenty-five pounds and
upward. but these birds retne from the country
ss 1t becomes more settled. Geese. duck fouls
rabbits There are no harcs in the United Sia,esl
arc Of pr0portionate price. Quails which they
cal paruidges. are brought alive in large quanti-
ties and sold for about two and sixpence per dozen
Excellent butter Is supplied BY the German set
tiers, at about an English shilling Der pound ard
egss at sixpence twelve centsl a dozen The u,rE
throughout the United States is excellent. and il
raised in abundance It is generally in price from
$ TO s. per hundredweight"
Compare these prices with those Won
pay to-day. Mr.. and Mrs. Housekeeper
ana then say if we are wrong in thinking
that the period OF which Janson wrote
was really 'the good old times," That
was century ago. remember. There was
no Republican party then to insure .pros-
perity. as is the case now, when its lead
ers play both ends against the middle bv
refusing TO accept responsibility for the
results Of their own errors. and bv claim
ing credit for the work of mother ma
ture. BY the same token. there were no
inordinately high tariff schedules. framed
by that party, no tariff-made trusts and
no trust busters. Meat and other food
supplies sold for what they were worth
not at purse-fattening figures fixed bv a
combine without any regard whatever for
the laws of supply and demand. In q
crude new, undevelOped country such as
this was then, the cost of production
must have been higher. There were no
railroads to provide easy. access to mar
ket-to say nothing Of rebates for tho IA
Vored shipper. There was no W T.ooh
Jr., to act as official scapegoat. no public-
branded malefactors. undesirable citizens.
moiiycoddles, or members of the Ananias
club. And yet prices were low.
Truly in view of the facts we have set
forth, that period a hundred years apo
must have been the original genuine.
blown in the bottle. nontransferrable
good old times" We deem it quite ma
tural that one who reads of them sbouId
think proudly on the road to yesterday +"
and wish they would come again.