The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08
The FARMER AND MECHANIC
but its DUE was suhsaoua,t,

vas the first institution for classtca,
Ia-s west OF the A~lleghanies. The
~6isiature passed an act leyyipg a "a, |
~ the support Of the government ..to |
hilne the value of such gold and
com as was IN circulation, and
ascertain salaries" to be allowed
~ governor and other State OFF
Iney We're fixed at the following mag
Aihceht sums: for the governor 900
pouAos' Judge Of Supreme Court f5u
pouhus' secretary of State, IS pounds.
ana the fees Of his office. Membe
: ne Legislature were to receive four
sniiilngs per diem. The appointment
- a! MINOR officials were left in the
hanos of the governor. and he con-
tinued, in office all those who held
commissions under North Carolina.
mus the passage from the old 10 the
ne" states did violence to no one and
produced no CONFUSION.
| Out no civilized government has ex-
isted within historic times a
circulating medium, and some stand
ara or value by which to regulate ex-
chahses. Among civilized nations tn.
s'anoard of exchange is gold and sill
yer. but the North American ndian
regarded as money, and
fohllac showing less of credit upon
blrch-bark, which were redeemed by
the French in hard currency, but gold
ana silver We're sometimes scarce COM
modltles ever in civilized communi-
ues, ana at all times, While they had
renamed the measure of value, other
articles of necessity had been resorted
TO as a circulating medium. In 1881
1t was enacted in Massachusetts that
corn at current prices should be re-
celved in payment of debts and in
1856 musket-ballS, full bore were
made a legal tender at a farthing a
piece. AS late as 1850 the town OF
bingham, Massachusetts, paid It's taxes
IN miik-pails. In South Carolina as
late as 1888. it was hides, tallow and
furs; while in Maryland and Virginia
for more than a century the standard
of value, as we'll as a circulating
medium was tobacco. In the latter
State it was enacted that the marsha
should be paid for laying by heels
five pounds of tobacco; for duckings'
10 pounds; for pillory' 10 pounds
t and during a long period the marke
value OF a Wife-good or bad-was Is
pounds Of tobacco. At the time 0
{ the Revolution the currency OF nearl.
= all the colonies was poorly lltho
} graphed ''promises to pay" printed O.
dingy paper by which the government
( treasurer did not so much as agree t
, pay the sum that was called for b
e the shin plaster" In the Colony G
ANOitl 1oi L IL ny 1914
Carolina Currency, half a dollar, i
e authority of Congress at HaI1ra,
{ April. 1916" and in one corner WEI
s the figures Of q man and q dog an
Y the man ~discharging a leveled muske
e with the motto Of Hit or Miss" II
thing certainly hit somebody or
would not now be in existence, but
. has certainly made a miss II eve
n attempted to draw it's face value frol
the treasury Of North Carolina.
1t may be questioned If Sewer {
V any of his legislators ever SO much {
Il heard Of the musket-baIl and mill
g pail currency of Massachusetts, or TT
g Virginia mothers, who We're perhaI
e dear bargains at $50 pounds OF t
: haccO. These men had prObabl
4 none of these precedents before then
but there being next 70 no gold or 81
yer in Franklin, they felt the need
- some other circulating medium, Whlc
> had intrinsic value, in as much as
could be either worn or eaten, an
.r was moreover, within the reach
a everyone who had a strong arm, a TIT
O aim and a good rifle. In the law lev.
c ing a tax for the support Of the go
- eminent. thew inserted this clause:
"Pe it enacted that it shall ana ma
II he lawful for the aforesaid land-ta
n and all polls to be paid in the foiioV
ing manner fax linen. 1000 me,
. three shillings and six n per yar'
le geo fine, three shillinGs; 500 hne, Nv
q ehiIjnss and nine pence; 700 fine, tW
IS ehiIlings and six pence; 600 tine, w
% ehillings: linen, one shilling nil
pence: linsey, three shillings; 0
u o,d cotton linsy. three shiilings ar
a six pence per yard; good clean Deav'
le Skins, six shillings; cased otter skln
a six shilings; uncased otter skins n
d shifl;ngs; raccoon and fox SKINS 81
,r shilling and three pence: WOODEN clot
- ~ shillings per yard; bacon WI
- cnred, six pence per pound; good cleS
70 tallow, six pence per pound; goo
~ loan beeswax. one shilling pei poun'
80 Good distilled rye whisky, two shllln
- and six pence per gallon; good peat
ty or apple brandy, three shillinss ? !,
7e Gallon; good meat, well man3seo i.
-, hacco. fit to be priced and pass l
= sDec+ion, is shillings per nuhdr,
~ | veight. and less in proportion ter u
IA Greater or less quality
land all the salaries n
made shall he PAID 10 al