Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-09-09
'AClNPT' or I786
Yankee Blacksmith Was Exact in
His Bookkeeping.
Many Pages Of the Book Deal With
the Setting Of Shoes, Mendlng
Axes and Tools, and the Trans
portatlon OF Hay.

John s. Cole Of West Springfield.
Mass, is the possessor of very inter
esting and very old book-the account
book Of Eleazer Loomis Of Partridge
field. The book was begun by that per.
son in 1856, or ten years after the sign
ing OF the Declaration of Independence.
LOOMS was a blacksmith, and many Of
the pages of the book deal with the
setting Of shoes, mending axes and
tools, and the transportation of hay.
All the "acompts" in the first part
Of the book are reckoned in pounds,
shillings and pence, but toward the
end the present system seems to have
come into general use and the accounts
are then kept in dollars and cents.
The accounts, which are carried on
through a long period of years that
we're in themselves hazardous ones,
show a painstaking care and an exact
ness to business detail which might
we'll be followed today. That Loomis
was careful business man is shown
by the fact that he kept all his re-
ceipts in the account book.
The book at frequent intervals was
audited by Loomis and an assistant
and is so signed. Besides being of his
torical value as a relic of post revolu-
tionary days, 1t affords an excellent
means of comparing the cost of living
and the price of labor then and now.
So much is heard today Of the in
creased cost of living, Of the exorbi-
tant prices demanded by manufac-
turers and of the ever increasing de-
mands for better wages and less hours
by both skilled and unskilled labor,
that it would be interesting to note the
difference in the values of LOOMS
time and the values of today. In the
beginning of his "acompt" he values
his hired labor at 81 cents daily. This
suddenly jumps to rs cents daily. To
day the laborer, with pick and shovel
is getting from 50 to $3.50 daily OF
practically three times as much as
Loomis paid his assistants in black
smithing. This is really a comparison
between skilled and unskilled labor.
The difference in the price of food
stuffs is also very marked. LOOMS
bought 4O3 pounds of beef for an
amount slightly over $21, or at about
five cents a pound. Today he would
have been obliged to pay several timei
that amount a pound for it. He got
butter at IL cents pound, now it is 30
Potatoes came at 80 cents bushel OIL
less than one-third of what they are to
day. Since the west opened up there
has been but little change in the price
of oats, for our blacksmith paid sc
cents a bushel for them, while they
are quoted at 46 cents today.
In the rental of his horse and teams
It looks as if Loomis used very poor
judgment or else the ruling prices
were very low, for he took a load OF
, hay to Pittsfield for so cents, a dis
lance of 40 miles each way. At an
other time he rented his "hoss" to Q
man for a day for a shilling, or 2;
cents. A ton of hay cost him 81, abou
one-fourth of what it is today.
There are a number of amusing en-
tries in the book, such as 5000 pound:
! of coal for SO and a days work for {
bushel of potatoes. He shoed {
"hoss," mended a handel" made {
ferrel and mended a shovel. all for 6:
cents. The spelling of a great many o
the words is strange-for instance
horse, boss; sleigh. slay; moving, mo
ing; full, fool; kettle, kettel.
These are only instances from man!
hundreds in the account and they e
to show what a remarkable change has
taken place since revolutionary days
The book is In a remarkable state o
! preservation for such an old one. L
is bound in calf. The paper is o
good quality and is we'll preserved
The ink has yellowed and in som,
places almost faded away, but for tn,
most part one is able to read all the
| items.
There are only few persons today
who would have the patience to keel
such an exact account of receipts and
expenditures as Loomis did, especially
through such a long period of years
Everything is set down, even the
smallest of items and the whole a.
frequent intervals is balanced. At the
bottom of each balance is the receipt
of the debtor or creditor, whichever
he was. usually signed by witness.