Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-18
THE DAYS OF PLAIN LIVING

doled out to hospitals, and used as medium of exchange for public pur- poses. At that time, molasses was a commodity which could only be ob- tained by capture and the want of it was one of the home felt privations, of the war.
 According to Hiuman's History, there was an incidental fact in con- nection with the capture of the Tory molasses which is the best indication of how public sentiment has advanced since that time.
 The world has not yet ceased to marvel at the proh-bitive measures adopted by foreign nations in the ter rible Old World war; but in early times in Connecticut it was deemed necessary to supply troops with spirits of some sort.
 Consequently, the historian writes: By the side of this fact (the great scarcity and need of molasses in Con- necticut an order of the Governor and the Council, May 4, TIT, for the distiHiRtion of 40 hhds. of molasses into New England rum does not ap- pear very creditable. But spirituous liquors were then regarded as abso- lutely necessary to. the highest physi- cal efficiency of soldiers and laboring men. Feb. 28, 1777, the Governor and
 Council ordered 250 hhds. of West India and New England hum to be
 purchased, to supply the troops of the State.
 The scarcity of sugar and moIasses continued for several years. Various were the substitutes contrived in Nor wich and elsewhere.
 Corn stalk fnolasses is no myth or caricature, Miss Caulkins assures us, but a veritable resource of those try ing times and probably the very best substitute that was brought into use
 The stalks were cut when the ears of corn were just ripe for roasting or boiling, thrown into a mill, the juice pressed out and then boiled down until it became a tolerable syrup. It served at least to satisfy the natural craving for some sort of saccharine substance in food.
 The seizing of the moIasses carqo was so successful that Norwich sail ormen made another excursion to the port of Stonington, when news came in October 1775, that another mer- chant vessel was steering toward that harbor, in distress. She had a cargo Baltimore for Falmouth, England, but had lost her mainmast in storm hence was compelled to make port
 She was seized by an armed schoon- CT belonging to the Connecticut Col ony and conducted to Norwich to secure her from recapture. Later she was sold for the benefit of the country. Even more serious than the scarcity or molasseS at that period was the high price of salt. and the extreme difficulty of procuring it at any price. The need was especially felt because of the almost imPossibility of getting a sufficient quantity for putting up provisions for winter use, in the sub stantial, old-time way which was the vogue before the modern hand-to- mouth system of buying in small and paste-boa5.d boxes Changed in the sales) or in fancifu1ly ribboned pack ages, and the like. Finally the State government was obliged to send abroad for supplies of salt and to distribute it to the..various towns, It was then apportioned by the selectmen to the districts in pro- portion to their population, and again dealt out by q committee to individ- uals.
 Whenever a quantity of salt was obtained, it was disposed of with great care. One of the State cruisers hav- ing captured 300 bushels, it was de- pasited ir Norwich, and in April, TIT. the Governor and Council directed Jabez Perkins to dispose of 1t to in
 habitants of Connecticut only, let ting no family purchase more than half bushel, and small families to be supplied with less, in proper propor- ton.
 While we are grun1bIing just now at the high price of provisions, it may serve to calm our agitation a bit to learn that, three years before peace was declared, salt was six dollars a bushel, and bohea tea two dollars per pound, and this in fair barter, not Continental bills.
 At the same period, comon, cream colored cupa and saucers cost two dollars per kalf-dozen, so that many persons even in comfortable circum- stances drank their daily beverage out of glazed earthern mugs. The scarcity of wheat was even a greater calamity than that of salt and molasses. Norwich, of course, shared in the general dearth; but tie winter Of TIT, appears to have been her only season of actual deficiency and short allowance. Then, The History of Norwich records, the authorities were obliged to enforce 5tr-ct scrutiny into every mans means of subsistence, to see that none of the necessaries of life were withheld from a furnishing ] community by any local monopolizers Each family was visited and an ac- count of the grain in the possession of each-computed in wheat-was taken. The surplusage, down to the