The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-23
A THEORY ON MONEY AND
 WHERE TT ORIGINATED

In the dim morning of time, when the land was covered with primeval forests in which wild game existed in great numbers, and the streams were alive with fish, there was no occasion for the labor of man to increase the production of the earth. The human population reached forth it's hands and gathered out of the abundance of nature everything neces- sary for it's support.
 There were no fashion plates in those days. and people did not run strong on colors and shades. In fact, the skin of one animal bore no premium over an- other, the only requisite being that it go around with small lap-over, leaving legs in a similar state of nature, so as to give the utmost possible freedom of ac- ton. Boards and hair were worn long and fell with natural grace about the torso and shoulders. Those simple souls reveling in health and strength, enjoyed only the light provided by divine provi- dence. They retired early and rose early, thus laying the foundation for that mod ern saying, Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.' They made a terrible mistake in getting wise, however for from hence of civilization. But to revert to the earlier times. Those were the good old days" we are constantly hearing about.
 It may be said the color scheme lacked variety and that the people had great knots of muscles standing out all over them, thus giving them a gnarled, rough appearance, but when they had a turkey frnf uyoS ooi %o Cooks were an unknown nuisance, and when the first galoot wrote some stuff which he called ''an ode of spring they chased him out of the clearing and for the time being all went along as merry as if nothing had happened. Population increased at a rapid pace, all sorts and conditions of men, women and children.
 This increase in population brought about many radical changes. In the chase when one man would catch a deer and another a hog, the man with the venison would swap haunch of it to the man with the hog, taking pork chops in ex- change. Thus was barter established Soon after this certain kinds of shells became the medium of exchange. But the police discovered the shell games were going on and the authorities abandoned shells as a standard of value and took up iron as being a better equivalent for country produce. In turn iron lost it's standing; then came copper. then brass, then silver, then gold. These changes from shells to gold it must be under stood came about gradually, thus giving the politicians every opportunity to exer- else their vocal powers. The fine art of log rolling and the high power efficiency of our modern statesman is the finished product. According to the last statistical report 79.S62 344 demagogues have held of flee through opposing the better standard of value in the various ages, against whom there have been so few who really understood the question that the com parison would be odious, and, out of re- spect to their memory. their number is not given.
 So much bytway of explanation as to. the medium of exchange which put the world on strictly cash in advance basis. Now, as to the real vehicle of commerce, the credit system, and the issuance of notes. Upon wintry day in the long ago certain party whose name is with held Tor obvious reasons, stopped at a grocery before going home in the even- ing and secured the next days supplies. Upon reaching for his medium of ex- change with which to liquidate the ac- count. he was overwhelmed by the rec ollection that he had changed from the lambs skin to the fox skin suit that morn ing and left his purse in the lamb skin suit The gentle reader can readily imag- inc what ensued. A great many expedi- ents were suggested by the purchaser as tc settlement the next morning. But all of them were mere verbal promises and the storekeeper having had experience with a large and assorted variety of fickle memories, was stern and unyielding, and had just stretched out his hand to repleyin