Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-10-27
COST OF LIVE SCARS
Rice About Only Article Of Food
Not Sailing Skyward
Price of Flour is Boosted Again - Short
Wheat Crop-Coal High and Likely
to Be Higher.

Every now AID then someone an.
nounces solemnly that back in l5l1 or
l156 or some such time far enough back
for no one alive today to bv able to prove
it, it cost more to live than it noes now.
They add that things righted them
selves. If they were worse then than
they are now with the promise that
they are to be worse before "righting
themselves" most folks today are
thankful that they did not arrive on
this mundane sphere q couple of hun
dred years ago.
A careful inspection of the long list
of edibles purveyed in stores where
people are accustomed to purchase, at
considerable profit to somebody except
the purchaser, food products with
which to sustain life, is convincing ev-
idence that rice is the only article of
food that man can afford to buy and
| eat today. The only trouble is that it
will have to be eaten raw for the cost
of heat units is mounting 50 steadily
that in few weeks it is promised that
either the climate has go- to change it's
long time custom of helping out the
coal merchant or folks must spend
week. pay to make house habitable
for the succeeding week.
Flour, the staff of life, due. it is
claimed to Il wheat crop that is not so
large as normal ald which is of poorer
grade than for years, is rapidly climb
ing by leaps and bounds to the point
where it is a luxury. Two jumps the
past week or so have carried bread
Hour to point where retailers are
forced to charge from $11.25 to $l1.50
"A barrel with pastry flour little lower
in price.
Plain everyday spuds are quoted at
So bushel, but rice, very nutritious
product with about every element con-
tanned in potatoes, goes begging, the
grocers say, at the same old price, If
a half dozen readers of this order u
pound of rice there is strong prob
ability that this despised product ut
this writing will be listed among the
I"best sellers at "war time prices
by tomorrow noon. So buy early and
avoid the rush and increase.
i OAe grocer had an invoice of mop
handles arrive Wednesday. A trav-
cling salesman for one of the largest
wholesale grocery concerns in the East
was in the store at the time.
"What makes mop handles go up in
price?' asked the grocer.
The salesman indicated the metal on
:he bottom. "The use of that stuff in
the making of munitions he replied.
Housemaid s knee will soon become a
popular complaint.
AS for coal Brattleboro is fortunate
just at present in that the dealers have
some OH hand and are working over
time to get more. The price is no high
err than it is in Springfield, Mass,
where $3.50 ton is charged. The
doleful information is extended, how
ever, that the combination of car
shortage, help shortage at the mines,
embargoes, and cold snap will re-
duce visible supplies and force up
prices
Take it all in all the approaching
winter has a lean, gaunt, chilly aspect.
In Windham county court Saturday
the suit of Rosa B. Stockwell, appellant,
against w. A. Shumway, administrator
of the estate of T.. f. Stockwell, was
heard. This is an appeal from the find
ing of the commissioners on claims of
the plaintiff against the estate. c. c.
Fits appeared for the plaintiff and w.
r. Daley for the defendant. Judge
Leighton p Slack will make a finding
of facts. On Monday the divorce
: suit of Arthur j. Blanding against Kate
Blanding was heard. Attorney o. B.
Hughes appeared for the petitioner.