New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-29
UPS AND DOWNS OF
LIVING COST MANY
PRICES OF MOST COMMODITIES
WERE VERY LOW CENTURY
AGO ...
INTERESTING ITEMS FOUND IN
SCRAP BOOK KEPT BY NEW
ULM MAN ..

ULM MAN ..
New Ulm folks, who feel that the high
cost of living has about reached the
limit, will read with a good deal of
interest how things were in the "good
old days. A hundred years ago that
present vexing question evidently didn't
worry the laboring man very much
not so much as now, at least. However,
at that time the wages he received would
be considered pretty small in these days
of labor unions, strikes and lockouts.
T. Crone, of Crone Brothers Depart
ment Store, has an interesting scrap
book, in which he keeps up-to-date
everything interesting. Among the
items to be found are those pertaining to
prices of pretty nearly every commodity
extending way back beyond the begin
ming of Mr.. Crone's business life, even
to good many years before he was born.
Mr.. Crone's father established one of the
first, if not the first, general store in New
Ulm, way back in 1857, long before there
was railroad anywhere in this part of
the state.
Letter Postage Was High.
The greatest cost to the public a
hundred years ago was letter postage.
By perusal of Mr.. Crone's scrap book
it is learned that shoes. for adults in 1913
cost $1.20 pair and for children, so
cents. Trousers then sold at 80 cents
a pair and suspenders were 43 cents.
Sugar was higher then than now, as the
retail price was 20 cents pound and
two years later it sold for q cents. Po-
tatoes were 80 cents bushel, and the
price of coffin was $3.50. The postage
on a letter in those days was rs cents and
n.ass elected on delivery. Postage
stamps had not come into use at that
time
Tea, like sugar, was much higher than
now, pound costing $1.02. Farm labor
was SO cents a day, except in harvest
time, when so cents was paid.
Eggs brought from 6 to IL cents a
dozen and butter was from 10 to IL cents
a pound. Meats we're exceedingly cheap
in those days, pork being 4 cents pound;
veal cents and beef 6 cents.
Old Ledger Tells Story.
The above prices were cleaned from
an old ledger kept by merchant named
David C. Kulp, who conducted general
store at Kulpville, Penn. Mr.. Kulp
was the founder of Kulpville, and was
engaged in business there from 1878 to
1884.
Mr.. NKulp included in his business all
sorts of "side lines" as they would be
called in these days. According to the
old ledger he charged 80 cents for cutting
pair of trousers and that he made a
new frock for Polly Rineawalt'' for 81
cents. He also received 40 cents for
altering a bonnet"
Since then there have been many ups
and downs in the prices of merchandise.
It was in Civil War times that the cost
of living hit the high spots, especially
when it came to the purchase of anything
in the line of clothing or dry goods.
In Mr.. Crone's scrap book is found
price list issued by John V. Farwell of
Chicago, now the John " Farwell Com
pany, in August, 1864.
Prints that now sell, wholesale at
from A IL to cents, then were from As
to so cents yard. Unbleached sheeting
that is now around or 10 cents was
then ~ IL cents. Other prices were in
proportion.
Flour At SIS Barrel.
Along about that time grain was very
high, and continued to rise until in the
late sixties. In 1864 -four was $3.50 a
barrel in the Twin Cities and in 1867
spring wheat flour sold in the Chicago
market at from $3.50 to SIS barrel.
Fifty years ago this Thanksgiving cut
sugar was 20 cents a pound, or those
who contented themselves With The "half
bleached' or brown kind, paid Is or Is
cents. The coffee itself ranged from
As to 60 cents a pound, the best Mocha
costing the latter price.
Pork then was 10 cents pound and
beef l8 to 20 cents. Chickens were 22
cents a pound, and no turkeys to be had,
but many Minnesota families in those
days substituted venison for their
Thanksgiving feast, because that Vas
sold on the market at cents a pound
for the best cuts. There were no game
laws nor game wardens to worry the
hunter in those days.
Kerosene oil fifty years ago was 60
cents a gallon, and at that time was