Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-13
Prices Now Almost
Same as Those of
Thirty Years Ago

Yonkers, n. Hooking through
some old grocery and butcher ac-
count books that had lain away in a
corner for many years, Mrs. f. NJ.
Morton, of Cecil Park, long a resi-
dent of Yonkers, was so impressed
by the prices she found therein that
she called the attention or q reporter
TO them and asked him to compare
the cost of living three decades ago
with that of to-day.
1t may surprise you," said Mrs.
Morton, Ito see by these little ac-
count books with my grocer and
butcher how similar some of the
prices of 1889 are to those charged
to-day Take kerosene, for instance.
In 1889 and 1890 it was fifteen cents
gallon in Westchester county; to-
day am paying fourteen cents.
Il found in the account book that
paid eight cents can for con-
densed milk in 1889, which sounds
like the war prices of the present,
and here is an item of seven pounds
OF granulated sugar, seventy cents,
bought in the same year, and there
was no scarcity of sugar then,
either"
But other items in the account
book showed increases of more titan
one hundred per cent. in present
prices over those of nearly thirty
years ago. Mrs. Morton in 1889 sup
piled for a family of eight persons
sixteen eggs and two pounds of ba-
con at total cost of fifty-nine cents.
The same meal to-day would cost
$1.22. Butter has advanced from
twenty-eight cents a pound to forty
eight cents or more, and it was quite
as good in those days as it is now.
Coffee is very little higher than
it was in 1899, but the milk for it
is a great deal higher.
No less startling change than in
the price for breakfast of the pres
ent and that of three decades ago is
shown in Mrs. Morton's comparison
of the cost of the Sunday dinner. II
, The piece de resistance of the mea
were chicken it was purchased fol
| fifteen cents a pound, and Mrs. Nor.
tons family required seven anC
three-quarters pounds, S1.17. The
same chickens would bring far more
| than twice as much to-day.
! Potatoes cost the housewife thirt,
| cents q peck. Now they are sellinl
| for two and two-thirds as much
Two quarts of onions cost twelvt
cents. They now sell for thirt.
cents for two quarts.
! Lard costs sixty cents for a three
pound pail. Then it was bought 70
| forty cents. Turnips sold for tel
cents a pound, sweet potatoes fo
! twenty cents a quart and rice fol
nine cents. There have been small
increases in all these foods, the cas-,
of rice being the most noticeable
This, according to Mrs. Morton. wa:
about the last remaining staple t
remain cheap, and even it is on thu
upward path now.
Here are the prices of some of the
! principle edibles in 1889 that are Sc
| high now that one is tempted to pu
the foods in the safe instead of tn,
! family jewels. Porterhouse steal
was then twenty cents a pound. now
ii is fortyfour cents. Rib beef theT
was sixteen cents, now it is thirty,
five cents. Lamb was almost giver
! away at eight cents a pound. Now
it is scarce at thirty cents and more
Sirloin steak then brought siXteer
cents, now it is thirty eight cents
Lamb chops cost fifteen cents, now
they are forty. Veal sold for siXteer
ents, now it sells for thirty-five
Molasses sold for thirty-fve cents {
! half-gallon, now it brings seventy.
/ two cents. Mackerel was twenty
cents a pound, now it is twenty-siX
Turkey then was a democratic bird
bought for seventeen cents a pound
now he is an aristocrat and will
bring almost UP to forty cents be-
fore Thanksgiving.