Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-09-03
PRICES WERE LOWER
IN THE DAYSOF '96
HOGS SOLD AT $3.50, CORN WAS II
CENTS, AND WHEAT BROUGHT
40 CENTS Al BUSHEL.
MONEY WAS SCARCE THEN.

During this agitation of high prices
it is really interesting to look over
the files OF newspaper printed dur
ing the years 1895, 1896 and 1897. In
looking over the files during these
years it shows a remarkable thing in
the prices and when one stops to con-
slider he wonders what the outcome
will be and whittier the country is
drifting.
The prices given for the various
following commodities were the pric-
es ruling in July 1896, but the same
prices prevailed for nearly three
years. The Lancaster prices on the To-
cal market were as follows: Eggs,
per dozen, 71a cents, compared with
33c dozen last week; butter for the
retail trade was 10c per pound, COM
pared to 55 cents per pound last week.
Spring chickens sold in those days
for cents a pound, hens cents and
old ROSTERS cents each. At the pres
ent chickens sell for % cents per lb.,
hens 20 cents and old roosters IL cents
pound. A full feather duck was
worth on the market 574 cents and
now they bring 10 cents a pound. A
full feathered goose today brings II
to II cents per pound and then sold
for cents pound. AS to hides, a
great deal of difference exists be-
tween "a to % cents now paid and 8
to 3R cents in those days. Hay was
worth Sc to 81 per ton and now is
between $35 and $40 ton.
In the live stock markets the prices
would make the farmer weep if he
had to take such prices now. Steers
were worth $3.50 to $500 per 100 lbs.
compared with SIS per 100 now. Cows
and heifers brought So to $3.50 COM
pared with $13 to $14 per 100 at the
present time. Hogs also show a big
increase in price, bringing $3.50 to
$2.S5 against SO to $21 per 100 lbs.
today. Sheep sold for So to $3.50 COM
pared to SIG per 100 at the present
time.
Grain prices were also away down.
corn being worth 15c to TIC per bush
ell compared to the fabulous sum of
50 per bushel at the present time.
Wheat in those days was worth 4Oc
per bushel and is now worth So per
bushel. Oats worth II cents now sell
for 20 cents; rye was worth II cents
per bushel
Potatoes in Chicago were selling for
sc to 12c per bushel Wool sold in
that city for lie to tic per lb.. and
horses were sold for from SIS to S25
each for unbrOken westerners and the
others ranged from $40 to 500 each.
In the advertisements of various
stores during the month of July. 1896.
mems blue denim overalls sold for 35
cents per pair; mems suspenders at
$ cents; two outing flannel shirts for
As cents; mems calf shoes $3.50: plow
shoes 81; ladies' fine shoes So and a
ten quart pail was offered for 10 cents.
One advertisement offered fine black
clay worsted suits for men at Sc.
Mems finest imported black CLAW
Worsted suits at $40. A lot Of 600 oy-
ercoats was offered at your own
price. A bargain lot of 500 dozen Ia
dies black hose at 3 cents pair. A
pound package of coffee was offered
for 20 cents, and Is lbs of granulated
sugar for 81. One sack of Superla-
tive Hour for CSC, two brooms for Csc:
6 lbs. of starch for z5c; z lbs. best
navy beans 25c; pound of cheese at
1212c; box OF so cigars, so c, and kerr
osene at cents gallon.
Land prices were low too compared
to now. An 80 of So. Lancaster land
was offered for $40 per acre which
was high" for that period. Today
it would bring $3.50 or better. Other
good land could be bought at $50 and
rough land as low as SIS an acrei
All the above prices look cheap to
what people are paying at the present
time, but wages then were low also.
Men were getting 81 day, more or
less. Although prices were low and
commodities were "dirt cheap" the
majority of people did not have the
necessary money to pay for them,
Just as they do not have the money
today. A man in those days having
$4,000 was looked upon as million
aire.