New Britain herald., 1920-03-18
CIVIL WAR PRICES FROM ACCOUNT BOOK
Shoemaker Kept Track Of His
 Dealings, Leaving Record
(By JAMES SHEPARD1

beneVlnS that prices of various CO" hoditleS In former days will be Of general interest to those who nou, feel the high cost Of living,'' I have compiled the subjoined from the ac- count book of a shoemaker who lived on a thirty acre farn The book shows that cash down was not the rule In his day and that his work was largely paid for in labor use of OK team. horse and wagon, provisions and in other ways The. prices here given for boots and shoes are for custom made work. At that time, ready made boots and shoes could have. been bought for about half or two-thirds the prices which he charged.
 Ihe book covers the years 1886 to 1866. but l have confined my ex- cerpts to the decade imn ediateIy pre- ceding the year 1860. The prices during, that decade are about the same as they had been from 1886 to 1850
 On the "debtor'' side of the several accounts we find boots for men charged at $500. s3.12, $S.25, sS.s7. $3: 90 and S4.00. The maximum price was generally S3.5O. there being only one charge of S4.0O. Charges for pair of girls boots are entered at one dollar one seventeen, one twenty-five and one fifty Pair of boys boots. one dollar seventeen: women's boots two dollars; high boots, two dollars, and Women'S shoes, one dollar and a half. Charges for soling pair boots are twenty-five. thirty, forty-two. for ty-siX and fifty cents. Soling pair of girls boots. thirty. md boys boots. thlrty-one cents. So 1g and heeling pair of boots. siXt cents. Repailing women'S shoes, si . ten and thirteen cents; ana boys boots, twenty-five cents, while one charge for two pair of shoe strings is entered at four cents.
 In the charges other than for shoe makers work we find five and d half pounds of pork. forty-five cents; six bushel of turnips. one dollar and fifty cents, and a half bushel for eight cents; one pound and four ounces qf butter, thirty-three cents: six pounds, ten ounces of honey, one dollar .tnd fourteen cents: two pounds Of honey. thirty cents: two pigs. three dollars and SeNenty-fiVe cents; one hive of bees, three dollars: two hlln- drcd and eleven pounds of beef ten dollars and fifty-fve cents: three and d half gallons of pickles, fifty-eight
 
 seven cents; two quarts of vinegar, eight cents: two weeks board. three dollars. two pounds of beeSwaH. fifty seven cents: eight pounds of beef, five dollars and twenty cents: onc peck Of onions twenty cents; half buShel of onions thirty cents: two hushel of buckwheat. one dollar and seventy five cents: three bushel potatoes, one dollar; one gallon Of soap seventeen cents: four quarts of corn, thirteen cents; one Dushcl of oats, 1ifty-eiyht cents: one shad, twenty four cents: three pounds nine ounces butter, fif- ty-nine cents; two pounds butter for ty-two cents: two pounds. twelve ounces lard, thirty-eisht cents; ten hundred pounds hay five dollars and fifty cents; sixteen pounds veal, one dollar and tWenty-eight cents: seven ty-elght and a quarter pounds of beef. six dollars and thirty-seven cents; one-half pound of tobacco, nineteen cents.
 On the credit side of the several accounts we find labor at thirty en, fifty. siNty-two. siNty-seven. seven ty-five. eishty-one. eishtN-three and one dollar per day: work butchering hog. twenty-five cents: hutchering beef, thirty-three cents: butchering
 
 forty three cents; filing and setting saw, 10 cents. and again seventeen cents; repairing two saws twenty-five cents; setting ten hoops barrel. twenty-five cents; making pair of pants thirty-four cents: work of man and OK team, one dollar fifty. one seventy-iive and two dollars per day; use of OK team, fifty. sixty and sev- enty-five cents per day, and for two hours. ten cents: hauling shingles from mill, fifty cents: hauling load of sand from Bristol. one dollar; carry ing logs to mill, one dollar; use of horse and wagon to Bristol, Qour miles, seventeen and twenty-five cents; to Harwinton. thirty-three cents; Plainville tnine miles,. thirty eight and fifty cents: use of flaming mili forty-five cents.
 One Shad twer ty cents: three and a half bushel butternuts. eishty-sev- en cents; half dozen fish, six cents: one dozen fish. ten cents; two hun dred and fifty pounds rye straw. sev- enty-fiVe cents: twentNfour pounds ry bran, thrty-five cents: enc peck potatoes. eight cents: ono bushel po- tatoes, forty-two cents: four and a half pounds cheese, thirty-siX cents; half bushel tlaXsecd. one dollar: two bushel rye one dollar and sixty cents; two buShcl rye. one dollar and sixty seven cents: one pair of sled run ner. fifty cents: two chickens, seventy cents; one bushel oats, tifty-eight cents: four bushel oats. two dollars: two bushel ears of corn. seventy-five cents: two and three-fourths pounds veal nineteen cents; five pounds, eleven ounces veal fifty-one cents: