Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-16
SHOES At $40 A PAIR
Butter so and Tea $50 . Pound,
Not In Soviet Russia, but In PhIIa.
dslphla-The Old Second street
Market Saw Al This ~ F.
By GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

for suit Of shoddy, is only experiencing
what our ancestors did when they spent. the
price of city building lot for pair Of
shoes 140 years ago. ..">
The old market house on South Second
street, not the present structure, but its
predecessor, witnessed these remarkable
scenes.
Over it's stalls food was sold at famine
prices once upon time. ~>
That was in 1779'and 1850.
1t was the gloomiest period of the Revolu.
tionary War.
The British had captured Charleston and
General Gates had been defeated at Cam
den, 8. c., by Corvallis 90.
Benedict Arnold was dickering with the
British for the price of his infamy.
OUR paper currency, carrying its threat.
~ ITO counterfeit is DEATH" had de.
preciated to a ridiculous point. though not
nearly 90 much as the ruble Of Russia has
under Bolshevist regime. =. 'r
This is illustrated In the fact that In
the years mentioned green peas in the Sec
Continental money.
Butter retailed for from 81 to $40 pound
anu an Otner tarm products In proportion.
Coffee cost $s a pound; lump sugar, $50;
Bohea tea, $50, and figs, so.
price e01f Of %he 1t s'fn pair of shcss
hand made, of course, cost $12O.
fact which did not help the situation
was that wages in proportion did not keep
pace with the cost Of living. .H
Yet the people managed to live. The
young Government fourished in spite of 1t
The difference between the new United
States then and the old Russia of today is
that our destiny was guided by builders,
while Russia's fate is in the hands of
wreckers.
TALK Of the city demolshing this old
L market house has reused an opposition
that will not easily be overcome.
This is because It Is based on pure patri.
otic sentiment.
With the destruction of Colonial land
marks to make room for the Delaware
Bridge approaches. there has arisen feeling
that not all the ancient architectural monu-
ments should be sacrificed to the Juggernaut
of modern progress.
A market has occupied the site Of the
South Second street buildings for 175 years.
Edward Shippen, who was Mayor of Phil.
Wharton, public spirited citizen, erected
q number OF stalls in 1745 for the accom-
mOdatiOn of farmers and others on Second
between Pine and Cedar streets.
The Cedar street of that day is the South
street of today.
In 1773 Mayor William Fisher had add.
tional stalls erected. They we're protected
by a roof: The market was mere shed.
The Office building at Second and Pine
was completed in 1900. 1t was modelled
after the Courthouse that stood Mt Second
and Market streets.
1t is the last type of building that was
familiar in Colonial days.
>,o,->-c,,,,.x ,o.r1,y n c.rr,>,rv
~ made remark at one of the public
has given some Of the committee new
slant on the question.
Mr.. Gaffney said while speaking in favor
of the South Philadelphia location: DO
not forget that If you gentlemen select the
Parkway site you will have to deal with
Council on that proposition"
"Was that Il threat with the purpose to
intimidate?' inquired an official present ut
the hearing.
the committee u site is selected anywhere
but in South Philadelphia the whole exposi
ton project Is to be held up or abandoned.
Regarded from this angie it is decidedly
interesting question.
"VEs, sir; he rammed the boat plumb
i into the dock, busted things up and
raised the devil generally
1t was disgusted city official describing
n recent water front episode.
Two new fire boats have been added to
the city's fame fighting outfit.
1t is necessary to have experienced pilots
for them.
For the first time, am told, civil serv-
ice examination was held for pilots.
The scmi. .stagnation in the movement OF
river and coastwise craft has thrown mum.
bers of these men out OF employment.
Quite company Of them appeared before
tho civil SarvCa ROa rd to take the exAminA.
tion.
Seventeen passed and were certified with
the requisite S6 per cent to the Department
of Public Safety.
cause of the dynamic outburst quoted, nearly
one third failed when they were put
to the test of handling the wheel of q boat.
They negotiated the written and oral
tests. but failed on the opractical.
conte%ptuousy nw oo @ Why they're e artists m ', with
the pom and clever in the use of language.
That's how they got their papers.
Mind you, refer only to the ones that
fell down on the job when it came to the
pinch. The rest of them handled the boat
all right.
But would you believe it, five out of
the seventeen were absolutely no good"
This does not prove, however, that civil
service is failure.
DOBERT CALLAHAN is the only man
N with the exception Of the Mayor himself
who holds the key to the latter's private
Office in City Hall.
lie is the stalwart,. gray -mustached
Cerberus of n police officer who sits in the
east corridor as he has done for years.
Naturally it would be supposed that he
was a bulging repository Of Incidents both
thrilling and amusing.
There's nothing doing, however, so far as
the dramatic goes.
There's only two kinds Of people that
annoy me-" snid Callahan in his rich,
North of Ireland accent.
They're the ones who want to shake
hands with the Mayor and those who think
that the Mayors office is the Prothonotary's
Office.
81 want to shake hands with the Mayor
saws a fellow sort Of important like.
:" AN right, says /. you can shake hands
with him.
When? says he.
when you make an appointment with
his secretary says !.
but me and the Mayor was boys to.
yether and | lust wanted TO shake him hy