Evening star., 1936-02-09

the most prominent early residents
of the city made their living in this
way.
In Alexandria, there were several
taverns or hotels Of Importance, and
at least one at BIadensburg, but these
were quite too far away from the
Capitol to travel over bad roads in
those early days.
A REFERENCE to the prices in the
olden days always pleases those
who now have to struggle along on a
small salary. Of course salaries, too,
were small in bygone days, but it
does seem they went farther than they
do today, or was it because We were
more economical and tried to live
within our means? Yet, however. this
might be. We still think we got along
better.
But let us go back even before our
own time, and see what members Of
Congress had to pay for things when
they came here in 1900, for the prices
here quoted are for this period, and
though it may afford much consola-
ton to those who feel they are being
overcharged today, yet the vast diff
ference between prices now and then
cannot help but prove interesting.
Hogs at Bladensburg sold for IS
to So hundredweignt.
Liquors were very cheap and a
gallon of whisky at Bladensburg cost
only so cents, cider (probably to wash
it down WITH, IL cents a gallon: a
bottle of imported Madeira. So; ia
maica rum, 81; sherry, brandy and
gin. S1.50 a bottle.
Flour at Bladensburg brought SLIP
a bushel, horses, $40 to $50; saddle
horse, $50; mules brought from $40
to S100, good mich COW, S35; tobacco,
at Mr.. Calvert's, near Bladensburg,
sold for Sc to $40 thousand pounds,
and from Mrs. Crawford's seat,
Greenwood, the best quality sold
for s11 a hundredweight, and the
worst at 81, which had, however, been
relatively as high as SIS and So.
THE cost of farm land may be
judged from the statement that
Mr.. Maine. living about 2 miles
from Georgetown and a native of
Scotland, leased a 62-acre farm for a
term of 20 years for 200 guineas.
which would be about 81 1000 for the
term of the lease.
From 1925 to 1929 the price for
board at Browns Indian Queen Hotel,
which stood on the north side of
Pennsylvania avenue between Sixth
and Seventh streets, and more re-
Gently known as the Metropolitan,
was SITS day, $40 week and s35
month, and this probably included
room also. Brandy and whisky de-
canters were placed on the dinner
table to be drunk by the guests without
additional charge.
The prices at the Marsh (Center)
Market in 1841 were: Beef, 6 to 1914
cents a pound; mutton, to 10: lamb,
so to rs cents quarter; wild turkeys,
rs cents each; tame ones, $l25 to
$150; geese, rs cents each; shad, 60
cents pair: perch, IS cents bunch;
butter. 20 to IS cents a pound; eggs,
18 cents a dozen; potatoes, rs cents
a bushel; corn, SIS cents a bushel:
meal, IS cents bushel, and apples,
81 cents a peck. In 1916 the Mr..
Maine before referred to sold 100
dozen pears from a tree IL feet in
height for 1912 cents a dozen.
Again, in 1916, workmen paid for
boarding and lodging in private homes
between So and 81 a week. which in
cluded washing, and thus, we are told.
they were enabled to save in the same
space of time from Sc to 81, which
with proper economy will render them,
in the course of a few years, COM
Portable and independent"
1t would, indeed, be hard to do
this nowadays.