Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-09-13
Flour $3.25 A Barrel Is Advertised In
Copy Of Roanoke News Printed In 1899

Eight pages out of the distant
past were unearthed a few days
ago in an old back room in the
Herald office, bringing to light
glimpse of the easy-going days
of IS years ago in Halifax Coun-
ty.
A copy of the Roanoke News
dated August "a, 1893, pictured
in its eight yellow pages an era
which is still dear to the heart
of many of our older citizens
as things are apt to be as they
become more distant.
One Of the most attractive fea-
lures of the paper by present
day standards is the size of a
dollars purchasing pow
Things were undoubtedly cheap
er in 1893 than they are in l948
as witnessed by the fact that
at the store of one Weldon mer-
chant the following was adver-
tised: "A good barrel of flour
at S3.25; the very best for $4.25."
indeed a far cry from the
prices now paid by food buyers.
For the purchaser of dry goods
the Levy and Davis store in
Richmond was advertising new
style batiste at l0c yard; crepe
cloth reduced from l0c to &c per
yard; corduroy dress goods re-
duced from II l-2c to SC per
yard: Gents Negligee Shirts,
81, SIPS and Sl50"; Cotton hon
eycomb towels, 6 for 25c-no
wonder the era is often regard
ed as "the good old days"
Advertising OF a seasonal ma
ture was reflected in the num-
Der Of schools and colleges hav-
ing notices in the paper. The Uni
versity of North Carolina, for in
stance, had a conservative no.
tlce stating that the University
equipment consists of faculty
of Is teachers, II buildings, 7
scientific laboratories, libraries
of 10000 volumes, 3l6 students. "
Expenses were listed as "Tui-
ton, $50 per year. Scholarships
and loans for the needy. Address
President Winston, Chapel Hill,
N. c." Nearer at home large
bold-face advertisement parad-
ed the merits of the Weldon Uni
versity School at Weldon with
footnote to explain that the
school was established in 1891.
Those interested in the school
were instructed to write to Will
liam Holmes Davis, ABB, Head
Master. Another notice in the
educational section of the adver-
tising indicated that the North
Carolina College of Agriculture
and Mechanic Arts will begin
its Fifth session September 7th,
l893."
However, the most alarming
feature of the advertising car
ried in the Roanoke News was
the ads eXtolling the merits of a
large number of patent medi-
cines designed to cure perma-
nently everything from "Chills
and Fever, Bilious or Typhoid
Fever, Hemorrhagic or Swamp
Fever or money refunded" to
Tobacco Habit easily cured"
In those days the chief adver-
tisers in the small papers
throughout the state were the
manufacturers of the patent
medicines, and in those days
there seemed TO be within the
reach Of every reader an exlixir
that was sure to cure all ills.
Editorial content of the old
paper was limited severely and
was nothing like the 'newsiness
of the present-dayr Roanoke
News, which fills its pages
weekly with well-written ac-
counts of happenings in and
around Halifax County. The
front page of the 1898 paper was
six columns wide and all OF the
columns except one entitled
"NeW Advertisements" are fill
ed with short stories and anec-
dotes of humorous content. In
the issue found the most pleasant
item on the front page was one
from the Warrenton Record en-
titled Hard Times Gone Away
The coming year will find
the country with an abundance
of everything to eat.
All the real news" contained
in the copy of the paper is con-
tanned on the editorial page in
three columns which begin in
the space usually reserved for
editorials in the modern news
paper. A portion OF the news col
umn taken at random reads as
follows:
Last Sunday was a scorcher.
"Inferior Court in session this
week.
Most of the hill farmers are
now pulling fodder.
Captured a Wagon.-Mr. w.
M. Martin of Aurelian Springs
won a fine one-horse wagon last
week in Warrenton, the prize Of
fered by the Boyd Warehouse.
Halifax is always in it up to
her chin when things are to be
won. The tobacco was most ex-