Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1917 — SOME PRICES OF SIXTYTHREE YEARS AGO [ARTICLE]

SOME PRICES OF SIXTYTHREE YEARS AGO

Fort Wayne Paper Digs Up Some Interesting Items of History. Like leaves from the book of time are the worn pages of a grocery ledged which City Engineer Frank Randall picked up from the mud of j the gutter on South Barr street a few days ago, says a Fort Wayne paper. The yellowed sheets tell of living conditions in Fort Wayne as the storekeeper, whose name does not appear, found them in 1853, ffl years ago. j There are pages which follow through the month of Januar*' eight years .before the civil war. They are penned in the graceful style of that day when penmanship was high art. Here is the story they tell: Eggs were 8 cents a dozen. Butter was sold at 8 cents a pound. Coffee was 10 cents a pound. Vinegar was 10c a gallon. House rent in Fort Wayne was $2 a month, as least for the dwellings from which the grocer collected toll. A barrel of whiskey of four and a half gallons sold for $10.38. Every page told of several whiskey orders. Selling of liquor wa sone of the staple trades of the grocer of that day. Wood sold at $1 a cord at that time when the primeval forests were being felled with a reckless hand. Half of the cost was for floating the logs down the canal or one of the streams. A dollar bought 16 pounds of sugar for Mrs. Henry Jones, one torn page reveals. Sale of three pair of shoes shows the foot gear to have Teen retailed at $1 tq s2jso per pair,. Mittens were 13 cents a -pair. Two pounds of tobacco cost 8 cents. Molasses was 50 cents a gallon. Hats, we cannot tell what kipd, sold at sl. The storekeeper paid $19.85 for 35 bushel, of oats. He 'bought- hay at $6.60 a load. He sold gingham at 20 cents a yard. Starch was two pounds for a quarter. There were many orders for dried apples and salted flash. According to the ancient pages these were staples of food in that early day. Taking it al! in all, with the canal 'boats and ague thrown in, we would rather take our place in the'commercial world of this H. C. of L. day whose record is just being made, says the exchange.