 | Camps and Firesides of the Revolution |  |
65. High Prices in Paper Money
BY MR. PATTON (1780)[174]
1780, June 6. I went to the Falls to fish for eels, but got none.
7. I caught a salmon that weighed eighteen or twenty pounds. I sold it for one hundred dollars, and sixty twelve-rows of pins for which I paid twenty-four dollars.
17th. The boys got near sixty eels last night and a shad. I got eleven shad. Six of them I gave to Isaac Atwood for eleven dollars I owed him.
27th. I gave Mrs. Chandler twenty-seven and one half dollars to pay Mr. Bean for the newspaper for the present quarter.
28th. I bought eight and three fourths pounds of tobacco from Dr. Stevens for which I am to pay him twenty dollars. I bought a mug at Means's for which I paid nine dollars.
July 27th. I paid Dr. Stevens twenty dollars for what tobacco I got from him at last June probate. I got four pounds of tobacco from him today, for which I paid him twenty dollars.
Sept. 28. I bought a quire of paper at Means's for which I paid him twelve pounds (sixty dollars).
October 18th. I set out for Portsmouth. I kept at Tobias Warren's from Monday afternoon to Wednesday forenoon, being six meals and two lodgings. They would not take any pay for it. My expenses beside were one hundred and four dollars. I bought things on this journey that cost three hundred twenty-six dollars.
While I was from home Alexander McMurphy paid my wife two hundred dollars towards the two thousand of boards I let him have.
Nov. 2nd. I went to Esquire McGregor's and bought three pounds of sugar from him for which I paid thirty dollars.
10th. I bought six pounds of coffee at eighty-four dollars. One fourth pound of pepper at thirty and four rows of pins at eight and one fourth dollars.
One half yard broad cloth at one hundred eighty seven and one half dollars of Major Pinkerton. I paid for my ferriage going and coming six dollars.
13. Ran surveying lines for Joseph Saunders and David and Nathaniel Merrill, and wrote two deeds for them and took the acknowledgment. I charged them one hundred and twenty dollars.
They paid me the money and I gave it to Joseph Saunders for which he is to give me four pounds of cotton.
18th. I held a Court at Chandler's. I had one half a mug of toddy for which I paid four dollars.
January 5th 1781. Got a thousand of nails for nailing pail hoops, from Mr. Fisk, for old Ensn. Chubbuck and myself. He sent sixty and I paid eighty dollars for the one thousand.
20th. I went to Captain Chamberlin's with the team. I got sixteen bushels of Indian corn on credit I am going to pay it when I make a turn of the timber the boys and I have got to the river. It is sixty dollars per bushel.
I had one half pint bowl of West India toddy at McGaw's for which I paid six dollars.
May 19th. I went to Litchfield and got four bushels of rye from David Quigg. For this I am to pay him three dollars in silver and seventy five dollars in paper. My ferriage was three dollars.
I had one half mug of toddy at McGaw's for which I paid four dollars.
28th. I gave James seventy seven dollars to divide between him and Robert and David for election tomorrow. 30. The boys and I got shad and got them home.
July 5th. I went to Amherst and attended the Sessions and the probate court. My expenses were thirty-six pounds (one hundred and eighty dollars) old Continental money. This was for my dinner, horse at pasturage about seven hours and a glass of West India rum.
From 1775 to 1781 Congress issued two hundred million dollars in paper notes, besides what the states put out. There was so much of it that it took a lot to make purchases, as may be seen in this piece. Finally, the notes got to be so common that a man in Philadelphia made a blanket for his dog out of paper money.
| Camps and Firesides of the Revolution | |