OLD HOMESTEAD 



the manufacture of and the expenses of drawing the potash to 

 market and hauling back merchandise were paid for in goods and 

 with orders upon various parties. Potash sold for eighty dollars 

 per ton in Utica. 



Everything was paid for by the exchange of other property. 

 When settlements were made and accounts balanced, it was by 

 giving or taking a due-bill, whether the amount was large or 

 small. These due-bills were mostly on demand and generally 

 were not paid, but brought forward as a debit or credit balance 

 in subsequent accounts with the same parties, or settled in the 

 hands of others. I find due-bills credited for three, five and six 

 cents, which shows not only particularity and exactness in ac- 

 counting, but that there was no money with which to pay bal- 

 ances. In the many thousands of dollars of values which are 

 accounted for on these old books from 1817 to 1840, not over 

 one per cent of the total amount is represented by cash. 



The books were kept in a simple but plain manner, and 

 when the accounts were extensive each party generally sub- 

 scribed to a statement at the bottom showing that it had been 

 settled and adjusted. Occasionally, where the account had run 

 a long while between neighbors who were not over-particular, 

 the statement appears, *' Settled and jumped accounts this day." 

 Neighbors did not render bills, but brought in their books some 

 rainy day or evening and ''looked over" accounts to get at the 

 balance. 



The merchandise kept in stock consisted of all such articles 

 as would be of use in a new country, mostly absolute necessities. 

 From year to year the stock seemed to grow in quantity as well 

 as variety. In short, it was a general country store of those 

 days and a "department store" of the present time. 



The entries show that the transactions were generally very 



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