Rural Economy in New England 259 



Under the first of these euphonious phrases were included a few 

 pieces of imported dress-goods, crockery, glassware, powder and 

 shot, and bars of iron and steel. The West India goods were salt, 

 molasses, rum and other liquors, indigo, spices and sugar.^ In re- 

 gions of active internal trade, where the farm produce could find 

 outlet to a market, as for instance in the towns along the Connecti- 

 cut River,2 or in the southern part of Windham County, Conn.,^ 

 the country traders were numerous and did a brisk business. They 

 bought up dairy products and salted pork and beef as well as 

 household manufactures from the farmers and undertook, on their 

 own responsibility, often, the sale of these products in the Southern 

 states or in the West Indies. In the isolated rural community, 

 however, business must have been extremely dull. Some profit could 

 be made from the exchange of goods among the members of the 

 community; but of goods from the outside the latter were able to 

 purchase very little. Some salt and a few other necessary articles 

 they had to have; the liquors they often bought in preference to 

 the things which they really needed and were often largely in debt 

 to the storekeeper on this account.* In order to eke out a living 

 the storekeeper resorted to agriculture, either tilling the land him- 

 self or hiring occasional assistance from his neighbors.^ 



' An unusually detailed advertisement is that of a Worcester, Mass., merchant 

 who has to sell: West India goods and groceries, viz: Best cognac and Spanish 

 brandy; West India and New England rums; real Holland gin; Madeira wines; 

 flour, molasses; loaf, white and brown sugar; teas, coffee, chocolate, spices, raisins, 

 copperas; alum; rock and fine salt; dried and pickled fish; glazed china tea sets, 

 crockery and glass ware, violins and flutes. He offers to give cash for country 

 produce. National Aegis, November 20, 1804. 



2 A very great difference is observable between the character of the advertise- 

 ments in newspapers published in the river towns such as Middletown, Hartford, 

 Springfield, Northampton, and Greenfield and those published in the towns men- 

 tioned in Note 3, p. 258. 



3 See Windham Herald, 1808. Lamed, History of Windham County, II. 426. 

 * Mr. Adams seems to be justified in his opinion that the sale of liquors was a 



large part of the business of the country store. He says: "In every store in which 

 West India goods were sold, and there were no others, behind the counter stood 

 the casks of Jamaica and New England rum, of gin and brandy. Their contents 

 were sold by the gallon, the bottle or the glass. They were carried away or drunk 

 on the spot." Episodes. II. 790. 



** As witness the advertisements in country newspapers. Such an advertisement 

 is that found in the National Aegis of a farm of 90 acres in the town of Paxon, 

 Worcester County, Mass., on which is a combmed store and tavern. April 25, 1804. 



