1399 
533 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Firecrackers started a fire in a stable at 
Paris, Tenn., July 4, and the resulting conflagration 
caused a damage of $175,000. . . Three great ice com¬ 
panies, doing business in New York, Philadelphia, Balti¬ 
more and Washington, have consolidated into a combine 
with a capital of $10,000,000. . . In celebrating the 
Fourth, in 62 of our principal cities, three persons were 
killed, 1,074 badly injured, and the losses by fire amount¬ 
ed to $159,105. . . . June 20, a pack train of 20 horses 
arrived at Dawson, Alaska, from Eldorado Creek, carry¬ 
ing two tons of gold, worth fully $1,000,000. . . Scran¬ 
ton, Pa., suffered from a deluge of rain July 5, the water 
being 15 inches deep in many streets. The damage 
caused by the rain amounted to $50,000. . . A landslide 
at Pen Argyl, Pa., July 4, filled the Albion slate quarry 
to such a depth that it will be six months before work 
can be resumed; 200 men are thrown out of work. . . 
Robert Bonner, founder of the New York Ledger, and 
the owner of many famous trotters, died in New York 
July 6, aged 75. He was a native of Ireland, was one of 
the pillars of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, and 
was a liberal giver to many charities. . . July 6, ac¬ 
counts of the Texan floods stated that there were over 
40,000 destitute and hungry people, mostly negroes, in the 
flooded district. The State Penitentiary sugar planta¬ 
tion in Fort Bend County was under water, and the loss 
to machinery and growing crops will amount to $300,000. 
The War Department placed 10,000 rations at the dis¬ 
posal of Gov. Sayers. Boats belonging to the Life Sav¬ 
ing Service, and Government revenue cutters have been 
sent to patrol the floods in search of refugees. These 
boats will carry provisions and other aid. The total rise 
of the river at Richmond, Fort Bend County, July 6, 
was 65 feet, and the water was then still rising. All 
railroads are under water. The flooded district is 500 
miles long. July 7, 300 persons, who were crowded upon 
the “mound,” near Brookshire, were rescued, after sev¬ 
eral days’ exposure; they were in a shocking condition 
from hunger, and many will die. The destruction of 
crops, cattle, farmhouses, etc., is complete. The railroad 
loss is put at over $4,000,000. The work of rescuing men, 
women and children who were clinging in the tops of 
trees continues. Many deaths have resulted from starva¬ 
tion. July 9, the water was still rising, but conditions 
improved July 10-11, when 20,000 persons received sup¬ 
plies. . . A severe earthquake shock occurred at San 
Francisco July 6. . . The army transport, McClellan, 
arrived at New York July 6, wltn two cases of yellow 
fever and two fever suspects on board. . . A tornado 
struck Ainsworth, Neb., July 6, killing one person and 
injuring many others; property loss, $100,000. . . July 4, 
burglars entered a New York factory in broad daylight, 
loaded a big truck with $5,000 worth of goods, and es¬ 
caped with their booty. . . A sawmill was struck by 
lightning at Ottawa, Ont., July 6, and completely de 
stroyed by fire; loss, $135,000. . . Benton, Tenn., cele¬ 
brated the Fourth of July this year for the first time 
since 1860, owing to a Confederate vow. . . A terrific 
storm did much damage through the Red River Valley, 
Minn., July 7; eight lives were lost at Crookster, Minn. 
. . A head-on trolley collision at Akron, O., July 7, re¬ 
sulted in the death of one man, mortal injuries to two 
others, and slighter wounds to a dozen persons. . . A 
trolley car in Cleveland, O., was struck by lightning 
July 7, and one woman was killed. . . An explosion 
of gas in a mine at Port Oram, N. J., July 7, killed three 
men. . . Reports from Wind City, Alaska, state that 
a number of miners have died there from scurvy, and 
there is great suffering in the camp. . . A number of 
boys placed a crowbar across the tracks of the N. Y., N. 
H. & H. Railway in New York, July 7, just before the 
Washington Limited was due. Some of the boys have 
been arrested. . . A trolley collision in Brooklyn, N. 
Y., July 8, due to wet rails, injured eight persons. . . At 
Columbus, Ohio, July 9, a carriage containing father, 
mother and five children, was struck by a train at a 
crossing, and one child was the only survivor. . . A 
street-car strike has been in progress at London, Ont., 
since May 22. July 8, the strikers began to use violence, 
and as they declined to disperse after the Mayor had 
read the Riot act, troops were called out to preserve the 
peace. Many arrests have been made, as under Canadian 
law, rioting after the Riot act has been read publicly, 
becomes a very serious offense. . . A child at Trenton, 
N. J., died July 8, of blood poisoning, the result of being 
bitten by the so-called kissing bug. . . Smallpox is ap¬ 
pearing at many points in Indiana, and thorough vacci¬ 
nation is urged by the State Board of Health. . . Ann 
Elizabeth Ingersoll and John Collins, who kidnapped 
Gerald Lapiner, aged three years, several months ago, in 
Chicago, taking the child to Ohio, have both received inde¬ 
terminate sentences to the penitentiary. . . The steamer 
Portia, of the Red Cross Line, from New York for Halifax, 
N. S., struck a shoal 10 miles from Halifax July 10, in a dense 
fog; the passengers were landed on Sambro Island. . . A 
special train from St. Louis, Mo., to Los Angeles, Cal., 
carrying delegates to the teachers’ convention, was 
wrecked in a collision at Newman, Cal., July 10; two 
persons killed and 11 wounded. . . New York physi¬ 
cians say that the number of injuries received from toy 
pistols in celebrating Independence Day is 100 per cent 
larger than previous years, and lockjaw has resulted in 
numerous cases. . . July 11, after a week of quiet in 
the coal strike at Carterville, Ill., a squad of State troops 
was fired upon by men in ambush; more than 200 shots 
were exchanged. Four negroes, all heavily armed, were 
captured. They said they were unipn men, but union 
officials deny this. . . Fire started in a New York tene¬ 
ment house July 11, early in the morning; one person 
was killed and 12 others burned, four fatally. . . Four 
damage suits, aggregating claims of $952,500, have been 
brought against the match trust, for obstructing the 
Onteonagen River, at Houghton, Mich. . . During a 
violent storm around New York City July 12, an oil tank 
at Greenpoint was struck by lightning and destroyed, one 
ferryboat was struck, one building at the Brooklyn Navy 
Yard, and several other casualties were reported. . . A 
doctor at McLean, N. Y., has brought suit against a 
millionaire for $10,000 for professional services, at the 
rate of $1,000 a visit. The patient had hacked himself 
with a razor, with suicidal intent, but changed his mind 
before the deed was consummated. The doctor says 
that the wounds called for unusual skill. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The California wine growers 
have purchased a building outside the grounds of the 
Paris Exposition, in order to make a larger display than 
space will permit in the agricultural department. . . 
The Association of American Agricultural Colleges and 
Experiment Stations held its annual convention at San 
Francisco, Cal., July 5-7. . . Gov. Voorhees has selected 
eight delegates to represent New Jei'sey in the 
Farmers’ Congress, to be held at Boston in the Fall. . . 
The new State Board of Veterinary examiners of Illi¬ 
nois adopted rules admitting to practice, without fur¬ 
ther examination, all veterinarians now practicing in the 
State who are graduates of approved colleges, and also 
all future applicants who shall have finished a three 
years’ course in an approved college, and received a 
diploma. . . Ohio wheat is reported as only 71 per cent 
of a regular crop. . . Reports from Deadwood, S. D., 
state that the Spring clip of wool in the Black Hills will 
be between 700,000 and 800,000 pounds, a considerable in¬ 
crease over last year. . . Lionel Sherwood, one of the 
most prominent breeders of Merinos in New York State, 
died at Newark July 8, aged SO. He was a prominent 
member of the Merino Sheep Breeders’ Association. . . 
The migratory grasshopper has appeared in many parts 
of Nebraska, and though small grain will soon be out of 
the way, it is feared that the corn crop will suffer. . . 
A number of milkmen at Altoona, Pa., are in trouble on 
the charge of using formaldehyde in their milk. . . 
Rates on all grain from Chicago to New York and for 
export have been raised by eastern roads, and it is said 
that there will be no more secret deals with shippers of 
large quantities. , . At a Cabinet meeting, July 11, it 
was decided that 50,000 breeding cattle should be intro¬ 
duced into Cuba, free of duty, in order to replenish the 
stock. No decision was reached on the question of com¬ 
muting rations for the needy Cubans into draught cattle 
and agricultural implements. . . The International 
Conference of Horticulturists met in Westminster Town 
Hall, London, July 12. Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell, 
read a paper on the progress of hybridization, and W. M. 
Hays and PI. J. Webber, of the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, explained the work of the Department. 
CUBA.—Yellow fever appeared at Havana July 6. . . 
An inspector in the Havana sanitary department re¬ 
cently decamped with the men’s wages, and a small riot 
resulted. . . Major I-Ieatwole, chief commissary at San¬ 
tiago, died of yellow fever July 7. . . At San Cristobal, 
a rich Spaniard was recently kidnapped by bandits, who 
demand $8,000 ransom. The rural guard is trying to effect 
his release. . . The town of Aguada de Pasageros, 
Province of Matanzas, was attacked by bandits July 11. 
After a desperate fight, the bandits withdrew, leaving 
two killed and one wounded. . . Rigid quarantine is 
now enforced at Santiago, and no Americans are per¬ 
mitted to enter the city. Troops have been moved to 
the mountains. 
PHILIPPINES.—July 6, Secretary Alger issued an 
order for the enlistment of 10 volunteer regiments for 
Philippine service. Enlistment will be made for the 
period ending June 30, 1901. Owing to the severe service 
expected of these men, the physical examination will 
be a stringent one. . . The Spanish garrison of Baler, 
which surrendered after a year’s siege, has been released 
by the insurgents. Lieut. Gilmore, of the Yorktown, and 
his men, are still prisoners. . . Heavy rains are now 
delaying active warfare. . . Gen. Bates sailed July 12 
to the Sulu Archipelago, to explain to the Sultan of 
Jolo that we have succeeded the Spanish in power. He 
will present the Sultan with $10,000, Mexican money, as 
evidence of good-will. 
OLD DAYS ON THE FARM. 
OHIO FARMING IN THE EARLY DAYS. 
Wages on a Whisky Basis. 
Part I. 
Some Old Records. —In these days of marvelous 
progress in farming and all that pertains to rural life, 
as well as in all other industries, it may be worth our 
while to take a backward glance. A large part of the 
improvements in agricultural machinery, the intro¬ 
duction of the railroad and other means of rapid and 
cheap transportatiop of the products of the farm, 
have come to pass within the present century. It may 
be interesting to look into the everyday transactions 
of the American farmer,, before the mower, reaper, 
thrasher, cultivator, fruit, evaporator and other mod¬ 
ern appliances were brought to his aid, and before the 
modern ideas on temperance drove the accursed trade 
in alcoholic liquors off the farms and restricted it to 
the towns and cities. It happens that I have in my 
possession some farm account books, containing rec¬ 
ords of wages for farm labor, and the cash values of 
things bought and sold on the farm on which I was 
born in southern Ohio. 
Apples and Whisky.— My paternal grandfather 
was a veteran of the War of the Revolution, of Dutch 
descent, who moved from Pennsylvania just at the 
close of the last century, and settled in Ross County, 
Ohio. He had an eye to general farm business, as it 
was considered in those days, and chose a large tract 
of land with a mill-site upon it. Here he built a grist¬ 
mill, whose over-shot wheel was turned by the water 
from one of the smaller branches of Paint Creek, of 
Indian war fame. He planted three apple orchards 
there, that were considered, large at that time, and 
even when I came to know them about 40 years later. 
Many of the trees he grafted With Yellow Bellflower, 
Fall Pippin, and other choice kinds. It was the 
custom in his day to make most of the fruit into cider 
and brandy, and the prosperous farmer did not stop 
at making a little brandy from the product of his own 
orchards, but often built distilleries for making 
whisky from grain grown on his own and neighboring 
farms. Hence my grandfather built a distillery. It 
was one of five in that vicinity, and it may be true, as 
was recently stated in The R. N.-Y., that the little 
Presbyterian church that stood in their midst was 
built by a fund started by a donation of five barrels 
of whisky. Almost every one drank alcoholic liquors 
then. The minister, in making his pastoral calls, was 
handed the “black bottle” and the “little brown jug,” 
from which he drank liberally of potions that, un¬ 
doubtedly, added to his spiritual fervor. 
Some Old Accounts. —My father was the youngest 
of a large family of children, and was finally left 
alone, of all the number, to care for his aged parents. 
There was a big debt against the estate, which was 
the result of grandfather “going security for a friend.” 
My father was thus forced to stop going to college at 
Athens, and, at the age of 23, to assume full control 
of a large farm, a grist-mill and a small distillery. 
He kept accurate accounts of all the business transac¬ 
tions of the farm, using a quill pen, and in books 
made by himself out of unruled writing paper, the 
only kind then known, and bound with homespun 
linen thread. These books are before me as I write. 
That we may know something of the state of trade— 
the things that were bought and sold, and the prices 
paid—I will transcribe a few items from their pages, 
just as they actually stand. I am sure it will do no 
harm now to give the names of the people, for the 
whole community has undergone a revolution. The 
customs have changed, and the actors of those bygone 
days stand in no measure responsible to us. The first 
entry stands thus: 
Michael Zimmerman. Dr. to J. Van Deman. 
May 12, 1825—To 5 gallons of whisky, to be paid in wheat 
the 1st of September—one bushel of wheat for one gal¬ 
lon of whisky. 
Jacob Duey. Dr. to J. V. D. 
Oct. 3—To 2 gallons of whisky @ 25c. per gallon.$0.50 
Oct. 16—To 2 quarts of whisky, do, do.-.12V. 
Nov. 2—To 1 VSs gallons of whisky, by order of Wm. 
Clouser .3714 
Nov. 10—To 1. gallon of whisky, by order of Wm. 
Galbreath .25 
Dec. 1—Received of Duey 5 bushels of salt to be 
paid in whisky at 2 gallons per bushel. 
1826— Samuel Rittenhouse. Dr. to J. V. D. 
July 10—To 2 gallons of whisky @ 25c.$0.75 
July 25—To 6 gallons of whisky. 1.50 
Oct. 5—To 3 gallons of whisky.75 
Nov. 12—Credited by one side of kip leather. 2.90 
Nov. 12—Credited one quart of oil.50 
Mr. Rittenhouse was a merchant in “Oldtown,” 
which is now called Frankfort, and is on the site of 
the old, historic Indian town of Chil-li-co-thee! It is 
near the home of our esteem'd agricultural writer of 
to-day, Mr. John M. Jamison. 
1826— Simon Clouser’s account with J. Van Deman. 
March 13—He agrees to haul 14 barrels of flour to Chil- 
licothee, [12 miles over a hilly road], for which he is 
paid 14 gallons of whisky. » 
May 24—To 31 gallons of whisky @ 25c pr. g.$7.75 
May 24—To 100 pounds wheat middlings. 1.00 
May 24—To 63 pounds buckwheat flour. 1.26 
Oct. 18—To 2 pounds of coffee at store in Oldtown.50 
Robert Hemphill. Contract. 
November 22, 1826—He agrees to work for iy 2 bushels of 
cornmeal per day. 
Jan 14, 1827—He commenced working for one month for 
one barrel of whisky. 
How Men Worked. —The records show that he did 
the work and received many bushels of corn meal and 
the barrel of whisky, and signed his name on the 
book to a receipt for the same. John Hemphill was 
a carpenter, and agreed “to work at his trade” for 
two gallons of whisky per day. Andrew Hemphill 
was a distiller and general farm hand. The records 
show that he took a liberal share of his wages in 
whisky and brandy. The account of the neighbor¬ 
hood blacksmith, in part, runs as follows: 
1828— John Alimang. 
Jan. 3— To 1 gallon of brandy. 
Feb. 5—To IV 2 gallons of whisky. 
Feb. 5—To 29 pounds flour @ iy 2 cents per pound 
22—To 2 quarts of whisky. 
22—To 27*4 pounds of bacon @ 6 cents. 
Per contra. 
Jan. 26—To resetting 4 horse shoes. 
Feb. 29—To making one latch for door. 
March 14—To 36 brads. 
1828— George Parrett. 
May 28—To 2 gallons of whisky @ 25c. 
June 15—To 15 do, do.. 
Dr. 
$0.25 
•37V; 
.43-4 
.1214 
1.8714 
.3714 
.0614 
• 1214 
Dr. 
..$0.50 
.. 3.75 
Mr. Parrett was a large farmer, and probably laid 
in a supply of liquor for the wheat harvest and hay¬ 
ing. 
1827—Samuel Adams. 
Aug. 19—Contract—He agrees for his son William to 
work one year at 6 dollars per month, to be paid in 
whisky or other trade. 
Aug. 19—To 2 bushels of wheat @ 3714c.$0.75 
Aug. 19—To 2 gallons of whisky @ 25c.50 
Aug. 19—To 2 gallons of whisky @ 25c. 50 
25—To 1 quart, do, do. 0614 
28—To 2 quarts, do, do.12',4 
Sept. 30—To 1 gallon of apple brandy.25 
Oct. 7—To 2 quarts, do, do.1214 
19—To, paying tailor Phillipses bill for making 
one dress coat for William. 4.50 
19—To 1 gallon of apple brandy.25 
Nov. 15—To 1 barrel of cider. 1.00 
And so it goes on to December 29, by which time 
he had received nine gallons of whisky and brandy, 
one barrel of cider, three bushels of wheat, and one 
haystack, all of which had been paid for by the labor 
of his son William. Samuel Anderson was running 
an account during the same time, on a contract, by 
which he was to furnish “good bricks at $3 per thou¬ 
sand.” On this contract he got one gallon of whisky 
and 10 y 2 gallons of apple brandy, in small quantities, 
from September 19 to October 3 of the same year. 
h. e. van deman. 
