Reminiscing with Pearl Playford

Published November 15, 1962

In an old newspaper clipping dated November, 1927, is an interesting story of days long gone by. It contains information taken from an old day-book, which has inscribed on the flyleaf “St. Joseph’s Michigan Territory, October 27, 1828, the firm of Walling and Lacey.”

At the top of each page, recording business transactions from January to August, the name “Pawatigue” appears, but on August 18, 1829, the name Niles appears at the top of each page of the book.

Walling and Lacey were among Niles’ first merchants, and conducted a general merchandising business. The items entered in the little day-book reflect the mode of life of the early settlers.

The high cost of fuel was not so high in those days. For instance one item reads: “Sold six loads of wood at $.37-1/2, $2.25.”

Other items of interest follow: “23 lbs. pork, 69c; three lbs. butter at 12-1/2c, 37-1/2c; one pair of candlesticks, $1.75; one almanac, 6-1/4c; one gallon of soap, 25c; 22 lbs. of beef at 3c lb., 66c; three-quarters of a venison 37-1/2c; one bed cord, 50c; one bushel cranberries, 62-1/2c; four yards cambric 62-1/2c yd., $2.50; making of a vest, $1.00; three deer skins at 50c, $1.50; two days work of oxen, 50c; one pair moccasins, 25c; coonskins, 50c; one dozen cigars, 6-1/4c; 10 ounces camphor, 18-3/4c; one pound salts, 12-1/2c; six snuff boxes, $1.50; one gallon whiskey, 50c; one lb. tobacco, 18-1/2c.

“Postage on a letter 12-1/2c; three days’ work at 50c a day, $1.50; one vial spirits of turpentine, 25c; one saddle blanket, $1.00; one-fourth pound of gunpowder, 18-3/4c; one half pound lead, 6-1/4c; one-half dozen spelling books, 50c; one dinner horn, 18c; one lb. snuff, 37-1/2c; one pound tea, $1.37-1/2; one barrel whiskey (34 gallons), $12.75; 10 bushels wheat, $10.00.

“One ounce castor oil, 12-1/2c; one pair snuffers, 37-1/2c; one plow, $13.00; 6-1/2 pounds of cheese at 10c a pound, 65c; four tons of hay at $1.25 a ton, $5.00; sole leather, 50c; one tin bucket, 68c; making of pantaloons, $1.50; one barrel pork, $16.88; one razor, box and brush, 87-1/2c; one bonnet, $1.50; 14 candles, 25c; six yards calico at 25c a yd.; one choir paper, 25c.”

In the account book there was no mention to the Thanksgiving turkey for the obvious reason that the woods were full of turkeys and, armed with a fowling piece a hunter had no difficulty in bagging all he desired. And the lakes and streams were teeming with fish, which had no monetary value. But that was 128 years ago when this section was a dense forest and before Watervliet came into existence.