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CITY OF DUBOIS Page 81
From the close of the war in 1865 up to 1873, wages and
all commodities were at a top price. Ordinary labor was worth $2.50
per day. Skilled labor usually rated a little higher wage. Stone
masons were paid $4.00 to $5.00 per day. Calico and unbleached
muslin sold from 50c to 60c per yard, ginghams were of like price.
The present classes of cotton goods were unknown. Molasses of what
was known as the "black strap" variety sold at a high price. A very
black brown sugar known as "molasses drips," and largely the candied
sugar of the molasses barrel sold for 14c to 16c per pound. Coal oil
retailed for 75c per gallon. An ordinary glass oil lamp that in
later years was bought complete at 5c and me sold for $1.50. Coffee
and tea were not used except in the families of the very wealthy and
they had to be rich to afford them. Browned rye, mixed with chicory,
browned wheat, or browned peas was the breakfast drink of the day.
One woman boasted that her husband had arrived at that state of
wealth at which her family could afford coffee. On showing her
visitor around the place, she opened the Dutch Oven where they had
baked bread, and there was the inevitable pan of rye browning for
their breakfast drink in place of the coffee of which she boasted.
Of course, coffee was not browned. It sold in the raw bean, and the
purchaser had to do his own browning, and owned his own coffee mill
for the grinding. When one reads the advertisements of "Postum" and
kindred drinks, he is lead to smile at the care taken by the
advertising to show that browned wheat is a delicious and healthful
substitute for coffee, when many persons living today, who lived
from 186o to 1885, had nothing else for his breakfast drink, except
browned rye or browned wheat or browned peas. Tea was $2.00 per
pound. Green coffee was $1.00 per pound. Coffee was so expensive
that the ordinary person could not even afford the odor of coffee
for his breakfast let alone have it to drink.
The country was still in the "handmade" stage of
production. Carpets were homemade from rags, in which the chain used
was spun from tow and the filling of rags cut in strips from the
worn out clothing and pieced together by hand and woven on a hand
loom. Boots and shoes were made by the local shoemaker and every
little village had its shoe-maker's shop, which, along with the
country store, was the gossip center of the community, and where the
men gathered in the evenings to keep the shoemaker company while he
worked at night. There were two kinds of leather, viz: "kip" and
"calfskin." A pair of kip boots cost $16.00 and a skillful shoemaker
could make a pair of kip boots in one day. The "dress" boots were
made from calfskin and usually cost $20.00. However, the wearing
quality of these dress boots was wonderful. A few years ago a man
related that he had what he called a pair of "fine boots," made by a
local shoemaker, which he had worn for nine years. Of course .the
wear was limited practically to Sunday or when he went to parties.
The women wore shoes. The shoemaker commenced in early fall and was
kept very busy making the boots and shoes for his patrons throughout
the
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