COST OF LIVING IN WASHINGTON'S TIME Luxurious meal could be had for thirty cents and a whole goose The facts for this article were gleaned from the New York city directory for the year 1795 and form a manuscript volume of food prices, kept by Garret Abeel, a citizen of New York in the year 1792.- EDITOR. N O subject is so interesting to the American people at the present day as the high cost of living. Almost every newspaper tells us that which we already know that the cost of the essentials of life has risen almost 100 per cent in five years. The discussion of the remedy is upon every tongue. Statesmen wrestle with it, agitators rave about it and the common man scolds his wife over the butcher's bill. From this high plane of unrest upon which we chase our living it is well to look down on a lower plane where our fathers walked almost a century and a third ago. New York was already the metropolis of America with a population of about 35,000 and was growing by leaps and bounds. The wealth and fashion of the city lived along Broadway south of Murray street, but buildings were rising on all sides. Everybody was busy from the president of the United States, who had just made New York his capital, to the most humble day laborer. The president, George Washington, received what was then considered the princely salary of $25,000 and was no doubt the highest salaried man in America. From his salary he was required, however to pay his own secretary. The vice president's salary was $5,000. The secretary of state received $3,500 and the secretary of war $3,000. But the salary of the postmaster-general was only $2,000 and the attorney-general received $1,900. The chief justice of the United States received $4,000 and each of his associates $3,500. Other judges received from $800 to $2,000. The members of congress received $6 for every day of attendance until March 4, 1795, when their pay was increased to $7 per day. They were also allowed a sum for travelling expenses. Clerks and minor officials were paid varying sums from $500 up. Within the domain of civil life bank officers were probably the best paid people. The president of the Bank of the United States received a salary of $3,000, and from that eminence the pay decreased to that of the second discount clerk, who rejoiced to obtain $600 per annum. Merchants and business men, of course, made what they were able, and the professional fees of lawyers and doctors were relatively large. The city' clergyman was happy to receive a salary of $1,000 and a parsonage and teachers of all classes were content with less. Only the very highest grade of working man could hope to receive $2 for a day which extended from sunrise to sunset, and a carpenter who demanded $1.50 a day was considered high priced. From this elevation wages decreased to that of domestic help, who were plentiful at $5 and $10 a month with board and lodging. Turning from the rewards which people received from their labor to the prices they paid for their living we find that wages were adequate to their necessities. Many things which are now hardly considered luxuries were then unattainable, and some things which are now in common use were then exceedingly high priced and only enjoyed by the rich. But ordinary clothing was cheap and good food in great abundance and variety was offered at reasonable rates. Along the center of Broadway between Cedar and Nassau streets, New York, was a long market shed where the housewives of the town sought the daily supply for their larders. On the butchers' blocks within that humble structure the best beef and pork could be bought for 5 cents a pound. Mutton was even cheaper at 4 cents a pound. Venison and other game was abundant and brought what the seller could get for it but probably seldom rose above the price of good beef. Poultry and game birds burdened the counter. A whole goose could be bought for 30 cents and a pair of best ducks for not more than 20 cents. Those who surfeited with meat or who wished to keep Lent, had their choice of a great variety of sea food in its season. Great quantities of fish were brought in boats from the Narrows or in wagons from the south shore of Long Island. One day in 1792 a gentleman counted thirty varieties of the spoils of the sea displayed for sale. Shad cost retail about 2 cents apiece, and lobsters were 2 cents a pound, while crabs were worth 12 cents a dozen. For many years oysters had been brought from the Jersey shores of the Hudson river, but a little before the time of which we speak the immense beds off the shore of Long Island had been discovered, and the finest of these, such as were supplied to the president's table, brought 25 cents a hundred. If the animal food was cheap, all kinds of vegetables were still cheaper. The very best potatoes brought 30 cents a bushel, while the poorer sort were often down to 12 cents a bushel. Indian meal and buckwheat were worth about $1 a hundredweight. Rye was higher, selling at about $1.20 a hundredweight, and what was still more costly, valued at about $2 a hundredweight. Oranges and tropical fruits, however, were only occasionally found in the market and then at a very high price. In Fraunces' tavern, which is still standing NEW YORK'S D Valuable compilation by Dr. Charles R. Skinner, legislative librarian R. Charles R. Skinner, legislative librarian and former State superintendent of public instruction, has recently prepared an interesting and valuable pamphlet. It gives the names of all of the forty-four governors of New York State since and including 1777 to the present time, comprising, in convenient form, the date and place of birth of each, where he died, public offices held, his occupation and other notable events in the life of each. The compilation was made to accompany life size photographs of the governors shown in the legislative library. Dr. Skinner was occupied in this work for more than a year and in some instances of the earlier governors experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining the data. For example, the middle names of some of the executives had been lost in obscurity. The middle name of Daniel D. Tompkins, Republican, who was governor for three terms between 1807 and 1817, has never been known. Dr. Skinner ascertained definitely that the "D" was added merely to distinguish him from another Daniel Tompkins who attended the same school or college. This fact was given by Governor Tompkins' granddaughter, Helene T. Tompkins of Somers, N. Y., to Bolton's history of Westchester county. Nathaniel Pitcher, acting governor from February to December, 1828, was another executive concerning whom it was difficult to get the information desired, although Mr. Pitcher had been a member of assembly, surrogate of Washington county, delegate to the first State constitutional convention, and a representative in congress for two terms. Dr. Skinner wrote to persons in Washington county for a picture, also to the news papers. He finally found relatives in Albany who referred him to other descendants in Dutchess county. Curious as it may appear, these descendants never knew that he had been elected lieutenant-governor and was for a time governor of the State. Much of the information Dr. Skinner collected from the New York State Red Books and Legislative Manuals, but records and local histories all over the State had to be delved into before he obtained the information now printed for the first time in a pamphlet. Dr. Skinner's father was a member of the assembly in 1833 and State senator in 1844. He himself was an assemblyman from 1877 to 1881. He has collected a vast amount of valuable historical material since he has been legislative librarian. Among these treasures are all copies of the Legislative Manual beginning with 1827 until the present time. The facts concerning the forty-four New York governors follow: Compiled and Copyrighted 1919, by 1 and 3. GEORGE CLINTON (Anti-Fed.) July, 1777-June, 1795 July, 1801-June, 1804 Born in Ulster county, July 26, 1739 Died at Washington, April 30, 1812 1755. Ran away from home to fight French Studied law in New York city - Admitted to bar Clerk of common pleas, Ulster county 1765. Member of colonial legislature 1775-76. Member second Continental Congress Voted for Declaration of Independence Lieutenant of rangers in expedition against Fort 1777. Brigadier-general of militia 1778. President of convention which ratified federal constitution 1780. Drove back savages in Mohawk valley 1792. Candidate of new republican party for vicepresident (defeated) 7 and 9. DE WITT CLINTON (Rep. and Ind.) July, 1817-December, 1822 (One two-year term) (Two two-year terms) Born, Little Britain, March 2, 1769 1790-96. Secretary of Gov. George Clinton 1798. Member of assembly 1798 to 1802, 1806 to 1817. State senator 1801. Member constitutional convention Opposed invasion of Louisiana 1803 to 1807, 1810 to 1814. Mayor New York city 1810. Explored route for Erie canal 1811-13. Lieutenant-governor 1812. Defeated for president 1816. Canal commissioner 1817-22, 1824-28. Governor 1820. Declined renomination 1825. Offered minister to England by President Adams (declined) 1826. Opened Erie canal Opponents: 1817. Peter B. Porter (Fed.) 1820. Daniel D. Tompkins (Rep.) 1824. Samuel Young (Rep.) 1826. William B. Rochester (Rep.) 8. JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER YATES (Rep.) 1823-1824 Born, Schenectady, November 9, 1768 Died, Schenectady, March 19, 1837 Lawyer One of the founders of Union college 1798. Mayor of Schenectady 1806-07-08. State senator 1822. Governor Opponent: Solomon Southwick (Ind.) 14. WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD (Whig) 1838-1841 (Two-year terms) Born, Florida, Orange county, May 16, 1801 1823. Lawyer at Auburn 1834. Defeated for governor 1838-41. Governor Recommended abolition of capital punishment, and return of fugitive slaves 1848. Delivered eulogy on John Quincy Adams in legislature 1849-61. United States senator Advocated abolition of slavery in District of Columbia Introduced bill for construction of Pacific railroad Delivered orations on deaths of Clay and Webster 1859. Visited Europe 1861-69. Secretary of state 1865. Wounded by assassin 1867. Contracted for purchase of Alaska 1870. Made tour of the world Opponents: 1838, William L. Marcy (Dem.) 1840. William C. Bouck (Dem.) 1842. Luther Bradish (Dem.) |