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SHELL MONEY.
Conchological Currency Circu¬
lates Even Now.
Cowry, Clam and Abalone Shells
Largely Employed.
Shell fish have from time immemor¬
ial contributed enormously to the
wealth of the world. Not merely have
they given up to man pearls of price,
as well as the material of their own
dwellings for ornamental purposes,
but they have supplied him for centur¬
ies with ail the money he needed to
apend.
Before gold, silver and copper came
into use as a medium of exchange
shell money was used for the same
purposes all over the world. To this
day it is employed as cash to an enor¬
mous extent in southern Asia, the
islands of the Indian and South Pacific
oceans and in runny parts of Africa.
In these regions the “cowry shell”
is the ono chiefly employed, for the
roason that it is of convenient size and
the natural supply of it is limited, so
that no one cowry shell may be con¬
sidered to represent a definite amount
of labor in the process of finding, and
there is no material chance of a sudden
inflation of the currency by the dis¬
covery of a great deposit of cowries.
One hundred cowries are worth two
cents, and strings of them arc receiva¬
ble where they are current for mer¬
chandise, labor or anything purchasa¬
ble. One can build a house for
instance, worth $2000 and discharge
the expense with 10,000,000 cowries.
For purposes of trade in the Indo-
Pncific and Africa vast quantities of
cowries are imported to England,
whence they are carried by merchants
for use in barter. On the we9t coa6t
of Africa a you ng wife can be bought
for 60.000 cowries, equal to $12,
while an ordinary wife not guaranteed
as to y outh may be had for 20,000
cowries. In the Soudan there is no
other currency in use. The late firm
of GodefFroy & Co., Hamburg, was
accustomed to send each year fourteen
▼csscls to Zanzibar for cargoes of cow¬
ries with which cargoes of palm oil
and other products were purchased on
the west coast of Africa. Cowries
were formerly largely used in the pur¬
chase of slaves. The main source of
supply of this species of shell is the
Maldivo and Laccadive Islands, in the
Arabian sea.
Before tho s ttlemcnt of America
by the whites, and for a long time
after, shells were exclusively used for
finoncy by the Indians, mostly under
the name of “wampum.” which con¬
sisted of disks and pieces in other
shapes cut out of shells of various
kinds. One of the shells most com¬
monly used for this purpose was the
common round or “qua ang” clam.
About half an inch of the inside of
the shell is of a purple color, and this
the Indians used to break off and con¬
vert into beads. Cash in the eariy
days of this country’s settlement was
chiefly, apart from tl.e shell money
employed in trade with the natives,
beaver skins, beads and musket balls.
The island of Conanicnt in Narra-
gansett Way was originally sold to the
whites for one hundred pounds of
wampum. Wampum was originally
worth $2.50 a fathom, strung on or¬
dinary twine, but enterprising mer-
cants in New York, then New Am-
stcidain, set to work to make it by
machinery, the result being a great
depreciation in this sort of currency.
The California Indians were ne¬
vus omed to nia mfacture large quanti¬
ties of wampum, to lake the plate of
the constant was ago caused bv their
custom of burying big sums of shell
money with every one of impor ancc
Who died. In the.r country $100
worth of shell money would buy two
very desirable wives. Periwinkles
were largely used for money by the
Indians.
The sort of greatest value, however,
was the abalone of the Pacific coast,
which was worth as much as $10 and
$15 a shell. One of the flat pari of
the shell were taken round $1 pieces,
and where tiie curve uas sharper,
twenty-five-ccnt pieces. 'Ihc beauty
of these shells is much appreciated at
this day, anti in those limes a tin? one
was considered a fair equivalent for a
horse. — [ tVa-liington Post.
Groin is now stored in steel tanks.
The Paper Fruit Basket.
The H tle village of Cbarlestowm,
Md., has the distinction of containing
a manufactory whose counterpart doe*
not exist in the world, This is the
factory for the making of paper fruit-
baskets, which is the only one of the
the kind in existence. The plant was
built and is owned by the American
Strawboard Company who manufac¬
ture a basket from straw-hoards, with
a wooden top-hoop and a wooden in¬
side bottom-hoop, the article being
handsome in shape, st>ong and welj
ventilated, of the standard size of
fruit and produce baskets.
The main building is 156 feet long
and 50 feet wide,two stories,with iron
roof and sides. A building 50 by 100
feet is devoted to the water-proofing
process, while a third, 20 by 30 feet,
also of iron and brick, is a chemical
stock-ioom. An additional building,
200 by 50 feet, will probably be erect¬
ed at an early day for storage pur¬
poses. All the work is done by ma¬
chinery, which has been adapted to the
requirements, and patented, much in¬
genuity having been exercised in per¬
fecting the various devices.
The first story of the main building
receives the straw-board and witnesses
the earlier processes, such as the cut¬
ting and crimping of bottoms, the
stamping out and perforating of the
bodies, the cutting of paper hoops,
which are of three sizes, and the -aw¬
ing, steaming, pointing and shaping
of the wooden boons for top and bot¬
tom. The second story is filled with
light machines, adjusted to a nicety,
which arc run by boys, where the
baskets are sewn together, the hoops,
bottoms and forms being fastened,
when the mill is at full capacity, at
the r te of more than 1,000 an hour.
The water-proofing is the last process,
and so perfectly done that the basket
will stand immersion for 24 hours
without damage, being stronger after
ten minutes’ exposure to the air than
it was before.—[Paper World.
Travel in China.
Travel in Northern China is accom¬
plished in a cart, a mule litter, or the
saddle. The first met hod is the most
uncomfortable but the most rapid, the
second the most comfortable but the
slowest, the third the most independ¬
ent but the most uncertain.
The cart used in Northern China
has two hgavy wheels, with wooden
axle, no springs, and a body about
four feet long and three broad, over
which is a light frame-work top cov¬
ered with blue cotton. The mules
driven tandem by a carter sealed on
the left shaft take it along at a rate of
about three miles an hour, and one
can make in it an average of thirtv-
live miles a day, even over the rough¬
est country. It will carry about three
hundred pounds of goods, and one or
even two passengers; and tlie tighier
one is squeezed in the move comfort¬
able it will p ove, for that, and that
alone, will be a protection from the
terrible jolting over the rough country
roads.
It is told in some old b oks of travel
in the narrative of the mission of
Lord Amherst to the court of Peking,
if I remember rightly, that one of his
attendants died from the effects of the
jolting he received during a short jour¬
ney in one of these carts. But this
mode of travel being the most rapid, l
adopted it. Several years of exper¬
ience of cart travel in China had made
be bold, so that I did not fear the fate
of t e Amherst mission mail. Com-
f rtubly wrapped in iny wadded
Chinese clothes, I squeezed myself in¬
to my cart feeling like a delicate piece
of china ware packed in cotton, and
after a hearty fa ewe'l to the friends
with whom I was staying at Pek¬
ing, the carters cracked their whips,
and wiih a sh ut to the mules we
were off.—[C ntirry.
Removes Ink from the Fingers.
It is not generally known that ink
stains can readily be removed from
the fingers with the head of a par or
match. A book-keeper in a Wall
Street banking honsj is 6i*id to have
made the discovery. Mois eu the ink-
stained spot and rub it gently with the
head of the loa ch, keeping the skin
wet so that it will not be burned. The
'tain rapidly disappears. The match
should not be used where there is
a cut. Violet ink stains can often be
removed b. rubbing tit m with a rough
woolen cloth. A coat si eve answers
very well.— [New York Times.
FACTS FOR THE SICK!
A Letter from an Eminent Di¬
vine in Regard to the Best
Medicine in the World.
Read.
Wonderful Cures.
Atlanta. Ga., January 2, 1890.
Six months ago, at the request of a
friend who was interested in the sale of
Ring's Royal Germetuer, I made a writ-
teu statement of the benefits I had re¬
ceived from the use of that medicine. In
that statement I expressed the belief that
it would cure mo entirely of catarrh.
Within the last two months I have re¬
ceived letters from every quarter of the
nation calling on me for further informa¬
tion in regard to my health. It has been
impossible for me to write privately to
each person who has made this request,
aud I am therefore under the necessity cf
making another public catarrh. statement. believe that
I am free from I
l could get a certificate to this «Sect from
any competent physician. I have used
no medicine within the >ast six montns
except King’s Royal Germetuer. My
health is better tb .n it has been in thirty
years. I um iu possession of information
which warrants me in saying that the re¬
lief which I have experienced from the
use of the medicine is not more certain
and radical than that which it has
brought to hundreds o. persons in Geor¬
gia aud other States.
I feel it to be my duty to say, also, that
the effects of this remedy upon my wife
have been even more signal and wonder¬
ful. She has been almost a life-long in¬
valid from Nervous Headache, Neuralgia
aud Rheumatism. In a period of thirty
years she has scarcely had a day’s exemp¬
tion from pain. She has been using Ger-
meteur about two months. A more com¬
plete transformation I have never wit¬
nessed. Every symptom of disease has
disappeared. She appears to be twenty
years younger, and is as happy and play-
ful as a healthy child. We nave persua- r
ded many of our friends to take the med¬
icine, and the testimony of all of them is
that it is a great remedy.
J. B. Hawthorne.
Pastor First Baptist ( hurch.
Royal Germeteur builds up from the
k !rst dose, the patient quickly feeling its
invigorating aud health-giving influence.
It increases the appetite, aids digestion, the liver,
clears the complexion, regulates
kidneys, etc., and speedily brings bloom
to the cheek, strength to the body and
joy to the heart. For weak and debili¬
tated females it is without a rival or a
peer. If suffering with disease and
you arc
fail of a certificates, cure, send stamp for printed
matter, etc. *
For sale by the King’s Royal Germe¬
teur Compauy, 14 N. Broad street, At¬
lanta, Ga., a d by druggists. Price
$1.50 per concentrated bottle, which
makes one gallon of medicine as per di-
rcetions accompanying each botile. Can
oe sent by express C. O. D. if your drug-
gift cannot supply you. lY
FORTUNES FOR MANY.
Allen, the blacksmith, is now a mil¬
lionaire through replying to an advertise¬
ment of unclaimed estates. &c., &c.—
Times , London , March 1st, 1888.
If your ancestors came from the old
c untry, write to The European Claims
Agency, 59 Pearl street and 24 Stone
street, New York city, inclosing 25 cents
for reply, and learn if you are an heir to
any of the unclaimed estates there, worth
more than half a billion dollars, that
rightly belong, chiefly, to American ue-
scendaats of Europeans who came to
America years ago. If your ancestors
came over more than fi ty years ago,
there is a probability that you are heir to
a fortuue. Ot
THE GEORGIA ALLIANCE RECORD
Is a large 8-page weekly devoted to
Alliance news, agriculture, horticulture,
'lock raising, literary and Address general news.
Send for a sample copy.
ALLIANCE RECORD,
4t Montezuma, Ga.
J. 1. BL4S1SGM,
—DEALER IN—
DRY GOODS,
Groceries aod Hardware.
V full line of HARDWARE am
CRO KERY. Quality of all Good;
Guaranteed and Prices as low as the low
< st. 1 a so sell the famous
NEW HOSE AND LOVE SEWING
ISUCHINES.
Buy from me, and thus save th<
A cuts’ enormous commission, vt ill • «
fiver Machine anywhere within ten mile>
of Knoxville. You can have ample tim<
to try me. S .tisfaction guaranteed or n
t»«y-
CALL AND SEE ME.
J. W. BLASINGAME
Kuoxvillo, On.
1AB1IS01, SAVD1B8 &
DRY GOODS, NOTIONS, GRo c J
IEse, HARDWAR^CORN.FLoo J
IIAY,OATIS,BHAN ANDPl a
tation supplies
WE HAVE A COMPLETE SUPPLY OF
Ladies’ Dress Goods, Hos
and Millinery,
Agr icultural invitation Implements,! to all, and J
We extend a cordial tha
especially, to call and examine our stock.
IE THE TO m K
Our Prices will Compete with Macon & Atlai
MUSELLA, GA.
FINE MILLINER
My Stock of FALL MILLINERY is now beautiful, and will soon be coi
I have a nice line of NOTIONS at the low st prices. My Stock of
GLASSWARE, CLOCKS AND JEWELRY
Are remarkably cheap, and if you see them, you will be compelled to buy.
DRESS-MAKING A SPECIALTY,
And all pains taken, and every effort made to give satisfaction. For convcui
some of my customers, I will have a full 1 >t of MILLINERY, NOTIONS,!
the depot by the 15th. I cordially invite all the ladies to call and see my Sta
6m MRS. Mi B. PIER Ui
J.H. NOLAN & BR(
Have On Hand the Largest and Most Select Stock of
FURNITUR
EVER BROUGHT TO KNOXVILLE.
Comprising a Complete Line of Choice Goods:
Bed Room Seta, Parlor Sets. Chai
Rockers, &c.
You cau find goods in
fGFIAR OAK AND WAIN®
wardrobes dining safes, cupboards, etc. '
Springs, lounges room
keep on hand a full line of handsome coffins, burial cases and undertakers
Call and examine our stock before you purchase elsewhere.
KN r OXVJI H I$, G$Of(GlI&
MILTON J. MOOR
DEALER IN
DRY GOODS, GROCERIES, HARDW
Patent Medicines, Notions, El
I am prepared to sell Com, Oats, Meat, Bran md all kinds of Family'
tation Supplies. I have on hand the largest and complet st stock of P 1 I
Clothing, B ots Shots, Hats, China and Glassware ever seen in this marke I
Fannin Basils, Cans, Bossies, Hi
Etc. I make a specialty of the celebrated Baroesville buggies, which I
tory price*. I defy competition either in quality or price.
CERES. - GEORGIA.
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