while engaged in the acquisition of its reward. Large stores, at that time, exclusively wholesale, were but rare, except among the shipping merchants, so called, and it is fully within my memory, that all the hardware stores, which were intended to be wholesale dealers, by having their regular sets of country customers, for whose supplies they made their regular importations, were obliged, by the practice of the trade and the expectations of the citizens, to be equally retailers in their ordinary business. They also, as subservient to usage, had to be regular importers of numerous stated articles in the dry-goods line, and especially in most articles in the woollen line. At that time, ruinous overstocks of goods imported were utterly unknown, and supplies from auction sales, as now, were neither depended upon nor resorted to. The same advance "on the sterling" was the set price of every storekeeper's profit. As none got suddenly rich by monopolies, they went through whole lives, gradually but surely augmenting their estates, without the least fear or the misfortune of bankruptcy. When it did rarely occur, such was the surprise and the general sympathy of the public, that citizens saluted each other with sad faces, and made their regrets and condolence a measure of common concern. An aged person has told me that when the inhabitant and proprietor of that large house, formerly the post-office, at the corner of Chesnut street and Carpenter's court, suddenly failed in business, the whole house was closely shut up for one week, as an emblem of the deepest family-mourning; and all who passed the house instinctively stopt and mingled the expressions of their lively regret. Now how changed are matters in these particulars! Now men fail with hardy indifference, and some of them have often the effrontery to appear abroad in expensive display, elbowing aside their suffering creditors at public places of expensive resort. I occasionally meet with such, by whom I have been injured, who indulge in travelling equipage, with which they delight to pass and dust me, and who, nevertheless, would feel their dignity much insulted at even a civil hint to spare me but a little of the disregarded debt. It might lower the arrogancy of some such, to know, there was once a time in our colony when such heedless and desperate dealers and livers were sold for a term of years to pay their just debts.

It strikes me as among the remarkable changes of modern times, that blacksmith-shops, which used to be low, rough one story sheds, here and there in various parts of the city, and always fronting on the main streets, have been crowded out as nuisances, or rather as eye-sores to genteel neighbourhoods. Then the workmen stood on ground-floors in clogs or wooden-soled shoes, to avoid the damp of the ground. But now they are seen to have their operations in genteel three story houses, with ware-rooms in front, and with their furnaces and anvils, &c. in the yards or back premises.

"Lines of packets," as we now see them, for Liverpool and for Havre abroad, and for Charleston, New Orleans, Norfolk, &c. at

home, are but lately originated among us. The London packet in primitive days made her voyage but twice a year. And before the Revolution all vessels going to England or Ireland, used to be advertised on the walls of the corner houses, saying when to sail and where they laid. Some few instances of this kind occurred even after the war of Independence. In those days vessels going to Great Britain, was usually called "going home."

Kalm, when here 80 years ago, made a remark which seemed to indicate that then New York, though so much smaller as a city, was the most commercial, saying, "It probably carries on a more extensive commerce than any town in the English colonies, and it is said they send more ships to London than they do from Philadelphia."

From the period of 1790 to 1800 the London trade was all the channel we used for the introduction of spring and fall goods. The arrival of the London ships at Clifford's wharf used to set the whole trading community in a bustle to see them "haul into the wharf." Soon the whole range of Front street, from Arch to Walnut street, was lumbered with the packages from the Pigou, the Adrianna, the Washington, &c.

Great and noisy were the breaking up of packages, and busy were the masters, clerks and porters to get in and display their new arrived treasures. Soon after were seen the city retailers, generally females in that time, hovering about like butterflies near a rivulet, mingling among the men and viewing with admiration the rich displays of British chintses, muslins and calicoes of the latest London modes. The Liverpool trade was not at that time opened, and Liverpool itself had not grown into the overwhelming rival of Bristol and Hull-places with which we formerly had some trade for articles not drawn from the great London storehouse.

CHANGES

IN PRICES OF DIET, &c.

"For the money quite a heap!"

WE cannot fail to be surprised at the former abundance (as indicated in the cheapness of prices) of many articles formerly, which are now scarce and dear.

Sheepshead, now so high-priced, used to be plentiful in the Jersey market. They came over land from Egg-harbour. The price was the same whether big or little, say 1s. 6d. apiece-some weighed six to seven pounds each. The rule was, that he who came first took the biggest. Unreasonable as this seemed, the practice long prevailed. At last the sellers attempted to introduce the sale by weight. They fixed the price at 4d. per lb. (now they are at 1s. 10d.!) but the purchasers stood aloof, and none would buy! Then they returned to 1s. 6d. apiece again. However, sometime after, they succeeded to sell at 4d. to 6d. per lb. and so continued for years. These things were told to me by Mr. Davenport Merrot, an old gentleman now 80 years of age. Mr. John Warder too, of nearly the same age, related much the same facts, saying, that when he was a boy all their sea fish were brought over land from Egg-harbour and landed at the Old Ferry, (then the first and only one) where a small bell was rung from the top of the house, which was sufficient to inform the chief part of the town that the fish were come. There, he said, sheepshead were always sold at 18d. apiece, without any regard to size; but the first comers getting always the best.

Wild pigeons were once innumerable. Mr. Thomas Bradford, now aged 84, remembers when they were caught in nets, and brought in cartloads to the city market. He said he had heard his forefathers say they once saw a flock fly over the city so as to obscure the sun for two or three hours, and many were killed from the tops of the houses. They were therefore plentiful enough in general to sell from 6d. to 12d. per dozen.

The same informer stated his recollections of the earliest market prices thus, viz. Butter at 6d. to 9d. fowls 1s. ducks 15d. geese 1s. 10d. eggs 4d. per dozen, beef at 3d. to 6d. per lb. greens, sallads, &c. were as much for a penny as is now given for 6d. Shad used to be retailed at 3d. to 4d. and herrings at 1s. 6d. a hundred.

Colonel A. J. Morris, now 90 years of age, has told me of his recollection of shad being sold in several seasons of his early days at 10s. a hundred !

The occasional prices published in the ancient Gazettes state prices as follows, to wit:

1719-Flour per cwt. 9s. 6d. to 10s. tobacco 14s. cwt. Muscovado sugar 40 to 45s. per cwt. pork 45s. per barrel, beef 30s. rum 3s. 9d. per gallon, molasses 1s. 6d. wheat 3s. 3d. to 3s. 5d. per bushel, corn 1s. 6d. and bohea tea-mark it, what a luxury-at 24s. per lb.! 1721—“Flower" 8s. 6d. to 9s. turpentine 8s. rice 17s. fine salt 2s. 6d. bohea tea at 30s.! pitch 12s. tar 8s.

1748-the time of war, prices are high, say, wheat at 6s, 4d. to 7s. flour 20s. beef 43s. and pork 60s.

In 1755, hay is named at 40s. a ton, and now it is occasionally at 20 dollars!

1757-Flour is 12s. 6d. wheat 3s. 6d. corn 1s. 9d. beef 40s. pork 60 to 67s. pipe staves 7 £. barrel staves 67s. West India rum 2s. 11d. New England rum 2s. 7d. Pennsylvania rum 2s. 7d. molasses 2s. 6d. hemp 5s. pitch 15s. tar 10s. flaxseed 4s. 3d. and last of all bohea is down from 30s. to only 7s.!

In 1760, I notice the fact that several thousand barrels of flour were purchased in London for the American provinces at 8s. 6d. per cwt.

In 1763, I perceive prices of sundry game, &c. incidentally stated, to wit: a quail 14d. a heath-hen 1s. 3d. a teal 6d. a wild goose 2s. a brandt 1s. 3d. snipe 1d. a duck 1s. a cock turkey 4s. a hen turkey 2s. 6d.

1774-Flour 18s. 6d. wheat 7s. 9d. Indian corn 2s. 8d. pipe staves 10£. barrel staves 70s. West India rum 3s. 1d. pitch 16s. tar 13s. turpentine 18s. rice 17s. Lisbon salt 15d. hemp 5d. cotton 16d. bar iron 26£. pig iron £8 10s. pork £4 5s. beef £2 15s.

The pebble stones used in paving the city, when first paved, cost but 4s. 6d. per cartload, delivered from the shallops.

Changes in Prices of Land.

In such a growing city it was to be expected the occasional changes in the value of lots and property would be very great.

To begin with Gabriel Thomas' account of 1698, he says, within the compass of twelve years that which might have been bought for fifteen or eighteen shillings, is now sold for fourscore pounds in ready silver, and some other lots, that might have been purchased for three pounds, within the space of two years were sold for one hundred pounds apiece, and likewise some land that lies near the city, that sixteen years ago might have been purchased for six or eight pounds the 100 Acres, cannot now be bought under 150 to 200£.

The ancient Mrs. Shoemaker told me that her grandfather,

James Lownes, was offered for 20£. the whole square from High street to Arch street, and from Front to Second street, by William Penn himself. He declined it, saying, how long shall I wait to see my money returned in profit.

The aged Owen Jones, Esq. informed me that he had heard at several times that William Penn offered his hired man, as a coachman, &c. the whole of the square of ground included between Chesnut and Walnut and Front and Second streets, in lieu of one years wages-probably of 15£.

Mr. Abel James, the father of the present Doctor James, used to tell him that one Moore, of Bucks county, a Friend, was the person above alluded to, and that he used to visit Mr. James' family, and told him he had chosen a moderate tract of land in Bucks county in preference to the above mentioned square.*

The same Mr. Owen Jones said the greatest rise of city plots he had ever known were the sales of proprietaries city lots after the sales of his estate. They rising, in hundreds of instances, he said, to have ground rents at more than double the price of the first purchase.

He related to me what he heard from the grandson of the first or second Samuel Powell, that he bought the two whole squares included between Spruce and Pine streets, and Fifth and Seventh streets, for 50£. each-a rise of more than one thousand for one! Even when he gave those prices he bought reluctantly and at two or three several times-for he afterwards, I believe, added, at the same terms, the square from Fourth to Third street. This was originally the property of the "Free Society of Traders," and is certainly one evidence how ill they managed their interests for their eventual good. Powell on the contrary, by holding on, realized a great fortune for his posterity from such slender occasion.

The aged colonel Morris informed me that he heard old Mr. Tratnal say, that Governor Palmer offered him a great extent of Kensington lots, fronting on the river street, at six pence per foot ground rent for ever.

Anthony Duché, a respectable protestant refugee from France, ancestor of the well known Parson Duché, came with his wife over to Pennsylvania in the same ship with William Penn, who had borrowed a small sum of about 30£. from him. After the arrival Penn offered him in lieu of the return of the money "a good bargain," as he said—a square between Third and Fourth streets, with only the exception of the burial ground occupied by Friends on Mulberry and Fourth streets,† the proprietor observing that he knew the lot was cheap, but that he had a mind to favour him, in

"I might mention, that I used to hear a tradition that Penn's coachman had been offered the square on which Laetitia court is located; as that was but half a square it is the most probable story. And possibly the offer to Lownes was the same square also, and mistold in a lapse of years. The other squares were soon out of Penn's disposal, as belonging to purchasers and drawn by lot.

+ It was first offered to Thomas Lloyd, whose wife was the first person interred there.