December 6, 1951

Transcribed by Janette West Grimes

This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually In Cal’s Column

Some Old Papers

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The editor of the Times has recently come into possession of some very old papers, receipts, etc. These were given to the Times by Mrs. Ernest Harris, of Lafayette. Below are given some record of part of these old papers, etc.

"William C. Hanes, bot. of I. L. Miron, one cake of soap, $.06 1/4; 2 pr. buts, $.20; 3 pr. scissors, $.21; one belt, $.12; one dictionary, $.34; 1 paste board, $.06 1/4. Total $ 1.00. Paid in full, July 22, 1837." What 2 pr. of buts were, we do not know, unless they were parts of hinges. Three pairs of scissors for 21 cents was certainly a very low price. These were prices 114 years ago.

"Received of W. C. Hains, one dollar and eight cents in full of his account with me up to his date, December 23, 1838. Jonah Wildham," reads another of the old papers. We confess that we never saw the name, "Wildman," before.

"Mr. G. W. Carter, Sir: Please to pay on the 15th day of July next to William C. Haynes, five dollars, and this shall be your receipt for your second quarter of Schooling with me for 1837. This, the 19th day of May, 1837. Elijah Baker. [On Back] Received on the within, $3.00." We suppose this money was for a teacher of a subscription school of more than 100 years ago. It appears on the back of the paper that only $3.00 was ever paid.

Rec'd of William Haynes, Seven Dollars and 78 cents in full of his Apt. With us up to date, this, the 1st day of May, 1837. L. B. Griffith and Brother." What his "Apt." was, we confess we do not know, but suppose that account was really meant.

"William C. Haynes, pr. Hatchells Dr.; May 19, 1847. To W. C. Read, to 2 barrels of salt, 382, 370, 52 700 @ $.40. $ 5.60." Here we have an item that is not clear. A hatchell was a sort of big comb for use in making cloth from hemp or flax, to remove certain parts from the plant or bark of the plant. A barrel of salt of 104 years ago weighs about 375 pounds, but now weighs 280. Salt was then 40 cents per hundred, not $ 1. 75 as now. We recall that in the years long gone by on one occasion a sort of bet was made at the old store just above Mt. Tabor Baptist church, between the merchant and a man named Coons, the latter being offered the barrel of salt free if he could pick it up and carry it on his shoulder. The man carried the barrel of salt weighing nearly 400 pounds and Pleam Dillard, the merchant, lost his barrel of salt. Readers will note that the weight of the two barrels of salt sold W. C. Read, varied in weight, the 52 next in the description represented the amount over and above 700 pounds that appears next. Old readers of the Times will recall the hatchell, in frequent use in the long ago when practically every farmer grew flax to be woven into cloth in process of time.

"Claborn Haynes: Sir; You will please pay Eli Dorris one dollar for me, and this shall be your "recet" for the same. This, February 20, 1849. William Eckols." We do not know positively the meaning of the above, but suppose that Claborn Haynes was either a merchant or a lender of money, and that Echols did not have the dollar due Eli Dorris, and was in a way "borrowing" it from Haynes.

It should be added that there is no place given in these old papers as to where these various transactions took place, but they belonged to the Hanes family of an earlier day. The William C. Haynes above mentioned was an uncle of the late Mrs. J. A. Rose, who died a few years ago in Lafayette. The places, we would judge, were somewhere in the present Macon County. Readers will note the variations in spelling, Hains, Haynes, Hanes, all meaning one and the same family. Claborn Haynes was a brother of William C. Haynes.

"Lafayette, March 10, 1848. Mr. William C. Haynes and W. Henry Rhodes, bot. of John T. Vaughn; 1 fine carpenter's knob lock, $ 1.25; 5 window bolts, with screws @ $.15, .45; 6 ps. putty with 72 screws, @ $.20, $ 1.20; 30 pounds of flooring brads @ $.07, $ 2.10; 20 pounds of bdg. nails, @ $.08, $ 1.60. Charged to a/c, $ 6.60. John T. Vaughan." We wonder if any reader of the paper can recall having ever heared of John T. Vaughan being a merchant in Lafayette in the long ago. He wrote a fine hand for that day and time, or for any other time for that matter. Does any reader know who Henry Rhodes was?

"From Jonah Wileman to Elijah Adams, 50 acres; from Jonah Wileman to William Hanes, 100 acres; from Rolle Crofferd to Jonah Wileman, 150 acres; from Elijah Adams to Fountain Hanes, 60 acres; from Nathan Dillon to Fountain Hanes, 22 acres; from Tollopharough Hammock to Wesley M. Adams, 57; from Nathan Dillon to Christopher Meadows, those two tracts [that] lies on the Ridge between Long Creek and Goose Creek, acres not known; Daniel Sullivan to Christopher Meadows, from Elijah Adams to Ira Meadows." Here we have a sort of summary of land deals with the last two having no acreage given. Jonah Wileman is the same as the Jonah Wildeman above mentioned. We have no record mentioned. We have no record of Elijah Adams, nor of Rolle Cofferd, nor of Fountain Hanes, nor Tollopharough Hammock, nor of Wesley Adams, nor of Nathan Dillion, nor of Daniel Sullivan. We presume that Ira Meadows was the same as the Ira Meador who lived at Meadorville in the long ago. On the back of the record above given is the following notation: "Mr. Elijah Adams, Sir: There is two deeds cannot be located in the Register's office. The 'proberbility' is that they have bin taken out heretofore. Yours with respect, Edward Bradley, August 21, 1851." Here we learn that the record as above set forth, showing the various land deals of a certain period, was the work of the Register, who evidently did this for Elijah Adams. If any reader of the paper knows anything of the ones mentioned as being men of whom we had no information, please write us fully as to what you know of any of them.

" $ 6.56 1/4. Due M. and P. Duffy. Six Dollars and 56 1/4 cents for my dealings with them in the year 1841. Witness my hand and seal, January 1st, 1842. William [blank, apparently torn off.]" We have no idea who M. and P. Duffy were, but presume them to have been early Macon County merchants. The William could have been William Haynes, as many of the old papers originally belonged to him.

"Received of Claborn Hanes in full of his account to this date, 24th of December, 1850. John Cook & Co." So reads the next of the old papers. Cook & Co. were probably early Lafayette merchants or were located elsewhere in the county. Claborn Hanes was a brother of William C. Haynes. Attention is again called to the varied spellings of the name.

"Hartsville, Tenn., January 30, 1841. William Hanes, bot. of Josiah Anthony, 8 pounds of nails, $1.00." And on opposite adds of the charge is the following: "Rec'd payment in full of the within account, September 2, 1843, B. S. Martin for Josiah Anthony." We suppose some readers may know who the two men, Josiah Anthony and B. S. Martin were, but the writer does not. Write us if you know.

"1840, October 22. William C. Haynes to I. C. Duffy, Dr. one pr. Shoes, 4/5,$.75." Here we find more light on the Duffy merchants above referred to. This item gives both initials of one of the firm. What the 4/5 signifies, we do not know. Perhaps it had to do with the size of the shoes. Another unusual thing is the price of the pair of shoes 111 years ago, just 75 cents.

The next old paper shows only part of a transaction: "d of Claiborn Hains, Two Dollars, gear and coffee, this is in full of his account with us to this time, December 19th. Duffy." Part of the old receipt has been torn off.

"One day after date I promise to pay Z. G. Goodall, Seven Dollars seventy-five cents, for value received. Witness my hand and seal, this 18th February, 1832." The name has been torn off the original note, but on the back are these words: "Wm. C. Hains Note $7.75." This is the oldest paper we have come across as yet in this old collection.

"May 15, 1850. W. C. Hanes Bot. of R. C. Dalton, 2 barrels of Salt, 650 pounds and 607, at 45 cents, $6.07; 90 cents error "rectifide," by cash in full, this 15 May, 1850." Here we have two extremely big barrels of salt, each weighing over 600 pounds. We wonder where Dalton was located 100 years ago.

"$7.72. One day after date, I promise to pay Francis Duffy, Seven Dollars and Twenty-five cents for value received. Witness my hand and seal, this first day of January, 1833." The signature has been torn off, but the back of the old note shows that it was made by "W. C. Haines." Francis Duffy is another of whom we know nothing whatever.

"Rec'd of Wm. C. Haynes, Eighteen Dollars and 81 1/4 cents in full of his account for 1835. Joseph Murphey and Co." Here we have another business firm of long ago, but nothing is known of the firm or where it did business.

"Rec'd of Wm. C. Hanes, five dollars 63 cents in full of his account with us, April the 24, 1838. Foster and Johnson." So reads another receipt of more than a hundred years ago. Again we know nothing of the business firm of Foster and Johnson. The writer has some Johnson kinfolks in the long ago and still has for that matter, but he has as yet no way of knowing what Johnson is meant in the above.

"August 13th, 1842. W. C. Haines, to M. P. Duffy, dr. to cash lent, $1.00." Here we find the same firm mentioned previously in this account. It appears from the many receipts that Wm. C. Haynes kept that he was prompt to pay his just debts, and that he was counted worthy of credit. Readers should bear in mind that a dollar 115 years ago would buy perhaps as much as $20 today.

"$1.35. One day after date I Promise to pay to G. Donoho One Dollar and 35 cents for value rec'd. This 1st day of January, 1842." There is no name now attached to the note, the signature having been torn completely away. But on the back of the note is a notation. "Wm. C. Haynes note." This note, like all the others above referred to, was paid in due time and was kept while William C. Haynes lived and was left among his papers to the next generation, and then to still another.

"Rec'd March 3, 1840, of Wm. C. Haynes, Four Dollars and 10 cents in full of his last year's account. G. Donoho, by Wm. Page." Here we have another new name, that of Page. We presume that he was a clerk for G. Donoho.

"1841. W. C. Haines to M. & P. Duffy to Cash lent to buy coffee, $1.00. March 24, 1841. By M. Duffy." Here we have another unusual item, that of a merchant lending a customer a dollar with which to buy coffee. We suppose the Duffy firm either did not handle coffee or that the firm was out of coffee, and they lent Haines a dollar to buy coffee elsewhere. Many of our younger readers have no idea as to the great relish of the older people had for coffee. Coffee was scarce and high, and many had coffee on Sunday mornings for breakfast only. Some grown people, to get coffee, would pretend to be sick, so we have read.

[To be continued]

Transcriber Note: Though referred to in a later Article this article was not in the Book.