(Contributed by Ruth Dawson
and Cindy Whirley Nelson.)
Reprinted from the Tishomingo
County News, Centennial Edition, Thursday, June 23, 1983
(spelling and abbreviation quoted per article).
This is a grocery list and
hardware items bought by David Nathaniel Dawson, better known as
"Dee", from D.O. Matthews, who owned a hardware store in Iuka,
Mississippi. The list includes purchases from January 24, 1900,
through October 24, 1900. To appreciate the cost of these items,
which seem so cheap, one must realize that hard labor paid no
more than .50 to $1.00 per day.
D.N. Dawson was married to
Sarah Alice Mauldin on December 22, 1886. They had two children,
Sidney and Frank, who were small at the time. Mr. Dawson owned
and operated a cotton, gin, sawmill, and later a country store
near the Dawson home on Highway 25 North of Tishomingo.
It was a common practice for
the Dee Dawson’s to open their home to friends, as well as
strangers, and "put them up for the night", when they were
prevented from crossing Cripple Deer Creek because of the
flooding. They were traveling between Iuka and Belmont by wagon
and horseback.
Lifelong friends were made as
a result of these courtesies extended Highway 25 travelers. Some
are still around today who remember the hazards of traveling old
Highway 25 and the hospitality the Dawsons afforded all
travelers.
IUKA, MISSISSIPPI
OCTOBER 24, 1900
BOUGHT OF D.O. MATTHEWS
JANUARY 24, 1 plow, $2.25
FEBY. 9 2 1/2 bu. oats,
$1.38, $3.63. Feby. 26 - Pr. Bits, .10; bul. flour, $5.00; 3#
tobacco, .90 - $6.00; SK. Brau. $1.10 - cash $5.50 - $6.60.
MARCH 10 - Par. boys shoes,
$1.35; March 13 - 2 sax phosphate, $3.60; 2 lbs. tobacco, .60 -
$4.20; potatoes, - .25; snuff, .25; gal. sets, .45 -..95; March
28 - 1 sk. oxflood, $2.00; 2 chains, $1.25 - $3.25.
APRIL 7 - 3 yds. pant goods,
.88; (9) thread, .5 - .93; April 9 - Par, shoes, $1.65; tobacco,
.30 - $1.95; April 24 - Par. Shoes, $1.25; collar, .35 - $1.60;
tobacco, .30; vails, .15; 2 shirts, $1.10 - $1.55.
MAY 5 - Bul. flour, $5.00;
gal. oil, .25 - $5.25; 1 lb. tobacco, .35; bx. snuff, .10 - .95l
mules shoes & nails, .20; coffee, .50; matches, .15 - .84.
JUNE 2 - 3 yds. Pant goods,
.75; 1 lb. tobacco, .35 - $1.10; June 15 - tobacco, .30,; snuff,
.25; coffee, .35 - .90; June 23 - Tobacco, .60 - .60.
JULY 7 - Tobacco, .66; bal.
on snuff, .8 - .63; doz. fruit jar, $1.10; coffee, .50 - $1.60;
July 21 - sugar, .50; tobacco, .20; H.S. nails, .85 - .85; par.
suspenders, .50; soda, .5 - .55.
AUG. 1 - Collar & pad, $1.75l
hat, $1.00 - $2.75; August 9 - starch, .5; tobacco, .35 - .40;
August 16 - 201 lbs. corn, $2.25; bu. corn, .65 - $2.90; 174 lb.
sk. corn, $1.90; August 31 - box snuff, .25; (Sept. 3) axle
greese (grease), .5 - .30.
SEPTEMBER 3 - 3 Pr. mule
shoes, .25; tobacco, .25 - .50; $1.92; September 6 - Pr. shoes,
$1.30; cash, $1.00 - $2.30; September 8 - coffee, .25 - .25
September 13 - 170 lbs. corn, $1.83; tobacco, .25 - $2.08;
September 17 - 1/2 bu. corn, .32; 144 # corn, $1.55 - $1.87;
September 22 - tobacco, .25; snuff, .10; soda, .5 - .40;
September 28 - Bkt. axle greese (grease), .20; tobacco, .25 -
.45; cash, $1.00. CREDIT, $64.76; HAULING, $20.46; CASH $44.30.
