Interesting Costs of items in 1890 and 1891

I have written numerous articles about John D. Kennedy, who was an under-sheriff, sheriff, State Representative and Senator in Granite County. Recently his grandson John K. Olson sent me a leather bound 5 x 7 note book containing notations by John. The dates in the notebook were for 1890 and 1891 and consisted of daily, weekly and monthly expenditures. I had already reviewed many dairies, John had kept in his later years, consisting mainly of expenditures, loans and daily ranch work and temperatures. 

This book contained two recipes to make shoe restorer and shoe dressing: “Restorer contained 1/2 ounce sug lead ?, ½ ounce sulfuric lac., 4 ounces bay rum, ½ ounce glycerin and ½ ounce rose water. The dressing was made up of 2 ounces Borax, 4 ounces G… Shelac. Dissolve in 1 quart hot water. Moisten two packages of Diamond Slate die with a little water and add to above liquid while hot. Then add ½ ounce of glycerine and mix well.” 

 For the years 1890 and 91 almost daily expenses were listed but I never found any income listed or itemized. I know that John had a steam engineer certificate and worked both on Missouri steam boats and for a time in North Dakota with steam threshers prior to his arrival in Montana in 1888. After arriving here, he worked as a stationary engineer at Southern Cross, Gold Coin, Wyman Mill, Granite and then in Philipsburg until 1896, when he bought a ranch south of Philipsburg that currently is known as the Michael Munis Ranch. 

The first newspaper article found was in August 1893 when John won the bid for building a flume ditch on Sansome for 33 cents a foot, then was paid $245.88 in October for completion of the job. In September 1894 he was elected as an alternate for the Republican primaries. Also, in 1894 he made a trip “Back East”, so this document was new to family knowledge and my research. Census records show him living with his parents in 1880 and married, living in Philipsburg in 1900. He had married Anne Anderson November 21, 1899 in Wisconsin and brought her back to Montana. 

Examples of the itemized costs show in 1890 John was paying $3.75 a month for Life Insurance. On February 25th 2 meals were 45 cents; lodging for 2 cost 50 cents; theater tickets for 2 were 20 cents and 2 breakfasts were 30 cents. A coat and vest cost $6.00. Coffee was $4.00 but no poundage was entered; Tea was $2.00 for six pounds and 20 pounds of corn meal was $19.00. Twenty eight and 1/2 pounds of oats was $5.70; Four bushels of potatoes cost $25.44. Total expenses for January and February were $329.89. 

 Post office Box rent was 10 cents which looks like a yearly charge and he bought stamps of unknown amount for 20 cents. Sixteen yards of gingham was 80 cents and his taxes were $49.40 for 1890. Five gallons of Kerosene was 60 cents; two bars of soap cost 16 cents with a wash tub costing 90 cents. Total expenses for 1890 was $1199.70. 

 Life insurance (1891) increased to $6.55 a month. A mare cost $155 and colt $12.00; shoes were $2.00. Four pounds of block ice was $1.44 Twenty pounds of lard cost $2.25 and a sweater cost $4.50. Two hogs cost $15.00 ; 15 dozen eggs cost $3.25; twenty nine pounds of butter at $5.80. The total expenditures for 1891 were $1544.00. This included a large expenditure of $348.00 to CaffB, but I have no idea what or who that was. 

News articles show where he started a stage run from Philipsburg to Harvey Creek area in October 1895, which took 8 hours to haul 8 people to the Alps mine. I know he also did stage routes between Bearmouth and Coloma via Garnet in 1897. Maybe some day I will be able to find information in the New Northwest about his employment activities in 1890 and 1891.