In the yesterday the old pickle barrel, feeds,seeds, and the US Mail were all jammed together in one store. Crackers, brown and white sugar, molasses and Codfish came in barrels. The grocer received many other foods in bulk which had to be scooped out, placed in a bag weighted and then tied with a string. Peanut Butter came in large wooden tubs and was scooped out with a paddle, placed in a shallow thein wooden dish and weighed. This was also true of butter and lard. Fruits such as dried prunes and raisins came in boxes and were weighed out by the pound. Kerosene came in a drum and sold by the gallen. the store was a common meeting place especially on a Saturday night when many people came to the Center to do their grocery shopping. The man and older sons would settle down on boxes and stools around the big pot bellied wood or coal stove in the Grocery part of the general Story to thrash out the events of the village, settle the affairs of the country and their own special problems. As they would talk they would dip into the cracker barrel and at least once into the pickle barrel. The store keeper would tend the fire and occasionally urge the men to help themselves to more crackers and pickles. Sometimes he would bring out some good sharp cheese. Of course he made out well despecially when the men bought tabacco or that lettle extra something on the shelf that had caught their eye. One section of the store always visited by the ladies was called "dry goods and notions" where the grocer's wife and daughters held sway. Bolts of material consisting of muslin, linen, blue denim, calico and cotton prints in several designs were kept on the shelves. A yard measure was marked on the counter top on the clerk's side of measuring cloth,. Her the ladies often met friends they had not seen for several weeks, so after they made their few purchases of thread and perhaps buttons or a yard or two of material they would visit with them Taken from Windham Twp Wyoming Co PA 1787-1977 Senecaj