Ledger of an unidentified merchant probably located in High Point, N.C. Transactions in the volume primarily show the sale of food, although there is occasional mention of clothing and household items. The volume is typical in many respects, but two individual accounts warrant metion here. The first, an account for T.R. Lashley (or sometimes T.R. Lashley and Co.) is labeled in at least one instance as an expense account, and a variety of strange charges distinguish Lashley's account from others in the volume. The account shows debits for items probably purchased for the store, such as candy jars, spice cans, a shoe case, insurance, a sign, a peanut roaster, and a meat chipper. Also, charges such as "aged man," "widow who lost home," "bury dead negro," and "cash to cripple" show that Lashley was drawing money against his account to help less fortunate members of his community. T.R. Lashley may have been the owner of the store, or was probably at least employed there, as evidenced by credits to his account made in 1895. The credits, totalling $375.00, are the result of labor over a period of nearly two years. The second account to be mentioned here is that of J. Elwood Cox, presumably of the Jonathan Elwood Cox manufacturing firm in High Point, N.C. While Cox's account is comparable to others in the volume, it is worth noting because a sizable collection of papers relating to Cox and his firm are located in this department. Formerly known as Anonymous ledger, 1894-1898.
