The Mountain Grove Journal reported on an old teacher, H. L. Mabrey of Wayne county, had the copy of a contract he made to teach in that county in 1848. The yearly salary was $15 and the teacher agreed to accept “cash, port, beef hides, deer skins, raccoon skins, or any fur if good, also woolen jeans cloth, shirting cloth or young cattle not over one year old, young beef steer or cow.”

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.