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TooB Equipment and Trade 1900

Page history last edited by Michael 15 years, 1 month ago

back to 1900 Juncture

 

 

Scientific Equipment
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
binoculars, 6x30, with leather case2   £375 sp
camera, 4x7 field type6   £896 sp
camera, film magazine type3   £5 5s132 sp
camera, Kodak (not developed in China)2   £11300 sp
compass, pocket---   15s£18 sp
dissecting kit2   £5122 sp
doctor's bag & supplies10   £3250 sp
dressing kit2   £8144 sp
field laboratory apparatus set, chemical15   £5138 sp
field laboratory apparatus set, electical8   £6153 sp
hunting kit2   £348 sp
laudanum, 4 oz. bottle0.32s1 sp
magnifying glassn/a   12s15 sp
medical kit, colonial10   £4108 sp
navigation instrument set8   £12297 sp
portable microscope set10   £451092 sp
surveying instrument set20   £25624 sp
telegraph instrument set1   £125 sp
telescope or spy glass, hand-held, 'draw' type, 20x1   £125 sp
telescope, tripod mounted, 50x35   £20528 sp
tourist's companion (thermometer, altimeter/barometer, compass, etc.)6   £8204 sp
wire, insulated, 1 mile spool100   £1264 sp

 

 

Reference Materials
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
Bowditch's Practical Navigator and Almanac5   £15 sp
Conklin's Handy Manual of Useful Information and Atlas3   3s5 sp
Edison's Encyclopedia of General Information3   2s6 sp
Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 volumes165   £30438 sp
The Millwright's Companion and Handy-book1   8s12 sp
Rand McNally & Co's New Pictorial Atlas of the Earth2   £126 sp
Robb's Medical Companion and Household Physician3   £251 sp
Rose and Carless Manual of Surgery2   £126 sp
Savill's System of Clinical Medicine3   £127 sp

 

 

Tools
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
axe, felling3   2s4 sp
forge, portable500   £6720 sp
hatchet2   6p3 sp
knife, two-bladed jackn/a   1s1 sp
knife, camp or huntingn/a   4s4 sp
lockpick setn/a   18s24 sp
machete and sheath2   8d3 sp
photographic lab, portable30   £7204 sp
pick, mattock, or shovel5   2s8 sp
saw, buck with 30" blade3.52s6 sp
sledgehammer or maul16   5s60 sp
steam engine and boiler, 4 HP1,000   £281,560 sp
steam engine and boiler, 10 HP1,850   £483,000 sp
tools, carpenter's30   £4132 sp
tools, instrument maker's10   £7180 sp
tools, metalworker's60   £6216 sp
trap, bear3   1s4 sp
trap, small animal1   6d1 sp

 

 

Travelling Gear
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
ammunition chest for 250 rds. of rifle/shotgun ammo5   £112 sp
ammunition, 12 ga. buckshot, black powder, 500 rds.65   £1 12s120 sp
ammunition, 12 ga. buckshot, smokeless, 500 rds.65   £2 8s135 sp
ammunition, pistol, 100 rds. (non-trivial calibers)3   6s7 sp
ammunition, rifle, 100 rds. (not powerful calibers)5   8s18 sp
ammunition, rifle, 100 rds. (military calibers)9   16s30 sp
backpack1.52s1 sp
bag, carpet3   2s6 sp
ball, rugby0.848s6 sp
belt with holster and ammo pouch2   £1 9s24 sp
belt or bandoleer for cartridges2   5s4 sp
billy, lead-filled leather sap0.5   6s3 sp
billy, extra-heavy and long "Paralyzer" sap1   8s9 sp
blanket4   8d4 sp
brass knuckles, finest grade0.5   6s3 sp
canteen, 1 quart filled2.53s2 sp
camp stove, portable, coal oil2   10s14 sp
camping cooking and eating outfit (mess)80   £5216 sp
cartridge bag, 75 rds., over-shoulder type2   £112 sp
cigars, 100 good Havana4   £384 sp
cigarettes, 100 William Morris0.25   4s 3p5 sp
clothing, foul weather3   £1 to £510 sp to 60 sp
clothing, rough-living3   £1 to £310 sp to 60 sp
clothing, cotton duck hunting pants and coat, finest grade3   £224 sp to 36 sp
cot, folding15   6s24 sp
cricket set (2 bats, 2 balls, pads, stumps, net, rules, etc.)25   £3100 sp
flask, liquor, half pint1   10s12 sp
food, canned, one day4   8d5 sp
food, one day (western)3   6d or more2 sp or more
food, meat (soup meat)1   2d to 1s or more0.2 sp to 1 sp or more
food, rice in bags50   3d or more1 sp or more
fishing tackle (western)1   12s27 sp
golf set (9 clubs, bag, balls, etc.)30   £4132 sp
Gramophone or similar3   £5123 sp
hammock2   4s2 sp
lamp, miner's safety0.38d2 sp
lantern, carbide1   1s3 sp
lantern, storm or railway conductor's2   5s8 sp
lantern, dark or policeman's2   5s8 sp
lawn tennis set (4 rackets, 6 balls, net, rules, etc.)15   £390 sp
lighter, oil-filled, contains 50 primers to light the oiln/a1s2 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of port70   £1 14s62 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of whiskey70   £4 4s125 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of brandy70   £5 10s156 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of gin70   £4 10s132 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of rice wine70   £224 sp
liquor, 12 bottles of rum70   £4120 sp
padlock, bronze railway, with 2 keys1.53s6 sp
root beer, 12 bottles70   12s96 sp
rope, 100 feet of 3/8" manila5   2s1 sp
scabbard for rifle or shotgun6   5s3 sp
sight, tang-mounted vernier style for riflesn/a   15s24 sp
sight, Duplex telescopic for riflesn/a   £3 10s120 sp
soap, bar0.45   3d0.1 sp
spectacles, steel framed, prescription lenses---   £1 5s36 sp
stool, folding camp4   3s1 sp
sunglasses---   £2s2 sp
tarp, 10 x 10 feet, 10 oz. canvas12   10d0.5 sp
tent, miners' (7' across, one pole)20   15s9 sp
tent, two-man (two shelter halves)12   £336 sp
tent, wall, ten man (14' x 16')76   £4 5s53 sp
tent, wedge or 'A', two-man30   £1 10s18 sp
tripod (for survey instruments, cameras, etc.)12   10s26 sp
trunk, steamer6   8s16 sp
watch, pocketn/a   £2 to £1050 sp to 250 sp
watch, schoolboy'sn/a   15s18 sp
watch, stopn/a   £375 sp

 

 

Fuel
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
coal2,000   1s 6d2 sp
petroleum or gasoline, 88 octane2,000   £32,400 sp
liquid fuels2,000   £62,400 sp
wood or peatn/a   freefree
carbide1   5d1 sp

 

 

Explosives
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
black powder, barrel6   10s6 sp
dynamite, case of 48 sticks24   £2 10s120 sp
nitroglycerin, case of 20 bottles5   £130 sp

 

Land Transport
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
wagon, light, farm or delivery (2 ton capacity)1,000   £10120 sp
wagon, freight, conestoga, or cape3,200   £50720 sp
howdah250   £10120 sp
bicycle, safety26   £5150 sp
bicycle, penny-farthing40   £10290 sp
horse saddle, military, wallets and tack26   £1 to £1524 sp to 360 sp
horse saddle, hunting with tack13   £1 to £1024 sp to 180 sp
horse saddle, western, stock or cowboy with tack12   £2 to £824 sp to 200 sp
panniers, two of 100# capacity10   £336 sp
2-6-0 tank locomotive, about as small as std. gauge gets20,000   £80033,600 sp
"40 Ton" Shay two-truck geared locomotive60,000   £1,20086,400 sp
railway car, private40,000   £80072,000 sp

 

 

Water Transport
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
boat, folding canvas (the Acme, 12' long)35   £7180 sp
longboat - good sailing, 32' long, 7' wide, 10 oars, capacity 25 men and 3 tons2,000   £50600 sp
launch - shallow waters, 28' long, 7' wide, capacity 30 men and 4 tons2,500   £50600 sp
cutter - 18' long, 5' wide, 4 oars, capacity 8 men and 0.25 ton250   £10120 sp
whaleboat or pinnace - 26'-28' long, 6'-8' wide, 6 oars, capacity about 0.5-1 ton500-1,000   £30360 sp
dingy - 10' long, 3' wide, 2 oars, 3 people, capacity about 400#120   £560 sp
boat, rowing?   £336 sp
small river junk - 25' long, 8' wide, 1 mast, capacity about 4 tons3,000   n/a400 sp
medium junk - 70' long, 15' wide, 2 masts, capacity about 12 tons10,000   n/a1,000 sp
steam launch - 24' long, 8' beam, capacity 4 tons or 30 men5,000   £501,200 sp
steamer, river or canal, small?   £1002,400 sp

 

 

Miscellaneous
Item  Weight, lbs.   Cost, England    Cost, China 
small bare room, in Chinese city per monthn/a   --2 sp
plain gold ring, 18 karat, 5 pwt.---   1 gn.12 sp
plain silver ring, 18 karat, 5 pwt.---   1 gn.12 sp
gold ring with diamond---   1 gn.20 sp
gold ring with ruby---   1 gn.20 sp
harmonica, Hohner---   3 s3 sp
violin with case, good quality10   1 gn.40 sp
zither with case, good quality12   2 gn.63 sp
boy, 14 years old, in Chinan/a   --16 sp
boy, 11 years old, in Chinan/a   --4 sp
woman, in Chinan/a   --45 sp

 

Bulk freight costs to China from England estimated at 2 shillings per pound. "sp" refers to various silver coinage -- taels, trade pesos, etc., all worth about $0.50 or $0.60 US in period.

 

Some of the sources: Sears, Roebuck Catalog for 1897; Bannerman Catalogue of Military Goods, 1927; Harrod's Stores Price List, May 1895; Great Western Gun Works Catalogue, 1897 and the Space: 1889 rules.

 

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