Information Sheet

 

 

R         Janis & Cox.

437                  Record book, 1853‑1873.

                                    One volume.

 

 

 

This book has two distinct sections.  One, probably kept by Felix Janis & Company of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, is a record of sand hauled to Little Rock landing on the Mississippi River, 1853‑1854.  The other contains three inventories (1868, 1870, 1873) of the general store run by Janis & Cox at Ste. Genevieve.

The business records in this volume were entered at two periods separated by twenty years.  Undoubtedly they are for different firms.  The title “Janis & Cox” has been chosen be­cause this firm is clearly identified as the creator of the later records, which in fact fall between two series of earlier records in the book’s pages.

The earlier records, dated 1853‑1854, are accounts and lists of sand hauling.  The first sec­tion, on pages 1‑36, lists, in ledger style, the name of the hauler, the date, the number of barrels hauled, and the dollar amount credited for the load.  The earliest entries chronologi­cally are for 27 September 1853, the latest for 9 January 1854.  Some haulers were credited for a single load, while others carried many loads throughout the period.  At first 30 cents credit was given for each barrel, but about mid‑November 1853 a notation, usually “between L R,” was added, and thereafter 35 cents was credited for each barrel. “L R” referred to Little Rock landing on the Mis­sissippi River about a mile north of Ste. Genevieve.  Other notations were “between Rock” and “upper L,” refer­ring to the same location.  Periodically the credits were to­taled, and the sums were drawn “To F Janis & Co.,” referring to the general store of Felix Janis & Company, then active in Ste. Gene­vieve (see collection R435).  All sand accounts were totaled and drawn by 12 June l854.

On pages 156 and 158 are summary totals for “Sand Rec’d from Cave for S. Ziegler & Co.”  The records indicate that 162 barrels of sand were on hand at the “landing” on 27 Sep­tember 1853.  There follow daily accounts of barrels received, through 6 January 1854.  On 16 Novem­ber 1853 the daily summary switched from “Ziegler’s Landing” to “between Z & L R,” probably indicating a longer haul and accounting for the higher credit given to the haulers.  A total of 1348 barrels was received, 526 at “Ziegler’s Landing” and 822 “between Z & L R.”

Pages 157 and 159 list “sand delivered for S. Ziegler & Co.,” although there are no entries on page 157.  Page 159 contains records of sand shipped on, or sold to, steamboats.  The date, the name of the firm shipped to, the name of the steamboat, and the number of barrels shipped are given.  Between 23 November and 17 December 1853, 549 barrels were shipped, presumably from Little Rock.  The names of the haulers, firms shipped to, and steamboats have been indexed.

The inventories for the general mercantile firm of Janis & Cox are on pages 39‑69 (1868), 71‑102 (1870), and 104‑146 (1873).  The invento­ries, taken on 1 February in each case, are quite detailed, with every item listed and given a monetary value.  The totals of all items were $5198.88 in 1868, $4858.97 in 1870, and $5018.91 in 1873.  The Western Historical Manu­script Collec­tion‑Rolla also holds a daybook, 1873‑1874, from Janis & Cox (collection R2).

 

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