I was reading an 1846 Clarksville Standard newspaper when I saw a notice on the front page that reads "Tallow will be received in payment for new subscriptions to the Standard." This willingness to trade beef tallow in exchange for subscriptions to the Clarksville Standard speaks to the lack of cash available in Texas in those days and the barter economy that sprung up after Texas gained independence. But why would the newspaper do this? What's in it for them? Tallow was used at that time for making candles and soap. Before kerosene lighting became widespread, tallow candles were an inexpensive source of household illumination. I read that tallow candles have been used for 2000+ years. Soap manufacturers also relied heavily on animal fats, which they combined with alkali to produce soap. Tallow could also be used for lubricating machinery, treating leather, and making certain types of waterproofing preparations. There was also an established commercial trade in cattle hides and tallow. Both could be preserved and shipped to markets where manufacturers would pay for them. Unlike fresh beef, which spoiled quickly without refrigeration, properly prepared tallow could be stored and transported for considerable distances. Here's an especially interesting wrinkle that I just learned: in some circumstances, the hide and tallow from a Texas steer were worth more than its meat. The Texas State Historical Association documents how cattlemen developed markets for hides, horns, bones, and tallow, with coastal processing operations already appearing by 1840. The trade expanded dramatically in subsequent decades. So the newspaper would accept a quantity of tallow, credit the subscriber's account, and then traded that tallow to a merchant or sold it to someone who made candles or soap. They weren't taking a worthless lump of grease in lieu of payment. They were accepting a marketable raw material in a place where hard currency was in short supply. I hope y'all found this as interesting as I did. Shown here: an illustration from an 1899 book showing a boy making candles out of beef tallow.