The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-06-14
Peoples "UseIess Expenses,

I II is said, on the authority of Parliamentary
reports, that the people Of England waste
two hundred and fifty millions of dollars an.
nually on intoxicating drinks. The yearly
consumption of tobacco, the world over, Is
computed al 1900, 100000 pounds, which,
at ten cents the pound, is four hundred mill
lions every iwelvemonlh. The ladies of the
United States it is estimated, squander near
ly one hundred millions Of dollars on silks,
laces, and other exlravagances. In all coun-
tries, ard with both sexes, wha, is spent
uselessly. equals, il il dods not exceed, what
is paid for the necessares of life. Yet
though their folies, rather than their wants,
keep people poor, how few are frank enough
10 confess il F! One man complains Of his
bad luck, and another OF the frauds Of those
he has trusted, as The cause of his failure to
succeed but not one in a thousand is will
ing TO admit that, il it had not been for bis
useless expenses, he would have grown rich
in spite Of il-fortune. 4a
These "useless expenses" will bear look
ing into little closer. For example, la.
boring man, who spends shilling daily on
tobacco and drink, loses, in this way, forty
five dollars and half annually What oper-
alive is SO rich, that this sum would not be
welcome, al the close of the year, to "lay
BY for rainy day?" In ten wears, there
would be, even without interest, four hun.
cred and fifiy.five dollars; while If COM
pounded, it would be nearly double. Thou
sands waste even more than shilling day
on tobacco and drink, so that the saving,
which might be effected, by self-denial,
would probably be greater, in the average,
than what we have supposed There are
few operatives o. mechanics, who, il they
could cut off their useless expenses, when
they came of age, but might, at thirty, have
enough money to buy for themselves com.
Portable house. Our merchants, and Others
who have larger incomes, generally allow
their useless expenses TO increacs in pro.
portion, SO that, what with fast horses and
choice wines, they need to practise self-deni.
al quite as much as the rest. In word,
men, as general rule, miss acquiring
wealth, BY being slaves to some worthless
habit, or victims 10 the love of display.
There is still another aspect in which TO
view this matter, and one ha, gives an equal.
ly striking view Of the folly of "useess ex.
penses." The aggregate amount annually
wasted III this country IN e,UUacUu, urink,
worthless laces, and other mere exlravagan-
ces, which we estimate al two hundred mil
lions of dollars, would build railroad five
Thousand miles long, at forty thousand dol.
lars mile for grading, laying and stocking
it. Or, 10 put the case differently, we Amer
leans sqander every year more than enough
10 give US railroad 10 the Pacific; more
than enough 10 educate eight hundred thou
sand young people, al TWO hundred and fifty
dollars apiece; more than enough 10 feed
three millions of starving people, at dollar
and ihiriy-thfee cents weekly. Between the
beginning and close of each year--io give
another view-we waste more money than
was spent in winning our national indepen.
dence. Facts like these, one would think,
would induce people TO curtai their "use.
less expenses" ."-Ledger.