The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-10
what we Threw AWAY.

In the cities OF Europe, and in those OF the
Northern States, we are often struck by the
economy of the people in saving and selling
many things which, in Virginia, we throw
away We see that at specified times carts
come round and collect the offal of the kitch-
en- and the premises, for which the housekeep-
er receives sum of money, small, it is true,
but still it is something, and this trie collected
every week, amounts to several dollars in the
course of year-which dollars we throw into
the middle of the street, or keep on our prem
ises, a nuisance and cause of disease and
death. 9Af%
There are many other things sold in other
towns besides this garbage and offal. Once
or twice in twelve months the rdgman comes
round and collects all the rags at so much a
pound Now, in large family many pounds
Of rags accumulate in the course of year
We have been in the habit of giving them
away, or throwing them into the next empty
lot, or into the street. Now each of these
pounds of cotton or wooden rags would bring
few cents, and would amount to dollar, or
may be two or three dollars, in the course of
twelve months. and may be better saved than
lost but we prefer to throw these two or three
dollars into the street.
In these cities the cld-shoe man pays the
householders a visit once year, and old
boots and shoes that have been piled up in
the garnet, are brought out and sold at so
much pound. In an ordinary family it is
astonishing to see how much old leather can
on the visit of the old-shoe man be collected,
and amounts to, lay, two or three dollars
more in year. Like the other articles above
enumerated we have been in the habit of
throwing away the old shoes also; or in other
words we prefer to throw these two or three
dollars in the street.
There are also collectors of wood ashes and
coal ashes, and old tin, and even old broken
cups and saucers and glasses, and many other
things, for all which they pay few cents,
which amount to few more dollars saved in
a year--all which dollars, like the rest, we
prefer to throw into the street. a
Upon summing up the dollars saved by
selling these various articles, we will find that
they rise to figure in year that would sur
prise us; and this large amount we have pre-
ferred to throw into the street, rather than
with it to purchase necessaries for our families
The reasonfor this abominable waste--or
rather the cause, for there is no reason in it
is, that we have thought it little and mean to
save. This is simply foolsh--very foolish
We hope that one of the uses of our pre-
sent adversely will be to teach us to be more
economical, and not to wantonly destroy
money, as we have been doing all along
The folly of our wilfully throwing away
SO many dollars becomes apparent, if we take
our own city as an example Suppose each
household pitched into the street, open lots
or river say five dollars during this year
how much will Norfolk have lost by Decem-
Der the 3lst? How much money would have
been kept among us that we shall have de,
stroyed forever How man debts will ever
hundred dollars pay circulating in a com
munity, and q .fortiori, how many obligation.
could be cancelled by saving the Thousands
we could keep in cur hands, if we did no
prefer to throw them away