Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-03-05
own Your Own Homes.

yHenry Ward Beecher in the last
Number of the Manufacturer and
Builder makes some excellent sue.
geations on real estate for working
men. a working mans first aim,
says Mr.. Beecher, SHOULD DO the COM
plete mastery of his trade. But
while doing this second, scarcely
Tess Important, may be steadily fol-
lowed, namely, the securing of a
nome. Every man is better for own
ing piece of real estate, no matter
how small. Jf~one has roof of his
own overhead, and is his own land
lord, besides all the comfort of it, he
has castle into which he may re-
treat in days OF trouble.
The ordinary American mechanic
or farmer earns enough money to
place himself in a comfortable home,
or on farm Of his own, before he is
thirty years of age. But it all turns
~on"the point whether he Is willing to
deny himself in the future. When
a man IL young his sources Of enjoy
ment are ample. Less than at any
ether period Of life does ha need to
employ money for the sake of hap
'piness. While young he can live
closer and be Joyous on a smaller ex-
penditure than ever after. The old
rule, that every man should live
within Ibis income or earnings, is
surprising to see how little is requir-
ed to support man. Some men live
and thrive on what their companions
throw away A young man who has
only his hands and good character
has motive for rigid economy. But
men initiate each other. A journey
unan II ashamed to live closer than
the average of his fellows. He wants
good board. and little to spend for
tTiilcs. These things have attractions
for him which the prospect of good
house or farm, twenty years distant
does not; and so he lives for the pres
cnt, no. for the future. He spends az
last as he earns, Is always liable to
sickness or accident, to become poor,
or to run into embarrassing debts.
INSTEAD of such life, from hand |
TO meuth, without plan or method,
suppose young man is determined |
TO save half or fourth of his wages,
no matter how ~smaH they may be,
and live, for the present with an
economy which shalt compare with
this design; suppose, so soon as
little is collected, that piece of
lgroundor house is purchased, small
payment made, and the rest arranged.
in easy installments, how soon will
he feel the exciting and regulating
effect of having before him such a
worthy object!
A man who is working to secure q
small piece of property substitutes
new and distinct ambition for re-
mote and vague one. Day dreams
about large estates and princely in
fcomes'may be very amusing, but
they are not hslf so profitable as the
vision of a lot one hundred by two
hundred feet, or forty, or eighty, or
one hundred and sixty acres of land,
with snug little dwelling house up
uon 1t. With this before him, a man
will rise early and retire late, turn
ing his hand cheerfully to any and
every kind of work. He will have
motive for rigorous economy which
will make it pleasure. He will
have the vision of the last payment
before him as perpetual motive to
moderation in passions, economy in
expenses, abstinence from expensive
pleasure and from expensive COM
panlons. Thus it will come to pass
that B iadicious debt, incurred at the
beginning of journeynan's or Ia
borer's career, will become his good
genius, watching over him, inciting
him to all industry and to selfgoyern-
ment.
Every laboring-man ought to own
his own home. The first duty of the
workman should be TO convert his
earnings into real estate. In this
western country where town lots and
farming lands ere so cheap, industry,
energy, and a steady purpose will Sc.
cure to every family home of their
own. To those who have not already
carried out or formed this purpose,
let US urge them to cemmence ct
once.