Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-04-13
The burners Store nebt.

II is an old saying that " leaks will sink q
great ship" This is peculiarly applicable to
running in debt at a store. The wants real
and imaginary, Of family, arc large in their
yearly aggregate. A little Of this and that
every day or two may be counted at the end
Of the year in hundreds Of dollars The
siorekceper trusts you through the year for
such things as will supply your little wants
and to your surprise his bill ioots up in the
fall to from one hundred to FIVE hundred dol.
lars. He wants his pay must have it, no
matter what the price Of wheat, butter. hogs,
or hops. You find his bill after paying your
hired help, blacksmith bill, repairs, interest,
and so forth, will absorb all the balance Of
the proceeds of your farm. Nothing left !
So you commence another years credit. At
the end of the year you find the same result.
The storekeeper has absorbed all your balance.
So you 60 on from year to year until an extra
hard season, poor crops or poor prices. You
can't pay him he harnesses your mind and
gets lien on your property. You are now
under harrow that will be very likely TO
crush the ambition out Of you, and you will
60 from bad to worse until you are forced
from the homestead.
Now all this should not be There is a
better way No man, or his family, can bear
to be under such load Of obligation as an
unpaid store debt is sure to entail The bur-
den is too heavy for enjoyment or pleasure.
But how can we avoid it? BY studying econ
omy. Let us illustrate-My young friends
John Say and Edward Say both got married
and settled on forty-acro farms, IN the same
neighborhood. Their own savings, as young
men, with a little help from the old people
gave them their homestead and household eff
fects free Of all debt, with few dollars for
necessaries to start housekeeping and busi-
ness. Both thought to get along and keep
clear Of debt. But few weeks found their
little store Of money exhausted. John and
his wife were firmly resolved that nothing
short Of sickness would make them contract
debt A pig was wanted to eat up the milk
Of the COW the wic's father had given her
no money to buy one John went and work
cd two days for a neighbor and brought home
the pig. When the COW came to grass, their
pans were too few to hold the milk. a few
pounds Of butter supplied the lack and also a
bag Of salt
A hoe was needed, and the wife suggested
that few dozen eggs she had saved would
pay for that and spool Of thread and pa
per of pins. They had received word that
some Of their old friends would visit them
the first Of the week. A few groceries were
needed, to have things in good shape. After
casting about, the wife remembered that q
neighbor wished some sewing. She applied
for the job, and the money paid for the ne
cessaries.
Garden seeds we're needed John though
Of pile of old iron that a former occupan
had left. Thissupplied the means to purchas,
seeds for the garden. BY eschewing uxuries
days work now and then for others, a JUDI
cious outstanding of butter, eggs, rags and the
use Of the needle, few vegetables from the
garden, and many other savings and exchanges
that the economical and thrifty know how 4
make, they were carried safely through, unit
they garnered in the harvest, the proceeds o
which gave them the means to pay their way
In few years the pay as you 60 principle
made John Say and his wife independent
well off.
Now, how did Edward Say and his viii
manage, and what came Of it2 When Ed
ward was in town, one day. the storekeepe
solicited him to trade. He told him he di
not mean to get in debt. The merchant sal
that was good resolution. But whateye
you may need will be glad to let you hay
and let you pay for it in the fall" Edwar
told his wife. After little they were sorel
perplexed for some little articles, and embraC
ed the opportunity of credit at the villag
store. The ice once broken, the account grey
little by little. When the products of tn
little farm were disposed of, to their surprise
it took all the proceeds to pay up their in
debtedness
The road once Travelled, it was easy to ru
the same course another year. The sickne:
Of his wife, for several weeks, with the extr
expense of hired girl and doctors bills, S
swelled the expense that after everything wa
sold, balance still was left unpaid. A poe
season followed, and a mortgage on the farm
A few years fighting with such disadvant'
ges, sold out the farm and left only enough
pay the expenses Of emigrating to what the
was the far West
These cases illustrate the "pay as you 60
system, and also the disadvantages Of runnin
a store bill
PAY as you 60" is golden maxim. Il
chew tea, coffee, tobacco new dresses, ne
coats new carriages and everything in II
line Of luxuries, until YOU pay ready none.
Money cheapens everything. 1t is grei
economizer You think twice and buy chea
with the ready cash. People who run stoI
debts, buy thoughtlessly, many things NJ
needad and M high prices