Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-03-27
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EXPERIENCES IN TIE CITY.
BY JOSEPH W. SNYDER.


Young man, resident Of country, hamlet
town, or smaller city, please give me your
attention for few moments while detail
some Of the experiences of one who, like
yourself, perhaps, had for long time har-
bored The idea that the best place TO de-
velop his particular faculty for business,
and to achieve that position in life, which
he felt by natural right belonged to him, was
New York city and let me say right here
am not writing this article to make a
good story, but shall stick exactly to the
truth in every particular and if such
simple relation Of my own true story will
serve to deter any young man from taking
the step which might result in placing him
in circumstances equally as bad, if not ex-
actly the same as mine are, shall feel
was about to say-fully paid for the trouble
of this writing, and under ordinary circum-
stances, that would be true but just now
/ am inclined to think the hope, destined
quite likely to disappointment, Of receiving
some remuneration Of material kind has
quite as much to do with the motive that
prompts this article, IS has the wish to do
good to others.
In the spring of this year, after quite a
number of applications and negotiations
by businesss man, who took some inter-
est i'll me, and who occasionally visited
New York, | was at last, through his in
fiuence, provided with situation as a sort
of man-of-all-w in a wholesale provision
store, at a salary of $500 per week, which
| have since found was very liberal for a
new man, who knew nothing of the bus-
ness.
Arrived in the city, found that board
in a respectable place would cost about six
or seven dollars a week, aud inasmuch as
that included only two meals day, on the
ground of economy, / concluded TO do as
very many other young men are doing,
that is, hire furnished room, and take my
meals at a restaurant but it is lonely,
joyless manner of existence, and pity any
poor human being who has any social ele-
mcnt in his nature, who is obliged to live
so. paid $3.50 per week for my room,
and thought that with the remaining $3.50
l could get along very well, and perhaps
lay up a dollar or two week towards buy
ing clothing when needed, but l soon found
one unfortunate enough to possess as good
an appetite as L, could easily expend Sl.00
every day at even the cheapest eating
saloon in the city, and not be extravagant
in the matter either and that the ha,f a
dollar day, which l had calculated for
the purpose, could live on but unsatisfac-
torily, so at the end of the first week, after
paying room, board, washing, and n few
incidental expenses, | found that L had
spent 1882. This, of course, would not
do, so l gave up my room. and took one
at S1.75, which was more gloomy and
cherries than the other, which was bad
enough in that respect, certainly. for il
must be remembered that good, plainly
furnished rooms, in a respectable location,
with nothing elaborate in their appoint.
ments, cost from 81 to sc week, so high
is the price of real estate-and consequently
of rents-in this great city. So you can
imagine what mine was enough to say
that ii was up stairs, and the bedstead was
short and narrow, and the bedclothes few
and thin. l then took table board at q
place kept by German, near my place O
business, at 81 week; but the food wal