Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-11-10
Art of Saving.
BY BISHOP CLARK, OF RHODE ISLAND.

sll the dead trees and wrenching out few
which had some lite in them; 1t is a general
eclipse, rather than panic, and more like
a steady, persistent, whitening north-easter
than tornado. 1t is hard time for those
who have no money, because it is difficult
to earn anything; and it is hard time for
those who have money, because there is no
way to use il. We are suffering just what
mig have been expected after the over
trading, and over-producing, and over
rating. and corresponding of the past few
years. It is the reaction which comes after
a debauch 1t is usel 1ss TO conceal the fact
that we are peculiar people. The French
have gone to work and economical and
paid the heavy debt incurred in their late
war. They are richer than ever, and their
paper is as good as gold.
We have run riot in extravaganza, kept
up war prices, manufactured five yards of
cloth where one was needed builtinnumer-
able railroads on fictitious capital, sold
millions of bonds to the unwRry that are
good for nothing, paid our debts with bor-
rowed money, and spent two dollars when
we were earning one. And now we feel
that we must begin to retrench. With the
poor, this means something terrible, and
with the rich it may mean something that
is terrible to them. The one must stint his
household in food and clothing, and keep
the fire low. The other must abate his
luxuries, and manage to live on ten thou
sand year instead oftwenty.
Some people have a natural gift for
saving, and whatever their income may be,
always lay by something Others live from
hand to mouth, and whatever their income
may be, lay by nothing. Let us look at
thissubject in practical and homely
way.
There is such thing as false economy.
Nothing is gained by purchasing inferior
articles merely because they are cheap. A
garment that comes to pieces after II has
been worn two or three times, may not cost
much in the beginning, but if you have TO
keep on buying new garments every few
weeks Fit is very costly in the end. Furn-
ture may be bought at low rates, which
does very well until you begin to use it.
| and then it tumbles to pieces. Poor -four
and poor meat may be had at a great dis
| count, but the family will not thrive upon
such food The true way is to buy only
what is needed, and be careful to get your
moneys worth,-fair weight and good
quality. 1t is very poor economy to neglect
necessary repairs, in order to save time and
money-or allow buildings to go to decay
| for want of little paint. a stitch or two in
! time, five minutes work, with few nails
and Il hammer, or pot of glue, or patch
of leather, which every man may do for
himself, will save great many valuable
things from destruction. A small expendi-
ture of money for other repairs may save a
great deal of money in the end.
1t is a sign of wastefulness, and not of
economy, when you see fences with the
| Stats broken, and the posts awry, and the
gates unhinged, shingles gone from the
roof, windows fractured, ricketty door
steps, carts lying round all winter with one
wheel gone, dilapidated ploughs, toothless
rakes, dismantled grind-stones, and all
sorts of tools rusting in the rain. 1t is the
worst kind of economy to take the young
children away from school, and set them to
work. In doing this you rob them of their
capital, and it may keep them poor all
through life. The temptation to do it is
very great, especially in manufacturing
towns so great as to call for the interven-
ton of the law; as children multiply, ex.
penses increase, and the father may say
that the young ones had better work thar
suffer want. This may be so; but it is HARD
to starve their brains for the sake of theil
stomachs; and it is possible That the chile
might be kept at school little longer i
the old folks would be willing to give W
certain personal indulgences, which cos
more than they imagine.
True economy consists, first, in habitua
watchfulness, both MS it regards what il
brought into the house, and what is carried
out of it. The amount of waste in oul
America housekeeping is enormous. A
Frenchman would live comfortably, and I
Chinaman revel luxuriously upon what W,
throw away. The crumbs which fall from
: our tables are very large. A public lecture
delivered by an intelligent Collector o
: GarSage-vulgarly known as swill-mar
and based upon his experience in the va
, rious households that he serves, might b.
! profitable to many. We are also yer,
, wasteful in the matter of fuel. A lttl
handful OF sticks or a two-quurt bag 0
: Goals can be made to cook more food in
: European kitchen than a barrow-load o
3 wood or half-bushel of anthracite with us
2 The economical foreigner calculates jus
how much fuel will be needed to cook hi
] dinner, and when that is done the fire goe
: out; while, in the hottest weather, we kee
q the range roaring from morning till night
4 In the article of clothing, we are still NOR
extravagant. 1t is not only the rich VIII
change their dress as often as demanded b.
e the caprice Of fashion-the spring and IA
i style must also be followed, by those VIII
earn their bread in the sweat of their brow
: and new garments had, whether the oil
p ones are worn out or not.
True economy consists in the cutting o
G of superfuities. 1t is not easy in all case
a to determine what a superfuity is. / ono
O knewalwealthy lady, who imagining that
= was Necessary for her to retrench her el
penses, sold her canary birds There al
some small economies that are simply mear
u | would not take away even, from tho;
a who most live by charity, all the little luz
% uries, which by use have come TO be II
r .arded as necessities Let the good oil
pensiOner nave ner cup Of tea although
= costs more than meal, and may not furnis
= the same amount of nourishment The il
q dulgences Of the poor are not very hume
GUS But when wages are low and pric
VI, high it is not well to buy things which a
~ costly, because they are out Of season, or
a pay double price for fancy brand Oftlou
y when a cheaper article is just es sweet AT
II nutritious, or 10 insist upon having sirlo
e steaks when by a little skill, another pa
2 Of the animal can be made equally palat
{; BILE It's astonishing how cheaply OF
h may live, and live WE'LL ifhe gives his mir
:. 10 it. True economy consists in checkir
+ the small leakage Keep an account
J. everything that you spend in the course
a month, then run your eye over it, land s.
=, how many things might have been dispen
y ed with.
20 And lastly, true economy consists in Il
u judicious use Of materials. What is call,
}, "a capable person." will make an artic
;, Of food or clothing q ten times farthC
+ than one who has no gift in that directio
q The former utilities the odds and enc
| which the latter throws away. Son
~ people are careless in order 10 save tim