The daily gazette., 1875-05-17
COST OF LIVING,

I
A European contemporary which is
generally careful and considerate in its
facts concludes that while of late years
there has been "a steady and continu-
Gus rise in the ordinary rate of house
hold expenses" this is actually not
due to correspondingly increased
dearness of household commodities, but
to an increased scale of expenses be-
cause we live higher&indulge ourselves
more freely than was formerly the case.
Palpably the writer has lived aloof
from lands cursed by high tariffs and
low currency, or he would not be able
to say what he does. With us the cost
of living has at least doubled during
the past twenty years, no matter where
we examine the price-lists; but it is
undoubtedly true of us as 1t is OF our
English cousins, that We have cnlarg
cd the scale OF our expenses unduly by
| encouraging eXtravagant hahlts anu
eXtraYagant appetitics. We have learn
ed to spend out of all proportion to
our aggregate earnings Tor the reason
that we have unconSciouslyh yhabituated
| ourselves TO system under which
money was very cheap and everything
else very dear. 1t is common remark
that an income Of 81, 800 to-day is not
more than equivalent 10 an income of
| 5000 in 1857; but this cannot be because
the difference in the value of money is |
80 great. One thousand dollars to-day |
has perhaps all the purchasing power |
of 5000 in 1857, but our ideas are much |
more magnificent now than they.were
then, and we are consequently worse
OFF.
1t is refreshing, if, amazing, to 60
back little over hundred years or so
and see how c,caply men could and
did live in this country. In 175l u
young gentleman of Massachusetts had
occasion to go from his home near
Waltham to Newark, N. j., to matric-
u!ate in the College of New jersey then
located at that point, to pass IL year in
the college, graduate and return home
upon horseback. He kept diary, and
in that diary all his expenses were
scrupulously written down, We are
thus enabled To know somcthingabout
the costs OF bachelor life 124 years
ago.
For the voyage from Boston to New
ark, wi ich was made aboard a oloop,-
this young Massachusetts candidate
for the ministry laid in FIVE quarts Of
New England rum at Gi ccntsa gallon;
"a dozen chickcnSat 81 adoZcu;a qua!
ter Of pound of tea at Tiapound; two
pounds Of loaf-sugar at 81 cents per
pound; nearly two dozen lemons, and
three pounds of butter at 1G cents. The
rum and the tea do not seem to be fair
ly proportional in this exhibit, but
then, on the other hand, the symmetry
between the lemons and the rum is
beautiful The passage money to New
York, the tIip lasting eighteen days,
was $3.50 In New York our traveller
bought some clothes, and boarded one
day, paying GO cents for his entertain.
ment His fare to Newark was 1S2
cents, and in Newark his board for
five days, wasL-biiI and delivery of
baggage was in all G2t cents. Soon af-
ter his arrival in Newark and consider
able less than month after the former
purchase, our divinity student buys
another gallon OF New England rum.
a slcigh-ridc from Newark to New |
York costs him sl.G6; postage on Il Let
ter 20 cents; making flannel jackets
20 cents apiece a barrel OF cider which
he buys costs only $l.15; q horse and
chaisc to the Falls, 81; n cooked hat,
50. His board WAS so cents Il wcct.
and hickory wood 81 62 per cord. His
brcechcs cost for material,
~. o0;naking ID cents; his college bills,
$50; his entire expenses for the twelve
months, including the journey home !
and part payment upon horse pur- |
amounted to S1G5. Yet this
young gentleman was not a niggard in
a,nything; he lived literally, he had
his little excursion, his small irolics, his
amuscmcnts (costlpg SG), his rum, cider
ana ctceteras, justlike the college boys
OF tO.QaY.-A I Mnll1