The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-05
Tic romance Of Economizing.

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hard times and bad luck to work as
painter, earning on an average 80 o
week. We are not sure that some fiction
has not been mixed with fact, but we
give the storyas It is related. The econ
omists wife did the talking, at dinner
to which her husband had invited the
writer. She said: J!7EvF
"Well, you sec, Ned came home and
told me $40 was the most he could get;
Il was $40 at Washington; and we talked
the matter over and made up our minds
It would do somehow-do d good deal
better than living of our friends or get.
ting in debit wish / could make all
young married people fear that awful
thing, debt !--so I came here and hired
these two rooms, which cost us 81 so per
week. The sleepihg-room islarge enough
for our bed and to stow. away a few things
snugly, while the children sleep on the
sofa there. II is 4 1ed lounge, and
opens out at night. We haSen'e bit
that one stove, Of course, and twenty
Eve bushels Of coke, which costs Us
three dollars delivered, with care lasts Us
two months, while we get all the shayings
and kindlings We want at the cooper
shops for carrying them away. Kero-
sene costs only 10 cents agallon, and lasts
amonth. BY taking ten pounds Of hooks
even when pork Ia SO high, We get them
at four cents, and they make three or
four nice meals a day oritwo apart, and
we have refrigerator in the hall for
keeping perishable food. Ned found
where he could get nice pieces Of meat,
beef, at SC 4 pound, II We take ten pounds.
We buy it Tor 'mince.meat,' OF course;
but out OF that amount We get steak or
two-we have to pound it some to make
It tender land sometimes We have what
the Germans call Hamburger steak, that
is, the meat chopped fine like sausage,
favored dolicately with onions, and broil.
cd rapidly; besides 'stews,' 'broils,' and
plenty Of hash which isn't very bad
when it's clean and cooked nicely. Some
times vary the mince.tneat and boil a
few pounds, adding little pork to give
II little delicacy and favor; boil it all
day until it is almost jellied. Then l
season it with little butter, pepper,
salt, and just a drop Of Halford; Get 1t
away in cloth bag over night, and in the
morning we have some Of the incest beef
cheese you ever tasted"
I sampled the "beef cheese and even
after hearty meal It's delicacy substan-
tiated the statement.
Sometimes, when We are very short Of
money, Ned resorted to the little fiction
Of buying FIVE cents worth Of good meat
for his cat. We haven't cat, but we've
got four hungry mouths, and the pound
Or pound and a half of meat we got in
that way did us great deal Of good, es-
pecially II we were little hungry for
meat. You see, II that butcher had
known it was for our use, It would have
only bought half pound. But the cat
legend always brings good piece. Some
times we get 80 reckless NJ to have chick
ems, and even a turkey, but we have to
watch the market for these. Just after
Thanksgiving bought eight chickens and
a nice turkey down on Market street.
1t was Saturday evening, the dealer had
ten tons on hand, and 1t had begun to
rain; but II showed before morning, and l
had four dollars worth Of choice food in
the house. Didn't we poor people go for
those chickens, though We make our
own bread, and what pastry We can nj;
ford to indulge in. Two barrels Of good
winter wheat flour, which costs, deliver
ed, 81 dollars per barrel, last us Just one
year. We don't use either ten or coffee;
and our milk here costs us only twenty
one cents a week, as pint q day answers
nicely" .. i.
saw that the culinary department was
successfully managed, but begged to know
how many hundred dollars u year they
were obliged to expend for clothing.
allow many hundred dollors2 My sakes
alive! We haven't spent one hundred in
two years."
Seeing that looked preplexed, she
looking at Ned as much as to say, "Shall
II" and Ned, looking at her as II to say,
ADO as you like" she did rs she liked, us
women generally do. n'tHt.
"Weli, l kept Ned pretty well patched
up for year or more, made over his and
my own very old. clothes for the children,
and then" laughing at Ned, 1--WE resolved
on strategy" -
ave knew that there were thousands Of
people in city like this, who, if,rightly
approached, and given assurance that
they were not to be humbugged, had been,
and were, more than willing to give, the
kind Of assistance we needed. So Ned
went down TO the Tribune office, and had
inserted, under the head Of 'Miscellaen-
ous' last July"-("Sunday, June co." in
terrupted Ned, who, from habit, is exact
about dates and figures), "this advertise
ment, which cost US just eighty cents"
Hero Mrs. Ned brought the slip which
had been clipped from the Tribune, and
which give as an evidence Of the truth
fulness Of the narrative: LII,
J1TANTED-BY A HARD WORKING,
wv Needy Person, east-oT clothing Of some gem
tleInAn. Recipient viii confer with honor, chow
Ing need and fespectability. Address r. 10, 1rI-
buHs Office. ..fiI .rrfUi8i nu'r.
ave got all manner Of answers to our
advertisement, some Of 8 witty vein, ask
ing US whether we could loan little
money at 10 per centa month, and in.
During whether,we couldn't get a better
dodge than that. There was only one
helpful answer, that from a man who
couldn't write our language correctly,
and who signed himself, evidently with
much labor, your unknown friend
-, professor Of MUSIC Well,
Ned called on him. He was little
Dane, and after Ned had told him who
we we're and how we were trying 10, get
along, with his chirrupy little wife he
made up such a bundle that Ned could
hardly get home whit. There was a
little Of everything in that bundle, and a
great pile Of serviceable things altogether.
With what he got, and what the little
professor has actually forced upon US
since, We are clothed Gomfortably-all Of \
us-and are we'll provided for the win
ter" -..-.sr. IN, LII ~ -ulGJ
"But what do you'do for amusement2"
"Well, Ned is athome evenings, and we
have songs with tho children play chess
or cribbage, read and talk over the news
OF the day; we take a daily paper; we have
Dickens complete works, illustrated, and
they do seem to grow better with each