Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-04-20
$3.50 PER WEEK,
A Man, Wife aud Two Children Living
Comfortably Upon that Amount.

II
Comfortably Upon that Amount.
The possibility of the support of a
man with wife and two children
upon $3.50 per week has met with
much questioning since the statement
was made that the problem had been
solved but an interesting experiment
in New York has demonstrated tb,.
utmost achievement of economy with.
IN the prescribed limit. For a family
OF four the rent was 81 per week, fuel
% cents, and lighting II cents. The
TODD expenses were compressed to
s2.4S per week by the most careful
management. A bill of fare con-
tanned two stews for four square meals,
each made OF ten cents worth of meat
and bones, a handful of rice and flour
cent, and little salt and pepper.
Each stew eaten with bread served
for the next meal in a warmed over
condition. -Four more of the principal
meals were provided from fried salt
pork at cost of Ii cents boiled
beans furnished two meals for ia
cents; pot roast of beef, three
pounds for SO cents, and five cents
worth of potatoes made a royal
Sunday dinner. Bread and moIasses
formed the luncheon in the middle of
the day at cost of 35 cents, making
/ the total expense of food for the week
s2.4S. Comfortable clothing was
provided at 81 so per week, and it i
said that even with the addition of Il
lew luxuries of food the family wer,
able to deposit s7S in savings bank
during the year. Whether the story
adequately fulfI's the conditions for
a wholesome living may be perhaps
questioned, since nothing is provided
y meet the wear anu tear" III every
'ousehold, but it is useful as an
illustration OF economy. Scientists
ave decided that the average work
lngman requires daily in his food not
less than four ounces of proteids, two
ounces of fat, and eighteen ounces of
carbohydrates. Bread, oatmeal, milk,
sugar, potatoes, beans, and lard at
cost of III cents will supply all the
food absolute y required by one per-
son for living. All the increased ex
pense OF 1886 cents more elaborate
diet can be made with 2G ounces
bread, : ounces Goldfish, 2 ounces lard,
lG ounces potatoes, l pint milk, l
ounce sugar, and 3 cups of tea. AS
food is the most expensive factor Of
living, it is capable Of the most intelli
gent selection and depends more
upon individual taste aud Judgment
than any other condition of life, since
rent and clothes are fixed more by
extraneous circumstances and less
yielding to choice. The intelligent
worklngman gains by a careful study
Of bill of fare. 1t is useful for him
10 know that among vegetable foods
in common use, oatmeal, beans, aud
potatoes are the cheapest, that one of
the greatest dietary needs Of the
workingman is sufficient supply of
al expensive, wholesome fat, and that
cheap meats may be as nutritious as
costly cuts. The prevention of waste
by juaicous cooking is an important
matter for the consideration of the
workingman in which he can be
helped by his wife's caretulness. |,
would be difficult to estimate the |
amount Of waste in American kitchens
caused by ignorance of the true value
of food, but i. is known to be IN
necessarily large. The average
workman is not ready to lie con.
vinced that dinner of roast pork is
more extravagant than a meal OF
simpler and more digcs,ibe food, and
that by diet of cake and pie he will
require more food to supply the needs
of his system than by a meal of soup
and bread. One of the missionary
aims Of the public cooking school is
the simplifying of the taste, SO that
the living of the workingman may be
less extravagant and more wholesome.