The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-06-28
WHAT 4 MAN COSTS.
Diary of Householder who Spent
$4O,OOO in Twenty-slx Years.

family? A gentleman, whose ex
perience will be recognized as hav
ing points in common with othe
householders, has preserved an &C
count of the expense to which hi
has been in rearing a family Of foul
children. To-day he entered tht
following statement in his diary
1t might be a valuable statistica
fact for the census takers:
To-day ! close my diary. Twen
ty-six years ago l undertook to keeI
an accurate statement Of all my
earnings and expenses, so that
might know atually how much, il
costs to live in the married state
Then all was anticipation. | and
my young wife counted our resour-
ces and expectations. | was receiv-
ing SIS a week with a promise OF
more. l owned a house comforta-
bic enough for frugal young people
to begin life in. We were spared
house rent, therefore, and our ex-
penses have never included this
item. Retrospectively, I see that
We have brought up four children
in comparatively easy circumstan-
ces. My health has been good and
my earnings have been constantly
received. l now receive $50 a week
and we still own the homestead with
ont any great additions to it's wealth,
except in an increased amount of
furniture. l have little more money
than / had when first married. Per-
haps, all told, | have $500 now of
assets; then l had perhaps 81, 500.
We have never wanted for bread.
Sometimes we have felt the need of
more money. Three of the children
are now making their own way.
Next week the fourth graduates at
high school, having received the
same schooling that the others have
had, and will begin to look out for
himself.
u shall rot necessarily be at any
more expense on account of my
and this diary properly
ends now. Would | be willing to
go through the same experience
again Of rearing family? / asked
NY companion, who has borne the
greater part, this same question,
md ! know she spoke with a heart
'ull Of love, but was compelled to
say: Not for all that money could |
ouy would go through again what
las been necessary to rear our
family
Expressed in dollars, the totals |
ire these: In twenty-six years we
lave received from my wages and in
,idental moneys that came through !
ly wife and the children 4O,9OO-I
II say $4O,0OO-beside the amount
of increase in the permanent assets. |
Given plant Of about $4,000 and
NO employees, man and wife, it has
aiken, therefore, about $4,000 to
Zach man produced. This of course
Includes all employees expenses.
rhe plant is slightly enhanced in
'alue, but the employees have seen
heir best days. The quality of the
'oods is yet to be demonstrated.
Prospects, happily, point to cessa-
ion of labor and an increase of re-
eipts, but there is no certainty
bout this. The employees are proud
# their work, but don't want an
ther job.
Some of the items of expenses
ave been these: Doctors bills
twenty six years., $2,lOO (and all
aid-probably the only instance
n recoid); groceries, average per
eek, first five years, 81 next three,
9; remainder of the twenty-six
ears, $l3 week For ten years it
as taken on an average one pair of ,
hoes per week for the family, in
luding myself and wife. The
lost annoying thing / have ever
nown is the rapidity with which
wear out shoes. Only one
ling approaches 1.-THE high price !
children's shoes. | never could .
how, with all the civili-
alton Of the age, and the demand
n cheaper results, children's shoes :
ave not been reduced in price.
he human shoe is a failure. No
ian not rich can afford to buy
noes for a family, and if l had it to '
0 would go to Timbuctoo, where ,,
either horses, mules, camels nor
en- are shod indianapolis News. i,
be Richest Russian Land Owner. i
Gustav Iyanoyitch Falz- Fein, the $