Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-10-11
$l.5O per annum-IN ADVANCE.
Statement of Man WHO Counted Ex
penses Twenty-six Years.


penses Twenty-six Years.
What does it cost to bring up a family?
A gentleman whose experience will be
recognized as having points in common
with other householders, has preserved
an account of the expense to which he
has been in rearing a family of four
children. He has entered the fol-
lowing statement in his diary. 1t might
be a valuable statistical fact for the
census takers:
To-day l close my diary. Twenty
six years ago to-day l undertook to
keep an accurate statement of all my
earnings and expenses, so that l might
know actually how much it costs to live
in the married state. Then all was an
ticipation. l and my young wife
counted our resources and our expecta-
tions. | received S15 week, with
promise of more l wned a house COM
Portable enough for frugal young people
to begin life in. We were spared house
rent, therefore, and our expenses have
never included thi, item. Retrospect
lively | see that we have brought up
four children in comparatively easy Cir
cumstances. My health has been good,
and my earnings constantly received. l
now receive $50 week, and we still
own the homestead without any great
additions to it's wealth, except in an in
creased amount of furniture. | have lit
tie more money than l had when first
married. Perhaps, all told, have So, 500
now of assets; then had perhaps 81, 500.
We have never wanted for bread. Some
times we have felt in need of more
money. Three of the children are now
making their own way. Next week the
fourth graduates at the high school,
having received the same schooling that
the others have had, and will begin to
look out for himself.
Il shall not necessarily be at any more
expense on account of my children, and
the diary properly ends now. Would
be willing to go through the same expert
ence again of raising family? | asked
my companion, who had borne the greater
part, this question, and l know that she
spoke with heart full of love, but was
compelled to say: Not for all that
money could buy would l go through
again what has been necessary to rear a
family
Expressed in dollars, the totals are
these: In 20 years we have received from
my wages and incidental moneys that
came through my wife and the children,
$40, 900-or say $40, ,000-besides the
amount of increase in the permanent as
sets. Given plant of about So, 600 and
two employees, a man and wife, it has
taken therefore about $4,000 to each
man produced. This, of course, includes
all employees eXl uses The plant is
slightly enhanced i'll value, but the en-
ployees have seen their best days. The
quality of tie good is yet to be demon
stratcd. Prospects happily point to ces-
sation of labor and an increase of re-
ceipts, but there is no certainty about
this. The employees are proud of their
work, but don't want another job.
"Some of the items of expense havo
been these: Doctors bills (27 years.,
50, 100 (and all paid, probably the only
instance on record; groceries, average
per week first five years, 81; next three,
50; remainder of the 26 years, $13
week. For 10 years it has taken on an
average one pair of shoes per week for
the family, including myself and wife.
The most annoying thing I have ever
known is the rapidity with which chill
dren wear out shoes. Only one thing
approaches 1.-THE high prices of chill
dren's shoes never could understand
how, with all the civilization of the age,
and the demand for cheaper results, chill
dren's shoes have not been reduced in
fn;l No
man not rich can afford to buy shoes for
a family, and if l had it to do would
go to Timbuctoo, where neither horses,
mules, camels, nor men are shod. "-Lln-
dianapolis News.