The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-10
WHAT a FAMILY COSTS.
Extract from the Diary of a Practical
Msn-Shoes Beat everything.

Extract from the Diary ofa Practical
Msn-ShOes Beat everything.
From the Indianapolis NelrS
What does it cost to bring up 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 family Of four children.
To-day he entered the following statement
In his diary. 1t might be valuable fact
for the census takers:
To-day close my diary. Twenty-six
years ago to-day | undertook TO keep an
accurate statement Of all nv earnings and
expenses, so that l might know actually
how much 1t costs to live in a married state.
Then all was anticipation. | and my Young
wife counted our resources and our ex-
pectations l received S15 week, with the
promise OF more. | owned house COM
Portable enough for frugal young people to
DegIn life IN. We were spared house rent,
therefore, and our expenses have never in
cluded this item. RetrOspectively l see
that we have brought up four childen
IN comparatively easy circumstances
Ny health has been good, and
my earnings have been constantly received.
l now receive $50 a week, and we
still own the homestead, without any great
additions to its wealth, except in an In
creased amount of furniture. 1 have little
more money than l had when first married.
Perhaps, ali told, have s., 500 now of as
sets, then had, perhaps. 81, 500. We have
never wanted for bread. Sometimes 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.
II shall not necessarily be at any mora
expense on account of my children, and the
diary properly ends now. Would | be able
to go through the same experience again of
raising family? | asked my companion,
who had borne the greater part, this aues-
ton, and | know that she spoke with q
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 family
Expressed in dollars the totals are these:
In twenty-six years we have received from
my wages and incidental moneys that came
through my wife and the children, $40. 900
Or, say $40, OO0-besidest the amount of in
crease IN the permanent assets. Given a
plant of about 50 600 and two employees. a
man and wife, it has taken therefore, about
$4,000 to each man produced. This, of
course, included all employees expenses.
The plant is slightly enhanced in value, but
the employees have seen their best DAYS.
The quality of the goodsis yet to be demon
strated. Prospects happily point to cessa-
ton OF labor and an increase Of receipts,
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 have been
these: Doctors bills (twenty-seven years.,
81, 100 and all paid, probably the first on
record; groceries, average per week first
five years, 81; next three. SO; remainder of
the twenty-Six years, $l3 week. For ten
years 1t has taken Cd an average one pair of
shoes per week for the family, in
Guiding myself and wife. The most
annoying thing have ever known is the
rapidity with which children wear out
shoes. Only one thing approaches it-the
high price of children's Shoes | never
could understand how, with all the civiliza-
tion Of the age and the demand for cheaper
results. childrenS shoes have not been re-
duced In price. The human shoe is
failure. No man not rich can afford to buy
shoes for afamily, aud if had it to do 1
would go TO Timbuctoo, where neither
horses, mules, camels nor men are shod.n