Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-10-02
WHAT a MAN COSTS.
Diary Of Householder who spent $40.
900 in Twenty-six Years.

s -
900 i'm Twenty-six Years.
What does ii cost 10 bring up family?
a gentleman, whose experience will be
recognized as having points in common
with other householdeis, has preserved am
account Of the expense TO which he has
been in rearing a family of four children.
To-day he entered the following statement
in his diary. II might be valuable sta,
tistical fact for the census faker.
To-day close my diary. Twenty six
years ago undertook to keep an accurate
statement of all my earnings and expenses,
SO that might know actually how much
it costs to live IN the married state. Then
all was anticipation. 1 and nv young
wife counted our resources and our expec-
tations. I was receiving $15 week with
promise of more. owned house COM
Portable enough for frugal young pc ople to
begin life in. We were spared house rent,
therefore, and our expenses have
never included this item. .Retospect-
lively, see that we have brought
up four children in compare
lively easy circumstances. Ny health has
been good and my earnings have been con-
stantly received. / now receive $50 o
week and we still own the homestead, with
out any great additions to its wealth except
n
have little more money than had when
first married. Perhaps, ali tod, | Lave
50, 800 now OF assets. Then had perhar s
$4,000. 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 re-
ceived the same schooling that the Others
have had, and will begin to look out for
himself.
"I shall not necessarily be at any more
expense on account of my children, and
this diary properly ends now. Would be
willing to go through the same experience
again of rearing family / asked my
companion, who has borne the greater
part, this same question, and know she
spoke with heart full of love, but was
compelled to say, 'Not for all that money
could buy would go through again what
has been necessary to rear our 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, SAC, 900
or say $40, 0O0--beside the amount of in
crease of permanent assets. Gwen plant
OF about $3, 0G0 and two employees, MAJ and
wife, it has taken therefore about 5000
to each man produced. This, of course, in
cludes all employees expenses. The plant
is slightly enhanced In value, but the en-
ployes have seen their best days. The
quality of the goods is yet to be demon
strated. Prospects, happily, point to
cessation of labor and 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 six
years. So, 100 land all paid-probably the
only instance on record; groceries, aver
age per week, first five years, ST; next
three, 50; remainder of the twenty six
years, $l3 week. For ten years it has
taken on an average one pair of shoes per
week for the family, including myself and
wife. The most annoy ng thing I
have ever known is the rapidity with
which children wear out shoes. Only
one thing approaches 1.-THE high price of
childrend's shoes. never could under
stand how, with all the civilization of the
age, and the demand for cheaper results,
children's shoes have not been reduced in
price. The humane shoe is failure. No
man not rich can afford to buy shoes for
family and if had il to do I would 90 to
Timbuctoo, where neither horses, mules.
camels or men are hod.-Indianapolis
journal.