Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-24
COST OF REARING A FAMILY.
Here Are Some Extracts from the Diary
of a Father Who Spent $40. 600.

Here Are Some Extracts from the Diary
of n Father Who Spent $4,000.
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 entered the following statement in his
diary. 1t might be a valuable statistical
fact for the census takers:
"Today l close my diary. Twepty-six
years ago today | undertook to keep an ac-
curate statement of all my earnings and
expenses, 50 that | might know actually
how much it costs to live in the married
state. Then all was anticipation. | and
m wife counted our resources and
our expectations. | received SO a week,
with a promise of more. | owned a house
comfortable enough for frugal young peo-
pie to begin life in. We were spared house
rent, therefore, and our expenses have
never included this item. Retrospectively
| see that we have brought up four chill
dren in comparatively easy circumstances.
"My health has been good and my earn
ings have been constantly received. | now
receive $50 a week, and we still own the
homestead without any great additions to
its wealth, except in an increased amount
of furniture. | rave little more money
than | had when first married. Perhaps,
all told, | have 50, 500 now of assets; then |
had perhaps $500. We have never want
ed for bread. Sometimes we have felt in
need of more money. Three of the chill
dren are now making their own way. The
fourth graduates at the high school, hav-
ing received the same schooling that the
others have had, and will begin to look out
for himself.
81 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 experience
again of rearing a family? | asked my
companion, who had borne the greater
part, this question, and | know that she
spoke with "A 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 IA family
Expressed n 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
S40,000-or say 81, 000-bcsidcs the amount
of increase in the permanent assets. Given
Il plant of about $1,000 and two employees,
a man and wife, it has taken, therefore,
about 500 . to each man produced. This
of course includes all employees expenses.
The plant is slightly enhanced in value,
but the employees have seen their best days.
The quality of the goods is yet to be dem
onstrated. Prospects happily point to
cessation 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 have been
these; Doctors bills (twenty-seven years.,
800 land all paid, probably the only in
stance on record; groceries, average per
week first five years, 81, next three, 50; re-
mainder of the twenty-six years, S13 a
week. For ten years it has taken on an
average of one pair of shoes per week for
the family, including myself and wife.
The most annoying thing | nave ever
known is the rapidity with which children
wear out shoes. Only one thing APP
proaches 1.-THE high price of children's
shoes. / never could understand how.
with all the civilization of the age, and
the demand for cheaper results, children's
shoes have not been reduced in price. The
human shoe is a failure. No man not rich
can afford to buy shoes for IA family, and if
| had it to do | would 20 to Timbuctoo,
where neither horses, mules, camels nor
men are shod. "-lndIanapolis News.