Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-04
klTcneh scoNowlIs.


The Traditional Am-Fl,si, " ssts IN Kitchen
and a Iabi-.
| Again aud again do We hcas Il reiier-
Rted that the is'uple Of these United
States live extravagantly. and right
roundly arc they abused therefor by the
domestic economists IN part we may
admit the general truth Of this accuse
ton. but We must h. pefmittsa % make
some reservations. We do live eNPen-
sively. but that does not OF itself mean
extravaganza. n we look into the mat
ter carefully We may end that there are
abundant and good reasons for this, as II
appears on the surface. extravaganza IN
living expenses.
COMPARISONS between the cost OF living
here and abroad are apt 10 he deceptive,
| for the reason that there is no common
basis from which 10 start the considera-
ton Of the topic. The average American
makes more money than the average
man abroad. and, as an inevitable conse-
auence. in accordance with the laws Of
demand and supply, to preserve the
natural equilibrium, he must pay more for
house rent, for food. for servants wages.
for fuel. for clothes. And, of course, he
/
is financially able TO do this
Taking these things into consideration,
| II i an open question whether this large
cost OF living. as compared with that Of
other people. is. after all, extrasagant.
| have lived among Latin people where
oranges were sixty for a cent, bananas
ten cents bunch, and other food in pro
portion. The kitchen economy there
would astound New York housewife.
Twenty cents worth of food would make
meal for a large family. and an excel
| lent meal il would be, for the cook was
sure To be AN adept But wages there
were from ten TO thirty cents "A day, and
big income was 81 900 year. The
cost OF living had TO be low, and, besides
that, time was OF so little consequence
that IL could be very proiitably expend.
/ ed in planning economies and in study
ing how to make the soup bone go the
farthest for the dining table.
The essence Of real economy Is not al
ways in the economy that is most super.
iiciaIly apparent. You cannot have an
inexpensive table unless you make a
study OF the subject. You must take
time 10 think out your bills Of fare; you
must learn the relative values OF food
products as nutritive elements; you must
understand the science of cooking; YOU
must know meats, vegetables, fruits as
YOU know your alphabet; you must fire.
uuent the markets and learn when Ia
buy, where 10 buy and how to buy.
Now. when you have done all this, you
will. no doubt be abundantly able 10 set
a table that will he the delight OF your
most dainty epicurean neighbor, and the
source of plentiful satisfaction to your
own pocketbook.
But what las this cost you, You will
find that 1t has consumed a great part Of
your time; IL has absorbed your atten-
ton in all your leisure time-nay, IN
2 even more than your leisure time. Now
true II is that time is money. and you
will suddenly discover that while you
have saved at one end YOU have wasted
at another. That Is, where ones earn
ing power is large. ii is decidedly a falls
economy to spend time in small saving
. and thereby lose more In lessened ia
come than is saved in these retrench
ments. Ii is only the very rich win
have plenty Of time 10 spare and can in
dulge in the kitchen as pastime, or th
very few whose time il of little wort
and whose circumstances compel 70 III
most rigid economy. who can afford /
give thu requisite attention to this mat
ter. The time Of the average America
is too valuable. either for business q
pleasure. 10 warrant him in this pursu
of economical living and saving. Fo
every dollar saved he would lose two !
wasted opportunities.
So. the talk and argument Of all the,
rists 10 the contrary Notwithstanding. "
shall probably, at least the most of u
continue Ia live along about as we ha'
been and are now doing. Our bills
fare will be large and substantial. eve
il they lack many niceties of touch. "
shall not spend our time in planning 4
our dinners. but we shall probably ha'
Just rs good time as though we Il
that, will have quite as much money lc
in the end. and, on the whole, be quite
happy and as long lived.
Alexander Dumas used To boast tn
/, no one could excel him in making
salad, but probably even he. with all !
leisure. scarcely would have cared
spend all his time over the kitchr
range. Few men care to haunt the ana
kets, even il they have the time, al
most of rs prefer to have our wives
sometime companions, rather than
rs, ways cooks and housekeepers.-- w. ii.
w tp Naa.s NarL Gtar