The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-04-11
LIVING ON s. A WEEK.
How Chicago Girls are Forced to
Economic.
EVERY CENT is ACCOUNTED FOR.
They Live Well and Sport Good Clothes
Nothing Left at the End ofthe
Year.
EVERY CENT is ACCOUNTED FOR

Lucy, Sdlu 10 d llUGle lTleuu u
mine who works in one of the large
department stores, what is your weekly
salary"
Seven dollars" she answered, brief
ly, as she carefully continued mending
the worn glove which was occupying
her attention, what do you want to
know fOr?"
Because | can't help wondering how
you manage" l responded. You are
always neatly dressed and cheerful.
You pay your own way send money
home occasionally, have a sitting in
church, go to the theater once in
awhile, belong to a singing club and Il
physical culture class and are always
contributing to charities or the support
of sick friends Now, how can you do
all this on 81 week."
Well" she said with a thoughtful
smile, first and foremost, I'm ex-
tremely careful, not only of the dimes
and nickels, but also of the pennies;
and secondly, l follow a system in
regard to every cent A girl who
supports herself away from home on
81 dry has to be careful, but it can
be done.
my room rent" continued she, is
my first expense. By clubbing with
my chum l get my share of this
room-which, you see, is large and
light with an alcove for the bed-for
81 month. Until this year | paid
the same amount for the tinieSt cubby-
hole of room up on the third floor
of boarding house, and it was as
cherries way of living as can be i'm
agined-ice cold i'll winter and roasting
hot all summer-but by sharing ex-
penses in this way and Tooming to-
gether we both do better. We tried
getting our own breakfast and supper
for while and lunching at down.
town restaurant, but we We're not
strong enough to do this in addition
to our work, and we never had a mo-
ment to go anywhere. Besides it was
no cheaper i'll the end, so we gave it
up So my room takes 81 every week
out of my slender 81. Then pay So a
week for table board, which is fairly
good and includes a lunch to take
down with me. Car fare is a standing
expense of so cents week, and 40
cents goes for my laundry, be as care
full as / may. My handkerchiefs
wash myself, and iron them by spread
inc than, ON tho ~, ,.ro,. ,rl,;lo ,+;1l ,-o4
and l wear just as few washable
clothes as possible, but still | rarely get
through under 40 cents week. Fiji
teen cents | give in church and Sunday
school on Sunday, and ten cents week
ly Is my subscription to a fund for
caring for sick and helpless shop girls.
Then | lay away % cents every week
for what | call my amusement fund,
and III the summer and spring and fall
l frequently walk down town and back
when it does not rain. All l save in
this manner, together with an occa-
sional nickel subtracted from my laun-
dry, | add to my recreation fund.- and
out of this money / pay my tuition
fees at the singing and Delsarte classes.
l must have recreation of some sort.
and | prefer to dress more plainly
and look after my mind and body a
little. Of course 25 cents a week is not
an extensive sum, but the classes
attend were specially got up for the
benefit Of girls with low salaries. and
cost me, each of them, 81 a year. Five
dollars goes for an occasional treat at
the theater or opera, church concerts
and entertainments, and in summer a
visit to jackson or Lincoln park every
other Sunday.
During my vacations merely rest
in my room or 60 to the parks, but if
the weather is fine this spring l shall
walk TO work and back regularly, and
treat myself to week or two at Wild
wood, the working girls summer
home. When 1 get raise of salary
am going to my own home for visit,
but that can't be done on 81 week.
Now you will notice that when the
expenses have mentioned are attended
to | have but $3.50 week left; so
cents of this lay away religiously for
a probable doctors bill, my half-yearly
visits to the dentist and my presents
for the home folks. This leaves me 81
with which to clothe myself, and that
isn't exactly AN easy feat to perform.
Still you have no idea how much can
be bought with 81 until you try, and
have made a study of this kind of
thing. The firm for which | work re-
quires us all to wear black in the store,
and, although some of the girls con-
slider this an outrage, they are mainly
the ones who live at home and work
Tor pocket money. Those of us who
are paying our own way are glad
enough of this rule, for the company
allows us two dresses year, and we
can have them made in the dressmak
ing department This is ninteenth
century illustration of the Bible-say-
ing that To him that hath shall be
given, for the girls who work in the
poorer stores and have smaller sal.
aries do not have this advantage, and
yet they must always look neat and
tidy. do not know how should man.
age II | had to buy my gowns.
y make my two dresses serve me
the entire year, for Sundays and all.
with the addition of pretty waist for
winter, and three hirt-waists in the
Late in the autumn, when
summer goods are very cheap, / buy a
pretty, cool lawn or challie, and 1