The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-09
THE COST OF LIVING ONE HUNDRED
YEARS AGO.

Looking over the lust NoiuHle Vi hch-
nedy's Life of William Writ, a day or so
ago. we met at page 1Si with letter from
Mr. Writ to Benjamin Edwards, Of Ken
lucky dated at Norfolk. Va, on the 18th
Of March 1906 NJ Writ at that time re-
sided in Norfolk. In it, he says:
under the joint action Of all these OBJ
stacles. difficulties. considerations and mo-
tives OF policy and expediency. / was led
TO the adoption of the resolution which
brought me here. And so here / am,
abreast with the van Of the profession In
this quarter, with dhe brightest hopes and
prospects: dipping the people by a most
Jenknsonian exterior. using words Of
learned length and laundering sound,
pulled by the newspapers as an orator to
which I have no pretensions, and honorcd
far teyon, my deserts"
Let us now see how this orator, holding
a foremost place at the bar, lived. lie
goes on to say:
Norfolk. as you guess, is very expen-
sive. I keep, for instance. pair Of horses
here. which cost me eight pounds per
month. Wood is from four TO eight dollars
per cord; Indian meal. through the win
ter, nine shillings Zone dollar and q halo
per bushel-this summer II Is supposed II
will be fifteen 81. Flour eleven and
twelve dollars per barrel, a leg of NUT
ton three dollars butter three shillings
hfty cents) per pound. eggs two shillings
and three pence ca IL cents) per dozen,
and so on
Now what was the income of this lead
ing lawyer? He adds:
Having set out however with n view
of making n provision for my family. I'm
the event Of my being called away from
them, I live as economically as l can, so
as to avoid giving my wiz my reason for
regret at the recollections Of her fathers
house and table. After this year / hope
II will be in my power to nett annually
two thousand dollars by the practice-but
/ do not expect ever to do more than
this. / shall be content TO leave the bar
whenever my capital will nett me an an
nual revenue of tour thousand dollars,
and not TIL then"
Now here Is a complete picture, in cpl
tome, OF life I'm those days. Here Is one
OF the most eminent members Of the Vir-
ginia bar who never expects 10 make more
than 5000 a year but who has 10 pay
twelve dollars barrel for -four and two
dollars a bushel for corn meal. Can any
man say that life was better worth living
in those days than II is now?
Inc farmer undoubtedly got more for
what he raised than he now gets, but the
nigh prices for his products limited the
consumption and the high prices he lad
10 pay for all that he bought, made his
nett income less possibly than it is to-
day.
But the man who lived I'm the city and
had to support himself by buying what
the farmer raised, out OF what he could
earn by his toll what must have been his
condition. If a leading lawyer hoped for
no more than 5000 year from his work.
what did an ordinary laborer receive?
And how did he live out Of his wages at
those prices for what he had TO buy?
The pessimists OF the day are always
regretting, the high prices OF old times,
though It is evident from Mr.. Wirt's letter
that a man in the most favored position
had TO live within very contracted lines
a hundred years ago. The disadvantages
Of those high prices are shown by the fol-
lowing consideration.
Prices being so high, men had to conhne
themselves to very few articles. We don't
mean that a man was compelled TO use
very few barrels of -four, but that he
could not use -four and a number of other
things that every family now uses. II he
used -four he had to abandon many other
articles. But, flour being now less ihan
half the price II then was, ne can have
flour and variety Of other things also.
So much for the life OF each person.
But. prices being low and each man hay
ing consequently, money to spend after he
has bought all that man then used,
each one demands additional articles not
then used, and these must be new enter
prises and industries to supply the demand
Tor these new articles.
In this way more employments for labor
are furnished and more men can get the
opportunities 10 earn their living than be-
tore By cheapening everything. there
fore. every one is able to have many more
OF the comforts OF life than he had when
prices were high. and many more men can
secure profitable employment than before.
The blessing Of the day is cheap goods.
though our free silver friends are always
lementing cheap goods as the destruction
Of the country.