Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-12
EARNS BUT A DOLLAR A DAY.
Yet is Building a House for Himself
Wife and Child.

Yet Is Building a House for Himself,
Wife and Child.
From the Louisville Times.
James S. Winebrenner, a tailor's helper,
of 100 Cabel street, near Fulton, is demon
strating how a man can live on wages OF
less than 81 day. support his family and
at the same time build a house from this
income.
People passing the corner of Cable street,
near Fulton. for couple of months past,
have occasionally noticed woman on a
ladder mailing weather boarding against
the sides of unfinished cottage. On
Sundays and sometimes at night man
and little girl were helping her.
A Times reporter, who was attracted by
the unusual sight of woman doing car
penter work on a building. sought out the
owner, who gave the following informa-
ton:
81 work az a tailor's helper. I have no
trade, but help around the store. My health
is very poor, and cannot do heavy manual
labor l make about 81 a day, but up
to short time ago I only got So or "a
week on account of business being dull. If
1 drop off I want to leave a home for my
wife and little girl. The latter is eight
years Of age, but she Is nearly as large as
her mother, who Is of slight build. MY
be a four-room cottage. 1 am going to put
in stone foundation in front. 1 am build
ing the kitchen and dining room first, be-
cause / will need them first. At present I
live in a shed in the rear of the lot, which
1 will use for a coal shed when l get into
my cottage. This is not first experience
at building. When my wife and 1 were
married We first lived on 9th street, nearly
opposite to where l work. She suggested
to me that We could live cheaper and bet
ter by owning houseboat and locating at
the foot of Towhead Island. We sat down
and drew the plans for the boat 1 bought
the lumber, and we built the boat and
lived in it for long time. 1t was the pref
test boat at the island, and one day Mr..
Stratton of Stratton & Terstegge. who
wanted a pleasure boat for the summer
time, came along and offered me $40 for
the boat. 1 sold it. and with the money
bought the lot where my house is to stand:
L then built the shed on the rear of the lot,
and my wife, myself and little girl live
there.
After I come home at night 1 saw the
weather boards and rafters into proper
lengths and fix the nails in them Tor my
wife. When she has time during the day
she gets up on a ladder and nails them in
place and at night when l come home l
help do the heavy work. Our little girl
days We work all day on the house, mailing.
saving and getting out material for the
week. expect to have my house finished
in couple of months. I intend to paint 1t
!
want tin roof and must get timer to do
that, but | will put up the rafters and the
boards for the tin to be nailed on.
Il do not owe anything on the building,
except few dollars for lumber. which I
can pay on days notice. l pay cash for
all the material l get. Had 1 not been i'll
1 would have had the house finished and
paid for long ago. 1 was taken sick and
the doctors said L had appendicitis They
ordered me to Norton Infirmary, where I
could be properly cared for and operated
upon. 1 recovered from the operation and
now feel all right. OF course, all of this
cost me money. and 1 was thrown behind
considerably because all the money l had
saved l was compelled to spend for atten-
ton at the hospital and doctors bills. By
strict economy 1 have been able to get over
the loss l sustained In being laid up in the
hospital. OF course, 1 have kept up my
household expenses while I went along
with the work on my house,
Winebrenner is a man of about thirty
three years. He is very intelligent. He
says he finds time to read one daily paper.
and keeps posted about current events. He
sends his little girl to school, and he and
his wife are neatly clad but IL they have
any Sunday clothes they have no oppor-
tunity Of displaying them just now. as all
of Sunday Is devoted to work instead of
churchgoing.