Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-08-02
LACKED LUXURY.
A Newspaper Mans Trying Ex-
perience In Chicago.
Reing unaiAe co Obtain Employ meut
He Lives for sis Months
ON e7o-How He MAN.
aged II.

Six months ago n newspaper man
came to- Chicago to get work on one of
the big papers here. Like many another
man from the country he thought hat
the fact that he was head and shoulders
above the other newspaper men in his
little town was proof that he WIS able
to stand the keen competition in Chi
cago. but he found that the places
were filled. and that there were at least
80 per cent. more pegs than holes. He
was determined not TO 10 back 10 his
little town. so he remained in Chicago
in the hope that he would get a place.
Meanwhile he had no money what
ever and had to practice the closest
economy. lie wrote five or fix columns
Of copy each week and tried To sell the
stories to the Sunday papers. Now and
then he sold something, but his income
during the six months was not more
than $3.50. his total earnings for that
period, in fact, being only $40. Never
thelcss he managed Ia live without bor-
rowing any money. for he had no friends
in Chicago from whom he could borrow,
and he was too proud To write home
for money. Instead he wrote home
glowing tales of the progress which he
was making and told Of the advantages
Of newspaper work in a big city and Its
consequent rewards.
Few people would believe that a man
could live in Chicago for six months on
$40, but he did IL. or course he did not
dine at a fashionable restaurant. lie
ate his meals on Clark street ut some
sacrifice of his prilc. hut without the
knowledge of any OF his acquuintanccs.
No one would know where he ate, for
none of the men whom he saw during
the day would 90 To such u place. His
meals usually cost him five cents each,
and they were good meals, in quantity,
IL not in quality.
You n buy IA luxurious breakfast on
Clark street for five cents. II will rom
sist Of three eggs, bread. butter and
coffee, and anyone inclined to doubt
the statement can 30 and try the meals.
The places are easily found. There are
always big signs outside of them m
tanning names of the articles of food and
the prices. For five cents he bought
his dinner, which consisted of any kind
Ct meat, potatoes. bread and coffee. 4
similar bill of fare ut the same expense
formed his supper. Sometimes he
would pay ten cents for his dinner and
then he would get two more vegetables
and some pie for dessert. Thus his
meals cost Is cents a day, or s1.05 n
week.
lie slept in a ten-cent lodging house II
the same room with u half dozen other
men. The beds were small, but he al
ways slept soundly. and none of the
inmates knew him. They were not in
quisitiye and were too much bothered
10y their own troubles to care to ask his.
Seventy cents IA week was the cost of
his lodgings. This was n total of Si.75
for u weeks board and lodging. His
other fixed expenses were for tobacco,
newspapers and writing paper. lie
smoked u pipe, the tobacco costing ten
cents n week. lie had To buy a couple
of newspapers each day, which meant
25 cents a week, although sometimes he
would look at those in the reading
rooms OF the libraries. His copy paper
cost him only ten cents n week, leaving
a margin of 30 cents.
The only drawback about sleeping in
n ten-cent lodging house was that there
was no place afforded in which 20 write,
but he used 10 go to the public or New
berry library and do his writing there.
where there are ample facilities. Most
Of his time was spent in travelling
around ON the streets looking for good
Sunday stories.
Such was the life he led for six
months. 4 few weeks ago he was given
n place as u space writer on the city
staf. Now he earns $40 or $12 a week,
md he IL allie to live more luNmiously.
Eut the reporter Is now willing To he
licyc, rs lac Knows BY tactical expert
cncr, TINT n ma who cIn make i've or
three dollars II week need not starvc in
u big city.-Chicago Times-llerald