Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-17
HAS THE BETTER OF It
The Bachelor Maid Gets the
Most Out of Life.
CAREERS CONTRASTED
LIKEWISE THE INCOMES THAT
BOTH MAY USE.
Bachelor Man Looks the Happier When
Good Fortune Ar
rives.
CAREERS CONTRASTED

the discussion. If you, monsieur, have just
been scanning trays of diamond solitaires
or dining and drinking your farewell to sin
gle blessedness. you won't be interested in
the economics of the single man. You have
other economics to look after. If you,
mademoisele, counting your effects af-
ter the linen shower exchanging cut-glass
rose bowls, you don't care how much it
costs your fancy free sister to remain fancy
free.
1t is for the bachelors of both genders
to decide-whch gets the more comfort
and enjoyment out of life for the same
amount of money?
All bachelors are young nowadays so
they want all there is coming to them in the
way of good time. Old bachelors and
spinsters are of the past. The modern
bachelor wants to be young, whether it be
on SO a week on $500.
Can man live in a city like New York
Chicago or Philadelphia $50 week."
very young bachelor was asked.
He might exist-he couldn't live" was
the ScOrnful reply.
1t not for several weeks that his
quesuoner learned he was a $15-a-week
clerk, and that his landlady was several
weeks board to the bad, and that she is
now holding dress suit. watch contain
ing the girls picture and three favorite
pipes.
Il can rent dress suit if it comes to the
"oiSt. lHe loWn is OVerrun with pubic
clocks, and I'm very comfortable without
the girls picture. but I've got to have those
pipes he confided in heart-to-heart.
He has not solved the problem of living
on $15. But there are plenty who have
and who pay their bills.
They are the best pay in the world these
young people on small incomes" the trades
people say. They pay as they go along
and they never reckon their income without
subtracting the bills. It's the rich that
have to be dunned"
he Cuts It Out.
But the SO man sweeps all the luxuries
of life off the board If he determines to
pay his way. He has to eat. This is one
of the needs that goes with being a man.
Eating is secondary consideration with
the girl who economies. What she must
have is a chiffon parasol.
The man says:
Il won't wear a rented dress suit
never did such a thing while the old man
paid the bills. Even If l did l couldn't
keep up. l can't be invited all the time
when can't invite. I've got to cut it out"
the girl says:
clean it with gasoline and ruff1e it myself
with chiffon; and there's that white neck
ribbon that l can clean and press and use
for the handles trimming. Organizes are
cheap and l can make my own. There's
no reason why l can't spend Sunday at
the Aikens country home
The man SlapS himself Sympa the tically
on the shoulder and says:
''Of course. you can't pay less than 50
cents a day for your meals, old chap
The girl, when she has footed what the
yards of chiffon will come to and reflected
on how much dressier the organdy Will be
with velvet ribbon trimming, says
Il can just well do without breakfast
for awhile. A great many up-to-date
thinkers are protesting against the break
fast habit. anyway"
A man is willing to do with something
very modest in the way of room. He is
never in 1t much. Even when he cannot
find some way to pass his time away from
home. So he can house himself within
some sort of four walls for $50, or take a
hall bed room in a comfortable house for
81 a week.
He Does Not Mind.
He probably will get an inartistic wall
paper at that price and the chair is likely
to be black walnut upholstered in peacock
blue plush; but the man doesn't care. He
car cut out the 81 week extra that the
gas costs too for he doesn't need a fire to
dress and go to bed by, and the rest Of the
time he's asleep.
But when 1t comes to the question OF
table the Inner Man sits up and takes no
tice. A Sc table makes the actual living
that is. mere board and lodging-come to at
least half of his income; yet s15 men are
found at Sc tables. The s. table Is apt to
be furnished with poor cuts Oh meat, With
cheap fruits and vegetables The Sunday
chicken sneaks, in disguise, into the latter
end of the week. The Inner Man protests.
Restaurants are better.
1t is at the cheap, business mans restau-
rant that the genuine economist solves his
problem best. He eats meat three times a
day He allows himself dessert at dinner,
but not at lunch. He drinks coffee twice.
Breakfast costs % cents, lunch 10 and din
ner 35.
The S15 girl on the other hand. pays
more for her room and less for her board.
She is at home more of the time. she
says AS a matter Of fact, she is
not thinking so much Of her own
comfort. for she is too self-denying In the
matter of that as she is thinking OF the
appearance her home will make There Will
be callers. If possible, she secures room
in some house where the privilege OF the
parlor Is included. or she clubs with three
other girls and takes a $40 apartment in a
pleasant location Her share in this apart
ment will cost 50 so week and 1t has to
be furnished in the beginning, which will
make it impossible unless somebody can
rummage at home for old bits Of furniture
that busy hands can recover. Occasionally
savings will add to the furnishing from time
to time.
skimps on Meals.
''You may as we'll have a decently COM
Portable room-board costs so little" she
| says.
| "Can you be satisfied with a s. table?"
! one of these economists was asked.
Five dollars?' she exclaimed. 1.-TWO
| and half is all my food averages"
"And how?''
| There's little lunch around the corner"
| she explained. Meat and potatoes are Is
| cents, and that's all anybody wants for
! dinner For lunch I take a sandwich or a
| cereal. sometimes tea or coffee, and this Is
| only 10 or Is cents. We girls get own
| breakfast"
"And what does that breakfast consist
| Off"
Coffee and toast. Sometimes we give
, ourselves treat and have eggs. When we
| do that save by boiling the eggs in the
| coffee so that the gas bill won't rise"
This is close economy, but many a girl on
| that income does get her own breakfast.
| Plenty of her are fed on $3.50. Over against
! that place the mans igures-S525. Her So
| for room and board stands opposite his-$7
He Walks, Too.
| In case these bachelors live at distance
| from their work there will be 60 cents
week invested in car fare Distances be-
| ing equal. the man will be more likely to
| ats 80 A%S +