The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-28

In the order il said that ii is impossible
for a man to support a wife comfortably
in that city on less than $1,000 a year. and
any employe making less than that should
consult the officials before getting married.
While conditions in Chicago may be diff
ferent from what they are in this city, for,
no doubt, II takes more money 10 live there
than in Indianapolis, men who have been
in both places say that the difference is so
slieolt that such a rule is not necessary in
either place. The majority of clerks and
employees in the large retail and wholesale
stores in this city get much less than this
amount, and those who are married are
urging on their unmarried brothers the
wisdom and pleasures of having homes of
their own. They scott at the figures Of
matrimonial experts, and declare that if a
man has the right kind of wife they can
live on $50 a month and less when 1t is
necessary.
They say there are scores OF men in this
city who are drawing salaries of less than
800 a year and supporting families comfort
ably on them. The trouble. they assert. is
that when people begin to look upon such
a question from a scientific standpoint and
calculate the cost of living from statistics
they always get it too high. The Chicago
bank officials had q bill drawn up which
was intended to show the expense account
of an ordinary mans family. The defect
in their estimate was that it was based on
the ideas of high livers and not on those of
the family that has to live on less than
$1,000 q year. There are hundreds Of mar
ried men in this city who are earning con-
siderably less than the amount designated
H.. tho ThfoaOO officials Loading hfcfnocc
men say that a man can get married on any
kind of a salary and that it all depends on
| the kind of wife he gets. They aver if the
woman will do her part as she should,
money is a very small consideration in the
marriage proposition. They contend that
very often they have men in their employ
who are earning considerably less than
$1,000 a year and able to save money each
year.
A Journal reporter started out the other
day TO investigate this subject, and made
inquiries among several of the most promi-
nent citizens. The first seen was William
Mooney, of the Mooney-Mueller Drug Com
pany. When asked IL a man could get mar
ried on less than $1,000 a year, he said:
Yes, indeed, a man can get married on
considerably less than that sum and yeI
live comfortably. There are hundreds OF
young men in this city who get married
VINO are earning less than 500 a year. II Il
my opinion that a young man should not let
the financial side of marriage keep him
from finding a wife. OF course, he should
earn a fair salary, but / don't believe in
him waiting Until he is getting any princely
sum before he finds a wife for, as a genera.
| rule. if he waits that long he will remain
single all his life, and the older a man gets
the harder he is TO please.
II have had dozens OF young men en-
ployed who were married on what might
be called very small salaries. and every
| one of them got alone all right. / am a
| great advocate of the marriage of young
men. i think ii helps them take care OF
themselves and they can also save money.
The old adage which says. when one is
married IL costs no more TO keep two than
IL does one is practically true. When II
| comes to summing uD what an unmarried
mans expenses amount To IL viii be seen
| that he spends more than the married man.
| / am OF the opinion that a young man
should get married-that Is If the woman