The sun., 1908-05-03
CASE OF A WOMAN WITH $4,000
H0T SHALL SHE INVEST IT so
As TO YIELD 1 LIVING?


Venture, q Successful Restaurant and .
Tea Room Show what Can BE Done.
How can one invest 81 800 or 5000 to get
raorV than per cent? II was a woman at
a boarding house table who asked the quee-
ton. There are a good many other women
who are aSking the same thing. Said a
man OF adalrs;
'IfIam approached once am approached
one hundred times every year by women
who want advice on how 10 invest small
amount like $4,000 so that they can get not
80 a year out Of It but almost a living
Seld one OF them 10 me not long ago: 1t
seems hard 10 know that have that amount
Of money lying In bank and yet that ]
am almost suffering for the necessities OF
hfe.' She knew better than to use her
principal. but she expected me, / think.
10 encourage her 10 speculate.
But l viii not advise any woman with
her bread and butter ct stake 10 do that.
The only woman, or man either, In my
opinion who can afford 10 speculate Is the
woman or man who has money 10 lose.
'No, my advice 10 that woman and 70 all
women who come TO my Office for advice
about Investing a small sum Of money is
this Fight shy Of any proposition which
guarantees 10 pay more than 5 per cent.
Better keep your money In a savings bank
than 10 fall In with a scheme which makes
glowing promises Of 10 per cent dividends,
paid monthly or quarterly. Almost with
out exception such schemes are out and out
frauds.
Generally the women take my advice
and keep their money out Of mischief, but
not always. Only yesterday / had second
visit from a widow who one year ago asked
my opinion Of a certain investment promis-
ing 10 per cent. interest, paid quarterly.
Don't touch IT, told her.
well, she did touch II, plunging TO the
extent Of $500. Al the end Of three months
she gleefully collected s45 interest, and
since then nothing but promises. I'm
afraid promises are all she ever will collect
from that investment,
'This woman realizes now that even at
1 per cont interest she would have been
better or
That Is q prudent mans point OF view.
But there Is another side to the question.
In this city there are dozens Of women who
with less than 5000 capital have invested
II 80 as 10 make enough 10 live on. But
such success requires business ability,
Lacking such ability a woman had better
keep her money In savings bank.
Here, for instance, is the case Of young
widow who found herself with only t2OOO
life insurance policy after her husbands
affairs we're settled up. What should she
do with it? Her business adviser said;
Whatever you do don't invest it in a
business of which you are quite ignorant,
Don't take risks
This is what she did: On the same day
when taking a walk in the upper West Side
not far from Columbia University she idly
stopped 10 gaze at a row Of elevator apart
ments being erected in what looked like a
very desirable street. The six room and
bath Apaxtments we're we'll arranged, she
noticed, and she also Observed that the
plumbing had not yet been put In.
The rent she found was so a month for
each nat-reasonable enough as rents 60 in
Manhattan. The agent told her that il
she rented the two top floor apartments in
one house for three years the owners would
sgree 10 finish the kitchen Of each without
washtubs, range or dish closet and would
put in a large clothes closet in what was
Intended for a parlor and dining room.
The woman paid down $40 cash the next
lay after getting a guarantee that the
apartments would be hers by September l.
4 week later than that date she took pos
session Of them. Here is how she described /,
her venture Afterward:
L looked at the 81 zoo had in hand for !
ong time before plunging, but | knew that !
Mess / decided quickly the insurance |
money would dwindle still more. Already |
I had had 10 use nearly $500 for living e1-
lenses and suitable clothes.
Here Is how figured: In the neighbor- |
'ood had selected there was a good do |
mand for furnished rooms the year around |
and I was told that in elevator apartments !
- was the lowest price charged for any |
room, the largest rooms bringing about % |
4 week II we'll furnished. An income there !
Tore Of S28 a week was reasonably certain |
from 4 six room apartment, or at least |
no a month. counted on Sll0 a month !
tnyway, or 500 for the two fats
To furnish each fat would cost $500. |
la the 81 900 for furnishings added $40
-ent money on the debit side. one month Of |
'oss OF the start and one month Of loee In
midsummer.
After considering everything felt that
2 bout 81 $50 ought 10 start me in the business
" renting furnished rooms, and | decided
10 plunge. have not regretted it.
BY October my apartments were both
dlled and my income from rents was $50 a
week, or about t2D a month. My expenses
rert $40 q month for rent, 81 for gas, SIC
for chambermaid. total Of $3.50 a month,
leaving me a profit OF s6) month to start
nth. / reserved one Of tho kitchen bed
-ootns for myself,
a0f course this profit looks small 10 some
rerbons, but Il vaS lot better than per
cent. interest on 1920 and there was
nance that could increase this profit by
renting my rooms At better prices later on
| had my own room free in the bargain, my
meals only haN ing 10 be paid FOE.
'They cost me about SIS q month. AsI
had enough new clothes 10 last while the
lrst yeAf ] saved 500 and then drew enough
4 my little bank surplus 10 add to 1t and
hirt third apartment and fit it up. am
nov In the business 10 stay and expect 10
make . good living and save something
eGideG
No, / could not have made house pay
? n an elevator apartment there is q hall
waiting room downstairs at the expense Of
,ha a hhitas. 1hAHAfore na raoantion roonn mad !