The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-11-03
Poverty and Autos
How the Cost of High Living
Beats the High Cost
of Living.
BY THOMAS TAPER.

A CONSIDERABLE amount Of
N actual poverty rides around
town in automobiles.
In any circumstances. an automo-
bile is an expensive luxury.
When 1t is procured AT the cost
Of mortgage on all tangible as
sets OF the man. it begins TO show
how the cost of High Living beats
the High Cost Of Living.
Why men should persist In riding
In the park With Debt sitting beside
the Chauffeur, is a puzzle 20 simple
people.
But they do.
They Will tell you that they want
10 get as much as possible out OF
lifo,
Well hero is tho story Of a man
who rides around all day-but not in
the Park.
See II yon can fnd what he gets
out Of lie, or what he ever can get.
I'm telling his story exactly al he
told II TO me.
Yes. sir, the cost of things takes
c"ery cent a man can earn. I'm u
driver OF a Sinclc-hoTSc coal tcanIp
I work. ten hours day six days a
week for twelve dollars,
Last March my Mary was taken
sick and she died in Ju,y We had
been married nineteen years. The
oldest hoy is eighteen. the next six
teen. and my little Katie Is thirteen.
When john was born (thc oldest>,
my wlte said he should have a Gne
schooling and be able TO get a good
living: Two years ago she went 10
Father e. and bo fixed 1t so that
the boy could 80 10 ST, Johns sem
mary and have his schooling free. IL
Mary would do scrubbing and clean
ing: so she worked on her hands
and knees until last May, Then she
never got up again.
Tho next boy gets 81 a week in a
grocery store, and gives me two.
Katie, the youngest. goes to school.
I pay ST. a month for rent. and
$3.50 week for food and washing.
We havc To bug everything cooked.
because the little girl Isn't old enough
TO. take her mothers place yet.
] leave The house at half past six.
Tho little girl locks up about $50.
takes the key with her, and goes 10
school.
VIC send the washing out TO d wet
wash laundry, and have the rooms
cleaned once "A week By d woman who
scrubs like my Mary used To do at
81, Johnson her hands and knees.
These two cost nc about a dollar and
"a quarter n week.
II YOU Will figure 1t out. sir. as
] have done a hundred times since
last July, you'll see that ! haven't
much left 10 buy clothes FOR three
people. pay other bilIs-pay a doc
tor and the ike.
Well. ] said. what do you spend
on yourself?
I go 10 see my mother--a 1o-ceDt
fare on the rajlUay--and that's all
that's In IL FOR me except seeing the
children grow up.
so, today, he went on. little Katie
viii be big enough TO run the lIouse
I r.ll This 1nfS-
tor, when I 20 home at haii-past SIX
ana sec her standing by the table
trying to iron me shirt, like her
mother used 60 do: il makes ms
think. Ny wife was Killarney Glrl.
aud she could work all right, but IL
seems ;uugh nn lltUe one Of IS Ia
Oa pushing an iron uvor man
clothes. Every time ] see her doing
II biG lump comes uD In my throat.
I'm 81 years old and III be doing
veil 10 keep the job huV".
Have you any Insurance?
Yes $500 in n fratcrnal order, ana
we pay 10 cents week for an insur-
alicn for Katie
for ne, and | didn't tell You what
Tin climbing. II can get tn. chill
drf,I better tXod 20 earn living thon
I am, I, u be content.
But you see. U'ister, I cant afford
70 be- sick for While yet.
Tits IL not an ambitionicss man.
iic hNys one quit Of clothes for best
.ver, TWO wears. smokes his pipe.
goes ia see his mother Of Sunday,
arI thinks rf his Mary most OF the
tipic.
fl. Is an uucduc&:ed man who gets
his llviny hy his physical strength.
;is reads the daily paper. bUt. AS he
sDid. ] have never read "a whole
book
And Yet thero Is a great idea dawn
iur In his mind. An idea so wonder
ful that II brings HIN u degree Of In
tercst be probably never locked FOR
And that idea is this:
Hc can contribute three young ciu-
Tens-.Iohn. the second boy, and
KatiH-to his adopted country. Civ
ing TO each OF them, as far as he
can. better chance than he bad
himself.