The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-30
PAYING FOR A HOME
(By E. X. Wooley in the Atlanta
Journal)

! I'm going to a payment party to-
night" remarked my friend the Bus
mess Woman as | waited while she
pinned her hat at the right angle
and adjusted the frialy con'coction
around her neck so it stuck in the
proper places.
"A payment party?" I puzzled.
That's a new one on me-
"Oh, its TIC third I've been invit-
ed to this spring so far, and | know
of several more to be given among
my acquaintance in the next few
months" she airily responded.
Hurry up now. l want to make
that Sis car.
1--WE been ready this fifteen min
utes while you've been fussing be-
for that dinky mirror" declared.
l"You haven't told me yet what a
payment party is. Is it gathering
where people pay up the money
they've borrowed from each othery
If it is, I'm going to have a little
payment party of my own and invite
several individuals who skip down
side streets when they see me COM
ing"
u always said you were easy re-
torted my friend the Business Wom-
an. This isn't that kind of pay
ment party. This is joyful affair.
And it's all the rage now.
"a payment party is celebration.
It's held for the purpose of rejoicing
over the fact that the last install
ment has been paid on ones home,
and the chief performance of the at
fair is tn burning of the mortgage.
Our host and hostess look happier
than a golden wedding couple, and
as part of the program they are re-
uuired to tell just when and how
they started to buy their home. what
sacrifices they made to own home
and why they were willing to sacri-
flee in order to have a home. I tell
; YOU it's mighty interesting"
had a wistful twinge in my
heart.
Never" quoth I, "have l seen a
mortgage burned. Never have
come in intimate contact with any
, body who had paid up in full on
e house bought on the installmen'
: plan. Nobody, in fact, has evel
t admitted to me that he or she WASH
: rich enough to buy a house and lo
e outright and have plenty left over
The idea, it seems, is that it is
J, disgrace to buy house on install
S ments. Why, man I used to know
e who dealt in that sort of thing, toll
n me that it was the finest bushes
t in the world-for him-because h
: always got the property back in tel
i years and had payments besides
d That's why" | dismally added, "
If never started to buy a home on in
e though it's the only wa
II could ever get one."
l. THAT man." Indignantly state
e nv friend the Business Woman
Y was a shark Maybe he was right
h fifteen years ago. But times hav
s. changed considerably in these las
y fifteen years. Also people are'r
ID ashamed any more of buying hon
IN even if they thav have to buy 1t Q
Is installments. Most of my Marie
s. friends have bought that way.
!. know a couple who started out
~ save the money first, and theyl
tie still renting, and moving ecery ye'
it | to find better place for less mol
lie ey."
e. But it takes about all ones Ii
to pay for a house." I contended.
Not according to statistics 81
in answered. Just the other day | Wi
MS talking with a man who handl
ne probably the largest amount of pa
IN just-like-rent property in this coul
of try. His company sells to all elias
of es of people.
r 1.-The only trouble in this bus
as ness" he said, is that people wi
IN buy homes on installments pay
at too fast. Seventy-fve per cent. p'
s. for their homes long before the pei
ty cd called for by their contracts.
no course" he added, its pleasant +
a the home owner to have his prope
he ty free of debt, but it stops the i
or terest-and that's where We los
ed Seer" triumphantly concluded n
friend the Business Woman.