Grand Forks herald., 1916-09-01
MAKING \ NEW START AT "A.

(kanSas City Starr
Having reached the age OF -, S. n.
Kerr paused to consider
IF ! don't look out" he said to
himself. III be an old man the first
thing | know and have nothing saved
up for my old age. It's about time I
cut out my thriftless ways and set
tied down.
He had paid rent for 53 years and
had spent his money as fast as he
made it. Out Of his income he man
aged to rear three children. First as
shoemaker and later as life in
surance man he had enjoyed Consid-
erable prosperity. and for 20 consecu-
tive years his income had been more
than $4,000 annually
He and his wife had lived as we'll
as couple could live on $50 a week
They had travelled and had worn good
clothes. They had purchased pleas
ure clear up to the limit of his earn,
ing capacity. Kerr had not dissipat7
ed, but he had been good fellow
among his fellownlcn.
Five years ago he found himself at
"a with job in the business depart
ment of the independence Examiner
that paid him s12 week. Age had
taken the keen edge off his earning
power. Still. the s12 ioh was steady
and his health was remarkable.
When he spoke Of buying house
his wife was rather against it. She
was afraid they could never pay for it
and would lose the $500 they had
saved in lifetime.
But 1t had come to me like fash
that had better stop paying rent"
Kerr says. "B. Zink. Jr.. president
of the First National bank of Inde-
pendence. urged me to make the
plunge. and I took his advice. In
four years ] had paid for my home.
have a place that cost me s2.1o0-
40x135 feet. And have garden on
it. We have electricity and gas, and
could have o. furance if we wanted it,
but we don't. MY $12 week amounts
to about $500 year, and besides that
I make about 800 a year on the side.
For the four years following the start
| made in saving. I earned Just about
500 a year Now I own my own
home and have money in the bank,
and it has all been accomplished since
was "a. I'm In my s0th year and
I'm saving yet because 1t doesn't re-
quire much to keep the two Of us.
now that we have no rent to pay.
when I was boy. an old German
told me that II I saved Just tenth
Of what earned I would die a rich
man. but wouldn't listen to him.
wouldn't save dHytAlnS, Out IL Hdu
could have been one Of the wealth.
est men around this part of the coun
try. Just imagine. I was here nearly
so years ago, and II I had saved and
invested I would be worth hundreds
Of thousands by now.
Il tell all Of my young friends to-
save just little, anyway. Get lit
tie home and pay for it. but don't try
to buy too big one on . small sal
ary. Get ono that doesn't require too
many big payments, and then, later In
life, you can buy a big one. Be mod
est ana thrifty while you are saving
and it will save a lot Of misery in your
old age.
I'm proud Of my little homo. To
think that earned It and paid for it
after I was "a makes me feel great,
Before I owned a home, didn't feel
like citizen, and wasn't very much
interested in my town or my country
Now I'm alert to everything.
"If an old man like I am can earn
a home on $12 a week. what excuse
is there for a young man who won't
try it? II all Of the spendthrifts
would realize the pleasure Of getting
ahead and trying to be somebody in
the world, they would stop complain
ing and do something"