The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-03
sssoa cne Family Got on It's Feet
Through a Building Association
and Left the Tenant Class
One Real Case out of
Hundreds

Five years ago John Boyman, who
works at the Junction. let US say-his
name isn't Boyman. by the way, but
IN, other respects this story is based
on fact-was one of 'the boys. He
was young married man, who still
kept up the habits of his bachelor
days. While he was not a drinking
man." he firmly believed an occasion
al glass of beer did no harm; and oc-
casionally, after a session on Satur-
day evening. he came home in rath-
er voluble condition.
But what does a nickle or dime
here and there amount to-" he told
Mrs. Boyman She took him at his
word, and two or three evenings a
week were passed at moving picture
show. John earned SIS month, they
only paid $50 month rent for little
house that wasn't very good, but it
served. and they enjoyed life.
A "Small" Problem
But along about this time John
Boyman. Jr, happened along, and he
brought problem with him. Mr.. and
Mrs. Boyman found themselves in
debt. They had $4S5 in a savings
bank. money accumulated dollar by
dollar before they were married-and
before job had acquired the habit of
going down town of evenings; but
somehow John, Jr.. made them pom
der One Saturday night John stayed
at home and did some figuring. He
got together the unpaid bills of the
doctor who ushered John, Jr., into
the world, of the butcher, the grocer
and few others, and figured up the
total-$134,50.
Mr.. and Mrs. Boyman looked at the
total in a serious mood. 1t seemed
to be utterly impossible to save any
thing out of the s55 per month that
was left of Johns wages after the rent
was paid And it was cinch ex-
penses would be no less. II they drew
the money from the savings bank, they
could pay their debts-but after the
$4S5 was gone!
The Tide Turns
John" said Mrs. Boyman, "why
don't you see what building associa.
ton might do to help out? Tom
Jones owns his own place, and just
the other day Mrs. Jones told me
they had squared up with the building
association. He doesn't earn any
more money than you, and they seem
to be getting along finely"
1t had never occurred to John that
he could be home owner, but the
next Monday he talked over matters
with Jones. who also worked at the
Junction shops. AS a result he de
cided to look around.
He knew Charlie DeLadn-had me,
him when he had made a political
peregrination to his shop and Jones
told him he was an officer of one OF
the associations. So he called at De
Lands Office, and found out the PENN
sular association would loan him
m$1 500 on a property which was val
ued by the association at $4,000. Fol
q week John and his wife looked
around, interviewed real estate agents
and finally found house better thar
the one they lived In, which they could
buy for $3.50.
Home Owners.
John and his wife went home, due
up the savings bank book, in which
there had been no entries for several
months, and took 1t to the bank
From there they went to the office oil
the real estate agent with roll oil
green backs. They paid down the
money and got deed. This they
took to the building and loan office
the next meeting night; within a weel
they had paid the rest of the purchase
price of the house, into which they
had already moved, and found them
selves obligated to pay SIS montl
to the building society, instead of 81
a month to the landlord. After tn,
next payday John bought SO wortl
of trees and shrubs, which he set out
and was launched out as a homeowneT
All went well for two years-ant
then Miss Jennie Boyman appeared OF
the scene. Mrs. Boyman was in be,
quite a time. and it was necessary L
employ a girl to look after the house
work and John, jr, for tire or fou
weeks. Mrs. Boyman was hardly o.
her feet again before John was lai
off. He was still visiting with tn
boys on Saturday nights-and tn
payments of SIS to the building asss
citation ceased. When nothing wa