The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-05-17
MANY WORSE OFF
High Cost of Living Looked at
From New Angle.
Uncle PeIeg Gave the Citizens ~
Bloomfield Something to Think
About When He Bought His
Frugal Sunday Dinner.

'I suppose the folks back home still
manage to get living in spite of The
high cost of it?" said the dweller in
the city to his boyhood friend, Reuben
Sparrow, who had driven in from
Bloomfield that morning.
"Why, yes" said Reuben, "they all
seem to live along In pretty much the
same old way. OF course there is some
scaling down. Extravagant ones are
Tightening up bit, and the close ones
are a little mite closer
Take the Longleys for example. You
know how they always used to do. Jim
would get his pay Saturday night, and
then they'd begin to live on the fat OF
the land. About Thursday, funds
would give out, and then it would be
pudding and milk, or whatever they
could pick up, for the rest of the week.
Well, they do just that same way now.
First of the week there's nothing too
good for them, and price is no object.
Only difference is that now hard times
begin with them long about Tuesday
instead of Thursday.
"Then there is Eben Titus. He goes
On altogether a different principle.
Eben says that 1t doesn't cost him so
very much more to live than it did five
years ago. He was always great
fgurer, you know. He's set what calls
a fair price on each of the commOdi-
ties. OF course he can't control the
price. but he can regulate the quanti-
ty. So when sugar, for example, takes
a jump of ten per cent, he marks down
the amount to be used in just the same
proportion, and so keeps even with the
game. You might suppose that the
family would be on scant rations by
this time, but Eben says not. Accord
Ing to his tell. not one of 'em has lost
weight, and they never were healthier
or happier. He says the generality OF
folks eat too much and too extensively
and that we never can know how little
Is enough until we have put the ques-
ton to the test.
"But most Of our Bloomfield people
do their fighting of the high cost Of liv-
Ing simply by word of mouth. That
was what I found lot of 'em doing
when stepped into Elias Pride's pro-
vision store the other night. They
weren't giving the monster leg to
stand on. They all agreed that 1t was
unjust and outrageous and heartrend-
ing the way prices were mounting up !;
and that flesh and blood couldn't stand
1t much longer. Elias himself Joined
right In with the rest. He said 1t made
him fairly sick to have to charge such
prices, but what could he do?
"Just then old Peleg Dawes came to
buy his Sunday dinner. I suppose
Peleg was the only man there that you
might say was actually feeling the
pinch Of poverty. He's past work, with
not much to do with, and 1t was kind
Of pitiful to see him pricing one thing
after another and then shaking his
head. Finally he settled on half a
pound Of tripe.
GA good piece OF rrlpe, properly
cooked says he, goes about as well
as anything, this time of year. Some
calls it little tough, but tell 'em it's
tougher where there's none
"Have to pay pretty high for any
thing we get nowadays, Uncle Peleg,'
I says, as he started to go.
eyes says he, but that isn't so bad
by half as not being able to get 1t at
ull. Sometimes says he, when I'm
setting down to good, square meal at
home, l seem to see some of those
hungry people across the water looking
on kind Of wishful; and 1t makes me
feel real guilty. as If I was getting
more than my share
"After the old man had gone out.
conversation. seemed to take differ
ent turn. I guess we had all been re
minded that there are some things IN
the world q little more heartrending
than the high cost of living in Bloom
field.-Youth's Companion.