The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-06-15
many WORSE OFF
High Cost Of Living Looked at
From New Angle.
Uncle Peleu Gave the Citizens OF
Bloomfield Something TO Think
About When He Bought His
Frugal Sunday Dinner.


81 suppose the folks hack home still
mnnngc to get living In spite Of the
high cost OF ~" said the dweler In
the city to his hOyhooh friend Reuben
sparrow, who had driven In from
Bloomfield that morning.
"Why yes" said Reuben, "they m
seem to live along In pretty much the
same old way, Of course there is some
scaling down. EXtrnvngnnt ones nre
tightening up bit, and the close ones
are little mite closer
Take the l.ongleys for example. You
know how they always used To do. Jim
would get his pay Saturday night, and
then they'd begin 10 live on the fat ~
the land. About Thursday, funds
would give out. and then 1t would be
budding and milk, or whntcver they
could pick up, for the rest of the week.
Well, they do lust 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
instend Of Thursday.
"Then there Is Ehen Titus. He goes
on altogether different principle.
Chen says that II doesn't cost him so
very much more to live than Il did Ave
wears ago. He was always great
figurer. you know. He's set what calls
n fair price on each of the commod.
ties. or course he can't control the
price, but he can regulate the qunntl
~. So when sugar. for example. takes
- 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 he on scant ratlons by
this time but Eben says not Accord.
ing To his tell. not one of 'em hns lost
weight, and they never were healthier
or happier He says the generality OF
folks eat too much and too extensively
aid that we never can know how little
is enough until we have put the ques-
tion to the test.
but most of our Bloomfield people
do their fighting of the high cost of llv.
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
giving the monster n leg to
stand on. They all agreed that It. was
unjust and outrageous aud 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 II mnde
him fairly sick to have TO charge such
prices, but what could he do?
Just then old Peleg Dawes came 10 |
buy his Sunday dinner. 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 II was kind
of ptiful 10 see him pricing one thing
after another and then shaking his
head. Finally he settled on half q
pound Of tripe
"a good piece or tripe. properly
cooked says he. goes about ms well
as anything. this time of year. Some
'alls II little tough, but tell 'em It's
Ougher where there's none
"'Have to pay pretty high for any
nlng we get nowadays, Uncle Peleg'
says, as he started to go.
"Yes.' says he, but that isn't so bad
" hnlf as not being able to get It Mt
H. Sometimes says he, when I'm
ietting down to good, square meal nt
lome. | seem To see some of those
lungry people across the water looking
m kind OF wlshful; and II makes me
eel real guilty, as II was getting
more than my share.
AFTER the old man had gone out.
seemed TO take a differ
mt turn. ! guess we had all been re-
minded that there are some things In
he world little more lieartrendlng
han the high cost Of living In Bloom
Ield.-YOuth's Companion.