davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

ing, dined at 10 and supped at in the
afternoon. The gates were all shut at 8
p. and no later ingress egress per-
mitted. My lord and lady had set on their
table-for breakfast at 7 o'clock in the
morning-a quart of beer, as much wine,
two pieces of salt fish, six red herrings,
four white herrings or dish Of sprats. In
flesh days only half chine backbone with
ribs attached) Of mutton or a chine of beef
boiled.
Mass was ordered to be said at g. in
order, said the household book, that all my
lords servants should arise early Only
twentyfour fires were allowed besides the
kitchen and hall, and most of these had
only peck of Goals day allowed them
After Lady Day (March 25) no fires were
permitted in the rooms, except half-tires in
my lords and lady's. Also in Lord Percy's
(grown-up SOM and the nursery. 1t must
be noted in passing that my lord kept
house in Yorkshire, where there GER
tainly much cold weather after Lady Day.
Eighty chalders (2,550 pounds) of coal, at
As. I'd. ($1.00) chalder, sufhces through
out the whole year, and since coal will not
burn without wood (says the household
book), sixty-four loads of great wood were
also allowed at I'D. (25 cents) a load. This
is proof that CRATES were not then used
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
And Look
At Things Now

Comparison of these current prices with
those which held in the times of Henry
VIII shows that prcsent-day quotations are
from seventy-fve to one hundred times as
nigh for meat and flesh undressed, which
has been turned loose to pasture and il
manly, therefore, a product of the soil.
turning to wages at the present time an
average summary would figure out some
what as follows: Farm hands, $40 to $50
a month; gardeners, S75 to $50 month;
walters, $50 a month; elevator and bell
boys, $45 month; chauffeurs 500 to
$l50 month; bartcnders, 500 a month;
railroad conductors and engineers, 5000 to
$250 month; brakemcn, $3.50 month;
day laborers, $50 month.
IN general way wages run from 81 80
to 81 day now And in the time of
good King Hal' they ran from cents to
20 cents day.
In other words labor nowadays Common
to skilled) fctches thirty to forty times as
much rs it did in 14S5. These comparative
statistics show very curious1y that the low
est grades Of labor have made - far mora
distinct advance than the higher grades.
Inc wages that are being paid in the
present war time arc just about double or
more than double what were paid fifteen
years ago. Present day wages are 80 cnor-
mous'y increased that only the rich cnn
"i'ord to pny such wngcs; that many we'll.
to-do people have been forced TO act ns their
own cooks, wnitrceecs and chambermnida--
whcr'ns railroads, steamship companies and
publIc service utilities are moro than sting
HcrIng under the burden. This burden hag
III many eases practically absorbed all the
margin Of profits formerly paid over to
stockholders,
In l18b the ratio of food cost Gin gcneral)
to wages was two-thrcc. Nowadays the
ratio of food costs to wages is fourteen
SIX. And in the impossible effort to equalizc,
or at least rcestablish the old ratio, food is
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

in the United Kingdom NOW inclosed and
privately owned and cultivated) were marsh,
forest and heath OF this wild land
much was by law common, and much of
what was not common by law worth so
little that the proprietors suffered it to be
common in fact. In such tract squatters
and trespassers were tolerated to an extent
now unknown The peasant who dwet there
could, at little or no charge. procure occa-
slonally some palatable addition to his hard
fare and provide himself with fuel for the
winter. He kept a flock of geese on what
Is now an orchard white with blossoms in
spring and laden with apples in the fall.
He shared wild fowl on the fen which has
long since been drained and cut up into
corn and turnp fields He cut turf among
the furze bushes on the moor which is now
meadow studded with clover blossoms and
renowned for its production of butter and
cheese.
The progress Of civilization has mani
testify reduced the physical comforts of the
poorest classes, although it has increased
their remuneration.
Lord Macaulay surmises, in his "Historv
of England" that in the twentieth century
self miserably paid with los. (s375) per
week. that the carpenter of Greenwich may
receive los. ($2.50) per day! Strangely pro-
phetic anticipation!
AT the present day average, fat beeves
tl,3OO to 1,50O pounds) on the hoof bring
from s265 to $500. Average 200 pound hogs.
$40; $50 pound muttons, $50; 175 pound
calves, $40. Spring chickens, undresscd
fetch soc and hens 75c. Six week pigs
weigh 35 pounds and cost 81.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

off of 10 per cent to 25 per cent and ..,,
clean up rs per cent extra profit. '''
The profits of middlemen can onlv l.
guessed at.
Taking the first twelve years of tn.
tieth century as a basis of comparisor ~
tween the youthful United States and ...,
delightful and mature European countriss
as England, Belgium, France and Italy !.
appears that an experienced traveller ~ :.
United States would then pay at leas. o.,
cents mile for railway ticket. 4, :.
s1.5O day for comfortable room in
respectable and clean hotel, 81 for fa;,,-
liberal table d'hote dinner (wine extr.s
so cents for telegram to any distant nc;s'
(say over 500 miles,, 35 cents for h.,~
cut, 10 cents for a shoe polish. 25 c.,..
for railway or hotel porter. These wer.
moderate average prices.
While in any of the above enumer...s
European countries (now well on in m..,.N
middle age) our experienced travail.
would get the same quantity and "a,
better quality for one-fifth the amount ~
money. One could ride night and dav so.
a week in Belgium, third class, for 50. cou,a
ride all through France, Spain and Its,r
for one quarter cent mile (and third c,...
there differs from ordinary passenger cars
here only in that the seats have no cusb;on,
on them there); could get a meal in parco
Iona, or Florence, or Paris, with vino fos
una lira" or "una peseta" or "un franz.
(about 19 cents). Ones hair is cut in Ion
don for 4d. q cents) porter anywhe,s
abroad costs cents; one pays cents fo,
having his shoes BACKED; 40 cents secur.,
spotless room in spic and span hotsl
in Rome, Paris, Venice, Seville, London
Ten cents will pay for telegram from
Florence to London.
Any globe trotter knows that seen.
francs" in France or Belgium or "centes;m;
Ira" in Italy, or "centa peseta" in Spain
will go further than 500 in America And
all Of these Latin units are equivalent IA
barely 1898.
Poverty always kills a monarchy and
prosperity kills a republic When the
foreign element of a republic has pushed
and forced its wage rate so high that rail
roads-even after practically doubling their
freight and passenger tariffs-cannot psy
per cent dividends on their stock, and
when this foreign element has even con-
sented Gin its utterly unreasonable greed
for sudden wealth. to pay at least 100 per
cent profit to producer and retailer of food
(and to middemen?), such republic Is
surely on the downward path to death. As
Carl Snyder has lucidly shown in his
Tribune "leading articles this frothy
bubble of reckless wealth in the United
States is wholly created by Initiation Of
bank credits and could not be liquidsted
with cash.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
Economy i'm
CapOns

Here is an interesting item ut is de-
vised that from henceforth no capons are
to be bought except for my lords own
mess, and that the said capons shall be
bought for I'd. Cd cents) each. They must
be lean and fed in the poultry, and Master
Chamberlain and the stewards be fed with
capons, if there be strangers sitting with
them" Pigs are to be bought at Sd. C
cents) or groat apiece; geese at the same
price; chickens at halfpenny q cent?;
hens at I'd. "a cents), and only for the above
mentioned tables.
Here is another article: "1tem, it is
thought good that no plovers be bought at
any season except at Christmas and prin-
cipal feasts, and my lord be served there
with, and his board-end and none other
and to be bought for Id g cents apiece,
or one and halfpence 6 cents) at most
Woodcocks are to be bought at the same
price. Partrdges at I'd. Cd cents). Pleas
ants at Is. (25 cents); peacocks the same"
My lord keeps only twenty-seven horses
in his stable at his own charge. His upper
servants have allowance for maintaining
their own horses. These horses are: Six
gentle horses (as they are called at hay
and hard meat throughout the whole year;
four palfreys, three hobbies and nags, three
sumptcr horses, six horses for those ser
wants to whom my lord furnishes the horse,
two sumpter horses more and three mill
horses (two for carrying the and one
for grinding it), whence we may infer that
mills, either water or wind, we're unknown,
or at least very rare. Besides these there
are seven great trotting horses for the
chariot or wagon The lord allows a peck
Of oats day, besides oaves made Of beans
for the principal horses. The oats cost 1s
sd. (40 cents): the beans are 81. (b0 ccnts)
quarter. The load Of hny Is valued Mt Is.
Sd. coz ccnts). When my lord is on II
journey lie carries thrty-six horscmcn
along with him, together with bed and
other accommodations.
The inns. it seems, could afford nothing
toIcrnbc. My lord passes the year in three
country seats, ali in Yorkshire Wryscl
Lcckcnicld and lyire-but he has fur
nturc only for one He carries everything
along with him, beds, tables, chairs, kitchen
utensils, all of which, we may conclude
so coarse they could not be spoiled by
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

weather; snow would fall fiercely in the
morning, to turn into slush before night
always the ice was treacherous. Joe had
new skates; he was seldom indoors. One
day he was brought back half drowned BY
some men who knew him and had seen the
ice break under his slight weight.
AS they worked over him. two doctors ana
his Aunt Abby, his hand felt for the oval
locket. which he had taken to wearing Oh 3
bit of cord around his neck. 1t was gone
and as he rolled his eyes up to his adopted
mothers face she felt how gladly she would
restore it to the little cold hand When the
boy was safely in bed and the doctors leih
pronouncing him a complete recovery, sns
went down on her rheumatic knees in hef
own room and prayed forgiveness for mel
wickedness
"Oh Lord" she prayed 81 thank Thee
that Thy love is not like that of jealous
old woman, who grudged the boy his natura
affection for his mother. Make me recon
ciled to always stand second in his hesr'
It's better place than l deserve, and
know it we'll as You do"
Joey" she said tcnderly. as she csrrlso
him breakfast the next morning, you're 'he
JOY of Aunt Abbys life, and the next time
you want to go skating where the ICE
thin just remember that your old Aanls
couldn't go through this second time
1t was most unusual demonstration, s''
the boys black eyes snapped as he 81,
swered joyfully. "Then you do want me, ans
you won't be quiet at me any rssre?'
"'Quet' at your
"When you shut up and don't look at me
he explained, with bounce that spilled w
contents of his egg cup. "oh, Jimm'n,
You better bieve didn't mean to do thst
mo, I'll never be quiet at you sEap'
promised Aunt Abby, not noticing the "
cident. "And, oh, Joey, I'm SO sorry you 's''
your lockct"
well, you better b'licve didn't loss :
at ALL he laughed. and dived under ~. ~
pillow. Somebody picked IL up and ~
bust, but here IT Is. Lookl" 4.
He laid the broken halves Of the less',
before her. She recognized the picture
once. II had been cut from an old sehs.s
photograph, taken when she and the ~
who was now Doe Peters wife had bssn Y.
only two girls In school with sheif ~
done up. How proud she had becn' 'h's.
only by mother. sweetheart or son cou' IS
face have been called pretty one. ....
Fer II was Aunt Ahbys own fars ps'
locked up at her from Joey's loskss'
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
"AU the Traffic
VIII Bear"

All producers, from eggs to potatoes and
cattle to iron, steel, coal and manufactures,
are getting at least 100 per cent more than
in 1910. Here is one John G. Imboden
cattle raiser and speculator, who boldly
tells an economical analyst that ne paid
$159 a head for ffty-eight -year-old
shorthorns in Decatur H., in August, 1918,
and sold them at 1890 head to Armour
& Co. in November, 1918. In other words,
he made about IS per cent net (as the feed
ing of these beeves cost $I5 per head on
his money in three months, or 260 per cent
per annum.
The profits of retailers are far more ap
parent in upper Broadway, Sixth Avenue,
Park and Columbus avenue shops than in
those located on Ninth or Third Avenue,
below Forty-second Street In the first
named fashionable neighborhood potatoes
cost cents a pound; really fresh country
eggs, so cents Dozen caulifower heads,
80 cents each; juicy oranges, 10 cents each
grapefruit, rs cents apiece; bacon, 60 cents
a pound (sliced); rib chops, so cents a
pound; bananas, 10 cents apiece.
Whereas in the neighborhood mainly
dwet in and patronized by the huge
foreign population of the city, prices are
just about half those quoted above in every
case. Very often they are less than half,
for excellent mutton chops can be bought
for % cents a pound, good sound potatoes,
five pounds for II cents; cauliflower heads,
10 cents each; large firm juicy oranges,
two for cents; grapefruit, 10 cents each.
SO much for retailers; and this actual
price list, which readily be tested,
proves that retailers in middle class and
fashionable localities are charging just
about 100 per cent more profit than their
less favorably situated confrcres These
latter find that they cannot hoodwink their
customers that they cannot sell through
chauiicurs, buffers, or cooks, pay rake
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23


~ II adopting boy from the nearest
orphan asylum.
There's more'n one way to get rid of be-
ing called Miss all your life" she told
neghbor, somewhat grimly. "'Tain't likely
I'm going to pass myself off as his mother,
and him liable to turn into boss thief for
all l know" she added, with unwonted To-
quacity. "Aunt is a name that seems near
enough, though he's adopted all good and
proper, and If he ever gets arrested I'll have
to pay lawyer to lie for him. He's pro-
prietor of one gold locket-and that's ALL"
She glanced through the screened window
at little boy who galloping up and
down The path turning an imaginary steer
ing wheel footing an imaginary horn and
occasionally ding -donging" an imaginary
bell. lie suggested a combination horse,
automobile and steam engine, varying the
monotony by clever imitation of barking
dog.
lie made more noise in one minute than
ABBY Atkins ever had on her premises the
iast zen years., reported the neighbor, pass
ing on the news to her interested family
She just set there and let him go it. and
"hen said should of thought she'd taken
an oder boy, her saying all tbs time she
wanted one to wait her since she got
iame, she shut me right up and said her Joe
waa as smart and willing az some twice his
age,"
News travels fast by the grapevine tele
graph and inside of two days every man.
woman and child in town knew that Abbv
Atkins had gone directly against the advice
Of the experienced matron of the asylum.
picking out her little Joseph because he had
bright black eyes, though she had given the
excuse that she wanted boy to run orrands
for her and help save her left knee Joint.
which was leaky; they also learned that
whoever tried TO put upon" itte Joey or
hurt his feelings would have to reckon with
bis Aunt Abby.
Ia an unbeiieyably short time tho innova.
ton became the established order. "Aunt"
Abby came naturally 10 eycrybody's tongue,
and with the more familiar name came an
Increase Of frIendiinsss toward the woman
whom even the charitably inclined had stig-
natized as that lonesome old meid." Miss
Atkins had always held herself aloof and
above her neighbors; ,sha ind kept herself
u herself, ~ the saying goes, and beyond
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
By Nj. Miller
TIME PRESENT princely house of
Northumberland, in Yorkshire,
England, has among it's family pos
-. .A1Assa lell


n England, has among its family pos
sessions a certain household book,
prepared for an old earl of the race, who
lived from 1855 to 1880. The writer has
been allowed to examine this manuscript.
1t contains many curious particulars which
accentuate the intimate details and exact
cost of living in that rude and, perchance,
barbarous age, as well as the then prices
of commodities and amount Of wages paid.
The writer has extracted a few salient de-
tails from that document, which afford a true
picture of ancient manners and form one
OF the most singular, critical, economic
ANA" English antiquity affords. For we
may be confident, however rude the strokes
that no baron's family was on a nobler or
more splendid footing than this old Earl of
Warwick. King Maker"
That family consisted of 166 individuals
(nlasters and servants). Fifty-seven stran-
gers were expected every day. Altogether
provision made for 223 persons daily.
The sum OF 21ad. (say five cents) was the
daily expenses of each person (averaging
high and low) for meat, drink and firing
This amounted to Is cents day in 1885,
when provisions were three times dearer
according to contemporary annexation on
the margin of the manuscript.
This was truly no great sum for noble
mans housekeeping, especially when we
consider that the chief expense of the fam
lily at that time consisted of meat and
drink.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
nd the Pity Is There's No Reason for the H. c. of L.


slowly climbing higher. and so also are
wages.
No wonder the conductor, or brakeman,
or gardener, or farm iaborer, or bartender,
or chambermaid, or waitress, or cook, that
one daily meets and catechises (anent
things practically invariably states that he or
she would far prefer to cut their wages in
half or in one-third, and enjoy the cost of
living which prevailed twenty or thirty
years ago. They say they were able to save
something then. For besides the enormous
increase in food costs, rentals, coal, light
and clothing have all advanced prodigiously,
and advanced altogether out of proportion
to the advance in wages.
That this is the present condition goes
without saying The causes of this con-
dition are the enormous profits of pro
ducers, middlemen and retailers
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

the carriage. Yet seventeen carts and one
wagon suffice for the whole. One cart
suffices for all his kitchen utensils, cooks,
bed, etc.
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
His Pretty Mother-A Story by Dana Girric1r

M m ISIS ABBY ATKINS became Aunt
NJ Abby by the simple expedent of
Il V II adopting a boy from the nearest
New-York tribune., 1919-03-23

off of 10 per cent to 25 per cent and ann
clean up rs per cent extra profit.
The profits of middlemen can on,r
guessed at.
The Washington times., 1919-09-06
What Would YOU Have Done?
Have You as Great a Soul This Man, Who Willingly
Sacrificed His Life for Lovei

"a man must be hero to understand hero" said
Goethe.
It is because we are all heroes that there will be
disagreement over whether William Tanner of Hubbard
Woods Ill., did the right and just and wise thing when he
sacrificed his life that he ght accompany on the inevitable
journey of death his wife whom he could not save from
destruction.
They were walking together a railroad track when
the foot of the caught In frog Every effort
to release it unavang train laundering down
upon them She begged her husband that for the sake of
their children and of his widowed mother he leave her to
meet her fate alone
Unwilling to desert hcz, his only reply was II will stay
with you" and sz-51Iing her that his body might
receive the first blow he shared with her the greatest of all
adventures
Did he do right?
Was his duty greater toward her. whose fate was inev
table and by the sharing of which he could not lessen?
Or was his obligation to their children and his aged
mother?
BE flung away life which belonged as much to those
he loved as to himself Should he have saved it for the
living or he right in giving it to whose death was
Just at hand?
To which did he the greater duty, and for which
should he have made the greater sacrifice?
Was he more heroic than his wife?
In the face of imminent death she thought not of her
her chdren-even of one whose relationship was only of
the law and not Of the blood
Did She in begging that she might go alone across the
dark valley show forttude that greater than
the mere giving up of life?
Did she in forgetting herself and yielding all to mother
CC0ntnued in Last CoImaA
The Washington times., 1919-09-06
The Utilities Commission Valuation Of
the Street Car Lines Means An
other Fare Increase As Long
AS the Present Private
Ownership Exists.
By EARL GOODWIN

The Public Utilities Commissions estimates Of the vaue
OF the two street car systems in this city generous but
they will be taken the index for the rateang BY the
commission.
The commission viii determine exactly what rate
of fare the two companies must have in order to make what
the commission will ea proper return the investment
The commission allowed both companies to make two
cent charge for transfers because it believed that the Wash
ngton Railway and Electric Company could not make both
ends meet on vecen fare in the face Of rising costs Of
labor and material
The valuation Of the W. R. & E. Co. ss finally an
nounced is LARGER than the valuation on which the com
mission allowed the two-osnt transfer
This means but ONE THING
The commission will take the position that even An
the present valuation, considering the present cost An
INCREASE IN FARE WILL BE JUSTIFIABLE
In other words there is NO escape from higher fsvs
under existing circumstances.
At the time, it will be q blow to the city and an
imposition the working and women to TAX them
for going and coming to work merely to keep privately
owned railroad system In dividend paying condition
There are ways Of insuring FTVECENT street car
fare One Of the members Of the Public Utilities Comms.
sion, Colonel Kutz has outlined in his scheme to take
the roadbeds and lease them back to the companies "a
be under supervision at fare Of i've cents or lower a
deficiency above that to out Of general taxation
Another way to take the systems at what they cost
to build and operate them under competent municipal man
agement for Five Cents Ride with Universal Transfers
FREE.
Every and interested In the future develo.
ment Of Washington and in right and justice should WORK
for fvecent fare.