Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-06-09
STILL CONTENDS
LIVING IS HIGH
OPINIONS DIFFER AS TO COST
OF LIVING IN SUNNY
CALIFORNIA.
Los Angeles. Calf.
June 2, 1921.

Audubon Iowa.
Dear Sir:
had decided to let this California
subject drop, but when Mr.. Shelley
and Mr.. Bailey, who have never been
inside my home, neither here or
back in Audubon, accuse me of being
high what you may call it,"
or in other words, living beyond my
means in trying to keep up with the
Jones's, surely think they cover
considerable territory at one shot.
Mr.. Shelley enters into the discus
sion in the true spirit of friendly
debate and 1 would greatly appre-
ciate if had his abilities as writer,
while Mr.. Bailey, l think was rather
sarcastic, which brings small in
cident to my mind which happened
while l worked in the Audubon Post
Office and seems to show that Mr..
Bailey will deviate from the truth
when he desires 20 gain his point,
but L. H. McClaren of Audubon,
could relate this incident better than
can as he was the one who had to
take the brunt of the blow.
shall try to adhere strictly to the
rules of friendly discussion, which
brings to my mind again the winter
evenings of long ago when number
of young people would meet at some
country school house and debate on
such subjects as, "The advantages
of the printing press over the steam
engine" or, SHOULD capital punish
men be abolished?" etc.
1 will not be as long winded as
Mr.. Shelley because have not his
writing abilities, and some of, my
friends have at times spoken of me
as a man of few words, and / suppose
they are right. l sometimes wonder
how 1 ever happened ito take unto
myself wife"being man of so few
words, but you see, friends, leapyear
comes around once every four year,,
and still there are exceptions even
to this rule, as well as to THE
COST OF HIGH LIVING" in Cali
fornia.
But let us proceed to the point,
wherein I shall endeavor to expose"
some of the extravagant pranks of
myself and family. To begin with
wear suit, most every day that was
purchased at Walnut Iowa, about
the 18th day of January, 1909, and
my pen pushing opponents could
have seen me wear the same suit at
the P. o., both here and at Audi
bon.
I noticed this morning that my
wife was wearing dress that looked
somewhat out of date, and in 4
roundabout way gained the infor-
nation that said dress was made by
her own hands some eight years
ago, which also proves another
point in our "cost OF high living"
And 1 will say that l have purcEas-
ed one new suit since coming to
California, and / paid the exorbi-
tant price of $50, but it is not a
prince Albert" This suit was
bought down town on Main street,
from Foreman & Clark, who oper-
ate chain of stores, upstairs, from
coast to coast. Practically all our
wearing apparel is purchased in the
so-called "down town district"
can say that the articles of
which Mr.. Shelley writes, taken from
my letter of June, 1920, were all
purchased by my sister, who has
lived in California some four years,
and surely knows something about
prices here in Los Angeles, and
while a good many articles can be
bought for less on Main street, will
say that we cannot go down town
for a pound of steak or peck of
potatoes.
And while / think of it, will say
that / would not under any circum-
stances take my family to live on
Main street, and / am convinced
that neither Mr.. Bailey nor Mr..
Shelley would do so. Downtown
Main street is what is called the.
"cheap rent" district of Los Angeles
and any one who has been in large
town knows what cheap rent dis
trict means.
will say that Hollywood con-
sists of about $4,000 souls and for
anyone to say that a person is
spendthrift or is living beyond his
means because he has small place
here, is making a rather broad
statement. The street on which we
live is composed of almost nothing
but five or six-room one-story bun
galows, and by referring to my
former letter you will see that ]
wrote / had purchased my property
600 near the Aristocratic. / did not
say that / lived amongst them or
mixed with them, because l have
not the means, and If had, / have
not the desire.
Yes, / see "great bargains" adj
vertised in the papers every day,
and saw them ION paper" before
/ bought my palce, but only on pa
per. Mr.. Bailey admits in his letter
that prices are higher only few
blocks from Main street. We buy
nearly all our groceries from one OF
the Sam Seelig stores. This com