Year: 1876

Why do not the poor of New York
get on better? Why is it that a man
OF salary of SIS a week cannot sup
port his family decently? SIS week
would be very comfortable subsist-
ence i'm a country town. 1t would
support him and leave him something
to lay up for rainy day. True, it
would, but in New York 1t is the
merest nothing-it means starvation
which is not even genteel. Why is
it? The answer is easy enough. The
poor artisan or laborer on S15 week
might live on it. and save money, If
he could get what he lives on at any
decent price-but he don't. If pota-
toes are worth. we will say, 81 bush
ell, by the bushel, what do you sup
pose laborers pays for them? He
can't buy bushel at once, for his lit
tie SIS won't go far enough. He has
to pay 81 for rent of his rooms, which
is nearly half his income, for him and
bis to live and sleep, leaving him s.
week for food and clothing. This
would answer if he could only buy
his food In such quantities, and at
such places as food can be procured at
reasonable prices. But he cannot do
this, for he has not money enough.
A barrel of potatoes costs, we will
say, S3.50,-should he buy barrel
he would have nothing left for other
articles of food. So be buys a half
peck of potatoes, for which he pays
forty cents, or at the rate of $3.50
bushel, instead of about dollar. His
coal would cost him only aboutS6 ton,
if he could buy ton, but he can't; he
can buy bushel, though, just enough
to last him day or two, and for that
the dealer makes him pay 40or50 cents.
and when he has to get peck in
stead of a bushel, the extortion is still
more.


And as it is with his coal and pota-
toes, so it is with everything. He
never has money enough to buy any
thing in quantity-he lives from hand
to mouth, and is consequently, COM
PEELED TO pay four prices for every
thing. 1t is a decent fortune to have
a retail store in poor neighborhood,
for the profits made from poor people
are immense. And as there is no
credit given. the trade is sure. There
is no such thing as getting up in the
world for a laboring man in New
York, unless a streak of luck comes.
This season has been exceptionally
hard, for labor has been scarce and
wages correspondingly low. How
they live at all is more than l can un-
| derstand.


SPRING FASHIONS.


With the mild days about the first
of February, the counters show light
Cambrics and wool goods, for prudent
people who take time by the forelock
in matters of dress. They my do so,
for in these days it takes, by moderate
computation, two weeks for a woman
working all the time to make dress.
This Is the allowance by the most
skillful dressmakers, and it not sell
dom takes that time to do the trim
mings alone. For the comfort of ladies
who do their own work, / am happy
to say that the old style of dress, with
long plain skirt and waist attached to
it, will be worn the coming spring.
Such models are on display in the
windows as leading styles. The pref
tiest fabric out, is fine check in black
and white, crossed by single bright
color, which gives it fresh spring
like look, while it is quite modest
enough for the street. AS it comes in
soft wool goods, plain woven. both !
light and durable, and very wide, it
will be favorite with ladies, as it is
sure to be favorite with men because
it is SO bright and pretty.


MONEY ON REAL PROPERTY.


To the man in the western part of
New York, who wrote to me, asking |
the address of the old lady told of in |
these letters, who cried because she
didn't know where to invest her
money. that he might get her to lend
him some money on his farm, / would
say, that he could hardly get money.
on such mortgage, if his farm were
in Central Park, instead of Chemung.
There is more money in the banks
and in private han ds now, than ever
before since the war, and it is harder
to get loan on the best security.
Even town property is looked on
doubtfully, for the prices are going
down 30, it is not safe to lend on it
Values are changing, credit Is unsta-
BILE, banks are tickle, and the unfort-
unates who have money have nothing
better to do with it than to hold on,
and be glad if they can keep it safe
without getting interest on 1t.


A FLORAL WEDDING.


If tell the girls about a wedding
that came off this week, they will all
be dissatisfied If they can't have one
just like it. But they will be sure to
find fault now If they don'thear about
it, so here goes. The times are not
good, and money is not easy, but
there was pet daughter to be mar
ried, and 1t was for once in lifetime, {
so no expense was spared. On the re-
turn of the bridal party from the ..
church, they found the sidewalk, steps
and hallway strewn with flowers, ILL (
les of the valley, in the height of their 6
season just now, roses and azalias, !
trodden under foot to the door of the :.
IL l.