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Modern Home Furnishing Costs

THE COST OF FURNISHING A MODEST HOME.

AN UNTRAMMELED REPORTERS’S EXPERIENCE IN ABIG FURNITURE HOUSE WITH A BRIGHT WOMAN AS GUIDE.

June has become justly famed as the month of roses and or weddings. Florists say that although the season was backward at the start, there never has been a greater profusion of roses than during the latter part of the month. That a great record for weddings has been made has been shown by the daily chronicles of marriages of more or less consequence to the social world and by the increased space given to formal marriage notices in the daily newspapers.

Referring to the numerous weddings during the present month, a confirmed and crusty old bachelor remarked a day or two ago that “It is an ill wind that blows good to nobody,” and he explained his application of the adage to the subject by adding that he believed the popularity of June as a month for marrying to be a “put-up job” on the part of ministers and dealers in housekeeping goods, so that they could despoil the young people of their savings at the outset, and thus start them out on a life of misery, miserably poor. “What enables so many ministers to go abroad during the Summer?” queried the pessimistic devotee of single-blessedness.

“I’m sure I don’t know,” replied a friend, “unless it’s the money that they save out of their salaries.”

“Not a bit of it,” was Mr. Bachelor’s rejoinder. “They do it on the money they receive as wedding fees in June.”

“That many weddings do occur in June, and that almost every ship that sails to the eastward after June 30 carries a proportion of the pulpit lights of this country, are beyond controversy. Whether the bachelor was correct in his assertion that such traveling is done on wedding fees is rather difficult to ascertain, and quite too delicate for investigation. The reference to dealers in housekeeping goods, however, suggested the possibility of investigating the truth of one part of the crusty man’s charges. With this idea, and with the intention also of finding out what it costs the young people who get married in June to go to housekeeping, a TIMES reporter visited one of the great house furnishing concerns up town.

The familiar How’s business?” brought out the equally familiar “First-class,” and the proprietor rubbed his hands together contentedly.

“Is it true,” the reporter asked. “that inducements are offered by those in your line of business to young couples to get married in June?”

The proprietor smiled and then said: “You can hardly call it offering inducements, but we encourage them all we can by marking down our goods as low as possible in the Spring to show them how cheaply they can set themselves up as housekeepers. We always have a good trade in June, because of so many weddings, but it is chiefly to people in poor or moderate circumstances that we sell the most goods in June. My idea of it is that the wealthier people who marry in June travel or board during the Summer, and buy their housekeeping goods in the Autumn.”

To ascertain just how cheaply a couple in moderate circumstances could purchase an outfit for housekeeping a trip was made through the great establishment in company with a saleswoman who was supposed to know just what would be needed. She was requested to suppose that an imaginary couple could afford to rent four rooms in a part of the city where apartments are not expensive and desired to completely furnish them for housekeeping.

“All right,” the lady replied, “and as the kitchen is the most important room in the houses, we will begin there. Young married couples must eat, you know.”

The absolutely necessary articles for a kitchen and their cost were given as follows: One table, $1 66; three chairs at 39 cents each. $1 17; clothes wringer, $2 57; wash board, 29 cents; skirt board, 28 cents; bosom board, 16 cents; six dozen clothes pins, 9 cents; chopping tray, 8 cents; knife-cleaning board, 21 cents; towel roller, 11 cents; nest of boxes, 28 cents; flour pail, 17 cents; barrel cover, 26 cents; knife box, 15 cents; mop and handle, 27 cents; flour sieve, 10 cents; two water pails at 13 cents each, 26 cents; broom, 22 cents; coal hod, 23 cents; coal shovel, 8 cents; cellar shovel, 47 cents; garbage pail, 36 cents; ash can, 38 cents; poker, 8 cents; ash sifter, 13 cents; sad irons, (four) at 28 cents each, 16 cents; frying pan, 14 cents; spider, 14 cents; griddle, 23 cents; drip pan, 47 cents; iron saucepan, 32 cents; iron pot, $1 01; wash boiler, 49 cents; chamber pail; 36 cents; clothes basket, 98 cents; market basket, 63 cents; biscuit pan, 19 cents; tea kettle, 61 cents; tin pail, 12 cents; wash basin, 9 cents; cake turner, 11 cents; mincing knife, 26 cents; water dipper, 4 cents: patty pan, 2 cents; nutmeg grater, 2 cents; oil can, 23 cents; scales, 32 cents; milk boiler, 48 cents; strainer, 4 cents; skimmer, 6 cents; basting spoon, 4 cents; colander, 22 cents; measure, 5 cents; two bread and cake pans at 15 cents each, 30 cents; bread box, 56 cents; cake box, 56 cents; stand of sugar and spice boxes, 28 cents; dust pan, 7 cents; grater, 5 cents; dish pan, 17 cents; soap shaker, 8 cents; tea caddy, 7 cents; coffee caddy, 7 cents; milk pan, 6 cents; pudding pan, 6 cents; vegetable boiler, 24 cents; half dozen pie plates at 3 cents each, 18 cents; soap dish, 8 cents; wire broiler, 8 cents; sugar scoop, 4 cents; flour dredger, 4 cents; two pepper boxes, 2 cents each, 4 cents; candle stick, 5 cents; match sale. 4 cents; teapot, 26 cents; coffee pot, 26 cents; egg poachers, 18 cents; omelet pan, 14 cents; set of skewers, 16 cents; plate brush, 9 cents; mustard spoon, 2 cents; salt spoon, 5 cents; toasting fork, 4 cents; bread board, 21 cents; toasting fork, 4 cents; bread board, 21 cents; rolling pin, 7 cents; wooden spoon, 4 cents; potato masher, 4 cents; lemon squeezer, 7 cents; dozen kitchen spoons, 15 cents; egg beater, 4 cents, tea or coffee strainer, 2 cents; can opener, 9 cents; teapot stand, 13 cents; table mat, 49 cents; door mat, 93 cents; whisk,13 cents; feather duster, 9 cents; kitchen knives, 29 cents; table knives, one dozen, 83 cents; table forks, 83 cents; carving knife, 51 cents; knife sharpener, 34 cents; crumb pan and brush, 36 cents; tea tray, 15 cents, kitchen clock, 81 cents; stove brush, 18 cents; scrub brush, 3 cents; clothes line, 25 cents; mouse trap, 3 cents; coffee mill, 28 cents, tack hammer, 5 cents; tack claw, 13 cents; screw driver, 8 cents, refrigerator, $6 96.

This is a total for the kitchen, which includes many articles found useful on occasions in various parts of the house, as well as laundry materials generally kept in the kitchen, of $37 02. This is based on the supposition that the apartment has a set range and tubs. If the cost of the stove and tubs is to be added, the amount will be increased $12 for a small cook stove and $1 20 for a pair of washtubs. The above represents the kitchen fully furnished, but many young couples, doubtless, start their housekeeping career with less, and the cost is reduced by just as much as they do without, as deducted from the expert estimates given above. If an oilcloth is desired for the floor, $2 for it more or less may be added to the total furnishing cost.

“Having furnished the kitchen,’ said the expert saleswoman smilingly, “let us see about the dining room. First of all you want a carpet on the floor. An ingrain at 49 cents a yard will do. The expense as to the carpet depends upon the size of the room. We will suppose that the rooms are medium size, and we will imagine that 36 yards will cover the floor. That would make the carpet cost $17 64, or if it is made up at 5 cents a yard the total would be $19 44. A table would cost $13 40 and six chairs at $1 25 each would be $9 50. The rest of the room would need the following: Two red table covers at $1 29 each, $2 58; two damask covers at 38 cents each, 76 cents; dozen napkins, 99 cents; seven yards of crash toweling, 21 cents; small mantel clock, $2; a few little mantel ornaments, $1; pictures of game birds tied up by the legs, 57 cents; another panel picture of game, 42 cents; American hunting scene, chromo, 62 cents; dozen plated teaspoons, $1 39; dozen plated knives, $2 66; dozen plated forks, $2 83; silver-plated caster, $1 99; plated butter dish, $1 80; iron-stone china dinner set, 130 pieces, $12 97; tea set, 56 pieces, $4 01; dozen goblets, 36 cents; lounge, $9. The aggregate cost of the dining room as above would be $88 50, but this cost could be diminished, of course, or added, to at the will of the purchaser, whose course would naturally be governed by his purse. The circumstances of a couple would have to be very moderate indeed, however, if they could do with less. A sideboard, one of the almost essential features in furnishing such a room, would cost features in furnishing such a room, would cost at least $12 or $15 more.

“Now that we have a place for the young people to cook in and a place to eat in, let’s get `em a place to sleep in.”

The reporter agreed that this was proper, and the effervescent young lady gave these estimates: Carpet, $20; furniture of ash, consisting of bedstead, bureau, washstand, rocking chair, and three straight chairs, $30; crockery toilet set, $2 84; two hair brushes and two combs, 83 cents; pictures of little girl and big dog, 71 cents; picture of little boy praying, 49 cents; Mary and her lamb, 26 cents, (chromo costs nothing if it comes with a can of tea;) mattress, $8; two pairs of blankets at $2 78 per pair,$5 56; two pairs of sheets at $1 29 per pair, $2 58; one comfortable, $1 46; two pairs pillow cases at 37 cents per pair, 74 cents; pair of white spreads, $1 94. The bedroom prices given are about the lowest obtainable, and the total cost, therefore would be $75 41. The apartment thus furnished would be comfortable at least.

Having fixed up a sleeping apartment we had better have a little parlor for the young folks to receive company in, hadn`t we? chattered the obliging and vivacious little woman.

They ought to have a parlor, certainly, the reporter assented, and this is the way the expert mapped it out: Carpet of Tapestry or Brussels, $26; suit of plush upholstered furniture, including tête-à-tête sofa, lady`s rocking chair, gentlemen`s easy chair, four, straight chairs, centre table and ottoman, $45; mantel cover, $1 81; plush table cover, $1 64; window lambrequins, (3,) $1 81 each, $5 43; curtains, (3,) $2 25; mantel clock, $4; two mantel vases at 38 cents each, 76 cents; few mantel ornaments, $2; four oil paintings (alleged) or chromos, steel-plate engravings according to fancy, at an average cost of $1 50 each, $6. It will be seen that, even at these moderate estimates, the parlor would cost $94 89.

Adding the totals for each room together gives an aggregate cost for the four rooms of $295 82, which is not an extravagant amount to expend upon the establishment of a cozy home. When young people get married, however, they generally receive a large number of more or less useful presents, and the total cost of an outfit, as given above, may be reduced in accordance with the extent to which their presents render it unnecessary to purchase new things. The cost of window curtains for the bedroom, dining room, and kitchen, or for portieres, ornaments, silverware, or pictures must depend upon the purse of the purchaser. The totals given can always be reduced by going without articles enumerated, and they can be increased without limit according to taste or means. For instance, blankets can be bought for $23 or more per pair, eider-down comfortables at $22 each, white bedspreads at $8 18 apiece, napkins at $6 91 per dozen, lambrequins at $16 04 each, parlor stands at $50, clocks at $334 each, candelabra at $47, rare china teapots for $49. Crown Derby and Royal Worcester ware tea sets at from $44 to $67, and so on ad libitum into the thousands and tens of thousands.

So you think a young couple ought to be able to establish themselves comfortably on the estimates you have given me? suggested the timid reported to the lively young lady.

Of course I do, was the reply. If they haven`t enough money to buy the exclusively necessary things I`ve named they ought to stay single. Are you going? Well, you`re pretty sly, but I`ll just bet a cookie you`re going to get married yourself, else you wouldn`t be so interested. I don`t believe you`re a reporter at all. Well, good-bye.