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Maine Wages & Cost Of Living Survey 1891

Taken from the Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau Of Industrial And Labor Statistics For the State of Maine 1891 printed by Burleigh & Flynt Augusta in 1892.

The book actually has information from 1082 reports by working men and women in the state of Maine. Unfortunately, it refers to them by number, it never gives the people's names. We have reprinted a partial list of the summary items included. The tables are much more detailed than what we have included. The average workday was 10 hours, some worked 11 or 12, very few worked 8 hours.

Notes: Column 3 "#" Number of forms filled out; Col. 5 "# O. H." owners of homes; Col. 7 "# H. M." homes mortgaged. Col. 17 is total cost of living from columns shown and some not reprinted from the book (all were small amounts). All dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
I am not sure why the workers without families do not show a rent average. In the individual tables, many were shown as "board" with no dollar amount, so that may have affected the averages. Col. 13 "rent" does not include mortgage payments, so would not apply to home owners.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Industries Social
Condition		 # Avg.
Age		 #
O.
H.		 Avg.
Value
Homes		 #
H.
M.		 Avg.
$
Mort.		 Avg.
#
in
Fam.		 Avg.
Daily
Wage		 Avg.
An.
$		 Avg.
$
per
Fam.		 $
Rent		 $
Food		 $
Cloth-
ing		 $ Fuel
&
Light		 $
Total
incl.
Misc.
Skilled Carpenters With families 72 42 37 1459 7 438 3.86 2.21 507 538 89 197 83 41 456
Skilled Carpenters Without families 8 29 1 1200 - - - 2.08 484 484 - 182 61 - 353
Rough Carpenters With families 19 44 9 767 7 264 5 1.65 355 355 85 253 96 39 520
Rough Carpenters Without families 4 25 1 450 - - - 1.70 450 528 - 172 46 - 325
Masons With families 33 41 16 1581 3 367 3.57 2.76 540 540 82 197 88 41 480
Masons Without families 7 24 0 - - - - 2.29 433 577 - 179 53 - 360
Mason Tenders With families 15 38 1 500 - - 4.6 1.60 346 565 65 226 75 39 466
Mason Tenders Without families 5 24 1 1500 - - - 1.75 367 367 - 177 57 - 322
Skilled Painters With families 25 40 9 1644 2 229 3.68 2.15 456 488 90 184 77 41 447
Skilled Painters Without families 8 30 0 - - - - 2.16 459 459 - 180 54 - 331
Unskilled Painters With families 11 39 0 - - - 4.82 1.72 361 452 98 217 71 38 470
Unskilled Painters Without families 5 27 0 - - - - 1.56 310 310 - 172 47 - 270
Blacksmiths With families 14 42 7 1379 2 350 3.43 2.09 569 569 94 206 105 47 515
Blacksmiths Without families 5 32 0 - - - - 1.70 481 481 - 180 62 - 357
Machinists With families 29 39 12 1696 2 800 4.14 2.06 576 615 106 213 87 42 515
Common Laborers With families 36 45 10 1190 2 300 4.08 1.52 314 485 70 203 83 38 468
Common Laborers Without families 6 41 0 - - - - 1.54 283 283 - 165 35 - 269
Teamsters With families 17 35 6 1283 - - 3.18 1.56 428 460 84 176 77 40 418
Teamsters Without families 6 33 0 - - - - 1.47 404 404 - 182 40 - 301
Barbers With families 9 35 1 1800 1 150 3.22 1.81 531 531 92 168 86 42 475
Barbers Without families 5 25 0 - - - - 1.60 424 424 - 203 75 - 385
Hostlers With families 7 38 0 - - - 3.86 1.20 404 404 74 183 61 36 397
Stevedores With families 6 31 0 - - - 4.67 3.33 507 559 90 216 114 38 540
Brick Makers With families 4 31 1 800 - - 3 1.69 366 366 64 186 53 36 343
Brick Makers Without families 11 32 0 - - - - 1.71 315 315 - 161 41 - 268
Harness Makers With families 10 35 2 800 1 900 4.2 1.82 490 548 86 204 78 38 447
Harness Makers Without families 5 20 0 - - - - 1.47 360 360 - 182 58 - 306
Railroad Hands With families 48 39 14 1778 1 300 3.96 1.90 532 585 108 229 102 46 522
Railroad Hands Without families 24 23 0 - - - - 1.43 380 380 - 188 59 - 310
Ship Builders With families 38 44 14 1786 - - 4.03 2.59 575 585 91 215 106 43 529
Ship Builders Without families 6 33 0 - - - - 2.34 442 442 - 202 73 - 373
Icemen With families 60 38 27 954 5 234 3.78 1.78 363 387 62 174 60 36 368
Icemen Without families 35 28 0 - - - - 1.67 315 315 - 172 48 - 292
Saw Mill Hands With families 72 39 26 1394 4 487 3.89 1.80 419 450 76 185 65 37 403
Saw Mill Hands Without families 38 29 1 600 - - - 1.77 360 360 -- 181 52 - 310
Cotton Mill Hands With families 49 37 7 1600 3 667 3.69 1.56 447 524 92 197 81 39 468
Cotton Mill Hands Without families 22 27 0 - - - - 1.35 382 382 - 174 49 - 306
Cotton Mill Hands, Female With families 4 27 0 - - - 3 1.13 317 473 55 154 82 33 418
Cotton Mill Hands, Female Without families 14 23 0 - - - - .87 247 247 - 116 48 - 213
Woolen Mill Hands With families 11 37 5 1180 - - 3.82 1.59 472 531 86 176 87 40 451
Woolen Mill Hands Without families 4 37 0 - - - - 1.52 450 450 - 182 76 - 375
Woolen Mill Hands, Female Without families 4 26 0 - - - - 1.05 286 286 - 120 75 - 246
Shoemakers With families 98 35 43 1338 15 338 3.5 2.00 527 558 89 192 82 39 466
Shoemakers Without families 38 26 0 - - - - 1.87 460 460 - 184 64 - 371
Shoemakers, Female With families 9 33 4 1625 1 600 3 1.05 277 572 67 179 91 39 445
Shoemakers, Female Without families 27 27 0 - - - - 1.01 266 266 - 122 59 - 247
Paper Makers With families 62 36 26 1808 5 1050 3.44 1.90 577 613 88 201 90 40 505
Paper Makers Without families 21 25 1 1500 - - - 1.60 475 475 - 179 61 - 380
Paper Makers, Female With families 6 41 3 1750 - - 4.5 .81 195 620 90 231 78 37 468
Paper Makers, Female Without families 8 27 0 - - - - .84 247 247 - 110 64 - 233
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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