"Bates is such a common name it didn't mean a thing to me.

Be you a daughter of Adam Bates, the Land King, of Bates Corners ?" "I be," said Kate tersely.
"Well, I never! All them hundreds of acres of land an' money in the bank an' mortgages on half his neighbours.

Whut the nation! An' no more of better clo's an' you got! An' teachin' school! I never heard of the like in all my days!" "If you have Bates history down so fine, you should know that every girl of the entire Bates family has taught from the time she finished school until she married.

Also we never buy more clothing than we need, or of the kind not suitable for our work.

This may explain why we own some land and have a few cents in the Bank.