San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-12-01
Lack Of Economy In Little Things
/. n. JULIAN, Editor.


systematic housekeepers, would be sur
prised if a fair estimate Of all the little
items wasted, the small leaks that find
their way each day Into The household
economy, We're spread SSt before them,
even when they imagine, that no nook
or corner and no use,of material has es-
capped their vigilant oversight. .a",l
But we do not int1ide upon expert
enced housekeepers with our suggestions
or advice. Our desire is to call the atr
tention of those who are Just assuming
new duties to. the necessity Of q careful
supervision, and show them how small
leaks, II ,nsgleceF H%he hnGsyFy
short time uncomfortably large. "a ID.
The cellar, laundry and kitchen are
among the Splacsa fha&3 demAAdtdaily
. care if one would guard valS against much
wastefulness. 1t is incredible how
much. that could Gbe proitaBly used
either for the family or to help the poor,
is thrown away or rendered worthless
through the lack Iof, a. little Iecon9mY
The lwastefrlness 81 only 'ohe day is
small, perhaps, and not easily recog-
nized but the mischief once begun, and
suffered to pass unrebuked, piles up
,very,rapidly till itfsSc hssthe. sum 81 fetal
at tn, end 81 the year, which is found to
,,,,,s -i'1C rdal h'rIt1i@' "fi = p.
y
For instance, thelwaste Of soap and
starch alone in the hands Of an ordinary
GOOD, laundreess, week after week, would
easily supply a poor family with all
thew would require. Clothes7lnes and an
clothes-pins left out all week to rot and al
mildew, instead of being brought in and
put in their proper places, will help to
swell the list of expenses at the end OF
the wear more than one would at first
imagine, not only by the actual expense,
but more by the injury done TO clothes
by this neglect. .H-WIF
Coal and kindling-wood are also
among the things that Ia young house
keeper will be in danger of giving less
attention to than to many Others OF
minor Importance, particularly if she
has both a cook and laundress. But the
lavish expenditure of both coal and wood
in the laundry and Kitchen through mis-
management or Incidence is no unlm-
portant drain in the course. of year, it
not stopped at an early date1 Il11n
If girl is tardy in rising in The morn i,
ing, and feels the necessity OF hurried
preparations to start the washing or the ne
breakfast, If she has learned that she
need fear no detection from her, mis-
tress she will probably fill her CRATE
with kindling wood, and when fairly
ignited feed the fire with larger size
of hardwood, to expedite her work. She
is we'll aware that a brisk wood fire Will
bring the wash-water to a boiling point
or heat the ovens much quicker than
coal can possibly do. So a good deal al
of wood and very little coal is used TIL
the water is hot or the breakfast ready,
when she spares'time to add coal, and
can easily wait for that to getwell under
way. This mode of expediting work
where wood is dearer than coal will
make heavy addition to family ex-
penses at the close Of the year. - .,,. go 1.
Of course, where wood is abundant
and coal little known this mode OF has
tening the mornings work, as far as
the economy offuel goes, is of less i'm
portance. But, however cheap the
fuel of any kind may be, this haste
to distribute the heat and, bring washing
or breakfast under way rapidly is very
injurious to the stove or range, and usu-
ally damaging to food prepared in that
manner. ''' al ......r,
Nothing Injuries stove or range SO
badly, whether used for coal or WOOD
as to allow the fuel to be piled above
the lining bricks, and thus liable to fall
over on to the iron plates inside. With
such management it will take but a
short time to burn out the fire brick
and top plates of the oven, to warp the
frame, split or warp the covers and ill
the pipes with, ashes. which will drop
down and crowd the space beneath the
lower plate of the oven with mass OF
SCOT and ashes. Then when complaints
become more and more frequent OF
bread, pies and cake thatare under DONE
if not raw at the bottom, who thinks to
examine every part of the stove or range
and learn where the mischief is? Ger
tainly not the cook or laundress, and If
the hnusekeeper neglects to search for