Western Kansas world., 1886-11-06
Saving Steps About the House.

In Building the House." the writer
notes the importance of having q good
cellar opening from the kitchen by easy
stairs.
The idea carried me back some years
to the stairs leading to the cellar of our
own house, which were travelled many
times day by several members of the
family. In the cellar we had lumber
ing refrigerator of the old style, with q
compartment for ice in the top, and q
closet in the bottom and on the sides.
We soon abandoned the use of the closets,
as they were not a success, and set the
food on the carpet-covered ice. Making
several trips day from the kitchen to
the iee-box, and raising the heavy Lid
each time, soon began to tell upon the
health Of the women Of the family in
general, and of the mother in particular;
it was not until she had spent weeks of
each summer for several successive years
in bed, and paid doctors bills amounting
to enough to buy and stock q dozen
modern refrlgerators, that bright idea
struck some one.
"Why not buy modern ice chest, and
set it in the kitchen pantry?" Another
objected that there was no room. "But
some of the shelves could be taken out"
That was new idea, but q practicable
one. Accordingly we purchased q
Jewett's ice-chest, which is what the
name suggests-a chest-with place
at one end for ice, leaving the remainder
of the room for food. As the chest il
deep, there is room for q second layer Of
food receptacles resting on galvanized
Stats.
As both food and ice are in one COM
psrtment, there is no danger Of any
thing spelling so long as there il ice
enough to keep the proper temperature.
Our modern chest is 80 constructed that
the ice does not melt so rapidly a. in the
old one, and the pantry being on the
north side of the house it should,
always be-there is no sun to hasten the
melting of the ice.
Now, although we have large family,
we get through the summer without
sickness, than which there is nothing
more expensive. To say nothing Of the
suffering of the patient, there is the
loss of her services, the loss, partial or
entire, Of the services of another men,
Der of the family, who may act as nurse,
the doctors bill, and the discomfort of
the entire family, who are in sympathy
with the sick one.
There is nothing that tells 80 much
upon housekeeper as continually go
ing up aud down stairs. ] have seen
houses constructed with the kitchen
step lower than the dining-room, and
Just one step up and down bas been the
cause of more efptis ue than twenty steps
ON q level. I have seen country houses
built on side hill, with q basement
kitchen and dining room above, and NO
dumb waiter to facilitate matters. With
such contrivances it is not strange that
women get tired and discouraged, and
break down.
In many farm houses q little expense
would make perfect drainage from both
Kitchen and bedroom floors. A ink
constructed in the second story, connect
ed by q pipe with the kitchen drain,
would save innumerable steps. Your
correspondent speaks of the advisability
Of connecting the kitchen and dining
room by door, as conductive to step
saving. II there Is only one person to
do the work, I agree to the plan Of hav
ing door; but If there are two or more,
the dining-room can be kept more COM
and freer from the odor Of the
kitchen, if food and dishes can be passed
through closet opening into both
rooms.