The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-10

The Industrialst.
Mrs. Kidgie, teacher of household economy in
Kansas Agricultural College. says: A large pro-
portion of the women in country homes, where
homework is hardest, work at a great disad-
vantage. The disadvantage comes to the worker
in the kitchen-frst. through not having a
house built TO work in, and. second. through not
having the many small conveniences to work
with that are to be found in our ordinary fur
nishing stores of to-day. In building a house,
plan, then put it into the hands of the carpenter,
and they really DO the arranging of much of the
inside of the house. Now, since a woman is to
have the most of the living in these
rooms, why doesn't she do the plan
ning2 It seems reasonable that she should
at least decide upon her kitchen, with its pantry,
its cupboards, closets, drawers and sink-putting
things in just as she individually wants them.
She may tuck in a few large closets, also, where
men might, as a rule, think there were none
needed. Twenty years ago a Kansas carpenter
was utterly astonished when a woman, who was
having a house built, insisted on two closets for
che second floor, where there were three rooms.
Two closets were almost unheard of then in q
Kansas farmhouse.
If the good work needed in the building of the
house be neglected, a little money spent in the
way of buying conveniences for doing work
will often save itself over and over again in
wages for help, and, Inayhap, in doctors bills as
well. The washing machines and wringers take
away half the horrors Of Monday, and nickel
plated irons, with wooden handles. help Tuesday
to dispose of the ironing with amazing rapidity.
The carpet-sweeper is a true missionary to tired
muscles. for it often saves them from destruc-
ton. Even the egg-beater, a good coffee-mill,
sharp knives, light kettles 1.-THE new granite ware
is SO much easier to lift than theold iron potsl
plenty of pans and basins, all 60 to make up
comfortable days for a woman by giving her a
chance to do her work rapidly and well.
Many cooks keep their -four in very incon-
venient receptacles. A -four chest, which the
young ladies of the kitchen laboratory have
found very convenient, is easily made at home
by almost any man if he can handle tools even
only indifferently. It consists of a flour box on
one side, with a divided box on the other for
Graham and corn-meal. A molding board slides
over both. and small boxes on each side contain
spices, flavoring extracts, soda, bakingpowder,
and, indeed, all the small necessaries for cook
ing. Nails on the side hold the stirring spoons;
and, in truth, all the articles wanted when one
must do cooking are found right here. We
often take our large cake bowl to this -four chest,
and, scarcely stepping away, have a cake or bis
cults ready for the oven.
Of course, every woman in having made any
thing of that kind would have her individual
ideas worked out. No stranger would want one
exactly like ours, 20 two women would have
them precisely the same. Many prefer the tilt
ing flour boxes, where the chestful springs out
or in at the touch of, a finger. There are two
of these in our kitchen laboratory, but the girls
seem to prefer the larger one, where everything
is within reach. Now, these are simply exam
Piles. Every woman who keeps house, doing
her own work, can, if she choose, have many in
expensive helps that will do much toward pre-
serving her health and strength. / hold it every
woman's duty to so measure her work that she
can do each days share without overtaxing her
strength, that she has no right to draw upon;
and when she does overuse the amount given her
for her one days work, she draws upon the
future, making herself liable to the heaviest
kind of usury when she is called to pay her
debts.