The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-15
COOPERATIVE HOUSEKEEPING.
An Interesting Experiment on the Part OF
Group of New Workers.
.peeia, 70 the Indianapolis Journal

Bpecial 60 the Indianapolis Journal
New YORK, Jan. 14-Co-operative house
keeping is a millennial dream which many
women now and then tickle their fancles with
but very few expect to see realized An exper-
Irnent in this direction is now IN the first weeks
of trial, which may prove the most Important
and most interesting test Of the practcablhty OF
the cooperative principle yet made in this coun-
try.
4 In one of New Yorks Jersey suburbs dozen
or fifteen families-summer emigrants from the
city some of them-have had few acres of roll
ing ground laid out in a rather picturesque little
park. The biggest and best of the trees have
been spared, the carriage drive winds in lazy
curves and the group of Queen Anne cottages
which has sprung up during three or four sea-
sons past differs in no respect from hundreds Of
others within short radius of the city.
The little birds nests of houses in brick and
wood, with their open frep places and all manner
OF quaint and pretty homo plerishings would
seem the least likely spot in the world in which
a radical departure from traditional custom
might be expected, and yet their occupants have
taken resolve as adventurous in its way the
experiment of the Brook Farmers, for this is to
be q cooperative colony. The people who have
taken the scheme in hand not visionares
as their plan might at first suggest but social
faintest tincture of Bohemianism, of moderate
to comfortable means, who know one another
we'll, and who, on the strength of summers and
winters of neighborliness, have combined to
time, labor and the waste and annoyance
of servants. The city contingent is tired of
mock marble grandeur in history apartment
buildings tired of hotels, tired of French fats,
and tired of housekeeping with moderate incon-
veniences. The bold spirits have persuaded the
tmid ones to believe that something nearer the
ideal than the usual alterations of domestic re-
beIlion, anarchy and despotism is possible, and
the business heads of the party have carried out
one innovation after another in a common sense
and, thus far, wholly successful way.
In Acadia. so to dub place which has too lit
lie liking for reporters and curiosity seekers to
permit the publication of its true name the first
project to be started which was at all out of the
ordinary way was a cooperative laundry. At
the opening of the summer season last year the
thirteen families on the ground, mindful of the
coming influx OF warm weather guests, assisted
a capable washer-woman. who had the strength
Of mind to tear herself away from the delights
of the tenement region in New York, and from
competition with the citys steam and Chinese
laundries, to organize a laundry of moderate
proportions in out-building refitted for that
purpose. The laundress bright Irish woman,
was blessed with executive ability and had
strong armed and rudy sister whom she en-
listed in the service. These two kept the colony
washed ironed, starched, blued, huted and
frilled with delightful spickness and spanness
for the entire season, hiring extra help when
they needed it. buying all necessary supplies in
quantity, and, by applying little of the system
which has got into nearly every business in Gre
alton but housekeeping, substituting one set of
washing machines, wringers. set tubs, parboiied
arms steaming walls and general upset uncom-
fortableness for dozen or more ditto, all at not
above two-thirds the cost of the regulation
ticle including interest on the price of the
original plant.
Project number having worked satisfac-
torily, project number two suggested itself In
July, was discussed in August, resolved upon in
September. and Motive preparations were begun
n October.
A cooperative dining club was more difficult
to organize. but it promised even greater results,
II involved the erection of clubhouse for it's
operations. but such structure on a modest
scale had already been talked of for other pur-
poses. When the summer birds had flown, the
carpenters set at work under the supervision of
the families in winter residence and the Christ
mas dance was held in the completed structure.
The club house is a simple enough three-story
building of the same Queen Anrish stripe as the
rest of the colony. Its upper floor is small
ballroom. lecture hall, allurements to amateur
concerts or theatricals as required by the ext
Rencies of all the year round residents. The
second floor has a billiard and smoking room,
the rendezvous of the men, and a reading room
which is a social resort of both sexes The first
floor is given over to the cooperative dining
club whose culinery operations carried on in
q basement kitchen.
For the practical inauguration of the dining
club two women with heads their shoulders
one of them cottage owner, the other sister
of a resident-have been chosen steward and
general manager. The steward will do the buy
ing and attend to the finance department; the
manager will be responsible for the bills of fare
servants,
etc. These two Will receive monthly salary.
Meals will be served either in the dining hall
in the separate cottages extra rate of
board being charged in the latter case. With
view of sec uring family privacy far posi-
bic in all cases the dining hall is of irregular
shape, with alcoves and bay windows and de-
vices for swinging curtains and screens and
porteres, breaking it up in fact, into series of
dIning-rooms, of which each family may preempt
its own. 1t is sunny, pleasant apartment,
furnished by the women chiefly interested with
eye to homelikeness and cozy effect Home
cookery daintily served and with sharper eve
to variety than is possible in the average house
hold Is what the co-operators aiming at.
Dainty table linen, bright glass and silver. deft
waiting, fruit in season and a sufficiency of
courses at dinner, they believe from the first
few weeks experiments. be had by good
management with comparatively little outlay.
The object of the trial not to save money,
primarily, but to save time and kitchen jangles
and confusion. Board has been fixed at 81 per
week for each adult, at which rate, it is be-
lieved that, counting fuel. servant hire. provis-
ions and mental wear and tear, expense will be
saved TO ear ,ousehold and small dividend on
the investreut accrue besides The women of
the colcny 1pect to be gamers by the dIfferen-
tiation of l.eoor. Two of them have found in it
bread winning occupation, several want their
DAYS to give to the training of families of chill
dren one is something of an invalid glad to see
chance of rest and-I said it was a semi-liter-
airy group-one is something of a naturalist who
will go with her studies and one is trying to
write.
1t is too soon to make any prophecy as to the
success of an experiment hardly begun. Acadia
is a far away country, but many overburdened
housewives will wish it were here and now.
ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN.
THE ENGLISH HANGMAN.