Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-01-16
Boston Ways.
FOR THE MONITOR.
Boston, Mass. Ian s.. 'SS.


Boston, Mass. Jan s, 'SS.
Mr.. EdHor.-Going down Trem-
ont street the other day noticed an
odd looking vehicle-a sort of an ex-
aggerated cask on wheels, with an
annex to accommodate the driver.
From the man in charge of this new
vehicle l took my share of the
pasteboard contribution, which PROV
ed to be the card of the "Boston
Food Supply Co." AS opportuni-
ties, like eggs, must be Matched while
they are fresh, l thought me that then
was as good time as by and by, to
see what meaning the language of
the card was meant to convey. More
over the "food supply question is
one of great Importance.
Turning back, | asked for Inform
alton concerning this new project.
Opening the door of the vehicle he
showed me a compartment fitted with
five sets of trays, and into these are
fitted smaller trays, so arranged that
no space is lost, and each family's or
der is kept separate from the others.
A patent gasoline attachment fur
nishes the heat by which everything
is to be kept in prime condition for
the table, and an arrangement for
ventilation is expected to prevent the
absorption of odors, so that the man
who orders a veal outlet may not Ia
Dor under the mistake of thinking he
has been served with -al-a-mode.
From Mr.. j. f. Baldwin, the invent
or the vehicle, the trays, the attach
ments of all kinds, learned that the
plan was to open an immense cook
ing department in some central part
of the city, where the best of every
thing will be prepared by the best
trained COOKS. A bill of fare will be
sent to each family or person patron
izing them, and the order will be
carefully filed, the patent delivery
wagon bringing everything in hot,
and in first-class order. To 90 with
this new system is a tin closet, also
arranged to be heated with a gasoline
stove, in which the food is to be kept
warm in the event the family is not
quite ready 10 eat it on its arrival.
These closets are also patented and
rent for fifty cents a month.
1t is joint stock organization,
with the inventor for president.
Among its managing directors are
Mrs. Mary A. Livermore and Mrs.
Susie G. Vogl, the manager of the
Woman's Journal. The stock has
already advanced from five to ten
dollars a share, and the project is
still in an embryotic stage. Mrs. Liv-
ermOre says, "Families of moderate
means, and women whose time is too
valuable to be wasted in the kitchen,
must, and will have the release from
drudgery, that inventions and plans
like this of Mr.. Baldwin's will afford"
If it opens the way for people who
either cannot afford to keep house, or
for some other good reason do not
wish to do so, to have good, nourish-
ing, well cooked food served so the
| family can have its own separate la
BILE, it will be blessing. Boston,
like all large cities, is one big board
ing and lodging house. Only by 60
| ing to the suburbs can the man of
moderate means afford whole house
for his family. In town land is too
valuable to be spared for small, or
even medium-sized houses, and the
rent of the large ones is enormously
| high. AS result of this, the real
home life, such life as you who live
in the country enjoy, is being crowd
ed out of the cities.
The man with unlimited means at
his disposal can, of course, live where
and as he chooses, but it is not of
that man l am writing, for he isn't
the majority by long odds.
The system of French Flats prom
ised relief from exorbitant rents, but
so far has failed to fulfil its promise.
There are in Boston 433 apartment
Houses" or "Flats," known by all
sorts of names-Hotel this and Hotel
that. They run the entire gamut as
to desirability of location, rents, etc.,
etc., and some of the most fashiona-
bly, located are the least desirable in
point of healthfulness. They are all
after the same general plan. Divid-
ed into suites of rooms, ranging in
number from four to eight, each suite
complete in itself-a kitchen with
range, parlor, dining-room, bathroom
and bedrooms. The houses vary
from four TO seven and eight stories
in height, the lower or ground floor
renting cheaper than the others. In
many of the houses-those where
rents are $50 month for four rooms
and bath-you couldn't turn around