The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-15
COOPERATIVE HOUSEKEEPING.
The Interesting Experiment on thu
Part of a Group of New Workers.

AdiANlSo WIFI blb NCiN lew tAlCtb w SNS
realized An experiment in this direction
is now in its first weeks trial, which may
prove the most important and most in
teresting test of the practicability OF the
cooperative principle yet made in this
country.
In one of New York's Jersey suburbs
dozen or fifteen families-summer emigrants
from the city some of them-have had few
acres of rolling ground laid out in rather
picturesque little park. The biggest and
best of the trees have been spared, the car
riage drive winds in lazy curves and the
group of Queen Anne cottages which has
sprung up during three or four seasons 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 tireplaces and all
manner of quaint and pretty home plenish-
ings, would seem the less likely spots in the
world in which a radical departure from
traditonary custom might be expected, and
yet their occupants have taken resolve as
adventurous in its way as the experiment
of the Brook Farmers, for this is to be CO.
operative colony. The people who have
taken the scheme in hand are not Missionaries
as their plans might at first suggest but
social, semi-literary coterie of pleasant folk,
with the faintest tincture of Bohemlanlsm,
of moderate to comfortable means, who
hliON OIlt dllbJilcl NCli. anu Nlios O1 hAAO
strength of summers and winters of neigh
borhness, have combined to save time, labor
and the waste and annoyance of servants
The city contingent is tired of mock marble
grandeur in ten-stOry apartment buildings,
tired of hotels, tired of French flats and
tired of Housekeeping with modern incon-
veniences. The bold spirits have persuaded
the timid ones to believe that something
nearer the ideal than the usual alterations
Il
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 little liking to reporters and curiosity
seekers to permit the publication of its true
name, the first project to be started which
was at all of the ordinary way was a CO.
operative laundry At the opening Of the
summer season last year the thirteen fami-
lies on the ground, mindful of the coming
influx of warm weather guests, assisted
capable washerwOman, who had the strength
of mind 10 tear herself away from the de-
lights of the tenement region III New York,
aud from connection with the citvs steam
and Chinese laundries, to organize laundry
of moderate proportions in an outbulldlng
refitted for that purpose. The laundresS,
bright Irish woman, was blessed with exec
rudy sister whom she enlisted in the ser
vice. These two kept the colony washed.
iron starched blued, fluted 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 creation but housekeeping, sub
stituting one set of washing machines,
eot+ he ,Naphnila1 or
ing walls and general upset uncomfortable
ness for dozen or more ditto, all at not
above two-thirds the cost of the regulation
article, including interest on the price of the
original plant.
Project number one having worked salts
factorily, project number two suggested it
self in July was discussed in August, re-
solved upon in September, and active prep
aration was begun in October
A cooperative dinner club was more diff
cult to organize, but it promised even
greater results. 1t involved the erection of
a club house for its operations, but such a
structure on a modest scale had already
been talked OF for other purposes. When
the summer birds had flown, the carpen-
ters set at work under the supervision of the
families in winter residence and the
Christmas dance was held in the completed
structure.
story building, of the same Queen Annish
stripe as the rest of the colony Its upper
floor is a small ball room, lecture hall, allure
ment to amateur concerts or theatricals
as required by tho exigencies of all the
year round residents The second floor has
a billiard and smoking room, the rendez-
vous 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
al, ,h uyhOca culinary oparetioYlG are carried
on in a basement kitchen.
For the practical Inauguration of the din
ing club two women with heads on their
shoulders-one of them cottage owner, the
other a sister of a resident-have been chosen
Steward and General Manager The Stew
ard will do the buying and attend to the
finance department; the General Manager
will be responsible for the bills Of fare, for
the hiring and superintendent of SER
wants, etc These two will receive monthly
salary.
Meals will be served either in the dining
hall or in the separate cottages, an extra
rate of board being charged in the latter
case. With a view of securing family
privacy so far as possible in all cases, the
dining hall is of irregular shape, with al
coves and bay windows and devices for
swinging curtains and screens and portieres,
breaking it up in fact into series of dining
rooms, of which each family may preempt
its own. 1t is a sunny, pleasant apartment,
furnished by the women chiefly interested
with an eye to homehkeness and cozy effect.
House cookery daintily served and with a
sharper eye to variety than is possible in
the average household is what the cooper
ators are 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, can be had by good
management with comparatively little out
lay. The object of the trial was not to save
money, primarily, but TO save time and
kitchen iungles and confusion. Board has
been fixed at 81 per week for each adult, at
which rate it is now believed that, counting
fuel. servant hire, provisions and mental
wear and tear, expense viii be saved TO each
household and small dividend on the in
vestment accrue besides. The women of
the colony expect to be gamers by this
differentiation of labor. Two Of them have
found in it a bread-winning occupation,
several want their days to give to the train
ing of families of children. one is something
of an invalid glad to see a chance of rest,
and-I said il was a semi-Hterary group
one is something of a naturalist who will
go on 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 HEAroN