The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-06-21
NOVELTY IN EARNEST.
A COOPERATIVE BOARDING HOUSE
IN DECATUR, ILLS

Members Avoid the Troubles of Cooking
and Live Wen at'a Cost of So. 10 Each
Per week-short History of '''The Roby.' -
Servant Girl Question Settled.
At Decatur, Ills, public interest is
centered on "The Roby." This pretty
little city has electric street railways,
six newspapers, a dozen fine churches. a
metropolitan air, clean streets, good wa
ter-and the servant girl question. But
all these "ain't nothin, as small boy
remarked in my presence when these adj
vantages were being enumerated. We've
got something Chicago amt got It's Il
Bellamy boarding house"
This is the history of the experiment:
Miss Fanny Fuller and her mother
boarded at The Roby with Mrs Guyton.
It was the swell boarding house of Deca-
tur The Misses Witherspoon, two
handsome young ladies, also boarded
there. Mrs. Guyton never had trouble
with her servant girls,
Why2
Because the work was systematized.
One did the cooking and laundry work,
another the second work. One had the
table to wait on and the dining room to
care for. When their work was done
the girls went where they pleased.
This set Miss Fanny Fuller to think
ing. One day she read Looking Back
ward, and proceeded to look forward.
Where others read and marveled and
criticised, she read and adapted One
morning she came into Mrs Guytons
room with an idea. She read the chap
ter from Bellamys book on the public
dining room
why can't we do it," she asked.
"We can, said Mrs. Guyton decidedly.
Miss Fuller put on her smart iacket
and hat aud called on the ladies of her
acquaintance with her idea. Everybody
was charmed The gentlemen forgot
impatience and listened.
A few weeks later meeting was held
in Mrs. Guyton's parlors. After n num-
Der of whereases it was resolved to es-
tablish;
l. cooperative association for the benefit Of
all It's members
2. No debts shall be contracted
3. president secretary and treasurer shall be
elected from among the members
I. A superin endent shall be appointed to act rs
the purchasing agent Of the club, vouchers to be
delivered to the treasurer
8. Members shall pay S2,75 week board to the
treasurer; children under 10 half price
8. The superintendent Is to have entire charge
Of the dining room, kitchen and servants under
the direction Of a board of managers.
1t was agreed by all present to sign
the constitution, these being the charter
members Applicants for membership
should have their names posted in the
dining room three days before admis-
sion, and no one was to be received if
serious objection were raised by any one
member.
Mrs. Guyton's basement was rented,
including a large dining room, kitchen
and pantries, a manager installed, two
cooks and three waiter girls hired, and
the cooperative club, after paying n
membership fee of $2 and one weeks
board in advance, sat down to their first
meal at The Roby Mrs. Guyton gave
up keeping boarders, and she and all her
guests fell into the new order of things.
There is no doubt about Mrs Guyton's
enthusiasm. She met me and began an
other book of her epic.
1--WE have fifty-four members-men,
WNAASAA ftAAN ttli vi ult uDlbI
crust aristocracy who are used to living
well, and they wouldn't put up with
anything but the best. We get that for
$2.75 week head; half price for
children"
What do you have to caty"
Everything in season. Stay to sup
per and find out Now we get every
thing down to minimum cost by having
each family bring its own linen and
silver and fancy dishes. We have
common stock of decorated china The
club rents my basement, including the
range. Expenses arc like this;
Rent (at S25 a month"; .............SG 80 90
Managers salaEy ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10 90
Head cook .................... ....,. 8 90
second COOK t....s..-................. 90
Three walters at s.. 80 Observation-Disclosures. 80
rer week -'.'.''.'''''''''''''.''' SSs 80
The income is from:
Fifty-two grown people, at Sa.7S. S1ts %
One child half pay ....,.... ............,. 30
si4a 40
This is something like what the club