, 1890-06-07
NOVELTY IN EARNEST.
A COOPERATIVE BOARDING HOUSE
IN DECATUR, ILLS.

IN DECATUR, ILLS.
Members Avoid the Trouble. of Cooking
and Live Well at n Cost of s2.75 Each
Per week-short History of 1.-THE Roby.'
Servant Girl Question Settled.
At Decatur, Ills, public interest Is
conferred 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 a small boy
remarked in my presence when these ad-
vantages were being enumerated We've
got something Chicago amt got. It's q
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.
Whyl
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. Guyton's
room with an idea She read the chap
ter from Bellamy's book on the public
dining room.
why can't we do itY' she asked.
we can, " said Mrs. Guyton decidedly.
and hat and called on the ladies of her
was charmed The gentlemen forgot
impatience and listened.
A few weeks later a meeting was held
In Mrs. Guyton's parlors. After a num-
Der of whereases it was resolved to es-
tablish:
l. cooperative association for the benefit of
all lu memberz
g No debts shall be contracted.
A president, secretary and treasurer shall DO
elected from among the member.
4 A superintendent shall be appointed to act as
the purchasing agent OF the CLUB, vouchers To DO
delivered TO the treasurer.
s. Members shall pay s275 a week board 10 the
treasurer; children under 10 half price.
g. The superintendent Is 10 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 nave their names posted in the
dining room three days before admis-
sion, and no one was TO be received IL q
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 a
membership fee of g. 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.
I'VE have fifty-four members-men,
women and children-an of the upper
crust ~aristocracy who are used to living
well, and they wouldn't put up with
anything but the best. We get that for
f2.71 a week a head; half price for
children"
What do you nave to eat?"
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 a
common stock of decorated china. The
club rents my basement, including the
rappa ENnanaaa > 1iLa tbia.