The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-11
THE RURAL FAMILY CLUB.
Co-oPERATTYE HoUsEKEEpING uITH
COUNTRY LYING.
The Enjoyable Summer Life Possible "a
CITY People OF small Meaor-Oid Farms
aud Their buildings for Club Premises.

w III iockihnu county, whore tn0 Ianu mas
been used for generations to raise crops Of
potatoes and stones. q new valuo has been
found by a number Of country clubs. Not the
kind OF club they have in Tuxedo. and in
Whestchester and Hampstead, where people
wear their good clothes and spend all their in
como and moro too to keep up appearances.
but clubs something like cooperative summer
boarding houses. where men with small In
comes tako their families for the summer and
spend n good pnrt OF the time themselves. A
party Of men with their families combine and
buy some land. stables. and big farmhouse.
where the spend the summer at less cost than
in Now York.
number OF such clubs have been formed
and they can be found along tho line OF the
half dozen railroads which run from Jersey
City and Wechawken through the northern
part OF New Jersey and Rockland county. The
furthest points being only IN hour or an hour
and a half from New York. the passenger bust
ness is chiefly commuters. and tho rates OF
fare by the month are kept low. Some Of these
clubs have become so popular that they arc
kept open from spring until THANKSGIVING
time. Their main advantages to members are
In the saving OF rent and food. relief from
household cares and benefit to the childrens
health.
The membership OF these clubs docs not
compare In size or cost to Tuxedo and the
Westchester Country Club. Twenty five Is q
fair list OF members. md fifty Ia large. for the
buildings will not accommodate more The
usual way In which the clubs are formed is
that some heads Of families who nre friendly
and visit at ono nnother's houses get together
in tho spring and talk ovor their summer
plans. II may be that they are In the habit Of
going to tho same summer hotels or boarding
houses. or OF combining to take cottage some
where. They have heard Of other friends who
belong to ono OF these little country clubs. and
they find out in that way how the clubs are
conducted and they may visit few that have
boon in operation for year or two to see how
things nre.
II they are pleased they look around for
place for their club. and the place determines
how many members they can accommodate.
Until these clubs began land in Rockland
county was falling In value. Outside OF places
like Nyack. Haverstraw. and the growing vii
lagos. the farm land could be bought for less
than IT would have brought twenty years ago.
for less than 1t would cost to put up the farm
buildings. trees. and fences. A flfty-acre farm.
with an old stable that leaked. but was big
enough for several wagons and half dozen
horses. q house which had not been painted
since the war. but rambled over a quarter Of
an acre OF ground. an orchard which had had
no care. and fences which served chiefly to
mark out the boundary lines. could be bought
for $500 In cash. IN amount less than the
combined rent OF five families In Now York for
yea.
After finding suitable place and getting an
option OH the property. the next thing is to
get together club as large as the place will
accommodate. The rooms in the old farm
house will usually be found to be SO large that
partitions can be put in them. dividing the
house up into rooms with single windows. In
stead Of three or four windows to the room
and then the occupants will not be so cramped
as they were in their city quarters. The maxi
mum number for the club may be about
% per cent. more than the house will accom-
modate. as it will rarely happen that more
than that percentage Of the club would care to
be there at the same time. ,.,
ss What H would d. shs5 be be
bought In case the club decided to buy. 40
to 10 per cent. OF the purchase price can be
the club can take SECOND mortgage bonds Or
stock for the rest. The second mortgage will
be purely
erty will make 1t worth more than the whole
purchase prize.
blcs that any such club would eat in n
and the keep
farm should be almost enough to support the
members Of the club during the summer.
ThsS may pa, try "a them
ness to farm for them. AS their object will be
The PRACTICAL farmer viii lay ont at the land With
that view. SO that they mny enjoy the luxury Of
vegetables. eggs. and milk fresh from their
Such tract should contain enough pastur-
age for the cows and horses. It Is hardly
bought almost a phalnly thpy
be grown in iiockland county. The purchase
cost Of the cows would not be great and they
enough horses may be kept to drive down to
tho station IN tho morning and again, in the
Some q the members may already own horses.
4. kept on farm and exercised during
these beasts. three or four that would do for
general e 1s country work may be cheaGly bought
when many People dispose sH9 Of their horses
rather the than keep then through the
has shown how chsupy they " can be- run and
better the clubs gets along Experience has
fsfn sRGsF Vii g.
su IN tSe nss Che and his ra family sa0uS
the farm, work. and tho other. acting as
his assistant ,el can some IN the spring to
around the stables. aud help GENERALLY. Their
wives will look after tho cooking and washing.
and there will be employment Tor their chill
d Are, In the house and around the gardens
Their WAGES should not be high. forty dollars
month and the keep Of their household being
grGht deal more than tho majority OF tho
small ltockl and county farmers nuke
10 The club mem boris the cost Of living. out
side OF Communication travel. need not 10 over
iftHen dollars week for family OF four. This
Includes overything-interest on tho cost Of
the property, currcn, improvements and run
be reduced by cutting down tho number Of
be enough to make such course worth while.
The big ram bling farm house. after the floors
are divided on into smaller rooms. will hold
hftcen families OF small size. They will meet
in the dining room MS they have heen accus-
toned to meet at tho summer hotels or res
tanrnnts. Tho parlor and sitting room space
win bo smaller than the former owners Of tho
house bad. as it will DO necessary to take
but the members OF the club ars not expected
70 stay Indoors. even on rainy days. Most Of
tho clubs in their alterations OF the original
buildings. have made extensive piazzas. md
some OF them have their meals served on q
wide piazza back of the dining room. which
can be enclosed with glass slides when 1t
1t would surprise any one, accustomed to
housekeeping expenses In New York to go
over thp account Of ona nj haG cDIi N r.