Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28
HOUSEHOLD HINTS
Public Laundries May Do Away With
Monday Trials.
TENFING CLOSE TO NATURES HEART
Armenians Make Perfect House
Servants in Boston.
USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW

The question of erecting public laundries
where any woman may go and do the
washing for her family by the payment of
few cents is now agitating the minds Of
the Citizens Union of New York. The
same subject was preached last year by
the association for improving the condition
of the poor, but without definite results.
This plan Of having public laundres where
the admission fee secures the use Of tubs,
driers and all the conveniences with which
the place is supplied is by no means i'm
practicable, as the scheme is in full and
satisfactory operation in many large
European cities. At st. Marylebone, Lon
don, public bath and public laundry
under the same roof were opened last year
by the Duke and Duchess of York. The
laundry is divided into a washhouse, dry
Ing, ironing and maEgling rooms. The
washhouse is divided into seventy-four
compartments, in each of which are two
tubs with hot and cold water. scrubbing-
boards, pals, etc, with four steam wiring
ing machines under the charge of special
ofhcer. The drying room is heated by
lues from two large coke furnaces, and is
furnished with seventy-four separate dry
Ing horses. Two steam mangles, a large
ironing table, two gas stoves for heating
irons and TWO radial drying horses make
the ironing room complete in its appoint
liieHlS Inc WnOle place is ventilated with
large air-exhaust fans and lighted by a
lantern roof.
A beautiful bit of life in Arcade comes
from twenty miles up in the Santa Cruz
mountains. where a party Of college pro-
feSsorS and their families are camping for
the summer. The description Of the al
most illimitable space the perfect freedom
and the sweetness of unfettered living en-
joyed by these sojourners SO CLOSE to ma
lures heart, comes most appealingly to
the tired mother cooped up with herr chill
dren in the close rooms and artificial at
hotel, where the children's hands seem
against every man and every mans
full camp here among the great red woods"
writes the chronicler. 1.-The climate is so
perfect-no rain. of course-that we all
sleep out of doors on the ground. In fact
we have only one small tent as dressing
room. We are on the bank of beautiful
mountain stream, in which we take our
daily cold plunge. There are no campers
Tor miles around. so we have taken full
possession of the forest One part is the
parior; another. with tin dishes and OIL
cloth table, our dining room. Near the
spring is the kitchen, with a regular camp
stove The library is in hollow redwood
tree, where DR.. f. mas made some shelves,
and in his usual methodical way cata-
logued the library of thrty-three volumes.
The tree IS large enough for half a dozen
persons to- stand in comfortably. Today
the men are all off trout fishing All the
children are SO good and happy here, that
we are convinced the forest life is the
natural life for Them
new way of serving the large soft
peaches is to cut them in two, that they
may be eaten out of the skin with a spoon.
Always serve dolly with peaches as
there is no fruit stain SO diff ,ult to re-
move. An old housewives superstition
used to be that If the peach stains of one
10 ha
the peach trees were in blossom, the COM
bined action of sun and grass bleaching
would remove the stain. The modern
housewife, however feels that wear js
too long to wait on a venture, and with
characteristic promptness, attacks the Of
Tending spot with renewed applications of
1avelle water or chlorate of lime until 1t
disappears.
In preparing mashed potatoes, remember
that the potatoes should be just done. and
10 more. Do not let them wait until Won
are ready to mash them, but pour off the
water and mash 1T once If you would have
them light. If they need to be kept hot.
set on the back OF the range or over hot
water, covered with coarse meshed towel
that Will allow the moisture to escane If
treated In this way they will keep sweet
and light an hour more but if they are
covered close, they will be heavy, dark and
strong favored.
During the last eight months between
100 and 200 Armenian refugees, unable to
md work in their own trades or nrofes
s1ons, have gone into situations To do
housework, and Miss Blackwell of Boston
VINO found them positions has vet to re-
celve the first complaint from any en-
ployer OF dishonesty or any serious mis-
conduct, even in the case of those who
proved unsuited to the work and had to he
sent back. A years experience with one
OF tnese men, who arrived entirely ignorant
OF our language and customs, enables one
to subscribe most heartily to Miss Black
wells recommendation. Never was helm
more satisfactory. Wonderfully quick in
movement, strong and active, and rarely
needing more than one showing, always
cheerful, willing and obliging honest be-
yond all question and devoted to his en-
pioyers interests, he has proved himself
almost invaluable. In the kitchen neither
grit nor sickness mars the fair cleanli-
ness of Philips dishes; no smelly milk nan
or greasy dish towel betrays the sloven.
while his pots and kettles smile approval
his potatoes are pared without a bit of
waste; coal and kindling are used with
discretion. and the soap is never left to
was, waste ITS substance in dish pan or clean
ing pail. He Is the first to rise in the
morning and the last to leave work at
night. Nor does he confine his attention
to the kitchen alone. He cleans the porches
tends the flowers and chickens gathers tho
fruit and vegetables and runs the lawn
mower. He has already made great adj
vance in speaking the languase-and in
the evenings mas learned to read and write
Nor is Philip notable exception. In Tur-
key the best house servants one can nos
sibly find are Armenians, owing to their
capability and trustworthiness; and in this
country the housekeeper willing to make a
new departure and give them q trial. bids
fair to find her reward in satisfactory
solution of the vexed domestic problem"
Sometimes In preserving the sirup begins
to rise SO rapidly that there is scarcely
chance to remove the kettle from the stove
In this emergency a few teaspoonfuIs of
cold water thrown in will cause the str,Ip
to subside Immediately.
So Objectionable are the odors of cooking
in a house that many of the fashionable
city kitchens are being elevated to the ton
floor, where the steam and odors may pass
directly into the air. A lift is worked at |
stated intervals by the man who mana
the furnace, while dumb waiter supple |
ments the carrying power of the lift" |
One of the practical advantages of this
arrangement is the saving of gas bills, |
there being more than an hour more dav.
light here than in the basement kitchen.
In making soup stock allow a quart of |
water to each pound of meat and bone.