The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11
FOR FEMININE READERS
AN ART IN PACKING HOUSEHOLD
GOODS FOR MOVING on STORAGE
The Child's Playhouse Is Not Only n
Gay Spring Govns-Odds and Ends.

A casual remark made by one house
keeper. was a warning which another
needed when it came her turn to be SIM
ilarly situated. says Table Talk.
Il shall not have any OF my goods lost
she said 10 herself. cor if they. are | shall
at least know what they are, so that / can
claim damages
1t happened that she was Obliged to store
all her household goods for six months and
it was imperative that they should all be
out Of the house at a specified time; so she
began the work of packing three months
beforehand. and did it in a scientific man
ner. 1t could have been done in FAR less
time. but this wise woman wanted TO save
her strength, as well as her goods. and de-
termined TO work only a part of every
morning.
She bought a number OF boxes OF differ
ent sizes from her groceryman. and saw
that each box had n good cover. and be-
gan filling them with those .hlngs which
every housekeeper mas stored away i'll clos
cts or lumber room. Things seldom. or
never used, yet valued for various -easoi,s
and kept from year TO year.
She also bought a blank book ana pro-
vided herself with pencil and eraser. a
large blue crayon a hammer, and nails OF
two sizes. Frail articles such as glass t&lls
and other ornaments Tor Christmas II ees,
she packed in cotton in stout pasteboard
boxes. tied them securely ard wrote on the
bottom of the box a table al contents. This
box then placed in one Of the WooCen
boxes which was filled up win variods aiti-
cles as they would best IL IN. Then she
nailed up the box and with her blue crayon
marked it on the cover aud sides in l"rSe
block letters No. /.
Taking her book and pencil she wrote at
the top of the first page, Box No. ] con-
tains a box Of Xmas tree trimmings: :
Toms skates: old school reports: box of
silk handkerchiefs and scarfs: pair of row
locks and iron dUmbbells wrapped in news
paper: some old games. ETC.; few numbers
st. Nicholas: bundle of letters Oh. Ga;
Mothers Kindergarten things: Rebecca' s
drawings; 2 few numbers OF Good Roads
and Bicycle World; box with WedSevood
candlesticks.' And so on. q motley ccllec-
tion but they fitted in.
With box No. she proceeded in the same
manner. noting the contents IN the book as
soon the box was nailed ana numb red
And thus she continued through the whole
collection. All the boxes small enough to
go into the linen closet were piled in there
ready TO be moved, yet out of the way. AS
each box was packed. there Were epaceS 10
be filled up. sometimes by small books
which just fitted in, at other times by tric-
a-brac carefully packed in boxes which
were just the size wanted. Pictures and
engravings We're carefully wrapped first in
SOU paper, lnPn III several IOluS OF E6NS-
papers which had been saved for the pur-
pose, tied securely with Irvine, and placed
around the four sides Of the boxes as they
would fit. the glass or face of the picture
with miscellaneous articles. 50 keeping the
pictures in position and insuring their
safety. Books, magazines and pamphlets
found place in every box, large or SMALL
and all articles not absolutely reeded in
their everyday life were packed first.
A month beforehand the parlor carpet
was taken up and sent 10 the cleaners.
where it was thoroughly renovated. filled
with gum camphor and then baled. Special
articles of furniture were wrapped with
newspapers. or Sewed UP in burlap; large
chests boxes and trunks were brought into
the Idrlor and packed there.
Barrels of china were also filled in that
room, each piece well wrapped i'll paper.
large dishes filled with little ones. and
plenty of straw stuffed in empty spaces
These barrels were also numbered. both on
the heads of the barrels themselves Nos.
2. g. etc. and in the book, with complete
list of contents. In packing these barrels
the best china was put away first, then ev-
erything that could be spared from daily
use
Kitchen utensils very difficult things to
pack were put into very large boxes with
bleached muslin was stretched. doubled
over the top and tackled around the edges.
These were also numbered with the blue
crayon.
Pillows and holsters were placed in bu-
reau drawers. wardrobes and sideboards,
with plentiful supply Of gum camphor.
h Finally beginning at It the tn ito top of the
was written In the little book. each article
briefly described so that 1t could be rec
ogniZed. The number of boxes. barrels,
trunks. bales of carpet. etc, added to the
list and a statement of when and with
whom they were stored. All this was trou-
blesome, but it paid, and this account of IL
may be help or at least suggestion to