The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-09
A COOPERATIVE KITCHEN,
AND MORE MAIDS COMING
Two Potent Factors Which Will Tend to Relieve the Pres
ent Situation With Regard to Domestic Help-Wages
Are Not So Firm, a Fact Which Indicates More Ser
wants Available--A Cooperative Kitchen and Inde-
pendence. r->@ s*%4 - ~-~~E% p


served meals were prepared according to
menus sent in the day before: Each ar
ticle upon the bill was enclosed when
cooked in a separate dish of enamelled
iron and all the dishes for each meal were
placed within a convenient case or draw
er. The several score of meals to be dis
tributed by one wagon were put within
an enclosed frame work upon that wagon
and these maintained by hot water pipes
at proper temperature, regardless Of the
weather or of the distance that the food
was to be transported. No more difficulty
was found in preparing known quantities
Of specified food than is experienced at
any large hotel. The warm wagons
as the children called them, delivered the
meals in perfect condition to be served at
once. Inasmuch as the kitchen was con-
Quoted on a cooperative basis, profits
were unsought, and the subscribers for
the meals paid little more, and often
much less, than they would have ex-
pended for similar meals at home.
\ What difficulties were experienced,
| what work was necessary, came as bur
den upon the kitchen only. The sub
scribers were care, free. A woman had
merely to telephone to the kitchen her
desire to take the "service' for one or
more weeks. She also told how many
persons would be present at each meal the
next day, and what dishes she desired to
have served, at what hours, respectively,
for breakfast, luncheon and dinner.
Evanston did not contend of course,
that, other things being equal, it is not
! pleasanter to have'food cooked and served
| at ones own home. But aside from few
women weary Of domestic duties, the
| subscribers were all families embar-
| rassed by sickness or by the absence of
| necessary servants. Such families could
thus replace their cooks on five minutes
| ho ftx1yor
wagon" at the close of any weeks en-
| gagement.
Idea Approved Here.
In Minneapolis the cooperative kitchen
| has been cordially approved by all persons
that have informed themselves of it's in
tentions. Representative women re-
fected this opinion yesterday.
Said Mrs. P. D. Boutell: 1T might be
a very good scheme. 1t would undoubt-
edly prove to be a great convenience to
families who CHANGED to be without
servants, especially families living some
| distance from the yacenter of town, as we
are out here in Kenwood. When one
lives out a ways, it. not always easy to
replace servants without very incon-
venient delay. I've heard some talk OF
this cooperative kitchen, and it seemed
to be approved Of" ~t.,...., =
II think it is an Excellent idea" replied
great advantage ata be able to order
meals just as usual and be sure of get
ting them, whether one did or. didn't
have a cook. We wouldn't feel so in
clned to KEEP poor servant for fear that
we couldn't get APPETIZER one"
Mrs. H. H. Kimball agreed that the
Kitchen, would .be, q fine thing for for n many
arise, of course, in case the plan followed
had not been tested by experience
"But if the, persons in charge" said
Mrs. Kimball, 'can serve, good hotel
meals in a condition satisfactory to the
subscriber, ]. should say that the CO.
| come relief to many women distressed by
the small tyranny. =, Of incompetent
lservants. The best maids are usually the
most reasonabIe;, not, of course, that al
: mistresses are models of discretion. AnC
If now matters can be arranged so that
the place of an absent cook can be prac-
tically filled without, delay men need nc
longer tolerate much that some of then
have endured while servants were sc
scarce.
"a splendid thing for housekeepers," de-
clared Mrs. Samuel P. Snider. "They
would be delighted, L feel sure, to be made
SO Independent Of Incompetent or restless
servants. Some of these girls wouldn't
send their trunks to heaven. Just wait til
| VIC Ily lHS they u say. AS lOI
wages, it appears to make but little diff
ference whether a girl is literally paid OF
not Although one cant usually get
good servant cheap, high wages may Otter
bring such a cook as friend of mine
secured the other day. The girl asked 81
a-Week. This was granted Then she tool
the order for her first luncheon. My frient
mentioned. mashed potatoes. And JUS
tell me, man, the new, girl asked, do yo1
peel the potatoes before you mash en- p
Mrs. James M. Paine was of Opinion
that the cooperative project would be
very good plan. Eve really need some
thing of the sort,' she added, to keep tn
, household wheels moving when cook goe
away. By violent effort now we can usual
ly get some one as a, substitute who's con
> vinced she can cook. But can she? An
weeks may follow before another girl ca,
be secured who hasn't deceived herself
The kitchen plan would save us from al
such experiments. Its with cooks chief
that every woman has trouble. Secon
girls, housemaids, aren't so indispensable
Most of us would rather dust than diet"