The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-24
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN
co OPERATIVE HOUSEKEEPING
PLAN FOR GIRLS IN COLLEGE.
An Artists Views on Woman'S Dress
--latest Embroidery Fads-Use-
full Home Remedies.

At this season, says the New York Post.
a host of bright, ambitious girls whose
means are limited are considering the ques-
ton of living expenses at college How to
reduce these to the lowest limits compat-
bic with comfort. nutritious food and re-
spectacle quarters is debated over and over.
as are ways of earning money while in
college.
Some light is thrown on this subject in
a paper prepared by Miss e ]. Austin in
structor in the Detroit High School, and
read before the Michigan Federation of
Women's Clubs. The aim of this paper is
not merely to suggest an economical meth
cd of living in college, but TO show how
young women may acquire and use a
knowledge of domestic science, thereby pre-
pairing to become intelligent home makers
as well as accomplished scholars. The skill
that girls have acquired at home along
housekeeping lines and the training in do
nestle science received in the grammar
schools can be utilized and advanced to
high degree of excellence and of scientific
knowledge in a cooperative home under
supervision. AS illustrative of this plan
Miss Austin relates the following expert
ence:
Michigan University l tried the cooper
ative plan of housekeeping. My experience
was not very exceptional, but is tried in
every college town. A landlady in Ann A.
Dor who owns seven large houses supplies
housekeeping facilities for those who wish
them, and her houses are always fully oc-
cupled and housekeeping is carried on with
more or less success. We had for the pur-
poses of cooking the whole basement
steam-heated and fairly well lighted. There
five
two or three in each group. We had a
cool place for storing butter and milk three
large pantries which were shared. and gas
| plates Tor the majority, though my own
group had a gasoline stove with two burn
ers. Each group had its own small table
its own set of dishes and its own kitchen
utensils. In fact. the groups were indie
pendent except that the cooking apparatus
was sometimes shared by two groups: the
! pantries were likewise shared, as we'll as
| our so-called refrigerator.
| The first year our group consisted of two.
| That year one of us prepared breakfast,
| the other luncheon, and both helped pre-
| pare dinner; both helped with clearing the
meal away. We had plain, healthful, nu-
| tritious food; we knew much about pre-
! pairing ii all but the exceptional girl
| knows For breakfast we had a cereal. an
| egg, or some meat, bread and butter and
| tea and fruit; for luncheon some Vegeta-
| bles warmed up from dinner, sauce, bread
| and butter and tea. That year board cost
| us, on the average, including all paid
| out for fuel and kitchen utensils just 90
| cents each per week 1t took US barely an
hour a day TO do all the work that was re-
| quired. We were healthy, were both doing
| heavy work in college, and found we were
| no more taxed than we should have been In
| going to and from boarding house, at a
| distance from our rooms, a majority of
/ students do.
The next year a brother was added to
our group, and we Immediately realized
! that a woman eats but four-ffths as much
/ as a man, and we thought that estimate
/ exceedingly generous. Our average ran up
] TO 50 cents. He ate longer, and l suppose
we ate to keep him company. Our ar
rangement of work this year was more
/ satisfactory. Each of us prepared a meal.
/ and the other two cleared il away This
year we did work with an expenditure
! of about three-quarters of an hour per day.
/ i reached home at II, and a nutritious, pal
! atable dinner was on the table at exactly
! 1870. Our stove lighted with wood al
/ cohol, which does away with the slight
| smoke, and is quicker than gasoline in gen.
Grating the gas. The third year my brother
| and l were alone. That year our weekly
| average was 70 cents. / prepared the din
ner, and my brother the breakfast and
| luncheon, a young man dOS not ordi-
! narily know enough about range of diet 10
| be able TO manage a dinner without its
| proving an unnecessarily hard task. Dur
| ing this third year our expense for the year
was $50, instead of $92 which is the lowest
price for good board at Ann Arbor; we
saved s62 per year each, and got a training
| in system and order that was of great ad-
! vantage in our education Meals had to be
! ready exactly at the appointed time. There
| was a place for everything and everything
| had to be in it's place Habits of system,
of value throughout life, were acquired and
fastened.