Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-16
AUSTRALIAN HOUSEKEEPING.
The Eating Problem in the Back Coun
try Forty Miles From a Town.

From the New York Tribune.
Here are some of the experiences of
houseke eper, not ''nine miles from a lemon
but ten miles from anything She lives in
an immense sheep-raising district in New
South Wales, Australia. Her husband keeps
a store at a crossroads, and, in spite of the
isolation, does good business, for the two
roads are the main thoroughfares OF the
district; station managers, wool classers,
stockmen, boundary riders, drovers and
shearers are continually passing. In letter
to a friend she recently said: The nearest
town Is forty miles away; that means tele-
graph office, bank, post office, doctor, gro
Gerry and dry goods store are at that dis
lance. The mail is left at the door twice
week by the passing mail coach. Now, as
to the housekeeping: 1t must be recollected
that the climate in Australia is a more i'm
portant factor in housekeeping difficulties
than it is anywhere else. almost. In the
temperate weather the housekeeping has
certain obstacles arising from the peculiar
conditions Of the country, but during four
months of the year it is simply futile to try
to keep house properly in this part Of Aus
tralia For four months at a stretch the
sky is dome of perfect, cloudless. deep
blue. Every morning the sun rises like a
ball of fire, and the temperature mounts
steadily until the thermometer registers 100.
ITO and even 11S degrees Fahrenheit In the
shade, and 1t looks as if the mercury must
ultimately burst the tube. Then indeed.
the housewife is in sore straits. Unless eX-
ceptionaly strong and wiry, she gives up
the contest altogether, and the men or the
household take the direction of affairs.
Even if she is used to the heat and is
strong and energetic, it is only in the early
morning and late afternoon that she can do
anything. All the middle OF the day is
spent in dishabille, lying in hammock and
trying to keep cool. The only way to keep
water cool is to put it in canvas water
bag and hang 1t in d-aught. The children,
painting and exhausted, with only the
scantiest of clothing on, lie about the floor.
About the only compensation is you feel
sure of not having callers. The whole dis
trict is under cover, trying to keep cool; no
one but mailman would venture out into
the blazing sun.
1T is in this weather that dainty salad
or some fresh fish would be a boon-both
are impossibilities here, though. Luckily
one needs a minimum of food In this tenn
of water form the luncheon, and even at
of water form the luncheon and even at
dinner, just before shutdown, there is moth
ing very solid.
"Among the great inconvenience of this
hot weather is the impossibility of making
bread, for, of course here every one bakes
her own. The intense heat seems to spoil
the flour while in the bag, and the bread
made from Ii drives housekeepers to de-
spair l overcome the trouble partially by
putting the -four needed for a batch into
bucket and hanging 1t down the we'll for
several hours prior to using. And even
when the bread is made Ii is impossible to
keep it fresh for any length of time. The
hot, dry air, do what you will, gets at 1t,
and In a few hours after leaving the oven
it is hard and tasteless. cracking in your
hands like toast. sometimes keep IL at
least little moist by wrapping 1t in towels
and suspendfug II In = tin Down the we'd.