The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-21
MEALS ON CO.
OPERATIVE PLAN,

Mrs. Bertha L. Grimm, of Mans
field, o., is, so far as known, says the
New York Tribune, the only woman
who has solved the problem of CO.
operative housekeeping in a way which
both makes money for her and saves
money to her customers. She does this
by serving hot meals to families who
live in their own houses, but pay her
weekly board as if they boarded in her
house. She is enabled to do this by
an invention which will keep a meal
perfectly hot and fresh for many hours,
with no kept warm taste.
Mrs. Grimm began in December
1901, with five families, who boarded
with her by the week. The business
was new one to her, and she did
not wish it to grow rapidly, so she
made no efforts to advertise it.
Last summer she took care of a golf
club of 225 members, which opened
May 1. Golfers are hungry folk, and
she supplied their wants from a sand
wich to a banquet, sending the food
from her own kitchen, some miles dis
tant, and keeping an attendant at the
clubhouse to take charge of the re-
ceptacles upon their arrival. Last win
ter Mrs. Grimm served hot meals at
schools, express offices, postoffice,
stores and business offices. She sends
out one meal or 200 croquettes for a
luncheon. She serves club banquets dur
ing the season, or sends out both
| dinner and supper to picnic parties.
| She has extended her business to
Pittsburg, and has been invited by the
faculty of the State University at Co
| lumbus to open a branch there.
AS Mrs. Grimm is the only person
known to have made a financial sue
fV, oerfy, L. IL
! ter, her experience is valuable. But
many other things besides serving
meals hot are necessary to success,
chief among them being home cook
Ing and successful methods in de-
| livering. Absolute cleanliness is of
course a necessity in every catering
| business; but promptness in delivery
is equally necessary in this, and it
| is not so easy to be prompt when the
meals are sent to the customers as
when the customers come for their
meals
Mansfield is like many other places"
| said Mrs. Grimm in recounting her ex-
periences. Domestic help is scarce,
and this led to discussion among the
women in club to which / belong
of some practical method of co-opera-
tive housekeeping. I became interested
| and sent for one of the receptacles, to
test its powers. I found 1t would
retain heat for hours. and eventual
| ly ordered twenty and began to serve
five families, who boarded with me by
the week.
II serve one soup. one meat. two
vegetables and desert as the regular
| dinner for families boarding with me.
with ice cream and cake on Sunday.
But course dinners or luncheons,
elaborate or simple, can be served by
this method.
''This is a business we'll ADAPTED for
women, and a blessing with those left
with children to support, as they can
keep their families together and make
a good living, utilizing the help of
their children. Also, IL taken UP on
the cooperative plan by twelve
families having one central kitchen,
they would find that with one person
at the head. two helpers and a boy
to deliver. they could have home
made bread and home cooked meals.
homemade jellies. preserves and
everything else, at less cost than they
could have them at home. There is
a waste in the individual kitchens,
in the individual fires and buying the
| individual servants, that is saved in
| the central kitchen. A person can
| cook for twelve families about as east
~ as for one, II she understands her
business and has the facilities.
- II feel sure the time is near when
there will be 0entral kitchen In
every city. II will be n necessity for
the happiness OF the American home.
| The domestic service problem grows
more and more difficult to handle every
year. Nine-tenths OF all the women
who keep servants keep only one. Il
Is 10 this class. the great middle class
Of Americans. that the central kitchen
would appeal 1t Is almost impos-
sible 20 get a general servant who
is good cook. This Is not strange
Sweeping and scrubbng. washing
dishes, tending the furnace. carrying
coal-all this IS comparatively unskill-
cd labor, 10 can be learned and done
by raw Immigrant girls whom the