Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1904-08-26
KILLING HOUSEHOLD TASKS.
Energy Spent by Farmers Wives That
Might Be Saved by Proper
Provisions.

Although the United States Is pre-
emnently the paradise OF labor saving
devices for women, Rev. n. p. Pressey.
OF Massachusetts. 10 OF the opinion that
not nearly enough has been done in tho
way OF easing domestic conditions fer
them As an illustration Of what can
and should be done, says the New York
Tribune, he hopes to establish model
farmhouse with labor saving devices for
the prevention of what he terms moth
erciGe"
MIR Prossey considers that the farm
house kitchen has not improved in con-
venience for 80 years. and that the fact
that some things are done as they must
have been done at the first advent OF the
race, at loss OF from so to 500 per cent.
of energy In fruitless and uninteresting
drudgery. Is largely accountable for the
number Of country women In the insane
asylums.
II Is easy to draw mechanical exam
pies OF waste OF mother" says Mr.. Pres-
sey writing to the Woman's Journal
OF his project, ''and, strange to say, al
most as easy to point out the mechan-
ical corrections OF It. For example, how
many farmhouse kitchens have pump
on ono side or even In the yard, and n
cooking stove In recess corner, and
how often mother either lifts her pots
and kettles over the Intervening sraee
and back, or worse. transfers water by
the two quart or even quart dlpperful.
Five hundred per cent waste OF me-
chanical energy, to say the least, when
running water and a faucet handIly
placed, with a slight hose attachment.
are always attainable In time on the
poorest farm
Take another even less excusabIe
example OF even greater and more no.
ticeable waste and more palpable drudg-
ery--the dishwashlng and dlshwiping.
In a large family literally hours OF tho
day are consumed In back breaking
process that lcgitlmately should take
only few minutes at the most, say, for
a family Of l5. There are devices, very
simple and inexpensive, for not mere
ly cleaning dishes, but even sterilizing
hem. 30 thorough and efficient are they.
"In the average kitchen. but for the
presence OF a cook stove and things get
ling ready to eat, the room might as
veil be shed or parlor. for all Its be-
ng built for dispatch OF business.
Parings and waste are brought In to
1ecessitate constant sweeping. and other
liter. and especially wood, Ia toted
lcroHs to misplaced woodbox with an
II devised approach through the kitch-
IN, and almost generally even thrown
" careless boys against a plaster ceiled
md papered wall n the box overflows.
no wood should enter the
Iitchen except through a trap from the
soodshed into closed box
TOO frequently cupboards are mis-
'laced. Ill planned and remote. Only
arely are tools and utensils arranged
bout the table or workbench for the
'wift convenience OF the hand, but are
lung on nails and hooks, with the main
dea OF getting them ont Of the way OF
'ther things. or. stupidity OF stupidiues!
When washed, heaped together on a
lean shelf In the back OF the pantry,
vhither mother hastens 80 times day
o select her tool az need arises 20 feet
way by the sink, stove or kitchen table.
again and again things that belong on
pen shelves at the stove or sink are put
ehind awkward swing doors.
practically nothing has been made
l the farmhouse OF tho simple device
I stone weight elevators, ard mothers
ach breaks In the Juggling Of boxes and
aila and basEets up and down, from
sliar to garrett"