The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-01-14
CLUB FOR DOmESTICs
A Chicago Suburbs Plan TO
Solve Servant Girl Problem.
EVANSTON WOMEN ORGANIZERS.

Proposed Building VIII Be Equipped
with Reading Rooms, Gymnasi-
INN, a Swimming Pool and "a Ball
room--NTrs. John Parry Johnston,
Leader of the Movement.
Classic Evanston, ILL.,, is to have a
servant girls club.
Within a year visitors to the north
shore suburb of Chicago will find there
a building completely fitted out as
modern clubhouse which will be re-
served entirely for the accommodation
of cooks, chambermaids and nurses
and their friends. The equipment will
include reading rooms, gymnasium,
swimming pool and a ballroom. Here
the household servants of the suburb
will gather in their leisure hours and
amuse themselves in ways which are at
present available only to their employ
ers, says the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
This is the solution of the servant girl
problem which will be tried in the near
future. The first steps toward this end
have already been taken by several
prominent clubwomen. They have or
ganized a servant girls club, or rather
"house girls" as they prefer to call
the women employed in their homes,
and have given it the title Of 'The
White Aprons" The membership Is at
present limited to about thirty, but
1iOo nY1fp N q
in, and the number will be enlarged.
Until steps are taken to provide the
Organiza ton with rooms Of it's own the
clubwomen who are supporting the
plan will throw open their own parlors
at regular intervals for the meetings of
the society. The first regular meeting
was held at the home Of Mrs. John
Parry Johnston of 201S Orrington ave-
nue.. During the first part Of the even
ing an open discussion was held upon
the subject 1.-THE Making Of Ice
Cream" which was later demonstrated
by Mrs. Johnston, who followed ia
vorite recipe of her own. Later the
girls sang, danced and pcacticed vari-
Gus gymnastic feats. In this part of
the entertainment the hostess was as
sisted by Miss Mabel May Heren,
senior in Northwestern university, who
instructed the girls in dancing and
gymnastic drill.
Mrs. Johnston, who is at the head of
the movement, is a student of the serv-
ant girl problem and is taking advance
work in the department Of sociology in
the local university. She has partici-
pated in several former experiments Of
the same nature and was vice president
Of the Pittsburg Servant Girls associa.
ton. She was also secretary Of the
New York Kindergarten society, Of
which Mrs. Jay Gould was president.
Later she was London correspondent
for one of the New York papers. While
in England she made q special study Of
the English method Of handling serv-
ants.
''It was there" said Mrs. Johnston,
shat / developed my strong sentiments
upon tie subject When l saw the
mayor of London present graduate GER
tificates to several hundred girls from
a servants school, with almost the dig
nifty Of professional degree, l realized
that we across the water must cease to
look down upon our household employ
ees. We complain of their lack Of re-
fnement, and yet we give them no
chance to come within refining, inf1u-
ences. My idea is good sized club
house where they can meet to enjoy
themselves, discuss their problems and
develop themselves mentally and phys
ically."