The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-22

The we'll furnished kitchen and
pantry! Probably there is not a
housekeeper in the country who has
not her ideal Of what she would like
these to be. What this ideal is de-
ponds upon the housekeeper and her
surroundings. The only point on which
one can be tolerably sure is that she
desires something different from what
she has. That is human nature. In
the words of an observing old woman
Folks is always wantin' to have what
they hain't got and to be where they
amt"
So the country housekeeper feels
that she would exchange her broad
roomy kitchen, where it is a journey
from the stove to the sink and from
the pantry to the mixing table, for a
compact little city kitchen, with all
the conveniences she knows these to
possess.
The dweller in flats meanwhile, al
tho acknowledging the convenience OF
being able to stand in the middle of
the room and reach anything on the
walls, on the range or in the pantry
from that one position, frets at her
cramped quarters, and thinks If she
could only have one of the kitchens
presided over by out-of-town friends
she would gladly resign some of the
advantages Of her city tents.
Most houSekeepers are more or less
dissatisfied with their kitchen walls.
rhey know that the WhiteWashed or
calcimined walls are undesirable and
are yet doubtful how to change them.
The Whitewash or calcimine blackens
and stains with smoke and the fumes
Of cookery and cannot be cleansed eX-
cept by removal. The housekeeper
who can afford it has her kitchen wall
painted and then is able to wash this
off when it Is spotted or darkened.
But even soap and water fail to have
effect upon the paint after a while,
and the old coat must be mended by
new one. If this is put on year after
year over the old layer the new is
likely to blister and crack and the
wall to present an unpleasant, Warty
appearance. Rather more expensive,
but more enduring. is an oilcloth,
covering. Fro this the ordinary
table oilcloth, plain or marbled, is
used and it is applied as burlap or
At the top 1t is finished off
with an ordinary wooden mold
ing. This oilcloth does not dis
color so rapidly as does paint and may
be kept clean for a long time by wash
ing or scrubbing. The ceiling in such
a room may be painted, altho here,
too, the oilcloth might be used. But
y
who have used oilcloth claim that it
wears longer and looks better than
half a dozen successive coats of paint
The kitchen floor is also something
of a problem. Some covering it must
have that can be washed. The rag
carpet, which in our childish days
was the regulation floor covering OF
the kitchen, does not appeal to this
generation. They want something
more sanitary. Bare boards, plain OF
painted, are excellent if needed helI
is at hand to keep them clean. Bu
spots show on these boards, and they
can be made really clean only by
scrubbing. So oilcloth or linoleun
seems better. The latter costs more
and wears longer. If it can have {
couple Of good coats of varnish after
it is laid it's wearing powers are sai(
to be much increased.
When it comes to the furniture O.
the kitchen, much depends upon thu
space to be filled. The owner Of ons
of the large kitchens of which W.
have spoken, would not think sh
could do her work without two O.
three tables on which to prepare he
food or wash her dishes. The dwelle
in the fiat Is lucky If she has space TO
anything more than one medium izet
kitchen table.
The necessity for close packing ha
taught many things to the dweller il
limited space. One clever woman ha
devised a "double- decker" table. /
shelf has been fitted to her table un
derneath and here she keeps bowls
chopping trays and the like that sh
needs most often. 1t saves her step
If she can reach under the table TO