The San Francisco call., 1904-03-12
HO5U 10 Pack UP.'
BY DORA MAY MoRREIL

country which has not at some uihc
70 struggle with the moving question
and its difficulty of packing so that
three removes" shall not be ''as bad
as a fire." Even among those for
tunates who live in one house all
their lives there viii be at some time
a necessity for moving goods and
chattels If only for SUMMER at the
beach. and then those who avoid all
these troubles have trunks to pack.
No one escapes that
The whole art of packing well may
be summed up in a few words It is
this-pack closely. There Will never
be breakages when goods are packed
so tightly that they cannot shake or
move about The writer having been
born under a wandering star, has
learned the uncertainties of packing.
and how TO circumvent them bv much
experience, and now can pack jars of
preserves and dozens Of eggs TO be
carried in an ordinary trunk with per-
feet safety, much TO the surprise of
kind friends, who say: 1 shall love
10 have YOU take them. but you never
can get them there without breaking"
AS packing trunks comes more fire.
ouently TO ordinary mOrtals than
packing furniture, il may be well to
begin with that for the first lesson.
Nearly all trunks nowadays have two
trays. which is much more conven-
lent. Into the bottom of the trunk
should be placed all Of the heaviest
things, books, boxes etc, and as even
Iy as possible. Frail articles never
should be packed without being spe-
cially wrapped so that if they were
they struck the floor. For very deli
cate things wrapping in clothing is not
enough. This is good as far is it
goes, but it does not protect enough.
Crgmpled newspapers of soft quality
are better, but best are wisps of hay
If that is to be had, and if not then
excelsior. This must be used gener-
ously and the article rolled in il un-
til nothing can be seen or felt of its
original condition. When the due
amount Of soft wrapping has been
used wrap all in paper or some cloth.
No bottle thus treated will break. 1t
won't break even if dropped on the
floor before il gets into the trunk
If one is carrying anything as easily
broken as eggshells or eggshell china
Z may be taken with perfect safety by
placing il in a box considerably larger
than itself. first covering the bottom of
the box with sawdust. AS many
articles may be placed herein as there
is space for without touching each
other After tl.ese have been placed
add more sawdust. every now and then
shaking the box to make the sawdust
pack closely. It is not possible TO
pack by hand as compactly as ii will
by shaking-something one will no.
tice in a trunk after she has Travelled
for while. This is the method the
writer tested when she brought eggs
from Maine 10 New York without
cracking one.
For bric-a-brac sawdust is better
than excelsior. because IL viii fit snug
ger. but il is not to be preferred for
large pieces or account Of its weight
and also because they do not need as
close packing as the smaller articles.
The experienced packer attends TO
al this preliminary packing before be-
ginning on the trunk. The art in the
whole business lies in having the small
and frail things safely prepared TO
stand the jarring and upsetting that is
before them. The burden OF the task
comes in these things, and if one is
not strong il is well to take them a
day before the remainder Of the pack
ing is done
To make small space hold much
bear in mind that each box put in the
trunk should hold something. still
carrying out the principle of close
packing. Ribbons and all the femi-
nine trinkets should be put where they
will fiji otherwise empty spaces. II
does not harm them and does save
them. The rule is as good if one is
packing masculine notions as femi-
nine.
Into the bottom OF the trunk place
all these boxes. AS they are tightly
filed they may be turned in any way
most convenient with their angles.
FIJI interstices where sides do not
come squarely with paper or hosiery.
or anything TO make things firm.
The second tray should be devoted
TO dresses and waists. II one has an
elaborate wardrobe she naturally
would carry a wardrobe trunk. In
packing ones dresses IL is still we'll to
remember that the closer they lie the
smoother they viii be when they come
out Fold skirts from the top,
doubling them on the cores and maxi
ing certain that they are smooth as
folded. By laying the skirt on bed
the cloth may be smoothed with the
hand so that no wrinkles are folded
into IL. II there are plaits or folds
heed must be given to them. and the
cloth folded to favor them. After the
skirt is folded lengthwise il should be
doubled once in the middle and placed
in the tray with this fold at the end
OF the trunk. That leaves the foot of
the skirt in the middle of the trunk.
The second skirt is placed so its fold
comes at the other end OF the trunk.
This leaves more space in the middle
tray for waists. Very fancy waists
may be stuffed with tissue paper. but
waists and dresses OF that kind should
not Toe carried ia an ordinary trunk
Very few persons I'LL their sleeves with
tissue paper when packing. Usually it