The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08
Joy Gus CAREER OF JOSIE.
How II or Domestic Life Has Become On
Grand, Sweet Song.

How II or Domestic Life Has Become Ono
Grand, Sweet Song.
"The milkman rushing up the back
steps arouses Josie, the domestic electrician.
Finding that 1t is time to get up, she turns
on the switch at the head Of her bed.
Having thus put into operation the
electric cereal cooker in the Kitchen
which is also q combination water boiler
Josie performs her toilet. By the tim Q
she ia ready TO descend to the kitchen the
water for the coffee is boiling, and In seven
or eight minutes both cereal and coffee arc
ready for the table,
1t is H. W. Hillman Of Schenectady who
thus describes the dawn Of a domestic day
when said day Is run by electricity.
Hillman enjoys the distinction OF possessing
the first house built with a view to the com :
plete application Of electricity to domestic
uses.
Writing in Coed Housekeeping, he tells
how Josie turns on another switch and
inside of one minute has the bacon and
eggs frying; how In the meantime he has
turned the current on to the electric shaving
mug, which furnishes hot water in less than
one minute. Possibly Mrs. Hillman has
improved the shaving interval to operate the
electric curler. Mr.. Hillman does not say
so, but in another place he includes the hair
curler in the electrical equipments use it is
sAfe to infer that the lady arrives at the
electric breakfast becomingly waved.
After breakfast Josie washes the dishes
in electrically boiled water. then turns on
the fiat iron switch and in three or four min
utes has piping hot irons.
In the meantime Mrs. Hillman had beer
ssked over the telephone for the loan of
the electric heating pad, a neighbor having
been taken with a chill and the neighbours
hot water bag having been with a
leak.
Also meantime-everything seems to be
going on meantime at Mr., ~Hillman's-the
New England dinner is cooking calnhy,
one might almost say coolly, in the -four
quart electric kettle. And, yet again mean
time, Mrs. Hillman is allowing the electric
sewing machine to run up a few seams
for her.
Il have used a coal stove for about ten
years says Mr.. Hillman, @and a gas stove
FOR six years. With coal at an average
price Of $3.50 per ton, and gas at about
81 80 per thousand, our monthly bills aver
aged about 50 in a family Of five.
The average monthly cost OF the same
character Of work by electricity has
amounted to $500 for twenty-four con-
~secutive months, or slightly higher than
the coal and gas. The figures in neither
case, it should be added, cover lighting
bills.
The rate OF charge for electricity in
Schenectady is Is cents poi kilowatt, with
a discount for quantity, which averages
a net cost of about 10 cents per kilowatt.
This refers to electricity for lighting.
The local electric company makes me
a price of five cents per kilowatt for the
heating device circuit, because the de-
vices are used 80 much during the day
time and because they secure an income
Of more than 500 per year from my resi-
dence, instead OF only s95 or $40 per year
which l would pay them for electric light
ing only.
when building special. attention was
given to the heating OF the kitchen and
laundry from the hot air furnace. The
extra initial cost is only slight, while the
winter cost Of operating is almost neg
ligible.
"A hot water front was placed in my fur
mace at ar extra cost OF about 90, which
furnishes hot water from October until
May, the period when a furnace fire is
being operated. During the summer
months electric immersion coils furnish
plenty OF hot water without adding greatly
TO the expense, regarding which I have
spoken fully in the foregoing