Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-10
HOUSEHOLD WORRIES COZ {
Joyful Features of q Cooperative
Kitchen that Works.
M1ssoURIANs SHOW THE WAY
How FIFTY People in Carthage Re-
duced the Cost of Living and
I Banished Trouble from
Many Household.

Many Households.
! Eager a. Missourians are to be shown"
they are even more eager to show the rest
OF the country when they have something
worth showing. Among the latest ex-
hibits is a cooperative kitchen in active
operation at Carthage, which Is detailed
by a writer in Worlds Work as follows.
The woman called q meeting OF the in
terested people and organized Co-opera-
tive Kitchen. The men took charge. The
kitchen was started with membership
Of sixty people.
from the business section. but street cars
run within a couple of blocks. The house
is q fine old residence, with wide porches
and a big lawn. The first floor had
long music room on one side OF deep hall,
while on the other side the library and
DINING room could be thrown together,
thus giving two large dining rooms. The
table spot for each family was determined
by lot Sufficient space was left between
tables TO insure privacy.
" In the beginning, each family provided
and equipped it's own table. Dishes and
silver were brought as needed each woman
attending TO her own table linen. 1t was
agreed that extras-canned fruit jelliee.
eto.-should be provided by each table for
its own use, and that occasional assess
ments of five cents per capita should be
shade for breakags Of glassware
Business Methods.
Our manager has entire charge and re-
ceives Ss5 per month, plus rooms and
board for her family. The second floor is
she family home though two extra rooms
are rented and the income is added to the
finances Of the kitchen. The third floor
l provides rooms for the servants,
An advisory committee Of three audits
the books and determines all matters of
general interest. In case a member wishes
to withdraw during the period for which
he has pledged himself, It is expected that
he will fill the vacancy he creates. His
substitute must be approved by this Gem
mittee.
Two cooks. two Mattresses, and q dish
washer constitute the working force, but
an extra waitress is necessary in serving
{ dinner. oddly enough, the dish washer is
the most difficult to keep. Our dish wash
ers, with most discouraging unanimity,
gave notice" on the second day. A sub
stantial increase in wages finally solved
the problem. All the servants have two
hours off every afternoon, and this goes
far toward reconciing them to long days
They say, too, that It Is much pleasanter
to work in the Kitchen than in a kitchen.
There are enough of them together to
prevent the isolation necessary in a one
family home. Their relations with the
members are more nearly those of stem
ographer with her employer. One absolute
rule OF the Kitchen is, no tips. On alter
nate Sunday nights the mattresses are off
duty. The children of the Kitchen help
serve that night, and It Ia an evening
looked forward to by them.
Cost Figures.
The Kitchen started as a three months
experiment at So per adult member per
week. After the first quarter II was de-
eided that by Increasing the price and re-
ducing the membership to fifty, a reading
room could be provided. The cooperative
spirit still held. The room was artistically
furnished by voluntary contributions; books
end magazines appeared without waiting tc
be called for. and a spot was ready for the
guest OF any member awaiting a hostess
The initiation fee Is now $3.50 per adult
and half-price for children under and and
over 2 years OF age. Servants or nurse
Mmdds are on two-third rate, II they
Nsrs not served by the Mattresses Guests
for single meals, ordinarily Is cents Or
Wednesday night guest night" the charg,
is IS cents per guest. The initiation fe,
Carries with II q life membership. Com,
back when you will, your place is there
II there is vacancyi When a member
has q guest for the period of one full weel
or more. the rate IL that OF a member. TIL,
hostess sees, too, that the table Is fitted
for an extra
The Menus.
The menus planned by the manager ar,
surprising for the price. She buys II
quantities, of course, so is able to comman,
wholesale rates. Even that fact. thought
in this reign OF high prices hardly explains
the Kitchen bllls-of-fare. For instance
this is what we had yesterday:
Breakfast-Cereals, tea, COCOA coffee no
cakes. delicious broiled ham, lyonnaise DO
cereals at any meal. Eggs and bacon ar
frequently served for breakfast)
Luncheon Chicken salad, macaroni an
cheese hot biscuits, apple sauce and ginger
bread, tea, chocolate coffee. CAS- a rule
luncheon Is planned with particular though
for the children. Dessert is rarely serve,
Dinner-Broiled porterhouse steak. stufte
baked potatoes home-madS Boston bake,
beans, homemade Boston brown bread
lettuce, French dressing. blanc-manEe. or
ange sauce, coffee.
We have OF course. the southern habl
of warm bread three times a day Ligh
bread. raisin bread. nut bread. and roll
are made NJ the kitchen, and salt-ris,p,
"a made for the kitchen twice each week
Our manager has made a study OF tn
nuuluNo Quallty ana combinations OF meal
to DO served. Economical managing a
what might otherwise be food-waste Ia
had full consideration.
Financial Results.
The financial side OF the kitchen Is. q
course, the vital one for those who woIl
20 and do likewise January was our hard
est month";
INCOME AND EXPENSES. JANUARY
Seffa ants .4lS4 {
Managers salary .,..,.,................. IS, {
Kent 40.(
Light heat, IS. 4
lWo Telephones .s......s.....s............ 81
Meat 1884,
MILK and cream. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 64.C
groceries 3O7 !
tnoluen@ts .,,';,..,.......,..:,.,,,,.. 81