Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-17
Electricity in the Household.


people to class everything new as ;
luxury, regardless of it's ecenomi
values. This was strikingly tru,
when the first electric heating an'
cooking devices were offered to th'
| public. They only smiled when thu
enthusiastic inventors told of the con.
venience, economy and safety of tbs
electrical devices-and bought then
for wedding presents, Christmas gifts
and graduation remembrances, just as
they would purchase a diamond ring
or string of pearls.
It takes time to educate people t.
the true values of anything new. The
old way is always the best-until time
has proven to the contrary. Some
years ago the first electric flatiron was
offered to the public by the General
Electric Company and the house wives
refused to buy it, preferring to stand
sweltering over hot stove, running
back and forth after hot irons and
burning up expensive coal and gas.
They would not believe that the iron
was very cheap. that it cost less to
operate and that the ironing could be
done quicker and better by electricity.
Today the electric iron is a house
hold necessity and they are sold by
the hundreds of thousands every year.
This is also true of the electric toast
er. the electric percolator. the chatting
dish and everything else electrical
from the motor driven ice cream
freezer to the electric fan.
The first cost of an electric fiatiron
is but little more than fer a set of
six old fashioned irons. The electric
iron is fully guaranteed and will last
a life time. For five cents an hour it
win do the family ironing and it is
always hot and always ready for work
The electric iron is a necessity now.
A few years ago when the electrical
engineers began to talk about electric
cooking the skeptieal public answered
that it was too eostly-it was a lux
ury suitable only for the rich. In vain
did the salesman talk of the great
of cooking, of having the
electric range ready at the pressure
of finger, of cooking without wasting
heat, without ashes, SCOT, or carrying
fuel of the great safety of electricity
the public would not believe.
Today electric cooking is common
enough. Time has proven that the
new way is the best. 1t is fact
that, when the first kitchen ranges
were made, housewives laughed and
stuck to the fireplace and the Dutch
oven. Housewives are now con-
WINGED that it is better to have the
that it is cleaner TO cook without fuel,
without dirt and ashes, without an
open flame. They are adopting mod
ern methods in the kitchen, saving
time, steps and money.
An electric range costs about the
same as a good coal range and il
costs no more to operate them when
the question of dirt and convenience
is considered.
The old way of cooking light
breakfast or luncheon in the kitchen
and carrying it into the dining room
is rapidly passing away. The new
way is to install a small electric cook
ing device right on the dining room
table and cook the food as needed
without waste of fuel and, vastly more
important in these days of costly liv-
ing, without wasting our precious food
supplies. The coffee is made in an
electric percolator, the heat turned on
only as required without waste. The
toast is made in an electric toaster
and the bacon and eggs are easily
and quickly prepared in the electric
radiant grill. This is the new way
and now nearly everyone recognizes
that it is the best way.
~ The household motor is the new
servant, no more luxury than the
old servant of flesh and blood. Ii
will do more and better work than the
strongest arms. II is tireless and it
costs less for electricity than the hui
man servant ate in food. There are
no wages to pay, its hours are the
same as the day and it will do the
sweeping and the busting, will grind
and chop the food, mix the bread and
cake, and faithfully perform nearly all
the disagreeable tasks about the home
from freezing the ice cream to sharp
ening the knives