The Washington herald., 1914-02-02

4
Miss Agnes M. Gieeson feeds more thai
1000 persons every day.
Perhaps It Isn't much harder to fee
800 than II would be 10 fed only three
II depends q good deal ON how ''nnicky'
the three are Soma houoeksopefs with {
family Of that size 4eclare with all thu
symptoms Of sincerity thst they would
gladly swap their three for any thres
hundred they know OF.
Maybe they would-and maybe they
wouldn't It's easy TO talk. Face to face
with the opportunity Of feeding ZOO Per
sons daily. these private housewives
would probably fade quietly awat and re-
| turn to their respective triosl
But there are plenty OF women whc
have no trtos at home to keep house for;
women. who have no home at ali. or who
cannot. keep one up even II they bad II;
widows without adequate means Of sup
port; deserted wives whose incomes have
vanished with their husbands: unmarried
women suddenly. thrown. ON their own
resources.
As rule these women can do just one
thing. They can keep house. But they
might as well be equipped solely with q
knowledge Of the Hottentoe language. for
all the practical use they are able to
make Of their domestic experience. They
are tragic In their inter helplessness and
apparent Incompetence.
Yet what Is society demanding most
vigorously and most incessantly? Moth
ing more nor less than that very domes-
tic experience. The one woman whose
services are mogt. needed II the woman
who knows how to keep house. II Is a
curious situation. Here are women with
one thing to sell-their housekeeping
ability. And right beside them are hun
dreds and thousands Of eager would-be
buyers. all clamoring for that very thing
housekeeping ability. Yet apparently IL
Ia case Of never the twain shall meet"
Only apparently" however; for there
IL constantly increasing number Of
women like Miss Agnes Gleason. She is
selling her knowledge OF housekeeping At
figure which. II 1t were generally
known. would make the average female
wage-earncr green with envy.
Original Aabitisn.
with the idea OF making a living out Of
her housekeeping ability. Her original
ambition was to be a singer; and II was
to study music that she first went to Chi
cago. Unfortunately-or perhaps IL was
fortunately-she lost her voice and that
career was closed to her. From an artis-
tic point of view. she may think she
would rather be furnishing lyrics than
luncheons But in the matter OF mere
dollars, she Is probably better of as q
purveyor OF the Iuncheons
She Is one Of the women who have been
wise enough TO regard housekeeping abii-
ity as a financial asset. For several years
she has sold this ability to one Of the
largest department stores in Chicago at
good. round figure. She manages two big
restaurants for this store: one for the
general public-chiefy shoppers-the other
for the hundreds of store employees. In
addition. she has organized a restaurant
In the FIRMS wholesale establishment. al
though she does not manage this one
The number of persons served daily in
the public restaurant alone Is 1000 or
more. Miss Gleason not only buys the
food for this army of men and women.
but purchases the linen. dishes. silver,
and flowers. She engages the chefs,
Mattresses. linen-room girls. and other