The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-03
When Memory Fails
By a Modern Housekeeper.
EVER before have we heard 80
" much about efficiency" and

system IN nome management
and never before has there been such
great need of them.
In this age of hurry and progress,
more and more is demanded of mother,
the housekeeper and homemaker, and
she must make every effort count She
is wisely coming to the conclusion that
it is to her own interest to manage her
home affairs as Systematically as her
husband runs his business. She has
ceased trying to remember everything
and is keeping record in black and
white, Of the important things Then
she has proof if any question arises.
The haphazard way of writing let
ters, both personal and business, has
caused much worry and often serious
Inconvenience to the writer of them,
simply because she has used neither
method nor system. l originated for my
own use this system which has stood
the test for years, and has saved me
worry, time and money.
System In Correspondence.
My desk has two large drawers de-
voted to correspondence. AS soon as
letter is received and read, place it
in drawer number one until time to an
swer it. In the meantime, if l think
of anything important that l want to
mention to this particular person, l
do not tax my memory-perhaps for
weeks-but just when I think of it, iot
down the suggestion ON the back of
the envelope containing the letter. This
serves the double purpose of making it
impossible for me to forget it when /
answer the letter, and may save me the
embarrassment of writing the same in
cident twice to one person. Months
afterward by referring to the back Of
letter / can see if have told eer-
tain thing or not.
When letters are answered, I imme-
diately put them in drawer number two
and "to make assurance doubly sure"
write on the front of the envelope "an-
swered October l, or February 10. None
of my correspondents dare question my
word in the face of all this proof, when
! say / have answered letter.
I would not do these things-no wo-
man would-if pencil, paper, notebook
and letters were lot all conveniently
arranged in place easily accessible.
Lacking the dask, table drawer will
answer the purpose just as well.
Copy Business Letters.
Never send out business Letter or an
order for goods without making dup
licate. A sheet Of carbon paper is
easily inserted under the page on which
you are writing and you have the proof
if your order is disputed.
Save drawer or part Of drawer
for bills and receipts, and put them
away Immediately after receiving them.
Keeping receipt from the manager Of
daily newspaper, recently saved me
five dollars.
The "notebook habit" is an excel
lent one to form. Do not be guilty Of
using the margins of newspapers for
memoranda. The paper is sure to be
misplaced when you most need it. Five
cent books serve the purpose as well
as the more expensive ones. Keep
one, with pencil attached, inside the
door of the kitchen cupboard. Then
when you see the sugar bin is almost
empty or when you begin on the last
box of matches, write "sugar" or
"matches on the want list. If you do
this whom you first think Of it, instead
of waiting to make out the entire list
when someone starts to town, it will be
:. relief to the whole family, as well as
to the clerk at the grocery.
A good business principle and one
used in all reliable stores and offices is
--"Don t trust your memory"
Another small notebook in my desk
is devoted to Christmas lists. For years
l have kept list of gifts both received
and sent out. 1t only takes a moment
to write them down, then if I have
made sweeping cap for Martha last
Christmas, I do not make her think