The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-16
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

At Montevallo each girl plans, cooks and serves a simple attractive, whole some and economical meal. Each gir cleans and keeps in order her desk, cup
 board and stove, and helps in turn ir keeping the kitchen clean. Not only does she do this, but girl: plan the furnishing (wall and floor cover | ing), arrangement of and utensils used 1T an efficient kitchen. Work of each girl observed and. time and steps taken in preparation of meal in the efficient kitchen noted
 Labor saving devices are noted and in stalled. I was greatly pleased to note how clean, airy and comfortable was the room In which the girls were cooking. Nc 1 girl who ever cooked under such condi- 1 tions will ever go home to cook in a kitchen that isn't sanitary and whole some.
 Foods, source, preparation for market composition, nutritlve values, digestibility, selection, cost and methods of prepara- ton in the home. Preservation of com nion fruits and vegetables. Planning and serving of simple and elaborate meals, according to standard require ments are all part of the work. Each girl plans varied and balanced, menus for one week for family of four, accord . ing to a certain dietary standard. one dollar being allowed for the meals per day. Each girl acts as host or hostess, waitress and cook for the above meals. Each girl must be hostess at dinner for six She plans, cooks and serves the entire meal herself.
 Mrs. Mathis, her daughter, Mrs. Ker- shaw, Dr. and Mrs Palmer, my wife and I took and greatly enjoyed this course. It was a course dinner served most daintily. Miss Dorothy Caldwell was host. Just think of a pretty girl play ing the man. Miss Overton Peterson was the lovely hostess. Misses Foster and Cook were the charming waitresses. The meal was served in an attractive and we'll lighted dining room. The table linen, silver and other appointments were tasty. and the flowers added home likeness that made it altogether a very pleasant occasion. (The cost was 30 cents per plate).
 This low cost will shock some of our hotels and cafes. Mrs. Mathis had paid 15 cents for an Irish potato. I wrote 1t up and someone sent me a clipping, showing he had paid 25 cents for one on xxyI,r ic ityu+ hoa a from New York, said he had been charged 40 cents for a pot of coffee by one of the big hotels. Now it's service you pay for in one of the big hotels.
 I understand that one of the popular restaurants in Gotham makes a charge of s1 plate for service If you feel economical and order 8 sandwich, the first thing on your bill will be the dol lar, and then the sandwich is sand wiched between it and the receipt. In the old days when I was student in the Latin quarter in Paris, l had to pay penny for the use of napkin. Service come high.
 Just to show you what can be done and not to knock any of our cafes UT hotels, for I really thing Birmingham Is fortunate in having so many places where palatable food is served so appe- tzing at moderate prices. The scoring shows that most of them are clean and sanitary.
 Here comes the cheapest bill of fare offered in Alabama:
 The classes plan A different menns from four common foods, meat, potatoes, apples, cabbage One menu thus planned is:
 Larded Fillets.
 Riced Potatoes Scolloped Cabbage
 Bread Sticks Butter
 Baked Apples
 They find at least Il different ways of preparing the four common foods. Cost, [ cents per person
 The class prepares menus from com- mercially prepared and home prepared foods and compare cost. One menu served Boiled ham, mustard; candied po- tatoes cold slaw, rolls, canned peaches, vanilla wafers commercial cost, l5 cents per person. home prepared cost, Il cents per person.
 The home prepared meal was not only cheaper (time and labor considered) but it was more appetizing and attractive and better favored.
 Boys, some of you have laughingly said I'm going to marry cook" don't know whether any of the capable young women saw at Montevallo are still fancy free, but believe me, the bachelor who passes them up is missing the opportunity of lifetime. I came home with the firm conviction that the work of the Alabama Girls Technical institute at Montevallo Is fit ting girls thoroughly for home duties and also for leadership in social and re- sponsible life of their communities. 
 President Palmer and his charming and capable wife are peculiarly fitted for the work they are doing so well. greatly appreciate the following from a letter from Dr. Palmer:
 'I hope you can come to see us again. We greatly enjoyed your talk and Mrs. Mathis addresses. She is wonderful woman and The Age Herald deserves the thanks of our people at large for arrang ing these trips for her
 1 The friends of Mrs. Mathis will, TIC doubt be glad to learn that she had a