Norwich bulletin., 1918-07-19

CWritten Specially for The Bulletin.) There's a good deal to be said, first and last, about this question of mod ern conveniences" in the farm house. To begin with, not everyone may agree in the exact definition of those things. What seem everyday matters to one may be real luxuries to ano- ther. And what seem impossible lux uries to one may be common kitchen arrangements in a different house.
 suppose, though, that modern conveniences" are generally held to include such things as hot and cold water on tap, a furnace or steam heater in the cellar, a hath room and, probably, electric lights for house and barns.
 No doubt many other things might properly be included A small motor to run the washing machine. sewing machine, etc, would certainly be con- venient Dumb walters to facilitate the lifting of supplies from the cellar to the kitchen would save many steps and much lugging. Automatic dish washers of course are handy things. A hooded-in cooking range saves the rest of the house from some smoke and unpleasant odors. And so on. There are dozens of real conveniences which any working housewife could name. the adoption Of which would tighten her labors.
 But still, I think the fact remains that hot and cold water on tap, bath room and a cellar heater are the main things intended by the phrase mod ern eonvenienCes."
 We'll, now. are they or are they not worth while in the average New Eng land farmhouse? Are they practic- able?
 Do they always prove to be real con veniences, or are they, sometimes pernickety and bothersorne irrations?
 As I remarked at the outset there's a good deal to said on both sides ir that matter
 Take, to begin with, the running hot and cold water That necessitates constant supply from some out doors source. elevated above the house enough to provide ample head. Pip ing, of course and faucets, traps, etc. throughout the house and an ade quate and always open outlet for the waste to escape. It also requires z special heater on the range.
 Now it is unquestionable that tho more traps ard pipes and joints ant faucets and such things there are, the wider is the chance for leakage ant the larger opportunity for breakage In the city. if anything goes wrong with the plumbing. why, there's . plumber next street who can fix it up The average farm house, on the othel hand, is anywhere from five to f1fteeI miles from a plumber It takes long time for him to get to the scene Of d break, and costs about double il the way of time and labor to repai it
 Furthermore, the likelihood of some thing going wrong with the farm house plant is much greater than il the city. Necessarily, each farm house must have it's own water sup ply. used only by it's own occupants This means that the water is no moving all ;he time in the small pipe as it Is in the big city mains. Thereb the danger of clogging and corrosio is measurably increased.
 On ton, of which comes the wors risk of all, that of the pipes freezing either in the house or outside of i during exceptional winter weather A neighbor of mine, who had occasio to do some digging last winter foun the ground frozen solid as a rock t the depth of over five feet. To la fifty or a hundred rods of pipe nor
 than five feet below the surface, 8 present rates of labor, would requir the farmer who paid for it to mort gage his farm to raise the funds. Ye if this neighbor had had a water pip laid less than five feet deep, it woul have frozen and burst last winter is not pleasant to think of what tn digging and repairing such brea would mean.
 The danger is quite as great insid