Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-02-13

and trouble for the street cleaners.
True, the pavement does get a bit
dirty. and the dust blows about, but
cleaning it in dry weather would only
raise worst dust, wouldn't it?
Then as to the method-youthful
prejudice had rather inclined me
to large machinery but when l saw
how nicely a man with a stiff broom
and little cart can keep a whole
block clean if he works hard, had
to change my views. In Reading the
other day l saw an even simpler
method which seems to work equally
well. The cleaner was a lad of IA
or so, and he was using a shovel and
little hand brush. The effect was
much the same as though he had had
whiskbroom and dustpan.
In America people seem to have
gone quite mad over the idea of pro-
tecting their food from outside in
fluences. OF course it is very pleas
ant to reflect that ones own hands
are the first that have ever touched
loaf of bread, but after all it is
purely philosophic pleasure. Here
bread is handled as what it is---mer-
chandise-iust like coal or any other
commodity 1t is delivered un-
wrapped, from an open cart or the
basket in front of a bicycle. OF
course accidents will sometimes hap
pen, and delivery boys will be boys.
Only the other day saw one play
fully hit friend over the head with
our loaf, but he didn't hurt it bit.
Wrapping paper is very expensive
in these days and the United States
wouldn't be in danger of paper
famine IL merchants hadn't been SO
free with it. Here there is real econ
omy and cooperation. Someone once
bought bundle of wrapping paper
and it is still in circulation. Some
times piece will wrap up pair of
shoes; the next time it will protect
the roast for Sunday dinner. II the
butcher can't lay his hands on bit
of this common stock, 1t doesn't mat
ter. yesterdays newspaper will do
just as well.
Another great source OF trouble
and expense at home is this foolish,
ness about bottle milk. Why, the
proposition is self-evident, the most
, economical way to have milk deliv-
cred is to have the milkman pour it
into your own pitcher. II it isn't
handy to go out after it, just leave
the pitcher on the front steps, and he
will do the rest.
Whatever my friends in Washing
ton will think about these little mat
tiers. l am sure they would admire
the way in which every English
householder scrubs the front walk
and steps every morning, and shines
up all the brass about the big front
door. 1t is considered positively i'll
hammered not to present shining
front to the world. True, ! know
from sad experience in lodgings, that
sometimes the parlor isn't done more
than once a month, and that the
kitchen may be bit smelly, but the
intention is what counts after all.
And l never lose sight Of the com
forting reflection that all the other
countries in the world, except our
own, are much worse, though doubt
less il went to them | should be
broad enough to consider that mat
ter of opinion, too.
II is always a great comfort to me
to have my landlady shine my shoe"
every morning before get up, and
she says 1t is a pleasure to her. espe-
cially as she would be in disgrace
with her neighbors il an"one Were
seen coming out OF the house with
dirty shoes. And the means Ct keep.
ing them clean are provided, too.
There are IL doormats attached to
this house, one outside the front
door, and one inside, and the same at
the back, and one outside every room
| in the house, to say nothing OF the
one at the foot Of the stairs.
| In all seriousness l do wish to
commend one sanitary measure
which is enforced in England by COM
mon consent. The English people DO
not spit. They we're SO impressed
during the last century by the rela-
ton between tuberculosis and spit
ting that they quit the nasty habit.
Today it is a positive breach of man
ners to spit on the street. / wonder
II Americans haven't sometimes been
fussy about lesser things and careless
of greater ones. do know that the
! English are the healthiest. ruddiest
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