56 



GLExVNJ^^GS I>x' UEE CUJ/IUUE. 



Jan. 



ever I come that way please ask me to 

 come and see it. I know there are private 

 homes where these things are managed nice- 

 ly, and even where money is not plentiful, 

 as well as among the rich ; and I have many 

 times inwardly thanked God for these excep- 

 tions. One case of this kind comes to my 

 mind now. It was a minister's home. His 

 salary was not large, and the good wife was 

 obliged to do her own work, even though three 

 little ones claimed her as their mamma. 

 Bat these little ones evidently took as much 

 pride as their mamma did, in being careful 

 and cleanly in all their habits, and in making 

 the best of such accommodations as were to 

 be found in a rented home, and quite an hum- 

 ble one at that. 



Well, how about that invention? Why, it 

 was an invention in this line that made me 

 . pencil down, while riding in the cars, that I 

 liad " just made a great invention." I felt 

 sure then that it was, and I feel sure yet. It 

 would prove so, could humanity be made or 

 induced to fall in with the end to be accom- 

 plished. When I got home I submitted the 

 matter to my wife, before putting it in print, 

 and she pointed out objections that I had 

 overlooked, so I reluctantly kept still about 

 it ; but now I will tell it to you, for it is go- 

 ing to be a factor or step, perhaps, in getting 

 at something which I think is a real im- 

 provement. 



No doubt many of you will ask what is the 

 matter with the dry-dust arrangement— such 

 a one as I mentioned finding at the Agricul- 

 tural College in Michigan. Well, in the first 

 place, even if the dry dust will work splen- 

 idly year after year in such a home as Prof. 

 Cook's, or where you have only intelligent 

 and cultured people, yet years have passed 

 since this was fully explained, and I have not 

 yet found a public jilace where it^was adopt- 

 ed. The traveling public would laugh at 

 you, probably, if you should suggest the idea. 

 They are too impatient, too much in a hurry, 

 and too selfish, perhaps, to bother them- 

 selves over any such matters. 'J he univer- 

 sal system in vogue everywhere seems to be 

 by the use of water, washing away the offen- 

 sive matter as quickly as possible ; and 

 where the traveling public will not take any 

 pains to operate the simple machinery, a 

 hired janitor keeps an eye on the apartment, 

 and keeps every thing in nice order. I pre- 

 sume one of the most difficult points of the 

 problem is to get a faithful hired janitor. I 

 judge it is difficult, because I have heard ho- 

 tel proprietors severely upbraiding the jani- 

 tor because he did not keep things more 



orderly and sweeter-smelling. 1 have also 

 heard the sleeping-car conductors reproving 

 the porters with terrible oaths, because the 

 porters neglected their regular appointed 

 work. And it is not only the public places 

 where these things are neglected, but it is in 

 private and humble homes as well. Dear 

 reader, I hope you will not be offended if I 

 ask, if it is not true that you have, at some 

 time in your life at least, failed to care for 

 these outbuildings as they ought to be cared 

 for. As a rule, I believe our wives have done 

 their part faithfully ; and sometimes when 

 they call attention to the matter, when ur- 

 gent business is crowding, I am afraid we 

 men-folks get a little cross and impatient. 

 Well, in considering these things, and in 

 considering, also, the w^ell-known fact that 

 the contents of these outbuildings make an 

 excellent fertilizer for the garden, I decided 

 on my plan while riding on the cars. The 

 plan was, briefly, this : I wDuld have this 

 necessary outbuilding made much as it is 

 now ; but instead of being under ground I 

 would have it on top of the ground, and have 

 it raised up high enough so that, by opening 

 a door on the back side, or such side as is 

 most cut off from view, an all-metal wheel- 

 barrow, such as^^we picture below, can be 

 pushed under so that the metal box would 

 come in the right position to be loaded up 

 automatically. 



ALL-METAL W^np:ELBAKKOAV. 



Of course, a good layer of dry dust is to be 

 placed on the baiTow, and a barrel or box full 

 in a convenient place, and each member of 

 the family carefullv instructed in regard to 

 the use of this dry dust. AVhen the wheel- 

 barrow is sufficiently full it is simply pull- 

 ed out and run out to the garden, and the 

 contents spaded into the plat of ground that 

 needs enriching. If the good man of the 

 household is an enthusiastic gardener or 

 fruit-grower, no doubt the plan would work 

 nicely The wheelbarrow, as you will no- 

 tice, is all metal. There is not a particle of 

 wood about it. If it should get soiled, how- 

 ever, or if wanted for other purposes, it can 

 be quickly cleansed with boiling water. One 

 objection to the plan is the expense of such 



