Women Make the 
Woman And The Home. 
Homes Make the 
Nation. 
HOW THE RURAL NEW-YORKER'S 
BEST HOUSEWIVES ECONOMIZE. 
System and Common Sense ! 
SPECIAL TO THE CONTESTANTS. 
A CERTAIN on-looker of the other “persuasion” has 
hinted very broadly that there will be no “Economy in 
Friction,” when the awards are made known—or, to put it 
in his own free-and easy words: “ You’ll need to be pre¬ 
pared for a lot of ‘ kicking.’ ” We all know, of course, 
that where there are 100 contestants and only three poor 
little prizes, 97 are going to be disappointed—and that is 
the hard part of it. 
But the Chief Cook has spoken before of her confidence in 
the women of The R. N.-Y. household, and she is sure 
that the fears above-mentioned are groundless for three 
special reasons: First, the papers give evidence that the 
women who wrote them are gentle women in thebe3t sense 
of the word; second, many of the accompanying letters 
have shown a desire to help other house keepers, even 
though the writers should not gain a prize ; third, all are 
to be admitted behind the scenes, that they may realize a 
little of the difficulty of arriving at a just decision. The 
great trouble was that the papers were all so good 1 Nearly 
every one was good enough to publish; perhaps not one 
failed to have something in it that we want—that will help 
others. Over 70 of the papers sent in ranked good, or 
better than good, and nearly a score of these were in the 
“best grade I” Was such a result ever known before in a 
competition ? 
The exact question was: “How do you economize?” 
Several excellent articles were passed by because the 
writers were not brave enough—as one friend brightly 
says—“to exhibit the family skeletons ” for the benefit of 
the rest, and thus their papers were made “essays” on 
economy in the abstract. The Arkansas paper might 
perhaps have taken first prize but for this defect. The 
articles published have been selected (aside from those 
taking the prizes) not as absolutely the best, but as em¬ 
bodying the most varied ideas. It will be noticed that 
most of them are such as every housewife can apply to her 
own work. 
Of one other thing the Chief Cook feels sure, viz., that 
every woman will sympathize with her wish that one of 
the prizes might have gone to the brave woman who, 
after losing everything in a cyclone, can still say cheerily 
to her sister women : “Take life cheerfully, always look¬ 
ing on the bright side; there is seldom anything so bad 
that it might not be worse.” 
A very pleasant part of the competition has been the 
evident pleasure with which the different friends have 
told the stories of their victories over circumstances. 
The Chief Cook thanks you all, heartily, for your interest 
and help. _ 
FIRST PRIZE ARTICLE. 
MRS. E. C. GILLETT. 
I AM a farmer’s wife, with six in the family most of the 
year. The farm is not yet entirely our own, and how 
to economize is a theme of daily thought. 
To economize in time I have a plan for each week’s 
work. I arrange on Monday what should be accomplished 
during the week, and set my stakes accordingly. I find it 
unwise to make arbitrary plans, for the best are liable to 
interruptions. I get materials ready for breakfast the pre¬ 
vious night; fuel and water in their places, the table set 
and the fire laid, as wood is used; and so can have time for 
a comfortable toilet,and yet have breakfast on the table in 
season. Promptness in serving meals saves time. During 
the day, as I have found the minutes make hours, I try to 
waste none, though resting is not considered wasting. 
Filling the wood-box between times, washing and putting 
away the articles used in baking while watching the 
cooking, keeping as well as making the kitchen clean and 
doing the most needful duties first, all help to save mo¬ 
ments. Among my helpful tools are a swing churn, butter 
worker, oil stove, cherry stoner, egg beater, and Henis 
strainer. 
In saving steps, the old rule: “ Let your brains save 
your heels,” is always of use. Work-table, stove, fuel and 
plenty of soft water near each other, save me steps every 
day. When going down cellar for anything, I take what 
should go and save one trip. When baking I gather to¬ 
gether the materials before commencing, and on sweeping 
days I do the work thoroughly because it is much easier 
to keep a room neat afterwards. A broom, dusters and 
dust-pan in more than one part of the house are necessary. 
In sewing also, steps are saved by collecting the tools 
first. I have a convenient work basket made of three 
broom handles, wired together, holding a basket large 
enough to contain work and tools, which can be carried to 
any room. 
Saving friction is, 1 think, the most important part of 
domestic economy. The less friction developed in house¬ 
keeping the longer everybody and everything last. “ I 
have learned by experience” how to avoid some of it. Hurry 
and worry cause friction, so I try to carry only to-day’s 
faggots to-day. Consideration, especially where there is 
hired help in the kitchen, is an oil worth using. When 
washing or ironing is on hand I try to keep my temper if 
everything is not to my mind. When a snarl seems 
coming, or a thousand and one things have to be done at 
the same time, and friction is inevitable, stopping a mo¬ 
ment to consider what difference it will make 100 years 
hence whether that particular partis done to-day, to-mor¬ 
row, or next week often helps to oil the cogs. An inflexible 
will in housekeeping will make friction and one of the 
best mottoes I know is, “Even Christ pleased not him¬ 
self.” 
To save money and materials, I find it well, before pur¬ 
chasing, to make two lists, the “ wants ” and the “ must- 
haves.” This saves money every time. An account kept 
of each penny possessed and paid out, keeps expenditures 
in plain sight and aids in economy. I do not consider it 
economy to go without papers. The Rural and other 
papers must make weekly visits to keep one’s brain from 
rusting; reading often gives to a farmer’s busy wife the 
needful change which the eyes cannot go from home to 
obtain. 
Experience has taught me these economies in materials. 
Granulated sugar is cheapest. 
The best molasses is as dear as sugar. • 
Icing and fancy cakes are expensive. 
Icings made with milk are cheapest. 
Bake layer cakes in dripping-pan and divide afterward. 
Good cookies keep best. 
Pies are cheaper than puddings. 
Grated pumpkin will cook while preparing crust. 
A tablespoonful of corn starch equals one egg in pump¬ 
kin pies. 
Mock mince pies are healthiest. 
It takes more time to make knick-knacks than sub¬ 
stantial. 
A pot-roast is the cheapest beef if cooked while baking. 
Puddings steamed hours take too much fuel; fuel is 
worth saving. 
Cheap food requiring long cooking is not cheap. 
Peas, beans, asparagus and celery cook tender sooner 
when a little soda is added. Druggists’ bi carbonate of 
soda is best. 
Potatoes keep bread moist. 
Dampened corn meal on a carpet prevents dust in sweep- 
ing. 
I make my own dresses and find paper patterns a good 
help. Good materials, quiet colors, and modest styles serve 
best, and do not need frequent changing. 
In fact, in each duty I try to remember: “ Economy is a 
virtue,” but “Parsimony is a vice.” 
Yates Co., N. Y. _ 
SECOND PRIZE ARTICLE. 
GERALDINE GERMANE. 
I ECONOMIZE in time by having places for things 
and having things in their places, by having times for 
doing things and doing things in their times ; by having 
my three times 365 meals in the year as plain and simple as 
possible without interfering with the health and happiness 
of my household, preferring to depend upon changes in 
meals for variety instead of changes in varieties for meals; 
by having the every-day garments for myself and children 
made of durable materials, without ruffles or trimmings, 
so that it does not take longer to make, wash and iron the 
latter than it does the garment itself, and by mending my 
clothes before, instead of after they are washed, even if I 
have to take Monday for a mending instead of a washing 
day. 
I economize in steps by having pure spring water run¬ 
ning through a pipe into my kitchen; by having my fire¬ 
wood in a wood-house adjoining with a door near the cook 
stove opening Into it; by keeping my wash-tubs, boiler, 
wash-board, wringer, soap and starch in the room in which 
I do my washing; by standing folding clothes-bars at the 
end of my ironing-table, on which to hang the freshly ironed 
clothes to dry until they are ready to be hung in closets 
and laid in drawers; by having a closet opening from my 
kitchen, in which are kept flat-irons, ironing-boards, hold¬ 
ers, wax and ironing cloths, and in which are hung the 
newly laundered garments for every-day wear ; by doing 
my mixing and kneading in a Store-room leading from the 
kitchen, in which are kept flour, sugar, molasses, eggs, 
butter, lard, soda, cream-of-tartar, baking-powder, spices, 
kneading-board, rolling-pin and baking tins; by having a 
cupboard made in the wall between my dining-room and 
kitchen with two doors in the upper part, one opening into 
each room, from which the table can be set in the former 
and the soiled dishes placed on a shelf nearly on a level 
with a sink in the latter, from which they can be washed, 
wiped, and put in their places without taking a step ; by 
using the lower part, opening only into the kitchen, for a 
place to keep my pots, kettles, frying-pans and stew pans ; 
by having my inside cellar door open from the kitchen in¬ 
stead of the dining or living room; by having kitchen stairs 
leading to that part of the chamber in which are kept dried 
fruit, dried corn, herbs, feathers, etc.; by thinking of all 
the things I want to take or bring whenever I have to go 
up stairs, down cellar or in a part of the house not near my 
work, and carrying them all at one time instead of making 
a trip for each one; by having my vegetable garden near an 
outside kitchen door, so that upon it I can throw slops and 
suds and from it gather salads, fruits, greens and vegeta¬ 
bles with few steps. 
I economize in friction by attending to my own house¬ 
hold affairs instead of to my neighbor’s; by not inter¬ 
fering with my husband’s business when I know that my 
opinion is not desired, and that it will not in any way 
change his plans or his work; by not expecting perfection 
or impossibilities of any of the members of my household ; 
by providing each and all, excepting the babies, with a room 
of their own, in which they are expected to put and keep 
in order their personal belongings; by having a play-room 
for the little ones, where they are taught to gather up and 
put away their toys and playthings, and by teaching them 
to hang up their coats and caps and put away their mit¬ 
tens when they come in from out-of-doors. 
I economize in money and materials by avoiding ex¬ 
travagant recipes; by cooking and ordering my house¬ 
keeping arrangements for the health and comfort of my 
family instead of for the sake of keeping even with or ahead 
of my neighbors; by drying and canning my own fruits 
and vegetables; by raising and making my own sauces 
and pickles ; by purchasing flour, meal and sugar by the 
barrel and othtr groceries, and, when possible, dry goods, 
by the quantity at wholesale prices; by using all the rem¬ 
nants of meats that can be so used, in made-over and 
warmed-over dishes for the table, and saving what is not 
eatable with parings and refuse from vegetables to feed 
the cows and hens; by mending garments, sheets and 
table linen as soon as they are worn or torn ; by making 
over garments and using those outgrown by one child for 
the next in succession ; by being my own tinker and 
mending my own lamps and tinware. 
McKean County, Pa. 
THIRD PRIZE ARTICLE. 
ESTELLE MILLER. 
N OT many years have passed since to me came the duty 
of home making, but quite enough to teach the 
lesson of needful, wise economy. 
In our home the economy of time is an important mat¬ 
ter ; systematic planning of work we find the greatest aid. 
Plans are perfected at night for the work I hope to accom¬ 
plish the next day; fires are made ready for instant light¬ 
ing, bread is kneaded, everything possible is prepared for 
the morning meal, and before retiring the house Is put in 
order: only a few minutes are required, but it saves in 
the morning time needed for other duties, and prevents 
the helter-skelter look so distressing. On the busiest days 
the dishes are washed, thoroughly rinsed in hot water, 
and turned down on a tray on a soft cloth : and by the 
time the glass, silver and milk utensils are washed and 
wiped, the dishes are dry and shining. 
With the plan of work in mind, I aim to “ kill two (or 
more) birds with every stone” and every trip to chamber 
or front room has a two fold purpose. One visit to the 
cellar brings, if possible, everything needed for use that 
forenoon, in baking and preparing dinner. A tablet 
hangs convenient, on which are noted needed supplies in 
all departments ; when going to the stores a glance shows 
just what is required—nothing is forgotten and the supply 
is never exhausted. Stale bread, remnants of potato, bits 
of meat, etc., reappear in many ways tempting to the eye, 
and are much relished. Bread crumbs soaked in sweet 
milk, by addition of eggs, butter and powder, emerge 
tender griddle cakes. Potatoes are prepared in the same 
manner as oysters, either cooked or raw, and as escalloped 
potatoes, form an appetizing tea-dish. From cold mashed 
potato is prepared a delicate potato puff, by adding eggs, 
a little butter and a little milk, if needed to make smooth; 
all is beaten thoroughly and baked quickly. Occasionally 
one-third of a cake mixture is baked in two layers, and 
each is cut in two, making half a cake of four layers, the 
remainder, after the addition of more butter, raisins, 
citron, or nut-meats, is baked in a deep loaf. At other 
times a layer cake is put together, one-half with one kind 
of filling the other with another kind, forming two dis¬ 
tinct varieties. 
My discarded dresses do double service : the worsted 
as covers for comforters, the cotton as aprons or skirts 
for morning wear. Sheets by turning are made to wear 
much longer. A strip of washable material basted across 
the upper end of comfortables, easily removed when 
soiled, defers the laundrying of the cover, and preserves 
it from wear. By a well fitting pattern, worn hose are cut 
over, and wear thrice the time they did originally. For 
ordinary crockery and tins old bed ticking makes acceptable 
(Continued on next page.) 
In writing to advertisers, please mention The R. N.-Y. 
Packer’s 
Cutaneous Charm 
SOOTHES AND 
For ECZEMA, 
SALT-RHEUM, 
SCALD-HEAD, 
FROST-BITES, 
CONTUSIONS, Etc. 
HE ALS LIKE MAGIC! 
The Children’s Panacea. — Amy 
D Brewster, Hannibal. N. Y., writes: 
“ I have used Packer’s Cutaneous 
Charm for twelve years in my family^ 
and can truthfully say it is the best and 
safest preparation I have ever found for 
keeping the skin soft and smooth. For 
Salt Rheum it has no equal and it is the 
children’s panacea for all external ills.” 
35 cents per bottle. All Druggists, or 35 cents, postage paid. 
THE PACKER MFG. CO., 100 Fulton St., N. Y. 
