638 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 25, 
Rearranging the Farm House 
A Study of Household Management 
By A Farmer’s Wife — = 
- Part II.: 
Above the bureau is a dish cupboard, 
and beside it, next to the dining-room 
door, stands the dishwashing machine, 
which has done faithful duty for nearly 
21 years. This machine is a large gal¬ 
vanized ii-on box, fitted with wire racks 
into which the dishes are placed, and 
b^ turning a crank the water is thrown 
over them rapidly and later drawn off 
through a faucet in the bottom. These 
wires need to be taken out once or twice 
a year and the whole thing cleaned, as a 
scum-like substance gradually accumu¬ 
lates upon it. In answer to our in¬ 
quiries regarding the machine, a lot of 
testimonials were sent, among them 
being one by Mrs. T. K. Beecher, sister- 
in-law of the famous Henry Ward Beech¬ 
er, and she described her method of pre¬ 
paring the dishes for the machine, which 
we have always followed. She used a 
whisk broom (we now use a sink brush) 
and dish of hot water, sweeping the dirt 
from the dishes. A moment’s thought 
will show any one that this method is a 
much more rapid way than scraping with 
a knife or even one of the new rubber 
plate scrapers. I never bother to pile 
each size of plates, etc., by themselves, 
but as fast as a few are swept they are 
placed in the machine, where there are 
racks for the different sizes, cups, silver, 
etc. I also put in the lamp chimneys. 
When our family was large the dishes 
were washed after each meal; now that 
it is smaller they are put in, excepting 
silver, and lid closed and left until the 
machine is full, or nearly so. The pro- 
'cess of washing requires about three 
minutes, one for washing, and one-third 
each for two rinsings. The silver and 
chimneys are wiped and rest left to dry. 
If the dishes are not clean do not blame 
the machine; look for the cause and you 
will find it. Perhaps not enough soap 
was used, or the water was not hot 
enough; again some large dishes might 
have been placed so that the water could 
not reach others. The dishwasher will 
give good satisfaction if properly run. 
For soap I slice up a cake of ordinary 
laundry soap, add a couple of heaping 
tablespoons of washing powder, fill the 
basin with cold water and set it where 
it will heat slowly. When hot it is dis¬ 
solved and is set off. This makes a 
jelly-like soap, easily dissolved, and is 
much more convenient for almost all 
uses than a cake. 
And now a word as to the other 
dishes. When preparing a meal it is 
necessary for the worker to be in almost 
constant attendance, and with a dishpan 
of water and tea kettle all ready, it is 
but a moment’s work to wash the differ¬ 
ent cooking utensils as they are emptied. 
By doing this, which really takes so lit¬ 
tle extra effort, when the meal is ready 
to be served, all or nearly all the most 
disagreeable part of the dishwashing is 
done, and afterwards there are left only 
the table dishes. This method seems to 
lighten the drudgery of the housework 
the most of anything I have ever tried ; 
especially will one appreciate it when 
cooking for thrashers, hay-pressers, etc. 
In these cases it is well to begin 15 or 
20 minutes earlier. It means a little 
closer application while in the kitchen, 
but well repays in the time saved. For 
the cooking dishes I find that some one 
of the scouring powders are a great help, 
and also a substance called steel wool, 
which comes in little rolls. A lump of 
this (which looks like curled hair), used 
with a little powder, will scrape a dish 
very readliy. After using, it needs to be 
rinsed and placed where it will dry, 
otherwise it will rust. It comes with 
paint supplies. 
A couple of years ago my husband 
bought a small gasoline engine (two 
horse-power) with which to saw wood. 
Following the example of others in this 
locality, we installed this sturdy little 
helper in the house and find that it has 
revolutionized some parts of our house¬ 
work to no small extent. Before this 
we had never seen any way to a water 
gine, and by the side of it the vacuum 
cleaner upon a little platform. A hole 
was cut through the wall into the pass¬ 
ageway between bedroom and bathroom. 
We bought 50 feet of ordinary garden 
hose, and taking the irons from the 
short hose that came with the cleaner, 
fitted them on to the other, and with 
this hose connected with the cleaner 
system, though we had put in the bath- through this little opening in the wall, 
room several years before, putting a 20- We can go either way and thus clean all 
barrel galvanized tank in one of the the rooms. For the rooms above a hole 
attics, which was filled from the roof, was cut through the ceiling into the 
with an overflow leading to cistern. This hall above; this was cased with a piece 
tank supplied the bathroom with cold of eaves conductor pipe. The hose is 
water, and being adjacent to the kitch- pushed up through this, and we can thus 
on. we could manage the hot water very reach anywhere on the upper floor, and 
easily. There was no water to be piped the cleaner does just as thorough work 
AS IT WAS 
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Washer 
Bath doom Dint ny Room 
THE KITCHEN AND ADJOINING ROOMS. 
to the house without coming a long way, with the 50 feet as with the 10 feet that 
and we were fearful that if we sunk came with it. Not wishing to bother 
another well it would drain the one we with such a long piece of hose for the 
have. After getting the engine, how- nearby room, it was cut once to a length 
ever, we built a large cistern in the just right for the dining-room. The 
cellar. This was made possible by the dealer readily supplied another pair of 
rambling style of the house, producing a irons, taken from a discarded hose, 
large amount of roof space. We then Above the engine was adjusted a long 
bought a small rotary pump, costing 
about $8. Pipes were connected from 
this to both cisterns, and to the tank 
above. This gives us a very liberal sup¬ 
ply of soft water. For all our plumbing 
we are indebted to a neighbor who lives 
on an adjoining farm, and who is a 
great genius. He, together with hus¬ 
band and sons, installed our steam heat, 
bathroom water system and engine. His 
wife and I purchased a vacuum cleaner 
together, which cost us $35. The one 
cleaner does the work of both houses very 
easily. It is an ordinary hand cleaner, 
requiring two persons to operate it. Our 
neighbor, who very correctly styles him¬ 
self “The Handy Man,” removed the 
crank shaft entirely, as it is run with 
an engine in their house as well as in 
ours. 
Referring to the diagrams again, it 
will be seen that out of a porch and 
coal room we made a good-sized room 
adjacent to the kitchen on the left. In 
one corner of this room stands the en- 
piece of gas pipe, reaching across the 
room and extending out of doors several 
feet. This is for a line shaft, and by 
means of this the vacuum cleaner is run 
and also the little pump, the latter being 
in the cellar, the outside door of which 
is in this room. A short shaft was 
fastened to one side of this cellar-way, 
directly under the line shaft above and 
about half way down. On this was 
fastened two pulleys, one of which is 
belted to the shaft above and the other 
to the pump, which stands just inside 
the cellar door. In the corner opposite 
the engine stands the power washer, and 
connects with the engine by a belt direct 
without going to the line shaft. We 
were quite fortunate in having our at¬ 
tention called to this machine, as it is 
the most complete of any I have ever 
seen, and cost no more than the older 
styles, $25. The machine is on one end 
of a platform of about seven feet; this 
leaves enough room for another tub and 
basket. The wringer is so constructed 
that it will operate from machine into 
tub. and vice-versa, and also swing over 
into other side of tub and wring the 
clothes into the basket while the washer 
is working. All this is accomplished 
with pedals. Back of the tub is a drain, 
thus only necessitating turning the tub 
over into it for emptying. For the ma¬ 
chine we use one of the pieces of hose 
used for the cleaner. In putting in the 
water system two pipes were installed, 
leading to the machine from the kitchen, 
each having a gate or cut-off. By this 
means we can run both hot and cold 
water to the machine, and also into tub 
by use of a very short piece of hose, 
connected on to the pipes. Thus it is 
possible to wash indefinitely without rub¬ 
bing the clothes or carrying any water. 
Having had our washing done away from 
the house for about 24 years, we find 
this a great saving in expenses. The 
engine has already paid for itself and 
the washing machine, and being still in 
seemingly good health, I think will, in 
time, pay for the rest of the improve¬ 
ments. We hope to have an ironer, and 
should we stop marketing our milk, we 
have a place for separator and churn. 
I find it very easy to operate the en¬ 
gine. I learned to stop it at first, and 
then to start it. Outside, where the line 
shaft extends, the men are expecting to 
establish a grindstone. This finishes our 
tour of inspection, and I earnestly hope 
that the readers may have gained some 
helpful hints to repay them for the trip. 
Burning Out Chimneys. 
In The R. N.-Y. of Feb. 2Sth, I see a 
paragraph on chimney cleaning. We al¬ 
ways clean our chimneys by burning them 
out with straw, but although we have a 
tin roof we are always careful to choose 
a day when there is no wind to carry 
sparks, and one when the buildings are 
damp. Then when the chimneys are 
burning we go from room to room through 
which the chimney goes—including the 
garret—to keep watch. Sometimes the 
wall-paper scorches around the stove¬ 
pipe hole, or the tin that closes the hole 
gets red hot. Our house is nearly a 
hundred years old and with the large, 
well-built chimneys of those days, and 
taking the precautions I have mentioned, 
we consider it safe to clean the chimneys 
in this manner, in the country. In a 
house built as houses are now, or where 
the house is not isolated, we would not 
wish to run the risk. I was once in a 
house where a chimney got on fire by 
accident from a large open fire on the 
first floor, and in a third-story bedroom 
the supporting prongs of the tin in the 
stovepipe hole melted off, and the tin fell 
to the floor, burning the carpet. Flames 
came from the hole burning a shelf above 
the hole, and a bureau, before the trouble 
in the third-story room was discovered. 
A board held over the hole sent the draft 
and flames up until something more per¬ 
manent could be done. A. ix. w. 
“Woodpile Day.” 
Start the ball rolling for “Woodpile 
Day.” There is no reform so needed to 
make country life endurable for women 
as the sure supply of the year’s wood, 
dry and secure. This especially applies 
to the South. I wrote you of the terrible 
suffering here, and sickness and death 
even among my neighbors, who rarely 
have a week’s wood ahead. J. K. 
There are too many special “days” 
now, but some of the present celebrations 
might well be cut out to make room for 
“Woodpile Day.” Woodpile and water— 
there are the two great necessities for 
kitchen life, and kitchen life holds the 
home together. Are women justified in 
going on a strike when they must use 
green wood and tramp out after water? 
Thousands of men have struck for less 
and then gone home to pose as 
heroes in the eyes of their women folks. 
