The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
599 
\ 
Among  the  Oil  Fields  of  Oklahoma 
Severe  illness  in  my  daughter's  family 
made  it  necessary  that  I  spend  two  weeks 
at  her  home,  which  at  present  is  in  one  of 
the  leading  oil  fields  of  Central  Oklahoma, 
The  abrupt  change  from  our  quiet  little 
college  town,  nestled  among  the  hills  in 
secluded  Eastern  Oklahoma,  to  a  real 
“live  -  wire”  community,  which,  although 
five  miles  from  a  railroad  town,  is  con¬ 
tinually  on  the  move,  awakens  one  to 
the  fact  that  one-half  the  world  is  not 
aware  of  what  their  neighbors  are  doing 
Mv  daughter  teaches  in  one  of  the  mod¬ 
ern,  up-to-date  rural  schools,  for  which 
the  wealthier  oil  sections  of  the  State  are 
noted.  This  school  is  one  of  the  most 
modern  in  the  State,  and,  no  doubt,  in  the 
West.  It  is  not  only  modern  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  but  the  ideals  are 
high;  there  is  a  splendid  band,  orchestra, 
ball  teams,  debating  society,  etc.,  in  the 
school,  and  each  branch  is  pushing  for¬ 
ward  at  a  rapid  stride. 
However,  it  is  of  the  homes  and  home 
life  that  I  would  speak,  also  the  splendid 
community  spirit  that  is  manifested  on 
every  side.  The  community  is  composed 
chiefly  of  people  who  work  for  the  oil 
companies.  Very  few  of  them  own  their 
homes.  Some  move  often,  while  others 
refnain  on  the  same  job  for  years.  All 
of  the  men  draw  good  wages,  yet  few  are 
saving  a  dime  for  the  days  when  they 
can  no  longer  work.  I  talked  with  women 
with  very  sinall  families  whose  husbands 
<lraw  good  pay,  yet  it  required  the  full 
amount  to  meet  expenses.  I  did  not  win¬ 
der  at  this  when  I  saw  how  they  live. 
Most  of  them  keep  cars,  and  they  keep* 
them  to  use,  not  as  a  luxury.  Many  of 
the  women  go  to  town  every  day.  Prac¬ 
tically  all  <>f  the  women  drive  their  own 
cars.  Few  of  them  are  handicapped  with 
large  families;  they  don’t  have  time  to  rear 
half  a  dozen  children.  Everyone  dresses 
well.  The  women  do  little  outside  work; 
they  merely  look  after  the  house,  then 
get  out  and  wear  off  the  monotony  by 
driving  to  town,  to  some  community  meet¬ 
ing  or  to  the  country  store.  Sometimes 
several  families  gather  at  the  country 
store  after  supper  and  enjoy  themselves; 
at  least,  that  is  what  they  term  it,  al¬ 
though  I.  feel  that  there  can  be  no  greater 
enjoyment  than  a  quiet  evening  at  home 
with  the  family  gathered  about  the  fire¬ 
side. 
The  housework  doesn’t  amount  to  much, 
since  a  large  part  of  the  food  is  from  the 
store,  such  as  cookies,  fruits,  bread,  etc. 
Everyone-  has  free  lights  and  gas  for 
•  •coking  and  heating  purposes,  yet  if  the 
housewife  feels  indisposed  to  make  bread 
for  dinner,  she  merely  dons  her  wraps, 
gets  in  her  car  and  drives  to  the  store  for 
the  needed  supply.  How  shocking  this 
plan  would  seem  to  the  old-time  house¬ 
wives  in  my  home  neighborhood,  where 
practically  every  bit  of -food  is  not  only 
prepared,  but  is  produced  at  home ! 
There  are  few’ fruit  trees  growing  in 
the  oil  fields,  yet  all  sorts  of  fruits  are 
kept,  even  in  the  country  stores,  and  the 
children  have  their  appetites  petted  until 
more  than  one  mother  frettingly  told  me 
that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  prepare 
anything  which  her  children  would  eat 
for  lunch.  My  mind  reverts  back  to  num¬ 
bers  of  country  children  who  hardly  see 
an  orange,  banana,  etc.,  except  during  the 
holidays,  While  here  so  mfany  were  wasted. 
There  were  free  trucks  for  transporting 
the  children  to  and  from  school,  yet 
many  parents  took  their  children  them¬ 
selves  rather  than  have  them  ride  in  the, 
crowded  school  vans,  . 
Wonderful,  indeed,  are  the  changes  that 
great  wealth  brings  to  any  section,  but 
here,  as  too  often  is  the  case,  is  the  mis¬ 
fortune  of  having  all  of  the  wealth  be¬ 
longing  to  few  while  hundreds  of  others 
have  no  homes.  They  are  living  the  fast 
life,  but,  after  all,  isn’t  the  simple,  sweet 
home  life  more  to  be  desired? 
MRS.  I.ILf.IK  YORK. 
Old-fashioned  Bread 
The  day  before  the  bread  is  to  be  baked 
take  three  tablespoons  of  granulated  corn- 
meal  and  scald  with  %  cup  of  boiling 
sweet  milk,  stirring  thoroughly.  To  heat 
the  milk  scald  a  long  time  in  a  double 
boiler.  This  should  be  done  about  noon. 
Hover  the  dish  of  scalded  meal  and  keep 
warm  on  the  back  of  stove.  In  the  morn¬ 
ing  the  meal  will  be  light  and  foamy,  if 
it  has  “soured.”  Use  this  for  yeast. 
To  make  the  bread  take  one  quart  of 
water,  four  tablespoons  of  .shortening, 
three  tablespoons  of  sugar,  one-half  tea¬ 
spoon  of  salt  and  one-half  teaspoon  of 
soda.  Dissolve  the  shortening,  salt  and 
sugar  in  the  warm  water,  and  turn  over 
a  quantity  of  flour.  Dissolve  the  soda  in 
a  little  warm  water,  stir  into  the  meal 
and  add  to  the  bread  dough,  beating  thor¬ 
oughly.  Mix  to  a  stiff  batter,  but  this 
should  not  be  as  stiff  as  bread  made  with 
compressed  yeast.  Set  the  dough  in  a 
warm  place  around  the  stove  to  rise. 
The  secret  of  success  with  this  bread  is 
to  keep  it  warm  and  of  the  same  tempera¬ 
ture  all  the  time.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
warm  the  flour  before  mixing.  When  bat¬ 
ter  is  light,  stir  down,  add  one-fourth 
teaspoon  of  soda  dissolved  in  a  little 
warm  water,  and  a  little  more  flour.  Let 
rise  again,  then  turn  into  tins  after  stir¬ 
ring  down  again.  After  the  bread  is 
light  in  the  tins,  bake  in  a  quick  oven 
for  one  hour. 
When  the  dough  is  placed  in  the  tins 
it  should  be  stiff  enough  to  cut  off  the 
spoon  with  a  knife,  but  should  not  be 
molded  on  the- hoard.  More  or  less  water 
or  part  milk  can  be  used  with  this  amount 
of-  scalded  meal.  Good  graham  bread. 
may  be  made  by-  taking  some  of  the-  thin 
batter  and  stirring  in  graham  flour.  Add¬ 
ing  more  sugar  to  the  graharn  bread  im¬ 
proves  it. 
Wheat  bread  jnade  in  this  way  makes 
very  'good  ’  toast,  it  being  much  better  fm 
invalids  than  toast  made  from  yehst 
bread,  as  it  will  not  create  gas  in  the 
stomach,  as  yeast  bread  sometimes  dims. 
I  know  of  several  invalids  who  have  bgbn 
hble  to  eat  toast  made  from  fbls^read 
when  the  yeast  bread  toast  did  nbUagnee 
with  them.  This'  brehd'  is  also  very  nice 
for  dressing  for  roasted  chicken  or  turkey, 
it  being  of  a  differefit  texture  from  yeast 
bread.  -  ;  :  R.'vr. 
The  Hot  Lunch  in  the  One-room  School 
•So  often  the  children  of  the  little 
school  out  in  the  country  envy  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  the  consolidated  schools  becajjse 
of  the  hot  lunch  served  there  at  the  noon 
hour.  The  teacher  and  patrons  alike 
often  feel  that  there  is  no  opportunity  to 
give  a  hot  dish  to  the  few  children  in  the 
rural  districts.  If  the  hot  lunch  is  gob  I 
for  many,  it  is  certainly  as  good  £%*  the 
few,  and  some  little  ode-room  schuoTs  with 
a  bright  teacher  and  wideawake-  patrons 
have  overcome  all  obstacles,  amUarij  serv¬ 
ing  a  hot  dish  to  the  children  at  the  noon 
hour  during  the  cold  Winter  months. 
The  equipment  needed  is  almost  neg¬ 
ligible,  from  a  financial  standpoint.  The 
children  may  furnish  their  own  articles 
from  home.  All  that  is  necessary  to  buy. 
beg,  or  borrow  is  a  little  oil  stove,  a  kettle 
for  soup  and  a  long-handled  ladle.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  Winter  many  farm  women  do  hoi 
use  their  oil  stoves  at  all,  and  in  some 
instances  have  been  willing  to  loan  them 
to  the  school  for  the  time  needed.  If 
money  is  the  main  hold-back,  and  a  stove 
must  be  purchased,  a  one-burner  one  will 
do,  and  there  are  ways  a  determined 
teacher  can  devise  to  earn  oye. 
One  school  I  know  of  held  a  box  social 
during  the  Fall,  and  with  the  proceeds 
purchased  a  second-hand,  but  good,  oil 
stove  and  a  soup  kettle,  also  a  dishpan. 
That  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  buy.  as 
parents  are  usually  more,  than  willing  to 
let  their  children  take  a  bowl  or  aluminum 
cup  and  a  spoon  from  home.  Parents  are 
realizing  more  and  more  the  value  to  the 
children  of  a  hot  article  of  food  at  the 
noon  hour  on  a  cold,  wintry  day. 
It  is  the  observation  of  the  teachers 
where  these  hot  lunches  are  served  that 
these  children  really  do  better  work  more 
easily  of  the  afternoons.  For  one  -thing, 
they  sit  down  and  eat  their  food,  masti 
cate  it.  not  bolt  it  and  run,  as  they  do 
when  they  take  out  an  often  unappetiz 
ihg  cold  lunch  on  a  still  colder  day;  Then, 
'too,  it  makes  them  feel  better  insifle,  giv¬ 
ing  them  that  satisfied  feeling.  Mothers, 
if  you  do  not  believe  it,  just  try,  you  and 
the  father;  some  time  next  Winter  when 
the  children  are  at  school,  eating  for  a 
few  days  even  a  cold  lunch,  and  having 
to  be  out  in  the  cold  about  your  work, 
too  ! 
Now,  what  to  serve  will  probably  be 
the  question ;  also  how  to  get  the  ma¬ 
terial.  Soup,  or  cocoa  alone  makes  a 
satisfying  hot  dish.  It  would  not  be 
feasible  to  try  to  serve  more  than  one 
article,  and  not  necessary  as  far  as  the 
main  purpose  to  be  secured  is  concerned. 
Vegetable  soup,  tomato f  soup,  bean  soup, 
corn  soup,  or  noodles  are  good — some¬ 
times  just  cocoa.  The  material  for  these 
is  furnished  by  the  patrons,  either  from 
their  own  canned  supplies  or  from  the  I 
store. 
For  instance,  one  day  it  is  to  be  to¬ 
mato  soup.  Two  or  three  children  will 
bring  a  can  of  tomatoes,  depending  on 
how  many  to  be  fed.  That  part  will  soon 
regulate  itself.  One  or  two  will  furnish 
milk,  and  one  a  little  butter;  there  will 
be  a  small  supply  of  sugar,  salt  and  pep¬ 
per,  etc.,  kept  at  the  school.  A  small  tax 
of  one  cent  per  week  per  child  will  fur¬ 
nish  enough  money  for  all  things  neces¬ 
sary  to  purchase  occasionally. 
The  teacher  will  see  to  it,  of  course, 
that  all  supplies  are  rotated  among  the 
pupils,  thus  making  no  one  family  furnish 
more  than  twice  a  week,  unless  it  is  a 
very  small  school  or  an  unusually  large 
number  of  children  from  some  one  family, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case.  The  teacher 
will  do  her  share  of  contributing,  never 
fear. 
The  older  girls,  and  boys,  too,  will  help 
prepare  the  lunch,  and  all  should  take 
turns  serving  it.  This  is  good  training 
for  boys  and  girls  alike.  This  one'  hot 
dish  may  be  supplemented  by  sandwiches 
and  fruit,  especially  when  only  hot  cocoa 
is  served,  or  cookies  and  a  good,  simple 
cake,  or  some  good  homemade  candy  oc¬ 
casionally  for  a  sweet.  For  soup  the 
children  usually  like  crackers  with  it,  and 
should  have  a  handful  in  the  lunch. 
The  willing  co-operation  of  the  patrons, 
especially  the  mothers,  is  necessary  to 
carry  this  project  through  successfully 
For  this  reason  the  teacher  wishing  to 
serve  a  hot  lunch  next  Winter  should 
canvass  her  patrons  in  regard  to  it.  Have  j 
a  frank,  kindly  talk  with  them.  Some 
may  be  a  little  skeptical  at  first,  so  that 
two  or  more  tactful  visits  are  necessary 
to  win  their  aid.  Let  not  the  teacher  be 
discouraged ;  she  can  win. 
Then,  again,  it,  may  be  the  patrons  who 
wish  the  hot  lunch.  They  must  visit  and 
get  the  co-operation  of  their  teacher.  If  j. 
the  teacher  and  some  of  the  patrons  have  > 
the  stamina  to  go  ahead,  the  doubtful 
ones  will  finally  come  round  all  right..,  es¬ 
pecially  if  invited  to  visit  the  school  and 
stay  for  lunch  with  the  children,  who 
jenjoy  this  happy  social  hour  together. 
Choose  dentifrices 
as  carefully 
as  you  cull  poultry 
Yes,  Madam , 
that  is  the 
Safe  Dentifrice1 
UNPROFITABLE  Kens  or  “boarder- 
cows”  are  now-a-days  culled  out. 
The  scrub  passes — the  pure-bred  remains. 
You  choose  with  utmost  care.  Your  flocks 
and  herds  improve,  and  therefore  you 
benefit. 
Choose  with  equal  care  the  dentifrice 
for  family  use.  Good  teeth  mean  good 
health.  If  you  care  for  your  health,  care 
for  your  teeth  with  Colgate’s  Ribbon 
Dental  Cream.  It  is  a  common -sense 
dentifrice,  free  from  grit  and  harmful  drugs. 
COLGATE’S 
Cleans  Teeth  the  Right  Way 
Washes  and  Polishes— Doesn't  Scratch  or  Scour 
Wash  your  teeth  with  this  safe  dentifrice.  Its 
won-gritty  precipitated  chalk  loosens  clinging  par¬ 
ticles.  Pure  and  mild,  its  vegetable  oil  soap  gently 
washes  them  away,  cleaning  the  teeth  perfectly 
and  leaving  undisturbed  the  normal  healthy  con¬ 
dition  of  the  mouth. 
^CLEANS^ 
TEETH  THE 
RIGHT  WAY 
Washes’and  Polishes 
Doesn't  Scratch 
S.,  or  Scour  ^ 
Colgate  s  cleans  teeth  the  right  way  and  sells  at  the 
right  price — 25c  for  a  large  tube — why  pay  more? 
COLGATE  &.  CO.,  New  York 
Established  1806 
If  your  wisdom  teeth 
could  talk  they’d  say 
Use  Colgate’s ” 
Truth  in  Advertising  Implies  Honesty  in  Manufacture 
MOP  WRINGERS 
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Saves  time,  lightens  labor, 
wrings  dryer  than  possible 
by  hand — fits  any  pail,  re¬ 
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Sold  by  hardware,  house- 
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or  sent  from  factory,  parcel 
post  paid,  upon  receipt  of 
price.  Satisfaction  guaran¬ 
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WHITE  MOP  WRINGER  CO. 
Fultenville,  N.  Y. 
PRICES : 
Wringer  (or 
large  mop 
$3.25 
For  small 
mop 
$2.75 
Window  shade 
holesale  Prices 
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INDIGESTION 
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ETHICUS  Laboratories  1819  Broadway,  New  York  Cifv 
