VOL. LIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., OCT. 28, 1899.
NO. 43
'gxpzxizutz _zpnxXmznt
Where Saoulrf One Keep Shse Blacking,
Shoes, Clothes Sor the Laundry, the
Slop Bucket For the Kitchen,
and, in a Word, Keep Theto
Family Necessities From
Being; a Nuisance?
1st Premium.—The old proverb "A place
for everything and everything in its
plaae" is as applicable to-day as ever it was.
It is the care of just such small matters as
our editor asks us to discuss this week, that
marks the difference between the successful
home maker and the slovenly bouse keeper.
In the large kitchen on a Hoosier farm, the
outer] door is so placed that when opened
back it encloses a corner which ls utilized
fer a shoe closet; two corner shelves were put
up, 10 or 12 inches apart; the upper shelf being about six feet from the floor. These
shelves are made of dressed lumber and are
painted the color of the other wood work In
the room. Two curtains hang from the lower
shelf almost touching the floor; two short curtains somewhat fuller than the long ones, are
fastened to the upper shelf and overlap the
long curtains slightly. Oil carpet covers the
floor of this closet; there is ample room on
the lower shelf for shoe polieh, both black
and tan, with the necessary brushes. Strong
hooks fastened to the wall in this three-cornered closet are used for the men's storm
coats or extra coats for every day wear, while
on the floor there is space for the farmer's
coarse shoes and rubber boots, A homemade
slipper caee hanging on the wall holds his
slippers. It ls but the work of a moment,
when chores are done at night, to leave the
heavy shoes, don a pair of slippers, hang the
damp coat by the fire and take from this
closet a dry coat. Another housekeeper has
in her broad back porch a sheltered corner
near the kitchen door; this porch corner she
uses for the every day shoe closet, substituting oil cloth for the curtains. For a bedroom,
a shoe box Is useful, and may be made quite
ornamental. Ordinary boxes may be used
and the work need not be difficult; let the
housekeeper select a large or small box as
best suits her; fasten on the lid with hinges,
allowing lt to project over the edge of the box
a trifle. With excelsior or curledjhair upholster the top of the lid; tuft or not, as is desired; then cover the outside of the box with
denim, or whatever material is preferred,
bringing the cloth over the upper edge and
tacking neatly inside an Inch or more from
the top; now line both the box and the lid
with some pleasing color. The box, if long
enough, may be divided into compartments
for keeping slippers, everyday shoes, dress
shoes and rubbers, or into sections for the
different members of the family occupying
the room. In another home, a large soad
box was fastened cupboard fashion to the wall
of the woodhouse adjoining the kitchen; a
shelf placed about midway held the shoe
blacking and brushes, while the overshoes
were kept in the lower part; underneath the
box cupboard was room for the good man's
rubber boots, or an extra pair of work shoes.
One housekeeper finds pockets of some strong
material tacked inside the closet door In the
dressing-room of great convenience, especially for the shoes belonging to the little folks
of the home. A good homemade receptacle
for soiled clothes Is a small barrel—a larger
o°e If your household requires lt; have a
cover made to fit the barrel top and fasten it
*lth a hinge; see that all nail points are
driven down; the outside of both barrel and
•Id should be covered with some serviceable
Boods, it need not be expensive; put tbe cloth
°Q the lid smoothly, drawing quite tight and
fattening on the under side a short distance
'rom the rim; cut a circular piece of lining,
(any bright color may be used), and fit over
the edges of the outside material neatly. In
covering the barrel gather the goods at top
and bottom on stout strings, allowing enough
fullness to give a fluted appearance; line the
inside with the same color as the lid-lining,
join the outer and inner coverings at the top
of the barrel, and presto, a most useful piece
of furniture; a weekly airing will be all the
attention lt will need; stand this barrel whero
convenient,—perhaps, in a corner of the bath
room, or in the dressing room, or In the
wash-house, but never in a sleeping or living
room. One can buy large covered baskets or
hampers prepared to hold soiled clothes
Where rooms are small, some housekeepers
use large bags of strong material for the un-
laundried clothes; it ls not best to store soiled
clothes ln a closo closet opening off a sleeping room. Under a tree on a small raised
platform handy to the kitchen door, but entirely away from the well, stands one housekeeper's slop bucket during all but the very
coldest weather. She has a lid which covers
the bucket closely and she does not allow the
pall to stand uncovered, Each wash-day this
bucket receives a thorough scalding, On extremely colddays, she carries into the kitchen,
not the regular slop bucket, but another pall
to receive the slop; this bucket Is placed near
the door on a square of oil cloth, and is removed from the room as soon as the work is
finished after each meal. Comfortable and
hygienic living ls an art which extends toall
departments of the home. In this age of intelligence the family that keeps its shoo
brushes and muddy shoes in the pantry, soiled
clothes in the bedroom, and the slop pall in
the kitchen in all seasons, should not censure
providence when sickness comes as a result cf
such carelessness. "An outca of prevention
ls worth a pound of cure."
Parke Oo. Riadzb.
2d Premium.—Time and worry may be
saved by keeping the shoe brushes and blacking box In a small basket, on a low, convenient shelf of the kitchen clcset, or In some
bidden nook of the chimney corner behind a
pretty curtain. A basket ia better than a box
because lt is easier carried wherever ths blackleg outfit ls to bs used.
Nice shoes that are seldom worn should be
wrapped in tissue paper and kept ln their own
especial box in the wardrobe. Every-day
shoes may be placed ln a neat row on the
closet floor. In tke home where there are
many little feet to wear shoes a goods box of
the right size for a window seat can bs partitioned iff so that there will be a space for
each child's shoes The box ls placed on its
side, tbe front side being the open one, the
top padded and covered with some bright material, and pillows to match placed on it. A
full, curtain-like drapery extends around the
box, completely covering lt and the shoes lt
contains.
Clothing that is much soiled should be
placed in a covered box in the laundry room.
Damp c'otbiog should be hung on a rack ln
the laundry room until dry, before being put
in the box. A linen laundry bag having large
pockets for handkerchiefs, collars, ciffs,
stockings and pillowslips may be tacked on
the Inside of the closet door. The laundry
bags are pretty with tho edges and pockets
bound with red, bluo and yellow calico. Soiled
clothing left ln the bed rooms or closets not
only bespeaks an untidy housekeeper, but is
also unhealthful. Where tho slop bucket should
ba placed depends altogether on what kind of
a bucket it Is. If lt ls an old, sour, grease
soaked, disease laden wooden bucket lt should
be as far away from the kitchen as possible.
Galvanized iron buckets are the best for slop
buckets, as they aro light ln weight, do not
absorb grease, never fall to staves, and do not
oost much. Two or three of these buckets
should  be kept so that one can always  be
empty and clean. When the greasy slop
bucket Is brought in tho grease can be wiped
out with a piece of paper, and the bucket
washed inside and out with hot soap suds.
When the galvanized buckets become dark
they can easily ba scoured with coal oil. A
slop bucket kept in this way ls as clean as
any kitchen utensil, and can bo placed on the
work table in tbe kitchen or stand in one end
of the large sink where the dishes are washed.
Parke Oo.   U. H.
3d Premium.—Family necessities lying
about "wild" Is always a Bource of annoyances. The thoughtful and frugal housekeeper will find a place for all such things,
although she may not have an over supply of
roomy well ventilated closets, just where they
are moat needed. The wood-house or wash-
house will answer very well for the shoe blacking and brush, providing it has a place and
can always bo found in Its place. I cannot
put too much stress on the importance of
having a place for all family necessities, and
keeping everything ln its place. These conveniences are never a nuisance If kept in their
place, but are generally a source of delight to
the possessor. A good wash house ls a nico
p'ace ti keep unlaundried clothes. Some of
tho modern wash-houses have rests for baskets
where clothes for the wash can be nicely kept,
thrown loosely ln ae thoy should be; and numerous hooks, and racks for shirts, shirt
waists, and larger pieces. It Is a good practico
to turn all underwear inside out and give
them a shaking in the open air before putting
away to await wash day. Flannels thus treated
are almoet half washed Wo keep tho kitchen
slop bucket in a handy place, Inside the
t-creens in summer, and where tbe slop will
not freeze in winter. The buckets are brought
from the slop barrel to tho yard, and the
kitchen slops carried out and emptied. We
never put peelings ln tbe slop bucket, have an
extra bucket for them. The bucket to catch
the kitchen slop need not necesaarlally be a
dirty bucket, it can do kept clean. We find
those painted buckets that can ba had very
reasonable at tho shops prices for the kitchen
stops. Filling the bucket too full ls a sourco
of annoyance; and still another falling with
some is lack of care in emptying the dish
water Into the bucket. It ls best to keep the
brooms hacglng by the handle in some handy
place, and the carpet-sweeper out of tbo way
of children. A few catch-alls, home mado
ones will do, kept In some convenient placo
especially for glovfs and mittens, will usually
be appreciated by tho members of ones own
family, and visitors as well. 0. B.
Connersville.
We have something in the lino of a shoe
bag which has proven to be so convenient
that my husband has on several occasions
said, "I tell you this is so handy you ought to
write the Indiana Farmib and tell them
about It." The opportunity seems to have
been presented and I gUdly do so. Take a
piece of strong ticking nearly as locg as your
cloect door la high for tho back of the pocket
and it should bo nearly as wide as the door.
Oato this long piece make pockets ten or
twelve inches deep, allowing a generous plait
at the bottom of each pocket to allow fullness
and stitch very firmly between the pockets. I
make pockets of different sizes according to
the size of shces to be accommodated. The
two top onea will servo for father's shoes.
Tbe other rows contain three pockets, each
row being two inches apart. Mine has fifteen
pockets. After the pockets are all on, bind
the whole thing and tack very securely to tho
inside of your closet door. I have never
found anything which so completely "filled
the bill" for storing shoes. You can always
find what you want without hunting for it,
and the children do not need to inquire as to
where they will find their shoes. For blacking utensils I have a small box about the size
of a footstool, with cover on hinges. The
box ls painted and tho top upholstered. In
this box you will find overytnlng necessary
for polishing shoes. I keep a pieco of oil
cloth lnsldo and this ia spread over tho top,
thua saving all from dirt. If one has a closet
sufficiently large to admit of a barrel, I have
found this a convenient receptacle for soiled
clothes. Cover the outside with cretone, and
you havo what will answer the purpose very
nicely. Have also a supply of laundry bags
In different rooms. There are so many kinds
which can be cheaply made and be ornamental as well. One which I have found
strong and very handy ls made out of heavy
cretone. Make a bag out of two yards of goods.
Four Inches from the top cut a slit In the
center of one side, extending lenght-vlee thirteen Inches, bind tbe opening carefully. Two
Inches from the top make an opening large
enough to Insert a rod eighteen inches long.
Fasten secure at each end and hang by a
strong cord or chain. This well made will
hold a great many soiled clothes. Speaking
of baga leads me to mention my "emergency
bags." They are made of unbleached cotton.
On one I have written an etched "Ootton" on
on the other "Woolen." They hang ln a convenient placo, and ln these bags ln sickness
or accident, one can always find cotton or
woolen rags without great search. Now the
slop pall question does not bother me for I
prefer to carry the slop out immediately
rather than consign lt to slop pall, which
often sits around the greater part of the day.
The accumulations gathered in the preparation of a meal, together with scrappings of
the table, I keep ln a dish pan until this work,
I then carry it out. Tho dish water tha same.
If one must have one, keep lt washed every
day, and It need be no more unsightly than  a
water pail.   E, A.
Mtvnw.
See how thoroughly our writers deal with
thesj practical subjects. I like very much
one practical remark by 0. B , "family necessities are never a nuisance if kept in their
place, but are generally a source of delight to
tho possessor." We thank these good housekeepers very much for their helpful suggestions. Of all that haa been ls lt not far the
neatest and best, if ono can do so, to have a
small room, juet away from the rest of the
houee, in which to keep soiled clothing and
shoes and the like? Such a room need not
coet much and might ba largo enough for all
laundry purposes. One of my neighbors has
euch a room, and he has a nice kettle ln It in
which he renders lard, and can change for
copper kettle and make apple butter Isn't it
after all the dirty clothes box or closet, together with the laundry steam in the kitchen
tbat keeps many a houee eour?
For the the firet time ln my life we have
typhoid fever ln the family. Oir little daughter Hazel, oged 12 years, is very low. She
seems to have jast passed the "crisis," and the
little life which has hung In a doubtful balance
bas a slight promise of returning strength. We
feel much embarrassed at haviug typhoid
fover In the family, as lt is nearly always
ctused by negligence.
The motto this week is: "We shall have to
run fast If we keep up with God, or our methods will becomo antiquated."
No: 191, Nov. 4—How and where can a
young married man who starts from the stump
acquire a farm homo?
No. 192, Nov. 11—What ls the best farm
fence you saw at the fair, and cost? Are you
using red cedar posts? What do they cost and
where do you get them?
No. 193 Nov 18—Name eome of the faults
and ideals of girls you know. Suggest Improvement. (A future topic will be the same
for boye.)
No 194, Nov. 25—Comment on Thanksgiving Day as a Harvest Home Festival.
Premiums of $1, 75 cents and 50 cents will
bs given to 1st, 2d and 3d best articles each
week. Let copy be as practical as possible
and forwarded 10 days before publication to
Oarmel, Ind. E. H. Collum.