Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1914 — BEST WAY OF DOING THINGS [ARTICLE]

BEST WAY OF DOING THINGS

Trio of Useful Aids to Good Housewifery and Preservation of a Tranquil State of Mind. To make candles last double the usual time, take each candle by the w’ick and give it a good coat of white varnish. Put the canfiles away a day or two to let them harden. The yarnish prevents the grease from running down and so prolongs the life of the candle. To remove scorch marks on linen (unless they are very bad) cut an onion in half and rub the scorched part with it; then soak in cold water. The marks will soon disappear under this treatment if they can be remedied at all. To clean light colored or drab cloth spats or gaiters and shoetops, peel and wash some potatoes, then grate them into a basin, and while quite wet apply to the surface of the gaiters and shoetops. Put in the open air to dry and then brush the grated potato off with a clean brush. To mend a coal scuttle that has holes in the bottom take a piece of cork lino or linoleum and cut as near as possible to the shape and size of the bottom of the scuttle; then scrape the bottom of the scuttle until it is quite clean. Next apply a moderate amount of glue, and also put some on the piece of linoleum. Place the lino or linoleum in the bottom of the coal scuttle, fill up with coal and allow to stand a few hours. It will then be firmly set, and the scuttle will last quite a long time, “as good as new.”