Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 221, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1916 — Home Economics Club Visits St. Joseph’s. [ARTICLE]

Home Economics Club Visits St. Joseph’s.

Through the courtesy of Mrs. Mary E. Drake, the Home Economics Club was invited to visit the culinary department of St. Joseph’s college in the interest of the club. Accordingly about 35 members assembled at the home of Mrs. George Meyers and were conveyed by automobiles to the college. \ We were met in the reception room by Father Wagener, who secured for the party the services of Father Stormhaur, who very kindly ed us to the kitchens, where we met Sister Agatha. We were shown through the kitchens and larders, where our attention was called especially to the fa t of the amount of labor being done in the care and feeding of several huridrcd persons with ease and no confusion and comparatively # few helpers. And this being done by the excellent systejn accompanied by a full equipment of machinery and devices, with a place for everything and everything in its place, and the idea of organized labor carried out, with everyone his work to do and doing it, this vast amount of work was being done. It is difficult and would take two much space to mention all of the good things we saw, but will mention a few of the devices for saving labor. One was the process for preparing the potatoes for cooking. A bushel or more arc placed in £ circular metal vat with rough inside surface. By a simple adjustment this is set in motion and the rolling process brings them in contact with the rough surface in such a way as to remove the outside. Then meat cutters, bread cutters, a device for slicing potatoes, an arrangement for washing dishes, where they are placed in racks and carried through several changes of hot water and emerge cleansed. A part which was very interesting to the party were the rooms where the fruit supply was stored. The canning was all done by the steaming process. We were shown a room where fruit butters were kept in stone jars and wej-e told that one thousand gallons of apple, butter was made there last year.

The laundry apparatus was on the same grand scale and * calculated to do a vast amount of work in a short time with a minimum amount of labor. Drying racks, or rollers, which were rolled hack info the drying booths were in connection with this room. In the service of the dining room was carried out the same economical plans to meet the need for labor saving. . . TTT , , Father Storm haur also conducted us to other departments of the college and seemed pleased and anxious to make our visit a pleasant occasion. We were shown through the beautiful chapel, the gymnasium, library, etc. The grounds were beautiful, evidently with a thought toward the comfort and pleasure of the boys. We departed feeling the time had been profitably spent and very grateful for the courtesy and consideration shown us. —A Member.