Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1901 — Preventing One Stove Waste. [ARTICLE]

Preventing One Stove Waste.

A friend devised a successful plan for preventing waste in a gas stove. Her house was lighted by electricity, but she had it piped one spring for gas cooking. The meter man assured her that with washing, ironing and all the cooking required by a family of six, her bill ought never to exceed 94. The first month brought her a bill of |6.26. She discovered that it was caused by carelessness in the kitchen; by such event as her cook’s going to bed and forgetting till morning that she had left both burners going all night. The cook was a good servant, but careless, so the mistress had a heart-to-heart talk with her. The gas man gave the cook a demonstration lesson on running the stove economically. The mistress made the proposition that she would allow |4 a month for gas, no more, no less. If the bill amounted to more than 94 the difference would be deducted from the cook’s wages. If less, she would receive the difference The next bill amounted to 98.20, and yet It Included weeks when considerable preserving of fruit had been done and more gas honestly burned than the month before. As the girl became familiar with the art of baking by one burner and cooking slowly over the simmerer the bills dropped still lower, till now there is scarcely a month when a dollar of the gas money does not go into the cook’s purse. She has never had a dime deducted from her wages.—* Minneapolis Journal