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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1910)
1 o 1 3 M 14 t rt M A b - C it ai tli 1 t A' W c 1 M J i 1 rt. T) IM tu Pi ;1 THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JUNE 19, 1910. Where Girls Are Trained in the Art of Housekeeping; a Home Uplift 4 r -vt mi'"iv -- i ip v w i J:-, S X- v oOOOOb ernig Eke Jog1 f4 (9 A- . 4 ' (1? -,A'-a.shni v-r-"3!' 1 V 1 zdb r- Jparziing to QpoK Si -J- 7: i i in the jpnoJi PRINTERS' ink has told with lavish spread the glad story of boy progress ia Omaha High school how, supplemental , to routine text book lore, the awkward shambling youth of early teens is vested with gentlemanly poise and soldierly mein. Dilated comment has fixed well in the 'public mind this optimistic status of boyhood, wherefore the boys shall stand aside this time while record is written of what the girls are doing. , Philosophers have long agreed that through man's stomach lies, shortest avenue to his heart, which is merely another way of saying that wholesome cooking promotes normal digestion and the amiable disposition consequent thereupon. Accepting this as a thoroughly grounded truism, the Omaha High school la moving for home uplift by teaching the girls how to cook not only how to cook, but how to eook scientifically and with proper regard for household economics as well as digestion. Moreover, the girls are being trained in physical culture so that, they may be strong and healthy, as well as graceful. These departments of high school education have been established long enough that they have ceaeed to be looked upon as Innovations, so there Is nothing new in the mere telling of the fact that the girls have such work in school. There is, however, glad interest in the results that have been obtained from these departments. In the old log school house days of this country when the hickory lash and the, three "r's" constituted the curriculum, any prognosticate of culinary instruc tion in future schools would have been catalogued as dreaming prophet, but the cooking school has come to stay. .It has been successfully tried in many places, and the same may be said of physical culture. Omaha, , being always abreast of the onward march In world's work, was among the first cities of the country to combine cooking and athletics with high school in struction. So, while the boys have their military training and , the(r annual encampments, the girls find diversion from routine book study In the gymnasium and the kitchen in the big school building over on Capitol hill. Perhaps, it you' have not taken the time to ac quaint yourself with details, you are puzzled as to how cooking can be taught in school. You think of the school house as a mere enclosure wherein range rows of desks for study, a blackboard and a rostrum or raised platform where sits the teacher, rod in -hand. That was the school of yesteryears. In the "school house" of today, there is a wide variety of apparati but that is another story. Getting back to the text, In the basement of t,he high school building in Omaha a basement of immaculate cleanliness, too, by the way -there is cooking equipment befitting a big hotel. "Kitchenettes," is the diminutive employed by way of descriptive when the school folk talk.' Of these kit chenettes, there are twenty-four in service at present. Under existing regulations, 120 girls take daily lessons. Before a larger number an be successfully handled, it will be necessary to have additional floor spaou. Each kitchenette is supplied with stove, oven and utensils. This makes it' possible' for each girl - to work alone. "Too many cooks spoil the broth," is an adage they have heard, and bearing, they heed. Wherefore, each girl ia a cook unto herself, with the director of the de partment in general charge. Miss Ada M. Jenks, who cam with cooking laurels from lahpemlng. Mich., a year or so ago, waa in charge of the domestic science classes during the school year now closing. Miss Neva Turner, however, is chief authority on domestic science, she having been in direct charge of instruction up to a few months ago when it became necessary by reason of unexpected vacancy, to transfer her to super Intendency of the high scnool lunch department a place where under general direction of the Board of. Education, noonday luncheons are served to students at cost price. This, of itself, is well worth explolta-. tlon, for It not only represents a modern idea in public school facilities, but stands as the acme of correct, cookery, for here is the culmination of ordinary cull nary instruction instead of experimental effort. . ' ; ' Miss Turner; who has made a splendid record in school work, having come up to the high school from the grades, clings to the theory that the art of cooking is as much essential to a girl's education as grammar, .mathematics or any of the other staples. "The object of this course of Instruction," said Miss Turner, "is something more than a mere matter of cookery, for the course embraces sanitation, .house cleaning, marketing, food values and costs, care of children, diet for the sick, digestion of foods and food compositions. The net result of this training is a con dition of fitness for the care of a home. Housework is not easy nor simple. If well done, and it can not be learned immediately nor intuitively as many persons once believed. It is our hope to advance the nation by advancing the borne, for surely the home is tbe very . cornerstone. of the nation. - "The . cost of maintaining a domestic science de partment, contrary to general impression, is slight, the expense: being no more than that of a manual training W chemistry department The pupils use a fractional recipe, and two girls will cook two muffins in a lesson instead: of twelve. 'What becomes of the -muffins?' that is a question the visitor always asks. A little later, if -the "visitor be observing, there 'cornea easy answer, for the girl promptly eats, the muffin. So, we may with due regard for accuracy answer the question: 'What is done with the food that is left?' by saying: 'There isn'.t any.' " , Miss Turner, speaking not only for herself, but for the entire system of domestic science instruction, lays great stress upon the necessity of cleanliness. "If," she said, "every kitchen were clean disease would be reduced to a minimum, and If every property owner kept his premises clean we would at once have spot less towns in reality. Domestic science helps to abol ish . tuberculosis, dirt, extravagance, ill-fed children and general disorder." Miss Jenks was teaching a class when a Sunday Bee man visited the school building. A dozen little ladies, ruddy of cheek, sweet as rosebuds in their spot less kitchen frocks,-came trooping gracefully, almost noiselessly, into the instruction room, or kitchen, whichever you choose to term it. Each girl, seated in front of her kisnette, fell to work at a given signal, the Instructor giving out directions all along the line. Over In a corner of the big room there stands a book case lined with cookery literature, and added to this la a store of recipes which Miss Jenks gives out verbally. There is a spirit of friendly Tlvalry among the girls, each vieing with the other to see who can cobk the best and who can excel in cleanliness and general neatness. The law relating to "cleaning up" after each lesson is one place where the service becomes almost military in its nature.- Any girl who leaves her kitchenette in bad shape is reported for discipline. This, however, seldom occurs. . . : Great care is exercised In the purchasing of sup plies for the high school kitchen. ' Only small quanti ties of various food ingredients are used by the stu dents, and by close watching the expense of the depart ment is kept down to a surprisingly low figure, it is said. Under ordinary conditions a girl In her teens, Bewildering Floral Decorations a Feature of Millinery N USUAL climatic conditions haw Ul affected the millinery business I In New York City 'during the laBi monin ana me retailer nu many complaints to make, but perhaps It Is some consolation to know that the millinery department has suffered less than any other department. An early season waa predicted, so that It can hardly, be wondered at that the activity died out somewhat, since the buying of mid-summer millinery, outing nets, which embraces summer felts as well as Panamas, "and hats of duck, batavla, etc.. Is hardly timely before June. Fuslness In hats for motoring and for steamer wear has been good. New Yorkers apparently are always either going or ccming. No sooner Is the southern season over than week-ends to the smart country houses are on the tapis, followed by the exodus to Europe, which each year be comes heavier. Social life peters out In town during Max and as the theaters elope their dours one by one the sm irt restaurants take on a deserted air and the ta-rooms are filled with a hurrying throng, chattering o' voyages to be made or tours to be taken. It Is, as usual, a Well-dressed throng this New York crowd. At a recent opening night at one of the principal theaters the audience was quite as brilliant as one would find early In the season. It has become the mode for women to affect decoUette for theater going fasrlon new to New York, but one that is universal in England and across the Canadian border. American women wore low-cut gowns to the opera, to dinners and twills, but until recently the theater gown, while collarless perhaps was till high. It must be admitted that this new mode shows the hats to greater ad vantage. It Is curious, perhaps, but never theless, a fact that a hat- which Is e ' tremely becoming worn with a decollete gown will be quit the reverse when with a "choker collar." The wide brim hats that sweep to the shoulder are much more affected when the throat and shoulder Una la left exposed. For evening wear the hats worn are, of course, huge, and aigrettes in abundance are used for their adornment They are put on at every conceivable angle, but probably the smartest arrange ment is to mount them to shoot straight upward In an Indian-like head dross which may extend around the entire crown or only partially around It, at back, front or side, tiie preference being shown by the order given. Hltuk aigrettes on white hats, white aigrettes on bluck hats, but most elegant 'of all, black and white aigrettes on pressed hats that may, be white or black. Such a hat may bo described as simple, since aigrettes are the only trimming; but It can hardly be any thing but costly, considering the quantities of aigrettes used. There la something de lightfully light and ulry looking about a sweeping hemp hat with feathery aigrette trimming. Summer Flowers. Hoses continue as fashionable, especially globular roses or a rather deep pink, bright and very daik red, and also small globular roses dyed all manner of natural and un natural colors made up Into small bunches, ono color In each bunch, and forming a close gurlund around the hat. Other kinds of flowers have come to the front lately. Lilies, Iris, and rhododendrona being utnong the larger kind. weet peas beautifully Initiated In velvet in all their variegated coloring, corn flowers somewhat magnified, particularly In vlollne and dusly hades; kingcup, poppies, large and small heliotrope, double daisies and lilles-6f-the-valley, which are sometimes dyed a dark hue. All n:snner of ways of arranging flowers . obtain favor. Sometimes clusters of large roeea will be made to alternate with bunches of sweet peas standing up between. Some milliners mount a variety of flow ers Into a pyramidal bouquet, placing this , in front of a hat with a hlsh crown, en clicled with a wide band of ribbon, either atin or velvet. The fashion of covering the crown with flowers Is still In high favor, Flowermakeri provide pieces composed of roses or other blossoms, wltlout stalks, held together by fine threads of tagal, shaped so as to ac commodate themselves to the crown. This has a lighter and more elegant appearance than when the blossoms are set quite close. A new Idea which la very pleasing is to give a hat with a dark or dull-toned brim a brllltant-hued crown and covering, the ' later covered all over with flowers the same color as the brim. One of the models of this ' sort had a tagal brim of wild plum shades and a crown of brilliant cerise palliation which only shows between the one-eyed daisies, with which it was entirely covered. Two larga quill feathers, white at their stump and shaded down from this to th same bright scarlet, are fastened erect exactly in front of the crown, their tips somewhat curving backward over the crown. . I'opulor Dress Hat. The demand fur leghorns has not come up to expectations. Chips, particularly in white and colors, are very strong. A pretty fashion of veiling them to within a couple of Inches of. the brim is noticed. French crepe, chiffon cloth, Persian chiffon, silk and lace are used for this purpose.. One sees fewer velvet facings as the days lengthen, crepe and lace being substituted not by any means to the exclusion of vel vet, for botn in piece goods and ribbon it plays an Important pait In the scheme of trimming. An etent of interest for many reasons, sai'tonally not the least of all was the annual coaching parade which took place during the month past, along the well known Central park to Arrowhead route. With few exceptions extremely large hats . weie worn; the exceptions, by the way, were large hats differing from the majority only In the width of brim, for they were puff crown turbuns with close-fitting coro nets and huge choux or bouquets poised at the back at perilous angle. There waa little that could ba rightfully designated as tailor-made about the costumes of the wo men on this occasion and the hat were, of course, in keeping, aigrettes being most prominent, ostrich next, and flowers prla-. clpally roses. Llnserie Hat Revival. The lingerie hat is having a revival. It will be noted that several are illustrated In this Issue, the hat shown on the cover com ing under this category. Deeplte the fact that its brUn U edged with straw, this hat was designed for a bridesmaid at one of the most fashionable weddings scheduled for June. Probably the majority of so called lingerie bats are smaller than this one. Many are suggestive of the Charlotte Corday cap, and quite the most bewitching is fashioned on the lines of a sunbonnet and is a frivolous affair of lace frills, with black velvet ties Juxt the bonnet for the summer girl to don for a stroll through her rose gardens in the morning hours, when to look freeh and young as the morn itself is her whim. Picture a sunbonnet with a huge puff back of fine mesh lace or dotted net, and layers of lace ruffles, aay five Inches deep, forming a frame for the face and falling in a curtain on the shoulders and across the back, with a French touch of black velvet ribbon and a knot of flowers, such as buttercups, primroses or daisies. French Styles. The predominating feature of the latest millinery Is size. Many of the new hats might De designed for giantesses Instead of the dapper little woman the Parisian Is, more often than not. Everything Is large about them, the trimming being quite In proportion to the sire of the shapes which appear to grow with every pausing week. If trimmed scantily, such shapes would look outrageously big. As it Is, the Impor tance of the trimming saves them from such an Imputation, the result being rather to make the womaa who uses them look diminutive, which, from an athletic point of view, la doubtless to be deplored. The past months have not brought In much In the way of new shapes, particu larly Inasmuch as hats are concerned. Milliners seem to have come to the conclu sion that a certain amount of simplicity of form is beater suited to the big hats they are making than could ba any caprice of shape. A good many may be described at . enlarged sailors. . Others more oc less of the cloche shape. Instead of turning the brim up, aa was pretty general earlier In tbs season, a downward tendency la gaining ground. Nevertheless, some of the larga hats, though not quite the largest, "have the brim doubled back from the left front almost over the crown, which ia low. Mil linery Trade Review, totally Ignorant of cookery, may, after one school year of Instruction, become a first-class cook not only a first-class cook, but general housekeeper as well. And these are the homekeepers of the rising gen eration! What matter be it if they wed wealth and retain a retinue of servants to do their work? It is an accomplishment worth while, none the less, to know the art of housekeeping, and even though their hands from toil be ever held aloof .the knowledge acquired In domestic science days enables the mistress of the home to handle servants more advantageously. Speaking of the homekeepers for the rising generation, they will not, in the very nature of things, all wed wealth. Some may, but the majority, perhaps, will grace the home of the wage worker or the man of mod erate means, and there their training will prove in valuable. Over in the place directed by Miss Turner, where high school pupils take their iioouaay luncheon, there is a striking example of discipline. About 700 boys and girls couie aud go tniougii the noon hour, and yet there is much less confusion 1l1a.11 atteuds noontime ia the ordinary downtown cafe. There, unlike the commercial restaurant, you hear no raucous "fry two, sunny side up" or "Adam and Eve on a raft--sliipvrcck "em," or "stack of wheats, with sugar treo tap." In marked coutrudlstinctlon there is perfect or der. The patrons simply puss by a long counter upon which edibles are stacked in dainty array, take what they want and retire to small tables in the rear. A cashier euroute exacts from each a trifling sum do signed merely to cover actual cost of production. It is not the purpose of the high school restaurant to op erute for proilt, but rather to figure down to a pennj Just how cheap wholesome food may be served. This plan obviates the necessity of thg student carrying a cold lunch from home or of going away from the build ing for midday refreshment. The province of the girls' gymnasium away up In the loft of the high school building is very generally understood. Here, under direction of a scientific lady teacher, the girls are drilled in all that makes for eound body, supple limb and expanded lung. Tiny tot 4 with pipe-stem arms are developed until they carry not only m undo, but graceful poise and elastic step. The devices entering into the equipment of this department are many and the course of instruction Is especially thorough. In addition to the physical culture and the domes tic science the high school also has its literary societies and other features exclusively for girls, such Instruc tion being interspersed, of course, along with the routine book studies which the boys and girls pursue in common. So, in final analysis, the conclusion comes that while the Omahalllgh school offers military training and other phases of educational finish exclusively for boys, the girls meanwhile have not been overlooked. There Is a curriculum for both sexes, which if fully taken cannot fall to send young men and young women out Into the world well equipped for life's battle. "See America first," is a slogan of tho railroads in fortifica tion of their argument that the scenic attractions of this country equal the show places of Europe. Well may this slogan be paraphrased to read, "Take the Omaha High school course first." After that, if Intervening fate should preclude poKslbllity of still higher education, there need be uo wall as to abridge ment of learning. i5 i! i4