HOME ECONOMICS ON SPECIAL TRAIN

This story was published in the Dec. 14, 1913, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.

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The University of Idaho, through the courtesy of the Northern Pacific railway, will run a demonstrative train in northern Idaho. This train will have cars giving demonstrations of interest, not only to those interested in livestock industry, but there will also be a home economics car which will be of special interest to housekeepers.

This car is equipped by the home economics department of the university of Idaho, and there will be two lecturers to explain the exhibits of the car. Some of the interesting exhibits are as follows: The chart showing the cuts of meat with their names and uses and market prices for December; a food exhibit which will show the equivalents for food value of given quantity of beef with comparison in cost; numerous charts explaining the uses of various classes of food in the body; a domestic science table which is adapted to the use of rural schools wishing to serve hot lunches to school children at noon. One of the most practical exhibits will be of textiles in which tests of the adulterations will be shown; for example, one car will deal with wool and cotton mixtures. The original piece of cloth is shown and besides it a second sample from which the wool has been removed by boiling in caustic potash. It is interesting to see how much cotton is in this combination. Just beside this is another piece of wool and cotton goods which sold for the same price, sixty-five cents per yard, which has a much higher percentage of cotton. This very simple test will appeal to the housekeepers. Besides this is shown the test for cotton and linen, and so forth.

Another section of the exhibit is intended to suggest color schemes which may be worn by different types of women; for example, colors which may be worn by blondes, color combinations for brunettes, and so forth. There is a practical exhibit which shows the right way and the wrong way of laundering woolens, and it is interesting to see the difference in shrinkage of woolens by those methods of laundering. A balopticon will give demonstrations of methods of carving meat, sanitary appliances in home, and similar pictures of practical things.

One of the things which will appeal to the farm people is the cold storage plant. This is copied after the plants used by Armour & Company in their packing houses at the Union Stock Yards at Chicago. It is simple and exceedingly efficient. There will also be demonstrations showing discased meat; sanitary appliances for keeping milk in the home.

In all the exhibits of this car it is the intention to keep to the general theme of the train — the livestock industry. This car will be in the charge of Miss Jessie M. Hoover, head of the home economics department of the university of Idaho, and Miss Amy Kelly, extension lecturer in home economics of the university.

The special train will be in Lewiston next Friday, December 19.