Club Minutes: The Home Interest Society, 1896-1899

12

Plainfield 3-30-96

draw, hit when not free of roots stone or rails are better as such ditches are less liable to be logged with roots. But now that land is so cheap, it costs less to buy it dry than to make it so!

It is dangerous to move old rosebushes at any reason.

Olivia Mitchel, a colored girl, wants employment as a dressmaker, and will go out to sew; and so will John Hill's wife

There was a suggestion made which called forth much favorable comment. and it deserved further consideration; it was that Friends should club together and have a collation at the meeting house on 1^st day of month [?]. to save the difficulty of going home and coming back to an afternoon session. Many thought it would be easier to prepare such a meal as that than have dinner at home for an indefinite number, and the plan would probably insure a larger afternoon conference.

Of the large company assembled only 8 knew the maiden names of their four great grandmothers, so declared themselves not so entitled to a "pretent of nobility", and one was uncertain!

As usual the readers were crowded out and we adjourned to Willow Heights April 20 if convenient to the hostess, as the Annual Meeting had prior claim to our regular day.

Rebecca T. Miller Sec'y

13

277 Meeting Willow Heights 4-28-96

To suit the convenience of the hostess the 277 meeting of the Home Interest met at Willow Heights April 28 and was called to order at 5:30 by chairman A. M. Stabler. After the minutes of the last meeting here had been read the beautiful evening tempted all of the larger company outside, where a very nice looking garden rewarded our inspection. Everything looked green and promising after the week of hot weather in April and four sitting hens with comfortable nests on the back porch viewed our restless wandering with calm indifference.

Collected indoors again, the minutes of last meeting were read and adopted and a few questions were asked before supper.

Except that some one wanted to know what kind of strawberries to plant for family use. and whether it is necessary to transplant celery from the seed rows. it would have been hard to realize that it was a Home Interest as the topics discussed were so unusually different". But even tho' we had fresh subjects before us we were willing to inform the above mentioned inquirers that it is not necessary to transplant celery seedlings if they be thinned. and that Princess, Gaudy, Harland, Bubach and Mt. Vernon are good varieties of strawberries.

Though the servant problem is daily growing more difficult a majority present

14

Willow Heights 4-28-96

seemed opposed to the idea of introducing any considerable number of Catholics into our neighborhood for the sake of securing competion with the colored labor and no one even willing to help to build a Catholic chapel for the sake of securing Irish servants. Of course if we had, so should have a Catholic population through circumstances beyond our control, we would not if we could refuse them a place of worship. In getting white help from a city Intelligence Office it would hardly be worth while to stipulate for Protestants, as Catholic generally stipulate on their own accounts that they will not go so far from a church

As the servant question now stands few of the housekeepers present considered them selves generous enough to pass on a good work if they knew of one.

Of the ladies present only three present laid definite claims to to the right to belong to the Colonial Dames, but the rest of us felt as if exclusion from that body might not be insupportable, be we never so proud of our ancestors.

Ed. N. Bentley told us that he had made 200 posts from two of the Bloomfield locusts, but we fear he did not gain much information as to how to plant salsify.

Oak Hill laid claim to the proud distinction of having three varieties of apples still in

15

Willow Heights 4-28-96

good condition when Leawood promptly offset that with six varieties.

Mary T. Bond reported the very beneficial effect of spraying rosebushes with Bordeaux mixture every week last summer: and Beulah L. Thomas said that she had been successful in moving a large rosebush last Dec she trimmed it back somewhat at the time. It was suggested that she might get Easton of Norbeck to lay tile for her.

Year old apple trees with well grown leaves had probably better be trimmed after transplanting, but it was suggested to leave the trimming till the trees had begun to grow. There was a difference of opinion as to the propriety of moving rhubarb now.

Sugar maples should be planted for bright fall tints, but there is a difference in the trees some turning red and some yellow

A box elder was recommended as being a tree of quick growth. and as being as little exhausting as any to neighboring flowerbeds.

All the bicyclists present said that aside from novelty and pleasure it does pay to have a wheel: one having a wheel is not responsible for breakag.

There was also much talk as to whether boys should be allowed to collect hide eggs the gist of which so far as the Sec'y could gather, was that making a collection of eggs

16

Tanglewood 5-25-96

may if judiciously done. furnish much desirable information and good discipline for a boy, but wanton destruction can not be too severely dealt with.

There was some discussion as to ways and means of having Eliza N. Moore's 12 years history published. after which we adjourned to Tanglewood, May 25, 96.

Rebecca T. Miller, Sec'y.

278 Meeting Tanglewood 5-25-96

On the afternoon of 5-25-96 the 278 meet ing of the Home Interest gathered at Tanglewood, all the members but three being present reinforced by numerous guests. It was 5:15 when the Prest. called the meeting to order, and after reading the old minutes every one went to inspect the garden, stopping on the way to admire the flock of 300 odd young chickens of assorted sizes and flourishing appearance. In the garden every thing looked promising and orderly: the roses were royal and a great cactus in full bloom made a gorgeous spot of color on the lawn.

Supper was served on our return to the house and followed by the minutes of last meeting. The Secy. also presented a letter from Mary G. Brooke telling of a Kiowa Indian girl educated at Carlisle who wanted a place. No one seemed to feel drawn to send for her, and the experience of various of our members with Intelligence Office help was not