Sometimes we forget just how far we have come in the conveniences of our day:
From the Past
Compiled from Delta Newspapers by the Delta County Historical Society
251 Meeker Street, Delta, Colorado, 81416 (970) 874-8721
From the Delta County Independent
August 22, 1913
President Joe Cook of the Mississippi Normal College believes that the first step in the education of women in our country should be the elimination of needless farm drudgery. NO matter how good the rural school may be, he declares it cannot help permanently in making life in the country attractive unless there goes with it the movement to lighten the labor of women on the farm.
The water supply in particular rouses President Cook’s indignation. He is convinced that as much as nine tenths of the drudgery of women on the farm is due to antiquated methods of handling the water supply. The getting of water from the source of supply to the point of application requires more manual labor than any other item of housekeeping. The water for the kitchen has to be lifted from the well, carried to the kitchen, poured out of the kettle into the dishpan, and from the dishpan out of doors. This makes six times the water is handled, and a bucket of water containing two gallons, with the containing vessel, will weigh 20 pounds.
The cooking of three meals a day on a meager allowance of water will necessitate ten buckets, which will make for cooking alone 1,200 pounds of lifting a day. When to this is added the water necessary for bathing, ,scrubbing and the weekly wash, it will easily bring the lift per day to a ton: and the lifting of a ton a day will take the elasticity out of a woman’s step, the bloom out of her cheek, and the enjoyment from her soul.
To eliminate this item of drudgery is easy, according to President Cook. All that is necessary is for the farmer to realize that the farm is also the heir to modern invention; a system of water works, pump, gasoline engine, tank, bathtub, commode, kitchen sink, basin, and plenty of pipe an d valve’s.
Such a system, if intelligently planned, will not only supply all the household needs, but will supply practically all the farm needs besides.
When we were first married we had to haul our water for domestic use. As you can imagine we were not wasteful…no turning on the faucet and letting the water run and run and run while you get a glass out of the cupboard, then rinse the glass out and couple of times, stick your finger under the water to make sure it is cold, then filling up the glass with the water, getting a couple of swallows of water for a drink, dumping the rest of the full glass out, THEN turning the water off.
Nope! Never ever anything like that…although, I did have visitors that would do so. I had to explain I had water in the refrigerator all nice and cold if they would like some. (It doesn’t pay to be rude, you know 🙂 )
Then we got ‘city water’ — water that is connected RIGHT TO YOUR HOUSE! Oh the joy!
We still are careful about the use of water (it is such a precious commodity, as all of you so well know), but having it right here at the house in the amount we need without hauling it is so lovely.
The day is bright and shinning and beautiful! The sun came out yesterday and started drying up all the rain. Harvest will begin again for those to whom the rain stopped!
Have a perfect day everyone, see you back here tomorrow!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
I absolutely agree about water being a precious commodity Linda – we should none of us waste it.
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Oh I KNOW! All summer y drans have not been working and John has been saying he will fix them but cannot find the problem and then he is going to call a man with a gadget but forgets and so on and so so on. The laundry water is pumped by the washing machine straight out the window and into the garden but the kitchen water is another story. I fill a bucket in the sink, wash the dishes (in as little water as possible) then carry the bucket out to the garden and pour it on the plants. I have muscles like you would not believe and a very well watered flower garden. In the end i have called a random plumber myself who is going to come and have a look on saturday though he also seemed mystified. The laundry drain goes into a tile and out into the field but no-one knows where that is and why it is not draining! Hopefully I have started the ball rolling. The thing is the lack of drainage in the kitchen and laundry do not affect the men, John is gone 6 days week, so it is low on their list. Plumbing! c
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I’ll bet if the bathroom was plugged he would notice … chuckle! Where we live we have a high water table (in the irrigation season) meaning we will get water in our basements during that time. We will also get water if the tile lines (the lines that drain the water from the land) get plugged with roots from trees and shrubs and bushes…sure can make a mess. My heart goes out to you!
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we get water in the basement every year tolow lying o.. sigh, lets hope someone can work out the problem.. these old houses can be a trial.. c
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oops that should read all summer MY DRAINS.. I only noticed as I pushed Send! too busy complaining! c
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It takes a serious drought for most people to realize how vital water is.
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So very true, Jan! We have to loose to re-understand all over again. 😦
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What an interesting story. back then, you knew the men worked hard. You could “see” the work at the end of the day. But the women. Oh my! They were tough. I think tougher then the men. It was 24/7 for the women. With meals, children, all household stuff and the animals. wow! Great post.
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When I first saw that article I was just like you! We really don’t know how hard the women worked because it was always on-going and really never came to an end so what is there to be interested in? But their world was hard and much tougher than any of us ever begin to understand.
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I definitely agree, I even save my water from drinking glasses to water my plants. Water is to precious!! Susan
Sent from my iPad
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You are so clever, Susan! I think that is good use of that small amount :)!
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Linda, when we camp we usually dry camp meaning whatever our trailer can hold (40 gallons) is all we have. I have made it last longer than two weeks (with a creek nearby for washing up, etc.) But it is AMAZING how little we can get by with and how much is wasted in our homes. Good reminder.
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As a rule I think everyone is a little wasteful, but once you have to “Dry camp” you sure do realize and change your ways FAST! Good afternoon Robynnn.
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Water is such precious resource. It is life-giving and a thing of beauty. And it is heavy 🙂
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Boy, is it ever! A bucket of water is VERY heavy.
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So true – we should all remember to be grateful.
Also glad you’re all safe up there…first hail that looked like a snowstorm, now flooding…Colorado sure is taking a hit this year!
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I just got through reading all about those terrible mud slides and NOW they are having to release water from the Thompson Canyon dam, with the potential to cause MORE flooding. Prayer are with all of them, that is for sure.
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Thanks for sharing this interesting article from a century ago. I remember visiting my grandparents as a child — they didn’t have running water in the house. My brother and I thought that was a great adventure, but we were only there for a few days at a time. Your sunset photos are gorgeous. I hope you’re not having any problems with flooding in your area.
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Thank you, George! No, no flooding here that I know of. Everyone effected is over on the eastern slope around Boulder and Estes Park (The Big Thompson Canyon area) and Colorado Springs. Horrible time for all of them!
Linda
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I had to do some research, and realized that you should be safe from the flooding.Thought that probably the case when I saw your post.
Have a good evening. ♥
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We live in a farm house, the original log part was built in 1886 here in east central Wi.. In 2001 we pretty much gutted the kitchen which has no cellar under it. There my husband, our contractor and I stood on the floor joists gaping down at the kitchen sink drain which went —–NOWHERE!!!. It simply ran out under the house, being a glaciated area we have a lot of sand and gravel and it just seeped away. We now have a proper drain.
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Water is indeed a precious commodity isn’t it! Thank goodness we are past hauling it by hand!
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We either have too little ot too much for me too much but all is draining off land finally. We have a leech field for house water/septic and if ground is saturated the leech field can fail so I do laundry when I am sitting high and dry always a challenge and Ron would never get it done either good thing for US 🙂
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