The Shrewd Landlady of Kennewick
A local boarding house manager turns a favor into a profitable transaction, proving that in the rental business, every crumb counts.
Mrs. Hannah Fifer, a widow who earned her living by renting rooms for light housekeeping, had the reputation of being a shrewd manager and much inclined to carry economy to the farthest possible point. On a certain day, Mrs. Castle, one of the 'light housekeepers,' offered to help Mrs. Fifer out with her overflow of work. Mrs. Fifer conceded, asking her to bake a couple of pies to use up a bowl of apple sauce. While she was at it, Mrs. Fifer suggested she bake four pies instead, noting it wouldn't take more coal. Mrs. Castle worked away until her task was accomplished. In a short time, Mrs. Fifer's small daughter, Peggy, appeared at her door. 'Ma says,' reported Peggy, 'that she don't believe she'll be able to use all them four pies before they dry out and she wants to know if you won't buy two of 'em off her for 20 cents.' Mrs. Castle bought the pies, chuckling to herself, 'She might have let me have two for 15 cents—considering.'
“She might have let me have two for 15 cents—considering.”
Landlord-tenant disputes over utility costs and the commodification of living spaces remain a staple of the Kennewick rental market. This 1914 vignette captures the enduring power dynamic where the person who controls the kitchen controls the terms of the lease.
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