American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-11-27
FUEL.

The price Of fuel in the country is becoming So
ldisproportionetl to the value OF other commodities,
as to render it tax. to every class in the
community. 1t therefore becomes important to
inquire into the causes of the enhanced value. and
the means by which it can be rendered least bur-
thensome. In the use Of fuel the evidences Of
waste and inprovidence are more pa pablo. and
more universal, than in any other branch Of tones-
tic economy. Hundreds and thousands Of trees,
valuable for timber and fuel, are suffered to go to
decay, and to rot down, while the owner, ut the
same time. is cutting young, vigorous. and growing
trees. because they happen to be little more han
Oily come at. But the greatest waste OF fuel is in
the attempt to keep rooms warm, which are so
open as to afford but little protection against the
inclemency of the weather. The difference between
tight room, or an open one, is too frequently
looked. What people become familiar with, by
habit, is little thought OF. How many there are
who live from season to season for years together
in cold and uncomfortable apartments. which might
be made tight and warm at less expense Of money
labor than would be required to cut the fuel which
would thus be saved in single season We haz
ard little in saying, that more than onethird part
of the fuel, now consumed, might be saved by pay
ing more attention to excluding the cold atmosphere
from without
The early approach Of winter admonishes us to
attend to these things. Examine your rooms, and
if the plastering is broken, let it be mended If
the wood work has shrunk from the plastering.
let the creviccs be filled with putty if single
or clapboard is loose let it be nailed On; and If
one is missing, let its place be supplied BY another
But, above all, if you have broken windows, mend
them. No person who ever buys ardent spirits,
except for medicine, has the shadow of an apology
for permitting his family to suffer with broken win
dows. The price of single dram will buy pane
of glass, and half the time usually spent in prncu-
ring it, would be sufficient forsctting the glass i'll
window.
Shut the Goori This is lesson which ought to
be impressed on the mind Of every one, especially
of children, in such manner as not to be forgot
ten or neglected. Yet how many, by their prac-
tice, would appear never TO have learned that the
hinges of door were of any use. except to open it
upon, when shut. Leaving the door open ten min
utes in cold day, will cool a room tilucc than
common fire would warm il in an hour. A repeti-
ton, two or three times day, for week. would re-
qure extra fuel, equal to the consumption Of a
day.
The use of stoves, wherever they can convent
emily be introduced, is another important means Of
saving fuel They not only throw much more hca,
into room with the same fuel, but, by diminish
ing the draught of cold air from without, warm il
more uniformly in every part.
We have thrown these hints together. in hopes
that they may be of some use. Let il be constant
ly borne in mind, that saving Of onc-ihird ri .le
fuel, generally used, is equivalent 10 Il reduction
ofthep price ne-thitd, besides the expense Of cutting
and IN the same proportion for greater or less
saving.a ,Wassachnset,S spy.