The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-11-21
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 81, 1927.
FUEL.

The price of fuel in the country is becom-
ing so disproportioned to the value of other
commodities, as to render it tax, onerous
to every class in the community 1t therefore
becomes important 10 inquire into the causes
OF the enhanced value, and the means by which
it can be rendered least burthensome. In the
use OF fuel, the evidences of waste and improv-
ldence are more palpable. and more universal,
than IN any other branch of domestic economy.
Hundreds and thousands of trees, valuable for
timber and fuel, are suffered to go to decay,
and to rot down, while tho owner, at the same
time, is cutting young, vigorous, ard growing
trees, because they happen to be a little more
handily come at But the greatest waste of
fuel is IN the attempt to keep rooms warm,
which are so open to afford but little pro-
lection against the inclemency of the weather.
The difference between tight room or an
open one, is too frequently overlooked What
people become familiar with by habit, is little
thought Of. How many there are, who live
IRON season to season, for years together, in
cold and uncomfortable apartments, which
might be made tight and warm at less expense
of money or labor, than would be required to
cut the fuel which would thus be saved in
single season We hazard little in saying,
that more than one-third part of the fuel, now
consumed, might be saved by paying more at
tention 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 plaistering is broken. let it
be mended if the wood work has shrunk from
the plaistering, let the crevises be filled with
putty; if single or a clapboard is loose, let
it be nailed on and if one is missing, let its
place be supplied by another. But, above ali,
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
windows. The price of single dram will buy
a pane of glass, and half the time usually spent
in procuring it, would be sufficient for setting
the glass in window.
Shut the door, This is a lesson which ought
to be impressed on the mind Of every one, es-
pecially of children, in such manner as not
to be forgotten or neglected. Yet how many,
by their practice, would appear never to have
learned that the hinges of door were of any
use, except to open it upon, when shut. Leav-
ing the door open ten minutes in a cold day,
will cool room more than a common fire
would warm it in an hour. A repetition, two
or three times a day, for a week, would re-
quire extra fuel equal to the consumption of
day.
The use of stoves, wherever they can con-
veniently be introduced is another important
means of saving fuel They not only throw
much more heat into a room with the same
fuel but, by diminishing the draught of cold
air from without, warm it more uniformly in
every part.
We have thrown these hints together, in
hopes that they may be of some use. Let it
be constantly borne in mind, that saving of
one-third of the fuel, generally used, is equiv
alentto reduction of the price one-third, be-
sides the expense of cutting, and in the same
proportion for greater or less saving.
Census OF WORCESTER About two years
since measures were adopted for taking cen
sus of this town, and it was expected, at the
time, they would have been carried into effect,
so that the result might be published soon al
ter but, owing to a neglect in one or two
small districts, the returns were not seasona-
bly, made, and no meeting of the committee
was held after they were completed. But, as
inquiries are frequently made respecting it,
we may state, generally, that the population
of the town was found to be between $500 and
300, showing an increase, in five years, of
about 700 inhabitants, the population, in 1900,
being 1862 Allowing the ratio of increase to
have continued the same till this time, land it
probably has not diminished) our present pop
nlation would be about 1000 inhabitants. If
continued till 1890, it will be near $500, or an
increase of SO per cent. in ten years, In 1925,
the village, comprising the Centre School Dis
trict, contained about 1850 inhabitants
The growth of this town mas not been ac-
CELEBRATED by those extraordinary means to
which many towns in the country owe their
rapid rise but has depended entirely on the
business which its location and other advanta-
ges have concentrated here. With but little
water power, except for common uses, we have
not the means of building up manufacturing
establishments, to swell the amount of our pop
ulation Still, it has progressed with vigor-
GUS and healthy growth, at rate rarely equal
led by towns in the older settled parts of the
country growth enforced and natural, in
ticating prosperity in the surrounding country
When our canal is completed, we look for a
considerable increase of business, and,-as a
natural consequence, of population.
Prices IN. WORCESTER, Nov. 90 Wood
best, cord, $4 Hard Pine, So; Charcoal, hard
bushel, cts. Hay, ton, $l2; Corn, bushel
SO cts; Rye, 90; Potatoes, 25 Oats, 40; Bar.
Ian az 70 75. Tnrnins d. Onions. G7 Beef by