The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-15
The Atrocity Of Feather Beds.

THE cackling of the goose is SAID to
have saved Rome. The feathers of the
same bird arc dealing death to America.
We are reminded of this as the summer
approaches, and the hospitality of rural
friends occasionally introduce us, to the
g feather bed" which has come down an
heirloom in the family for five genera
tions. 1t is Il CapaciouS bag, holding
some thirty to forty pounds of good, hon.
est geese-feathcrs, plucked a hundred
years ago, and held in high esteem by
succeeding generations until it has come
into the possession of the present incum-
bent of the old homestead. Underneath
this feather bed is the straw bed, filled
annually with clean, sweet, oat straw.
This relieves the pressure upon the
bcd-cords, which are annually tightened
at the spring house-cleaning with old
fashioned winch and pin until the tense
cord makes music to the stroke of
the hand. This feather bed was toler-
able inatitution in the days of log houses,
with the free ventilation OF a big fire.
place, and riffs in the roof through
which the wind whistlcd and the snow
drifted in every winter storm. But now
with tight houses and stoves that heat
everything from cellar to garrct the case
is altered. No amount of airing and
sunlight will permanently redeem the
bed from the odor of old feathers, which
is anything but agreeable, and the more
atrocious ctfctc animal matter that has
escaped from the slccpcrs that have
sought reposc here for generations past.
Think now of John Giles coming in from
his days work in the field where lie has
been following the plow or driving the
III Il Il
in vapor bath, to repeat the process in
the mig Int watches as he stretches his
weary limbs upon this unpatcntcd per
spirator. Here he tries to sleep, but
wakes often from titful dreams and
losses as if Il fever were raging in his
veins Is it any wonder that he rises
from unrcfrcshing sleep with the early
dawn, that he grows lean and cadavcr-
Gus, and becomes cross and dysprpti':
The poor wife who shares his couch
has possibly, in addition to his dis
comforts, the care of Il nursing
child. Is it any wonder that she comes
TO the morning meal more dead than alive?
Is it any wonder that 50 large a per cent.
of the inmates Of our lunatic aSylums
come from our farms? The old provcrb
that the rest of the laboring man is
sweet" needs to be received with several
grains of allowance. There is not much
sweetness or rcfreshment on this pile Of
feathers in the sweltering summer nights.
1t is surprising to sec how long it takes
modern improvements to invade the agri
cultural districts, even with the help of
railroads and newspapers. Hair mat
trcsses and springbeds arc unknown
}uxuries in many of these districts where
the civilization is at least two hundred
years old. "The age of home-spun,"
supposed by some of our brilliant writer's
to have departed fifty years ago, is still
continued in unbrokcn force. Some
thing cool and soft to sleep on and under
is still desideratum in most farm
houses. The apology for feather beds
and cotton-quilted comfortables is not
poverty, but convenience of manufac-
ture. The feathers are home product,
and a tea-drinking makes the quilts and
comfortables. Yet John Giles owns his
farm, is out Of debt, has good bank
account, owns railroad stock, and could
have mattresses, fine linen, and blankets
if he understood their comfort and
economy Where are our advertisers of
good beds and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..