Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-03-25
Carpets.

There is no question but the bare
painted floors of German or Swiss home
make The air of house much more
hea!thful to breathe than the thickly-
carpeted English or American ones.
Think of the accumulation Of years
dust under, or in, the substance of a
carpet; rising in an imperceptible cloud
at every football, to be inhaled by the
lungs of all the dwtllers ia the hou,e.
Few housekeepers think Of raising
their carpets more than once, or at the
most twice, a year-and under the pre-
yaling fashion of covering every jog
and cornerof floor and nj ing the whole
down with firm, solid line OF tacks it is
too formidable a task 10 undertake, eA-
cept at those heroic periods of woman's
history ,clept hotse-clfantaa.
OF course in thi, climate we cannot do
without our warm carpets, not TO speak
of the fact hat We have become accus-
tomt d to the furnished look which car
pet gives, and could not easily renounce
it. Clearly we must have tDem, but a
carpet would ansac all the requirements
of warmth and color without covering
every Inch OF floor and without being
nailed down
A square of carpet which leaves bare
a foot or two feet of space along the
sides of the wall-tor the chairs and fur
niture, is quite as nice in effect, and has
the advantage of being easily handled
and shaken.s
Such an one, for an ordinary. sized
room--can he taken out of doors weekly
or fortnightly, and hung upon the line,
or laid upon the snow, or grass, for a
good sweeping or beating, and brings in
with it sense of cleanliness, when it is
again laid down, which is highly refresh
ing.
The writer of this adopted this plan
some ten years ago, and finds such COM
fort in it. that she feels impelled to state
some of its advantag es.
Firstly, then, there is the wholesome
ness.
Secondly, saving of labor: room COW
cred with a square OF carpet being much
more easily kept clean than one entirely
covered.
Thirdly, economy: as the amount of
carpet which usually covers one floor
will in all cases nearly cover two.
And fourihly, the deliverance from
annual or scmi-annual housekeeping,
viii is so dreaded and 50 unnecessary
in every household where carpets are
nailed down and must be "takcn up"
Of course the space of floor which is
left uncovered should be panied, and it
is very good plan to paint it in stripes,
to initiate the floors laid of alternate
pine or oak and black walnut.
When the planks are of uniform width
this effect can be produced by painting
the half of every board Qongitudinally)
in dark brown, leaving the other ha
the natural color; if it is then oiled a
very poor floor will look well, and be
easily taken care of.
For ordinary rooms binding finishes
the square of carpet sufficiently, but
where something in the way of ornament
is desired black yarn fringe or Il fringe
OF wooden cloth cut in strips, or a border
of carpet Of some other color than the
square central piece, answers the purpose
well and gives the look of large rug,
which is the thing to be d sired
Every ingenious, INTEL gent woman
will see how possible it is to make nice
central rugs from carpets which are very
much the worse for wear by taking the
unworn edges and putting them together
and using the worn parts for fringes and
borders. A painted floor, such rs we
have described above, is in summer
pleasant and cool-looking without even
the square Of carpet.--American Grocer