Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-01-07
Tho StoYe ys. the Fire Place.

AhO b1tVfC tb. slsiB TIC tluCG.
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Substantial chimneya to two-story
houses will require each about fiye
thonsand hnieks, end COST, esssss vixen vixen SOM
pleted, sixty dollars each !; whether In
side or outside, it is mere accident If
they answer the purpose for which they
are built, for who is there that has not
scorched his shin in front OF roasting
fire, while his back was freezing, in
very cold weather? Ordinary planta-
tien fire.places will consume weekly n
cord OF wood, and withal leave the room
as cold as if there hal boon no fire
kindled. Hourly during cold days.
the fire has to be replenished and the
hottest part OF tho chimney is its top,
for 8 1Oths of the heat escapes up the
hue. The chuncks may be drawn to-.
gether, and fresh wood thrown on, but
all to little purpose half tho time, for
we southerners are proverbially expert
in leaving doors open behind us in cold
weather. fossibly, cheerful fires may
have partially heated the sitting room,
for instance ; q member of the family
wishes to retire, "only for minute :"
the minute is prolonged to an hour !;
the door stands ajar all the while, until
the draft of fresh mir chills the room
and inmates, when on must go few
moro logs to resupply the lost heat.
This policy, 30 universally practiced ut
the south, costs money. care not. if
the wood is burned to get rid of it.
The tree must be felled, the branches
Topped of, the wood hauled. then cut
again to suit the fire place, and the fire
built; every one of which acts has to
be done by hired help. True. farmers
say, the land had to becleared, and the
farm hands cut and hauled the wood,
and others bpild the fires whom they
having nothing else to do, etc.
Against just such fallacious ideas
am contending. Clearing land may
at a future time be composed as ques-
tionable economy, and surely hands
that are hired by the year should never
be 80 idle rs to have time to do work
to cost nothing.
But 1 am asked, what substitute have
You for the chimney? answer unhesi-
tRtingly the stove. AS the cooking stove
has supplanted the Dutch oven, 30
should the heating stove supersede the
fireplace in most of our rooms.
To-day is cold and 10y, She wind
blows brislkly from the northeast.
Three hours ago I entered the room in
which I am writing, and for the first time
this fall, kindled n nre in stove that
an able-bodied man might carry under
his arm, using three small sticks of oak
wood twelve inches long and two
smaller pieces of dry pine. In fifteen
minutes I had to move off from the
stove. ard TO this time the remotest
corner of the room is perfectly comfort
able.
Yesterday morning, at daylight cd
November, white FROSTY, with few
splinters and gnarled stick of pine,
probably 90 inches long and G inches
square. I kindled q fire in stove; at
A. NJ. three or four small oak sticks
were added F; ut - NJ. as many more,
and again at p. NJ; ut p. NJ. this
room, sixteen by twenty feet, with q
ceiling twelve feet high, was warm and
comfortable, and had been SO through
out the day. Had either of these ex-
periments been tried in n room with n
Fireplace, would have written with
cold fingers, and eaten my meals with
discomfort
The objection to stove is trite, that
it dries as well as heats the air of q
room, and produces headache. There
is science in using stove as there is in
tho use of all. implements, and it may
be to rcsupply the very moisture it de-
stroys. A tea-kettle, saucepan, boil err,
or any open vessel filled with water and
placed upon the stove will furnish by
evaporation the necessary moisture as
rapidly rs needed. Erchange.
Night and Moonlight.