The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1876-02-24
Furnishings in the Olden Time.

IHe tue Ol laSnlOn, WnlCn OVerHnelmS
everything in its onward course, has almost
etfaced every trace Of what our fore fathers
possessed or used in the way of household
furniture or travelling equipage. Since the
year 1900, the introduction of foreign lux
ury, caused by the influx of wealth, has
been yearly etfecting successive changes IN
those articles; SO much so, that the former
simple articles which contented, as they
equally served the purposes of, our fcrefath.
ers, can hardly be conceived Such es they
were, they descended acceptably, un chang.
ed from father to son and sons son, and
presented at the era of our Independence,
precisely the same family picture which
had been seen in the earliest annals of the
town.
Formerly there were no sideboards, and
when they were introduced, after the Rev
olution, they were much smaller and less
expensive than now. Formerly they had
couches of the worsted damask, and, only
in very affluent families, in lieu of what we
now cali sofas and ouoges. Plain people
used settees and settles; the latter had
bed concealed in the seat and, by folding
the top of it outward to the front, it ex-
posed the bed and wdened the place for
the bed to be spread upon it. This, home
ly article as it now might be regarded, was
common sitting room appendage, and
was proof of more attention to comfort
than display. 1t had as well as the settee,
very high back of plain boards, and the
whole was of white pine, generally uppaint-
ed, and whitened well with unsparing
scrubbing. Such was in the poets mind
when pleading for his sofa
But restless was the seat the back erect
Distressed The weary loins that felt no ease"
They were a very common article in
good houses, and were generally the
property Of the oldest members of
the family, unless occasionally used to
stretch the weary length of tired boys. |
They were placed before the freplaces in
the winter to keep the back guarded from
wind and cold. Formerly there were no
Windsor chairs; and fancy chairs are still
more modern. The chairs of the genteel |
est kind were of mahogany or red walnut
(once great substitute for mahogany in /
all kinds of furnture,) or else they were
Of rush bottoms, and made of maple posts
and Stats, with high bacKs, and perpendic
ular. Instead of japanned walters, as now
they bad mahogany tea boards and round |
tea tables, which, being turned on an axle /.
underneath, the centre, stood upright like
an expanded fan or palm.leaf, in the cor
ner. Another corner, was occupied by
clio ct with a glass door, 10 which all of
the china of the family and the plate were
intended to be displayed for ornament as
well as use. A conspicuous article in the
collection was always great china punch
bowl, which furnished O frequent and
grateful beverage. China teacups and
saucers were much smaller than now; and
china teapots and coReepots, with silver
nozzles, were a mark of superior fnery. |
The sham of plated ware was not then
known, and all who showed a silver surface !
had the massive metal too. This occurred
in the wealthy families, in little coffee and
teapots; and silver tankard for sugared
toddy was above vulgar entertainment.
Where we now use earthenware, they then
used delfware imported from England; and
Instead Of queenswnre (then unknown,)
pewt ter platters and porringers, made to
shine along dresser" were universal
Some, and especially the country people
ate their meals from wooden trenchers.
Gilded looking glasses and. picture frames
Of golden glare were unknown; and both,
much smaller than now, were used Small
pictures painted on glass, with black
mouldings for frames, with scanty touch
of gold leaf IN It's corners, were the adorn'
ments cf a parlor. The looking glasses in
two plates, If large, had eithe. glass frames
! figured with flowers engraved thereon, or
scalloped mahogany or Dutch wood paint
ed white or black, with here and there
some touches of gold. Every householder
in that day deemed it essential to his con-
yenience and comfort to have an ample
chest of drawers in bis parlor or sitting
room, in which the liuen and clothes of the
family were always of ready access. 1t
was no sin to rummage them before COM
pany. These drawers were sometimes