The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-05-08
OLD TIMES.
How People Lived Fifty Years Ago
and How They Live Now.

How People Lived Fifty Years Ago
and How They Live Now.
&c. c. Coffin in May Atlantic.I
A half century ago a large part of the
people OF the United States lived in houses
implanted, upholstered and utterly devoid
OF adornment. A well fed fire in the yawp-
ing chssm OF huge chimney gave partial
warmth to single room, and it was a COM
mon remark that the inmates we're roast
ing one side, while freezing the other; in
contrast, msjority of the people OF the
older States now live in houses that are
clap boarded, painted, blinded and comfort
ably warmed. Then the household furni-
ture consisted OF few plain chairs, a plain
table. bedstead made by the villsge car
penter. Carpets there were none. To-day
few are the homes, in city or country, that
do not contain carpet of some sort, while
the average laborer by a weeks work may
earn enough to enable him to repose at
night upon spring bed.
Fifty years ago the kitchen "dressers"
were set forth with shining row of pewter
plates. The farmer ate with buck -hand
I'd knife and an iron or pewter spoon, but
the advancing civilization has sent the
plates and spoons to the melting pot, while
the knives and forks have given place to
nickel or silver-plated cutlery.
In those days the utensils for cooking
were dinner-pot, tes-kettle, skillet,
Dutch oven and frying-pan; to-day there
is no end OF kitchen furniture.
The people of 1880 sat in the evening in
the g lowing light of a pitch knot fire, or
read their weekly newspapers by the flick
ering ligh. of tsllow Dip" now, in city
and village, their apartments are bright
with the flame of the gas jet or the softer
Radiance OF kerosene. Then, if the fire
went out upon the hearth, it was rekindled
by a coal from neighboring hearth, or by
flint, steel and tinder. Those who in
dulged in pipes and cigars could light them
only by some hearthstone to-day we light
fire and pipes by the dormant fireworks in
the match sale at a cost Of one hundredth
OF a cent.
10 those days We guessed the hour of
noon, or sscertained it by the creeping Of
the sunlight up TO the moon mark ="
drawn upon the f9or; only the well-to-do
could afford prooSck. To-day, who does
not carry a watSa.o and as for clocks, you
may purchase them a, wholesale, by the
cart load, at sixty cents s. piece.
rlity years ago how many dwellings
were adorned with picture? How many
are there now that do not display print.
engraving, chrome, or Autograph? How
many pianos or parlor organs were there
then? Reed organs were not invented till
1910, and now they are In every village.
Some who may read this article will re-
member that in 1880 the bible, the alma
nae and few textbooks used in school
were almost the only volumes OF the house
hold. The dictionary was a volume four
inches square and an inch and half in
thickness. In some of the country villages
a few public-spirited men had gathered
libraries containing from three to five hun
dEed volumes; in contrast the public Ultra
ries OF the present, containing more than
ten thousand volumes, have an aggregate of
10 100000 volumes, not including the Sun
day school and private libraries OF the
1t Is estimated that altogether
tie number of volumes accessible 10 the
public is not less than 20 100000, OF Web
;ter's and Worcester's dictionaries, it NAV
De said that enough have been published 10
supply one to every one hundred inhabi-
.arfs of the -nitaI Statea