Daily globe., 1879-05-14
OLD TIMES.

Ho,r People Liced Fifty Years AOo and
Ho,c They Liue No,c.
lC. G. Coffin in May Atlantic.
half century ago large part of the
people of the United States lived in houses
unpainted, upholstered and utterly devoid of
adornment. A well-fed fire in the yawning
ohasm of a huge chimney gave partial
warmth to single room, and twas COM
mon remark that the inmates were roasting
one side while freezing the other; in contrast,
q majority of the people of the older States
now live in houses that are clap-boarded,
painted, blinded and comfortably warmed.
Then the household furniture consisted of
few plain chairs, plain table, bedstead
made by the village carpenter. Carpets
there we're none. To-day few are the homes,
in city or country, that do not contain car
pet af some sort, while the average laborer,
by week. work, may earn enough to en-
able 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 handled
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, tea 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 glowing light of pitch-kno fire, OF
read their weekly newspapers by the flicker
ing light of "tallow dip;" now, in city and
village their apartments are bright with the
fame of the gas jet or the setter radiance
of kerosene. Then, if the fire went out
upon the hearth, it was rekindled by coal
from neighboring hearth, or by flint, stee
and tinder. Those who INDUCED 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 saft
at cost of one-hundredth of cent.
! In those days we guessed the hour of noon
or ascertained it by the creeping of the sun
light up to the "noon mark' drawn upo,
the floor; only the we'll to do could afford ,
clock. To-day, who does not carry watch
and as for clocks, you may purchase them a
Wholesale by the cart load, at si1ty-two cent
apiece.
Fifty years ago how many dwellings wer
adorned with pictures? How many are ther
now that do not display print, engraving
chrome, or lithograph? How many piano
or parlor organs were there then? Reed o1
gans were not invented till 1840, and no,
they are in every village.
Some who may read this article will re
ember that in 1880 the bible, the almana
and the few text books used in school wer
almost the only volumes of the household
The dictionary was volume four inche
square and an inch and half in thickness
In some of the country villages few publ
spirited men had gathered libraries contain
ing from three to FIVE hundred volumes
in contrast the public libraries of th
present, containing more than ten thousan
volumes, have an aggregate of 10,65O,0C
volumes, not including the Sunday scho'
and private libraries of the country. It
estimated that altogether the number {
volumes accessible to the public is not LEI
than 2O,OOO,0OO! OF Webster's and Wo
cester's dictionaries, it may be said tn
enough have been published to supply one
every one hundred inhabitants Of the Unite
States.