Connecticut western news., 1879-05-14
Old Times in America.

A half century ago, large part of the people of the United States lived 1n houses. unpainted, upholstered and utterly devoid of adornment. A we'll fed fire in the yawning chasm of huge chimney gave partial warmth to single room, and it was @ common remark that the inmates were roasting on one side while freezing on the other <; in contrast, majority of the people of the older States now live in houses that are clap. boarded. painted, blinded and comforta- bly, warmed. Then, the household furni- ture consisted of few plain chairs, a plain table, 8 beadstead made by the will lage carpenter. 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 weeks work may earn enough to enable him to repose at night upon a spring bed.
 Fifty years ago, the kitchen "dressers" were set forth with a shining row of pew ter 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 melt ing 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-knot fire, or read their weekly newspaper by the
 fickering light of tallow 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 coal of fire from a
 neighboring hearth, or by flint, steel
 and finder. Those who indulged in
 pipes and cigars could light them only
 by some hearthstone; to-day we light
 fires and pipes by the dormant fire
 works in the match safe, at 8 cost of one
 hundredth of cent.
 In those days we guessed the hour oi noon, or ascertained it by the creeping of the sunlight up to the noon-mark drawn upon the door. Only the we'll to-do could afford clock. To-day who does not carry watch? And as fol clocks, you may purchase them at whole sale, by the cart-load, at sixty-two cent
 a piece. Fifty years ago, how man.
 dwellings were adorned with pictures How many are there now that do no display a print, engraving, chromo O. 5 Autograph? How many pianos or par f Tor organs were there then? Reed or gans were not invented till 164O, an' , now they are in every village.
 e Some who may read this article vii l remember that in 1850 the bible, the al
 manac, and the few textbooks used il , school were almost the only volumes o E the household. The dictionary was \ volume four inches square and an inc A and half in thickness. In some of tn
 country villages a few publc-spirite a men had gathered libraries containin s from three to five hundred volumes i f contrast, the public libraries of the pres ent, containing more than ten thousan s volumes, have an aggregate of 10,60O !. 900 volumes, not including the Sunda l. school and private libraries of the cour r try. It is estimated that altogether th h number of volumes accessible to tn a public is not less than 30,0O0,000! (
 Webster's and Worcester's dictionarie
 it may be said that enough have bee l. published to supply one to every or IS hundred inhabitants of the Unite @ States.-May AtlGntic.