Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-07-10

WHAF "OLn TINES" MEANT.-A
half century ego large part OF the peo-
pie Of the United States lived IN houses
unpainted, upholstered and utterly de-
void OF adornment. A well-fed Ere in
the yawnlng chasm Of huge chimney
gave partial warmth TO single room,
and il was a common remark that the
inmates were roasting on one side while
freezing on the other: in contrast, ma
,ority of the people Of the older States
nov i've n houses that are clapboar9ed,
na;ntea blinded and comforiably warmed
Then. the household furniture consisted
of few plain chairs, a plain table, .
bedstead made by the village carpenter.
CARPETS there were none. To-day, few
are the homes, in city or country, that
do not contain a carpet Of some sort,
while the average laborer by 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
a buck-haadled knife and an iron or
pewter spoon, but the advancing civil
ization has sent the plate and spoons to
the melting pot, while knives and forks
have given place 10 nickle or silver
plated cutlery.
In those days the utensils for cook
ing were a dinner-pot, tea-kettle, skill
LET, Dutch oven and frying-Pan; to-day
there is no end Of kitchen furniture.
The people OF 1880 sat in the even
ing IN the glowing light Of Pitch-knot
FIRE, or read their weekly newspapers
by the flickering light Of "tallOw Dip"
now, in city and village, their apart
ments are bright with the fame Of the
gas-iet OF the softer radiance Of kero-
sene. Then il the fire went out upon
the hearth il was rekindled BY a coal
from a neighbonng hearth, or by flint,
steel and finder. Those who INDUCED
in pipes and cigars could light them
only by some hearthstone; to-day we
light fire and pipes by the dormant fire.
works in the match safe, at cost of
one -hundreth Of q cent.
In those days we guessed the hour Of
noon, or ascertained II by the creeping
Of the sunlight up to the moon mark
drawn upon The floor; only the well-to-
do could afford a clock. To-day who
does not carry a watch! And as for
clocks, you may purchase them at
wholesale, by the cart-load, at sixty
two cents apiece.
Fifty years ago, how many dwellings
were adorned with pictures. How
many are there now that do not display
print, engraving, chrome or litho-
graph? How many pianos or parlor
organs were there then? Reed organs
were not invented till 184O, and now
they are in every village.
Some who may read this article will
remember that in 1880 the Bible, the
almanac and the few textbooks used in
school were almost the only volumes of
the household. The dictionary was a
volume four inches square and an inch
and half in thickness. In some oi
the country villages few public-spir-
tied men had gathered libraries con-
tanning from three 10 FIVE hundred vol
umes: in contrast, the public libraries
of the present, containing more than
ten tho1sand volumes, have an aggre.
gate of 1O, $3.50, 900 volumes, not Includ-
ing the Sunday-school and private ii.
braries Of the country. II is estimated
that altogether the number Of volumes
accessible 10 the public is not less than
20. .0OO, 900! or Webster's and Wor-
cester's dictionaries, it may be said that
enough have been published 20. supply
one TO every one hundred inhabitants
Of the United S:ates.-.7tiaafic Month.
ly.