Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-21
Old Times.

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 chasm of huge chimney gave
partial warmth to Il single room, and it
was common remark that the inmates
were roasting on one side while freezing
the other. In contrast, majority of the
people of the older states now live in
houses that are clapboarded, painted,
blinded and comfortably warmed. Then
the household furniture consisted of few
plain chairs. plain table, bedstead
made by the village carpenter. Carpets
there were none. To-day, few are the
houses in city or country that do not con-
tain carpet of some sort, while the aver
age 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 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 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-p pan; to-day there is no
end of kitchen furniture.
The people of 1880 sat at evening in the
glowing light of a pitch fire, or read
their weekly newspapers by the Pickering
| light of "tallow dip;' now, in city and
village, their apartments are bright with
the flame of the gas jet or the softer ra-
dance of kerosene. Then, if the fire went
out upon the hearth, it was kindled by q
coal from neighboring hearth, or by flint,
steel and tinder. Those who induged in
pipes and cigars could light them only by
some hcarth-stoue; to-day we light fires
and pipes by the dormant fireworks in the
match-safe, ut a cost of one-hundredth of a
cent.
In those days we guessed the hour of
noon, or ascertained it by the creeping of
the sunlight up to the moon mark "
drawn upon the floor; only the well-to-do
could afford clock. To-day who does
not carry 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 lithograph? 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 al
manac and the few textbooks used in
school were almost the only volumes of
the household. The dictionary was vol
ume four inches square and an inch and a
half in thickness, In some Of the country
villages n few public-spirited men had
gathered libraries containing from three
to five hundred volumes; in contrast, the
public libraries Of the present, containing
more than ten thousand volumes, have an
aggregate of ten millions, six hundred
and fifty thousand volumes. not including
the Sunday school and private libraries Of
the country. 1t is estimated that altogether
the number Of volumes accessible to the
public is not less than twenty millions
OF Webster's and Worcester's diction-
aries, it may be said that enough have
been published to supply one to every
one hundred inhabitants of the United
States.-C. G. Coffin, IN May atlantic.