Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-15
Fifty Years Ago.

A half century ago, large part OF the
people of the United States lived in hous-
es implanted and upholstered, and utter
~ devoid of adornment. a well-fed fire
in the yawning chasm of huge chimney
gave partial warmth t. single room,
and it was common remark that the in
mates were roasting one side, while freez-
ing the other; in contrast, a 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 a
few plain chairs, a plain table, a bed
stead made by the village carpenter.
Carpets there were none. To-day few
are the houses, 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 shining row OF
pewter plates. The farmer ate with a
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 knifes and forks have
given place to mickle or 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 to kitchen furniture.
The people of 1880 sat in the evening
in the glowing light of pitch-knot fire
or read their weekly newspapers by the
Pickering light of a 'tallow dip;n now
in city and village their apartments are
bright with fame of the gas let or the
soft radience of kerosene. Then if the
fire went out upon the hearth, it was re-
kindled by a coal from neighborine
hearth, or by flint, steel and finder
Those who INDUCED in pipes and cigar.
could light them only by some hearth
stone; to-day we light fire and pipes by
the dormant fireworks in the match safe
at cost of one hundreth of cent.
In those days we guessed the hour o
noon, or ascertained it by the creeping O.
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 a watch? and for clocks
you may purchase them by wholesale
by the CARLOAD, at sixty-two cents apiece
Fifty years ago, how many dwelling.
were adorned with pictures? How many
are there now that do not display a print
engraving, chrome, or Autograph! How
many pianos or parlor organs were there
then2 Reed organs were not invented til
1910, and now they are in every village
Some who may read this article vii
remember that in 1880, the Bible, the alma
nae, and few textbooks used in schoo
were almost the only volumes of thu
household. The directory was a volume
four inches square and an inch and hal
in thickness. In some of the countr,
villages few public-spirited men has
gathered libraries containing from
three to five hundred volumes; il
contrast, the public libraries O.
the present, containing more thar
ten thousand volumes, have an aggre
gate Of O,650, 900 volumes, not including
the Sunday -school and private libraries o
the country. It is estimated that alto
gether the number of volumes accessible
to the public is not less than 10000, 900
Of Webster and Worcester's dictionaries
it having been said that enough have been
published to supply one to every one hun
dred inhabitants OF the United States.