The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-06-18
Fifty Years Ago.

A half century ago, a 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 1T was common remark that the in
mates were roasting one side, while freez-
Ing the other; in contrast, majority of
the people Of the older States now live
IN houses that are clapboarded, painted,
blinded, land comfortably warmed. Then,
the thousehold 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
GO not contain carpet of some sort.
while the average 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
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 knifes and forks have
given place to nickle or plated cutlery.
In those days the utensils for cooking
were dlnner-pot, tea-kettIe, skillet,
Dutch oven and frying pan; today there
is no end to kitchen furniture.
The people of 1880 sat in the evening
Ill the glowing light of a pitch-knot fire.
or read their,weekly newspapers bv the
nlckerlngg light of ''tallow Dip now.
IN city and village their apartments are
bright with flame Of the gas let or the
soft radience Of kerosene. Then if the
ire went out upon the hearth, it was re-
klndled by coal from neigbborino
hearth, or by flint, steel and tinder
Those who INDUCED in pipes and cigars
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 Il cent.
IN those days we guessed the hour Of
! noon, or ascertained it by the creeping Of
the sunlight up to the s.noon-mark'
drawn upon the floor; only the well-to
40 could afford a clock. To-day who
does not carry watch? and for clocks.
you may purchase them by wholesale,
! by the CARLOAD, at sixty-two cents apiece.
| Fifty years ago, hoy many dwellings
were adorned with pictures? How many
| are there now that do not display a 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 viii
remember that in 1880, the Bible, the alma
nae, and a few books used in school
were almost the only volumes Of the
household. The directory was a volume
! tour inches square and an inch and half
In thickness. In some of the country
! villages 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 aggre-
gate Of 10,65O,0OO volumes, not including
the Sunday school and private libraries Of
| the country. 1t is estimated that alto
gether the number of volumes accessible
to the public is not less than 2O,OOO,0OO!
Of Webster's and Worcester's dictionaries,
it having been sad that enough have been
published to supply one to every one hun
dred inhabitants OF the United States.