National Republican., 1881-02-21
A Warm Subject.

One of the most important subjects
counter is as to how the tendency Of the
elements to deprive him of comfort shall
be overcome. In summer he has to
struggle with heat; in winter with cold !;
in spring and fall with an alternating
mixture of both conditions, carrying with
them myriad of lesser evils, which as
sail his senses disagreeably or injuri-
ously, and keep him continuously to the
task of fighting for his enjoyment if not
for his health and life. But dismissing
for the present any general consideration
of the broad features Of this lamentable
luck on the part of humanity, let us get
down to the earnest consideration of one
particular point. Let us struggle for %
brief season with that heating problem
known as the furnace. Would that we
could shake it" not literally and abso-
lutely, but as figure Of speech well un
derstood. The furnace, Or latrobe," as
we have it, seems to be devised as q CO.
adiutor to the enmity of nature to man.
1t is a curious fact that it should be the
product of fifty centuries, more or less,
ofman's efforts to keep comfortably warm.
For it seems to fail so absolutely in its
task that it may rather be called an en-
gine of destruction than an ally of con-
Venience. But We are not going to argue
about it, We say it outright: the fur
mace is an evil disposed enemy to our
11c,
to the persons fortunate enough to enjoy
the modern conVeniences of the second
floor front, but to those who minister to
its wants in the parlor or basement it is
glaring and gassy fraud while to those
who cherish its cold remainder on the
upper floor it is the vain and elusive
shadow of things hoped for and the
evidence of things not seen"
But after all the possessors of the "sec-
ond floor" are the greatest sufferers from
it. Here is where its malevolence shows
its greatest cunning; here it pretends to
be the warmest friend, but in reality is
either too full of ardor for reason or turns
its figurative cold shoulder full upon its
victim. It blows hot and cold for the
second floor front" not to speak of other
attentions in the way of sudden puffS of
gas and a general assortment of strange
spells of smell and asphyxiating atmos-
phere. The constant result is depression,
lowered vitality, frequent colds. and gem
eral misery on the part of the occupants.
As rule, the tenants of the other floors
enjoy the better health during the frigid
season. But both undoubtedly can ascribe
many of their Affections to the furnace,
which is certain in nothing except in its
regular supply of the causes of ill-health
and the seed of disease.
We are now approaching the season of
the year when the "latrobe," considered
as an enemy of man, viii enjoy its great
est triumph. What shall be done with
it in half-warm weather, when the sec
ond and third floors shut it off, the lower
rooms are sitting, and there is still vol
ume of smoke and gas to get rid of?
There is no solution known to this enigma
except to endure and grow wise. When
we have grown wise, as a people, We will
apply ourselves more sensibly to the
simple question, how can We draw fresh.
pure air into our dwelling places, heat it,
breathe it, and discharge it again? That
is the whole problem. At present we do
just the reverse. We shut out fresh air,
heat and reheat, breathe and rebreathe,
the foul air within, load it with gas and
poisonous vapors, and then wonder why
we are so i'll, so debilitated, so subject to
sudden and unaccountable attacks OF
disease.