Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-02-11

bushels. which would give but | J pints
/ of -four to each individual per annum.
He further states that the majority Of the
people lived on rye, barley, oats or peas.
| Bear in mind that Boston, Albany, New
York and Philadelphia were thriving
towns at that date
Coming down to the close of the last
century to 1896 -eighty-four years
ago. when the first steam engines of Watt
we're being constructed, We find the ex-
peuses Of nm agricultural laborer, for
a family of 81 persons-the average of 60
families takon Mt random in different
parts of England-Slsi year Meat
| bill. Sl5: milk. 81. 25 rent, s. - tea,
| supar and buttar. SIS: bread, flour and
| oatmeal S:3,3 % clothes for the entire IA
mily. $3.50.
Coming down to the present century to
our own country. We see all cloth manu-
factured upon the household spinning
wheel and loom. The wages of women in
spinnic weaving. and doing the work of
the household. were fifty cents a,wesk, or
so5 per annum. beside board The wages
of men cn the far1a, IS per month in
Lo.l
Thn ioa, fo,,,I ,ouso. vare Iorra roomv
..n.t,,,o,, I'll brl,o cbimnavs n GREAT
fro,,Iaan i, yLi.b frSn o. to 10 cords
Of wood were consumed in wear, giving
partial warmth TO the old kitchen Inc
housewife who was possessed OF q Trying
pan, dinner pot. tea kettle, putch oven
and warming pan haJ generous sup
ply OF kitchen furniture. Ill
The houses OF the poor We're small
containing Two rooms, ,'hcii'po"irueu'
upholstered, win many Il leak anu cran-
ny through which me SHOWS n, oi "intei
slftcd, IN clustering days Inc houses
OF rich and poor were lighted py 'ne Pi'cn
knot on the hearth, OF 4 Spottefin8 'aiiow
candle II the ilre went out IL WIS re-
kindled by hashihg po"uer Ill 'no oiu
fiint-iock mushet oi hif' S'ee, anu .i,Iei;
1he hour was guessed ny 'tie heiSh' vi
the sun above ,he nori-oI' 'lnu % tiie n''.Io H.
wiie sounded the dihher 'l"rh wien .no
SHADOW oi lhe easement m on si'i, sIi, Jy ny,
reached the noon marh' VA cio'., u'.s
we were an at sea on ,ho iIest,on VI
time- only 'iie ., Iuo e1ur' '',,o'" -
CLOCK whlch cos' e'u' 'iip 'ai''I VI ",i JN
III coii'i"S'' 'o-,''N' "' my -,
ny inc cart ioau WHICH coS' pui 81, .en''
10 in,'il'i.act"re; % ana Tiiion .'e so,u ~
iall lor $40 VINO uo's ho' '"ii! "S''o
OF sii''r chrohoiiie'cf ""''"
PICTURES AND BOOKS.
Fifty wears ago there were very few
DWELLINGS, adorned with pictures. How
many homes are there today that do not
contain print engraving. chrome, or
litborraph? Then, only in Boston, Salem,
Newburvport, Worcester and Il few of the
LARGER towns in New England, were there
any pianos. The use OF brass reeds in
musical instruments WAS not thought of
till after 1880. The Bible. almanac and
the text books uscd in schools, comprised
tbe literature of most households. The
dictionary was n volume four inches
souore ono and 4 half inches in thick
raso within tha last ouorter of a CEN
INV of Wobstcrs ,nj Wnrrestars enough
boyo Loon nrhIsbc1 to sunnlv one TO
overv ono bundr,I j,hahi,arts of the
Vn;te5 StatSs
Al tba hpr;nnino IF tho century in n
fsw towns conIJ he fnunJ libraries con-
tain;nr from Io0 to 800 volumes
Tn-Jo1 flo ,ubl;c Ebr,ries of the United
Statos containino more than 10000 vol
,,n1es onrrrecro,e ahoul II 600 OOO vol