Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-11-01

The Bi Centennial Celebration dur
ing its progress in Philadelphia, has
caused newspaper editors and other
men having a desire for historical
research to look up the records of
200 years ago as to how well to-do
people of that period lived. The
North .7merican writing to that point
says: In the houses the floors down
stairs were all sanded. There were
no carpets III his Pennsbury Manor
house. All the first settlers
must have brought or imported their
furniture from Europe. 1t was stiff
and heavy. There were great chests
of drawers, massive bullets, solid ia
bles with fops and wings, straight
back oak chairs, studded with brass
nails and tall Dutch clocks. Much
of the table furniture was pewter or
common delf ware; brass and cop
per served in the kitchen where now
tin is used. Wood was the only fuel,
and the fire place enormously capa-
cious, had great iron dogs on them,
to which in winter time the black log
was often dragged by yoke of oxen
with the loS-chain. Cranes and
hooks suspended in these fire places
held pots for boiling, and the roast
ing was done upon spits or on '.jacks'
which dogs had to turn. In the fam
lily part of the house the brass and
irons and tongs and fender made the
fire-glow upon the deep hearth look
doubly cheerful. The Quakers did
not use stoves until Benjamin Frank
lin inveigled them into it with that
simulacrum of an open fire place
called the Franklin stove"
The rivers teemed with fish, and
the Quakers early learned the viz
tues and the delicious flavor of the
shad, broiled on q plank at one side
of the fireplace while a johnny cake
Drowned on another plank at. the
other side of the fire. The Delaware
and the Schuylkill were the resort of
myriads of wild fowl, from swan and
geese down to rail and reed birds.
Every family kept its own cows,
made its own butter and cheese.
salted, cured and smoked its own ba-
con, beef, herring shad, venison and
mutton. 1t was the custom then
for every house to be provisioned as
if to stand siege. The cellars had
great bins for potatoes and other
roots and apples there were tiers OF
barrels of fresh cider, and casks for
vinegar to ripen in, and in q locked
recess We're usually some casks OF
madeira, sherry. port, rum, brandy,
gin, etc. for the master and his guests
with marsala and malaga for the
women and children"
The country people for their ordi-
nary wear made use OF serviceable
leather doublets and breeches, WOOL
en- waistcoats, felt hats, heavy shoes
with leather legings, or else boots.
They wore stout flannel next the
skin in winter, rough coats and many
woollen wraps about the throat; in
summer coarse Osnaburgs and home
made linens. All wore wigs, and the
dress suits of cloth OF camlet were
brave with buttons, braid and buck.
les, silk stockings and embroidered
waistcoats, gold laced hats and fine
lace ruffies and cravats. Gentlemen
wore their small swords: workmen
and laborers either dressed in leather
druggets, serge or lockram common
women and servants wore linen and
domestic linseys and calicos: on their
headr hood or quilted bonnet, heavy
shoes, home knit stockings of thred
OF yarn petticoats and short gown s
with a handkerchief pinned about the
shoulders The ladies had of course
more brilliant and varied wardrobes;
the hat was high-crowned, the hair
much dressed; stomachers and cor
sage long and stiff much cambric
about the neck and bosom; much
gimp ribbon and galloon, silk or sat
in petticoats, and dainty shoes and
dainty shoes and stockings"
With baby at breast nothing is so use
full for quieting my own and baby's ner, es
as Parker's Ginger Tonic. 1t prevents bow.
el complaints, and is better than any stim.
uient to give strength and appitite-A
Newark Mother.
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