Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-03-17
FIFTY YEARS Aoo-No. 10,


CONCERNING FIRE PLACES AND STOVES.
In the torrid zone suppose, except Tor
cooking purposes, people need no fire.
Fire what is ii, aud whence did it origi-
nally come. You know, kind reader, thul
there must have been beginning in all
things Yes, grant you that God had
no beginning, but lie is not thing. Now
whence came fire? Chemists mystify il
by calling IL caloric; and explain to us that
when Indians or white hunters produce il
by rubbing two bOrks together; ii is the
latent caloric which everything has, to a
greater or less degrce-in ice the degree
must be very low-tlnt warns, and heats
and smokes and fumes. III very fine, but
what imparts TO everything this heat
Oh il ia the sun. But most wise astrono-
mers have explained that explanation
away. They used to hold that old Sol
was an immense globe of of intensest fire
now they argue that he is opake like a
planet, but has a heat-generating atmos.
phere about it--perhaps they would say
that electricity in some way causes the
heat This were but begging the question
as logicinns would any; for what is elec.
tricity, would respectfully ask. Indeed
l have seen 1t theorized, IN some work
called IA new philosophy of matter" he
lieve those words should be duly capital
lsed ndmit--tlInt light, heat aud eec-
tricity are but different forms of the same
thing. 1t was some time since that read
it, and my memory is treacherous, which
is little wonderous at my age; but think
the explanation was that when the oriei.
nal atoms Of matter, termed molecules,
acted upon each other perpendiculnrly
one phenomenon, perhaps heat is cansed
When they attract each other horizontally,
the result Is, say, for instance electrcity;
and when mutual action il oblique or
diagonal, light is caused. | may have the
argument mixed; but the reader will catch
the idea; and now respectfully inquire
what causes this variety OF directions in
the attractive force? The fact il, reader,
ii we pursue amy subject OF discourse too
wisest do; and we fairly come under the
head OF these whom scripture speakes OF
MS "darkening understanding with many
words" So much about fre--imsemtabe
in its nature-a hard master, yet II willing
slave.
Fire being. at the best, stem necessity,
it must have place. Undoubtedly, il
were safest to man out doors; but that
were inconvenient, because of the weather
and distance, and therefore it must be in
the house. As long ago as / can remem-
Der, the fireplace took up nearly one end
OF n house. Its yawnimg jaws and the
lower part OF the chimney were of stone
and mortar, and the front of the chimney
rested on an iron bar crossing from jaw to
jaw. The upper portion of the chimney
consisted oil strips of wood laid, log house
fashion, in mud. l never knew man
madder than an old friend of mine, whom
some wild boys, passing his house at mid
night, just before rain, and having call
ed him out of bed, asked if he would not
better take his chimney in before the
storm. Two huge iron dogs or hand. irons
stood on the stone floor oil the fire place,
and on these were piled the logs which
with the chips and bnrks chimed in, made
the fire. The back log WIS, by far, the
largest, and the fore.slick next in size-in
some instances these were actually OF fully
ax-seed length Above the fire hung an
iron, and sometimes wooden, crane frem
whose hooks or chains suspended the ket-
ties and pots Ovens were chiefly built
out doors, especially at first; though, after
wards, they were made part OF the fire.
place, and closed with thick door. When
he baking was done out doors, a large
baking kettle was used, especially to cook
rye.and'i bread and pork and beans.
This kettle was set on red hot Goals in one
| corner of the stone or brick hearth, the
bread or whatnot put in it, the cover put
on, and red hot colls placed on top. Later
the bright, tin, reheciing oven WAS used,
set before The fire; and it cooked bread
pastry and meat very well. In those day
but one fire was in a house. and at first
but one room answered for kitchen, sit
ling room, parlor and bed room a. well.
| Blankets were hung between the beds,
when there were more than one. And
here am reminded of an amusing Incl
dent in the West years ago. A Judge was
was modestly trying 10 jump into bed
nnobserved by the comely daughter Of
his host who was sewing in easy sight.
He waited nervously till he thought she
was not looking, then quickly pulled off
his pants and was just ready to spring,
when she mischievously turned toward
him, glanced at his slender under pinning,
and laughly exclaimed, 'Small chance for
legs, there, Judge" He had made HIM
self particularly interesting to her in con
verSn'ion, by wit and repnrtee, during the
evening, joking her perhaps rather sharp
ly. and Ibis was the way she obtained her
mirhful revenge.