Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-09-02
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Changes Of Mannsr In -Four De-
cades.
Old Time Beaux and Belles-Prentice Mul-
ford's Picture Of People and
Things in Those
Days.
San Ptaneuco Chronicle.

o HdL1C oloN " bA"S ~RR
Democratic party.
The spinning wheels hummed and
buzzed in many houses. Farmers
raised and fax and hemp and wore
their own "home-spun"and home-dyed.
Gentlemen wore rufied bosom
'stocks" in place of cravats and high
shirt collars. False bosoms, termed
"dickeys," tied on with strings, served
such as would make pretence OF wear
ing q shirt.
The "stock" was q collar of steel en-
circling the neck, covered with SILK or
satin and having a permanent bow in
front.
Shoemakers in the country made
eyerybOdy's shoes and never kept their
word. The village tailor sewed baggy |
trousers and black coats, generous ID
creases, and our fathers wore them with
conteuted and placid minds. A salt OF
clothes a year was the average limit.
Pantaloons were strapped under the
boots; huttoning pantalOon straps wasa
hard and irksOme and unclean business |
for such as had TO Wallets. The majority |
of our fathers did not indulge in that
luxury. |
Pantaloons and boots were frequently, |
when worn with straps, taken off and
put on together to say time and trouble.
The boots were "WellingtOns." Inc
gsiter was little worn.
A SweITs Get.Cp.
Long, heavy, cIOaks, reaching quite
10 the heels, were worn by our elders.
Such q cloak lasted almost Il lifetime,
NJ ,nn1, aNRrra n 10 napfa.f uTIfhnnt q
big "fob chain" aud seal dangling from
the waisrbaud. Gold watches Were
scarce. Silver watches were large in
dimensions. The vulgar called them
"turpips." They were wound up with
q KEY, which was always getting lost,
ard in the winding the machinery was
noisy.
Some of the styles and changes Uncut
and fashion were even more marked
than those Of to-day. At one time gentle.
mCn wore a summer garment called a
blouse" though very unlike That OF
the French workman. 1t was Of linen, |
reaching to the knee, belted at the
waist, %huJtCniug in front from the skirt
to the bosom, and Was pleated above
and below the belt. 1t resembied the
old time American hunting shirt, and
was u very comfortable aud becoming
garment. Al another period men wore
white Guck-liuen jacke,s, murA shorter
than the present sack coat.
gentlemen put their feet in pumps,or
low slippers, at balls and dancing par
ties. Dancing then in shoes or CATERS
would have been deemed as great Il lack
of prOpriety as would be going TO an
evening parry now i'll a pair OF rubber
boots.
The bathrooms were Illuminated by
candles stuck in sockets on the walls.
Or, if more pretentions, in a chandelier
suspended from the ceiling. The can
dies would drip, and the ladies' and
gentlemen's apparel frequently testified
TO that fact. Round Dances We're
barely tolerated WALKING was scandal
Gus.
The Light Fantastic.
Some of the steps" peculiar to that
period required no small degree OF
agility on the part of the gentlemen.
The pigeon wings" and the "dOuble
shuttle" lifted a man quite of the floor
and would startle a modern ballroom.
The ladies lifted their skirts so ~ not to |
interfere with their freedom of pedal
.ocOmotiOn and were not adverse to the
2l~IfldN W Z dHhA0os 'AAAlNN
aud CO!OTed hosiery were unknown.
Custom had not then sanctioned
feminine skating. 4 girl on skates in
1912 would have been n phenomenon.
so would also have been 81 feminine
swimmer.
Vegetables were far less in variety
than now. Tomatoes were regarded
with suspicion. They were called "lOge
.,I., - ,nItiyofal ~ "a UapAaD prna.
mtnt and suspected of poisonous ten
denotes. Canned fruits aud vegetable,
were generally unknown.
Children were more respectful to
their elders. Boys were required to bow
and girls to courtesy" on entering and
leaving the schOOl-roOm. Boys said
sir when addressed by a grswn per.
son, a juvenile habit now generally dis
pensed with and swept away by the
march of progress. i
Party spirit was more bitter aud
ADMINISTRATIVE than to-day. Sworn
iu,s existed in every village, who had
not spoken to each other for years on
u C0jnt Of political differences. Men
cried like c | dren because Henry Clay
was not elected President. Tue Old
aristCcratic families who had held Off e
,ince the time OF Washington and who
lie, med Federal office theirs by a sort
Of Divine right, held firmly TO their
hatred of Andrew Jackson until reliev-
"a hy death of the capacity for hating.
4 Congressman then had a standing
in the community which, in many
cases, might now be envied.
The bottle of the period was 81 very
thick, very heavy, very clumsy, very
dark green and almost black Junk bot
tie" That, too, has gone out Of exis-
tence with the "old soldier Of the revO-
lutiOnary var" and w~armiug-pans. The
common lantern Of the time wa OF tin,
pierced with many holes somewhat at-
Ter the fashion of the Hutmeg-grater,
through which the light from a candle
end glimmered and was often blown
cut by a strong blast.
Out west.
\ man returned from Illinois, then
one vast prairie, was deemed an adven.
turer and explorer.
One who had seen London and Paris
was a manOt note in his community.
On the schOOlhoy's map Ofthat period
The Indian Territory" covered a great
area now occupied by prosperous States.
California was known only in cOnnec
ton with hides aud tallOw. West OF
the Rocky Mountains, all save a small
area of Oregon was wild, vague aud
misty, and consequently mysterious and
fascinating.
Ferry-b0ats propelled bylhorse power
crossed he Fast river aud the weary
animals, lab0ring on their treadmtlls,
poked their heads after a ~disconsolste
and forlorn fashion out Of the paddle
house windows.
One-horse cabs were abundant In
New York.
Straw brooms were made "rouud"
and 'siat.n The round broom, for floor
sweeping, is obsolete. The country
Wife's favorite du,ter for cupboards and
corners difficult of access was the wing
II q wild goose.
Wooden clocks were universal. Brass
cIocksr were considered as something
extra and sun. dialS were occasionally
seen. - -,
Old people called auctions "vendues."