The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-11-24

A half century ago large part OF the
people of the United States lived in
houses unpainted, upholstered and ut
terly devoid of adornment. .well-fed
fire in the yawning chasm of huge
chimney gave partial warmth to single
rom, and it was common remark that
the inmates were roasting one side while
freezing the other. In contrast, a ma
jority Of the people Of the older States
now live in houses that are clap board
ed, painted, blinded, and comfortably
warmed. Then the household furniture
consisted of few plain chairs, plain
table, a bedstead made by the village
carpenter. Bedsteads there were none.
To-day few are the homes, In city or
country, that do not contain a carpet of
some Sort, while the average laborer, by
q weeks work, may earn enough to ena-
BILE him to repose at night upon a
spring bed. q
Fiftyyears ago the kitchen "dressers''
were set forth with shining row of pew
ter plates. The farmer ate with buck
handled knife and an iron or a pewter
spoon, but the advancing civilization
has sent the plates to the melting pot,
while the knives and forks have given
place to nickel or silver-plated cutlery.
In those days the utensils for cooking
were dinner pot, tea kettle, skillet,
Dutch oven and frying pan to-day
there is no end of kitchen furniture.
The people of 1880 sat in the evenings
in the glowing light of pitch knot fire,
or read their weekly newspapers by the
pickering light of ''tallow Dip" Now,
in the city and village, their apartments
are bright with flame of the gas jet or
| the softer radiance of kerosene. Then,
If the fire went out upon the hearth, it
was rekindled by coal from neigh
boring hearth, or by flint, steel and
tinder. Those who iudulged in pipes
and cigars could light them only by
some hearthstone to-day we light fire
and pipes by the dormant fireworks in
the match-safe at cost of one.hund-
redth of cent.
In those days we guessed the hour of
noon, or ascertained it by the creeping
of the sunlight up to the "noon mark''
drawn upon the floor only the well-to-
do could afford clock. To-day who
does not carry watch ? and as for
clocks, you may purchase them at
wholesale, by the 'cart-load, at sixty-two
cents apiece,
Fifty years ago, how many dwellings
were adorned with pictures ? How
many are there now that do not display
aprint, engraving or lithograph ? How
many pianos or organs were there then ?
Reed organs were not invented until
1910, and now they are in every village.
Some who may read this article will
remember that in 1880 the Bible, the
almanac and the few text books used in
schools were almost the only volumes
of the household. The dictionary was
a volume four inches square and an
inch and half in thickness. In some
of the country villages a few public
spirited men had gathered libraries con-
tanning from three to five hundred
volumes; in contrast, the public libraries
of the present, containing more than
ten thousand volumes, have an aggre-
gate Of 1860, 900 volumes, not includ-
ing Sunday-schools and the private
libraries of the country. 1t is estimat-
ed that altogether the number of vol
umes accessible to the public is not less
than 100000. OF Webster's and
Worcester's dictionaries, it may be
said that enough have been published to
supply one to every one hundred inhabi-
tants of the United States.