National Republican., 1883-06-04
mrur COOP OLD pAYs.n
Some OF the Things About Them That
Were Not Quite so Good After All.


Some OF the Things About Them That
wero Not Quite so Good After All.
The frequent comments by the late Thur
low Weed upon the marvels which he saw be-
come oommonplaces during his lifetime, were
as frequent evidences of the fact that a man
who to-day has reached his allotted three
score and ten, has been cotemporary with what
in other ages would have taken centuries to
accomplish. The Rochester Post Express notes
that the changes during the past fifty years,
the advancement in every department Of the
worlds affairs trenches upon the marvellous,
and tho story Of life begun eighty years ago
Is like reading of Baron Munchausen's won
ders. Such glimpse Of English change aud
progress is Mr.. S. G. Halls recent work, Re-
Prospect Of a Long Life" and, entering as
IL does into many of tho simple and
homoly details of domestic life, such as
were tho familiar surroundings of his
childhood, the book admirably sets forth the
manners and customs Of what seems to us q
primitive time. OF tho tinder box, an iniple;
ment whose uso and name are still perfectly
familiar, but whose actual description nine out
Of ten would find it difficult to furnish, he
says, Ordinarily, 10 was an oblong WOODEN
box some six or eight inches long and three
or four in width, and was divided into two
parts by partition. In one of these was
fitted loose lid with central knob TO drop,
in as u dampor on the tinder; and in the
other were kept the flint, steel, and bunohes
Of birthstone matches. The finder was q
scorched or half burned linen rag. The flint
and steel being struck together emitted
sparks, aud then, as soon as spark had fallen
upon and ignited the tinder, tho birthstone
end of match was applied to it and
lighted. The matches were thin slips of deal,
five or six inches long and perhaps q
quarter of an inch wide, cut to point
at each end, and dipped in melted birthstone;
they were hawked about tho country by
itinerant vendors. The fumes of tho sulphur
emitted scent by no means pleasant TO the
olfactory nerves in fact, tho stencil was
strong enough to find its way from the kitchen
to the attic Of q lofty mansion. From the
match thus ignited candle was lighted-of
mutton fat usually, of "molds where greater
cost could bo afforded. There were never
candles on the table without the snufler tray
and snuffers."
What contrast to the twinkle Of electricity
of to-day, which creates train OF shining
suns, whose clear and dazzling flame has
literally turned darkness into daylight, and
the shadows of night TO the brlliancy ofnoon-
day. Fancy the streets of London lighted ~
by oil lamps, by which one could not dis
tinguish the sex even of a person across the
way; yet Mr.. Hall, born in $500, describes
person of quality was out walking or riding
in the evening he was preceded by link
boy, who carried torch or link made of
whisps of thread, and put il out on reaching
the house, on an extinguisher fixed op the
railings near the entrance door, few of
which are still left in our grand old squares
of London"
The police service was allotted to " feeble
old creatures" who "tottered at night"
They were provided with slaves and lanterns,
and though they inasqueraded ~hnder the
title watchmen," il was as Charles" the
public knew them best. They came from the
workhouse, and their efficiency while on duty
may be gathered from the fact that the sentry
boxes or little wooden structures which
sheltered them from sunset to dawn were.
with their feeble occupants, the legitimate
prey of the young bloods of the town, who
thought it proper lark to tip over box and
inmate whenever encountered.
The means oftravel have, of course, changed
wonderfully during Mr.. Halls time.
He tells Of the stage coach with guards and
arms, for though highwaymen no longer
flourished, foot pads were not unknown. He
speaks too of the pillion riding which ladies
so largely affected during his boyhood.
Sixty years ago at least score of pillions
might have been seen waiting for fair occu-
pants, with attendant squires to help them to
mount, when the sermon had been read and
the benediction given. And in far more re-i
cent times than that the farmer would be-
stride his sturdy cob, his wife mount the
pillion behind him, her basket of eggs and
butter would be handed up to her, and away
theyl would jog comfortably to market.
Sedan chair, too, of whi ch the present genera
tion see nothing and know nothing were the
usual modes of conveyance of ladies and
gentlemen going to parties balls, assemblies,
or the theater, and were also employed in
making calls or going shopping"
The now obsolete means of punishment for
many minor offenses were to him frequent
spectaolesrthe pillory and fogging at the
carts TAIL the stocks, the ducking stool for
scolding women, and the witch's bride for
women who used their tongues too freely-all
| these were in use during his remembrance.
| AS late as 1884 for certain ofienses men were
"gibbeted" after execution, !. O., hung in
chains and left to swing till their bodies rot
ted, until and still further on in the century
the bodies of suicides were ordered by law to
be buried at midnight without religious cere-
monies at crossroads, and hedge stake was
driven through the body.
The abuses Of the insane in asylums were
| almost incredible. OF one in Cork mot
worse than many others" Mr.. Hall visited in
1920, he says:
| pass through any of the corridors you
| were sure to hear the means, sometimes the
shrieks, and always the clapking chains of
the miserable prisoners, who were kept in
darkness and solitude as u remedy for their
mental atiliction, and whose appeals for mercy
were heard only by the stone walls Of a cell
ten feet by eight"
Tho book is roplete with such experiences
and descriptions, and reads as If il were writ
| ten of the Dark Ages rather than tho enlight-
| ened nineteenth century. 1t is about time to
stop harping about "the good old days." for
from all accounts those days, certai My in
| England, were only good to leave behind