The Mineral argus., 1884-12-25
Barry New England chasr.

LhBlend homes, the stove was An m
heard OF luxury prior to 1900. In fact
lt was very little known before 1870
Benjamin Franklin was the first Amsr-
lean who experimental on the improve
ments in stoves. As early as 174k
Franklin made his experiments. and
succeeded in making marked improve
ments On what we're then known as
Holland" stoves.
We do not suppose there we're a doz-
en- stoves of any kind in Hartford. and
we might safely say in Connecticut, pre-
v1ous to 1925. All our old citizens re-
member when stoves first came into gen
eral use, and remember how the heating
and cooking were done previous to that
time. Almost any of them can tell you
about those old-fashioned fire. places,
where huge logs were piled up in the
cold winter months, and about which,
IN a semicircle sat the family and visit
ors. Many of the fire-places were of
such huge proportions that they would
accommodate a 10-footlog, coming from
the butt of a big tree. 1t would almost
require a yoke of oxen to draw it into
place. Still there was room for the
smaller cuts with which to make the
monster "back log" burn. And in
those loosely built old houses, with their
many draughts of cold air, even a fire
of these proportions was insufficient in
the coolest weather.
In extreme cold weather, however,
the unequal temperature was equalized,
and o comfortable arrangement Sc.
cured by the old fashioned ''settle."
This roomy seat, with a high, protect
ing back to shield the occupant from
the cold draught, was drawn up in
front Of the fire, and took the heat
without the chill. The "old folks" and
the children had that choice place. The
old clay pipe was there brought out by
grandfather"
But those wide-mouthed fireplaces re-
quired chimneys of such great size at
the base that it necessitated houses Of
correspondingly ample ground dimen-
sions. In the chimney places We're
ovens of huge proportions. in which
nearly all the baking was done. Under
the oven was an ash hole, into which
all the ashes made during the winter
were dumped aggregating several loads.
AS thanksgiving approaches the good
housewife of to-day looks ahead with
cheerful serenity, relying with conf
dence upon the improved appliances for
warmth and cooking purposes TO make
the coming festal day one of pleasure
and enjoyment. The housewife Of 100
years ago., and even of fifty years ago,
looked forward to the approach Of
thanksgiving with pleasure, to be sure,
but not unmixed with dread at the mag
nitude of the work to be performed.
To be sure, her blooming and buxom
daughters could be relied upon to help
her, and, on the principle hat many
hands make light work" the day usual
" passed with no drawbacks TO affect
the full enjoyment of the occasion.
The big oven heated to the proper
degree was of purse q necessary adj
iunct to a successful dinner. Here the
pies-mince, apple, squash, and pump
kin-were baked. Here the old-fash-
toned Indian meal pudding, sweet as
sugar or molasses could make it, and
often as dark as the ways of a politi-
clan, was done to a turn, the top crisp
and brown; here, too, was baked the
omnipresent c~hicken-pie, with the
orthodox opening in the center to let
out the foul gases, which, if confined,
would excite a revolution in otherwise
peaceably inclined stomachs. Then
those huge loaves Of bread with the
crust sufficiently Drowned to make them
appear tempting were slid out upon the
table from the wide blade of a long IRON
handled "~slice." Sometimes meats,
chickens, and turkeys were roasted
within the walls of the oven, but for
lack of basting conveniences meats were
usually roasted in front of the fire
suspended by a wire fastened to the cell
ing. Pigs could be roasted in the oven
we'll enough, perhaps, but even these
little quadrupeds could be handled to
better advantage in front of the blazing
logs. On thanksgiving day it was not
an thing to see the sultan OF
the turkey roost, properly dressed n
stuffed with appetizing viands, hanging
in front of the fire with a dripping pan
on the hearth directly under him,
fanked by chickens on n side and a
roasting pig on the other, all with their
sides browning under the influence oil
the heat. Ever and anon the bust
ling housewife could be heard telling
Johnny to turn the turkey, or Ellen to
give the chickens a whirl, and Billy TO
move the pig, while the good lady her
self would come along with the bastlng-
spoon and give them each a gravy bath
from the dripping-pans. ,
An old gentleman, n OF our oldess
and most respectable citizens, says that
the fires in the old f~ireplaces were per-
petual-never going out from n years