The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-21
TWo.SCORE YEARS AGO.
Some Things People Did Thon that They
Do Not DO Now.
San Hdncisco Chronicle.

l bO ROC DO now
San Edncisco Chronicle.
Family cooking was better than q
present. Our motheia and grand moth
ers took haud" in it. Bread was mad,
at home. Coffee was freshly greunt
every morning for breakfast. The grind
ing of tho family coffee. mill was famil
lar aound Of the early morning, long or,
the children we're up. Foreign help hat
less away in the Kitchen than now, ant
European haudt did not mako botch o.
such purely American diuhes as pumpkin
ples codfish cakes, pork and beans, corn
| bread, buckwheat cakes and succo.ash.
People then did not live as long, nor
was the average health as good es it il
TO- day ; they ate more meat, moro grease
more hot bresd, more heavy dishes, drank
moro at u15ais aud aftsiward chewed
more tobacco.
Dyspeptics and cousumptives were
moro common; disease and premature
death were devoutly laid at tie Deity'a
door and alluded to az "dispsnsa:ions oi
Providence"
Tombstones had larger epitaphs and
more verbosity engraved upon thom.
At funerals the undertaken cried with
tho mournero, the flow of tears being
proporsionato to tho exponss Of the fu.
neral.
CofIino were very plain, and burial
caakeis unknown.
Young folks in couples counted it O
privilege 10 cit up nights with the corpse
before burial, ano in many cases it was q
welcome recrestion.
Now Orleaus rolasses, very black ano
thin, was the common "sweetening" for
Duchwnsai caat5. Eeflued moiasses yzas
comparatively scarce.
Tho bank bills were of State banks.
aud the farther West their locality the
Shaker were they. Illinois and Indiana
bilio would barely psss in Now York
city.
Much oftho silver currency--.ixpeuces,
shillings and dollars--wao Of Mexican
coinage, brought to this country by the
santa Fe tradeu.
The country retail trade was better
than now. People then could not 90
easily run by rail to the city and spend
their lsrgest cash accumulations for tho
moro expensive 0tuff6.
Country dry goodo otoreD renewed their
stock from the city twice year. The
arrival of "neU goods" created quite O
fntter. It filled the otore for two or
three dayo-until ell the women in the
village had seen the new styleB.
Eggs were shilling O dozen, and but
tor waa connidered high at eighteen pence
per pound.
There was "York currency" being
eight shillingo to the dollar, and New
dollar.
BuoineSs letten were moro voluminous
and formal than now, and uritton in O
precise, round hand.
leoiated rural aottlomente contained
greater proportion of lunatics and vic.
time of st. Viluo' dance than they do
to-day.
The railroad had not strung places to.
gether aud there were feWer hospitals for
special dieeases hencs most Of these
cases were kept at home.
The diet was more surcharged with
grease. The winter breakfast at thou.
aands of tables consisted Of uslted ham
and hot cakes.
Dinner Was ulmply hasty lunch at
noon. Little Importance was attached to
the necessity OF good digestion or o
period of re1t after eating.
The same heavy diet prevailed in many
sao:!is=, without change, winter ana
summer. Hence on the first approach of
the warmth OF opring came "spring
fever" and bil!ousneas. For this the
doctors of tho period gave strong cathar-
tics. possibly 8 "blue mass pill" or dose
of "calomel."
The regular profession then used mer.
curry in manner which would now be
deemed reckless. The patient was given
regular purgation and directed to "diet"
for. few days. Children were strongly
dosed with castor oil and fhubarb and
salts and SIENNA on the leaat provocation.
1t was o otrong age for medicine, and
an age of strong medicine. Under such
treatment tho strong managed to recover,
the weak died, aud the medium class
.physically fingered on and suffered.
Lightning rods made their way into
uae With difficulty. The ultra deyout
actually opposed them on the ground
that they ,Were en- insult to Deity, aud
:Ea. /: ~as sn InterfsF5ucs with the
worko and Gill OF oiProvidonce.
Negro minotralDy was juss cropping
out in the travelling circus. There wero
generally but two performers, who as.
enmod male and female characters. Tho
popular melody was Jump Jim Crow"