Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-23

more NJ meals and atterwaru chcwcd moro
tobacco.
Dyspeptics and consumptives were
more common disease and premature
death were devoutlv laid ut the Deity's
door and alluded to ms 'dispcnsations of
Providence"
Tombstones had larger cpitaphs and
more verbosity engraved upon them.
At funerals the undcrtnkers cried with
the monmers, the flow of fears being pro-
portionate to the expense of the funeral.
Collins were very plain and burial
caskets unknown.
Yonng folks in couples counted it n
privilege to sit MP nights with the corpse
before burial, and in many cases it was n
welcome recreation.
New Orleans molasses, very black aud
thin, was the common "sweetiuG" for
huckwheat cakes Refined molasscs was
comparatively scorce.
The bank bills were Of State banks,
and the further West their locality the
shaker were thev. Illinois and Irdiann
bills would barely pass in New York
citv.
Much of the silver currency sivnnnces
shillings and dollnrs-was Of Mexican
coinage. brought to this country by the
Santa Fe traders.
The country retail trade was better
than now People then could not so easi-
" by rail RIM mp to the CITY and spend
their largest cash accumuations for the
more expensive stuff..
The country drv goods stores renewed
their stock from the city twice a year.
The arrival of "now goods created quite
% ar Io fnp f,t,C NJ
three days-until all the women in the
village had seen the new STYLES.
EGGS were shilling dozan and hut-
ter was considered high ut 1S pence per
pound.
There was "Yort currency being eight
shillinGs to the dollar, and New England
currency. six shillings to the dollHr.
Business letters were more vOluminous
ard formal than now, and written in a
precise. round hand.
Isolated rural settlements contained a
greater proportion of lunntics, paralytics
and victims of St. Vitus' dance than they
do to-day.
The railroad had not strnng places to-
pether, and there were fewer hospitals
for special diseases, hence most of then
cases were kept at home
The diet was more surchnrCed witt
grease, The winter breakfasts Mt thou
sands of tables consisted of salted ham
and hot cakes.
Dinner was simply a hastv lunch n
noon. Little importance was attached t,
the necessity for good digestion or pc
riod of rest after eating.
The same heavy diet prevailed in man!
families. without change, winter and sum
mer. Hence on the first approach of th'
warmth of spring came 'spring fever
and biliousness. For this the doctors o
the period gave strong cathartics, posi-
bly, "bluemaGs pill" or n dose of ''calo
mel
The regular profession then used mer
curry in a manner which would now h
deemed reckless. The patient was give,
n regular purgation and directed to "diet
for few days Children were strongl
dosed with castor oil and rhnbarb an,
salts and sennn on the least provocation
1t was strong age tor medicine. an,
an age of strong medicine Under sue
J treatment the strong managed to recover
the weak died. and the medium class phy
sically fingered on and suffered.
Lightning rods made their way int
use with difficulty The ultra devont aC
tually opposed them on the ground tha
they were an insult to the Deity. aud tbs
1t was an interference with the works an
will of Providence.
Negro minstrelsy was just cropping on
in the travelling circus. There wer
general y but two performevs. who assun
cd male and female characters. The POI
ular melody was Jump, Jim Crow"