St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-01-17

and succeeded in making marked I'M
proyements on what was then known as
the Holland stoves. This stove was
an iron box made of five plates and fast
ened together by screws, leaving one
side open. The open side was set out
side the room, the stove itself project
ing through the partition. DR.. Frank
lin IS invention, which, as we have sueg-
gested, was great step forward was a
rectangular box Of cast-iron plates, open
in front except near the top, with a
sliding shutter by which the whole.
might be closed entirely or in part,
either for safety or for increasing the
draueht. The hearth projected in front
and was east with double Lodges to- re-
ceive the edges of the upright, plates'
and also with number OF holes-one
in the front part with regulating
valve for admitting air to the ire from
an air fiue below, when the small
Ter was down; one behind the tirst
upright plate in the back Tor dis
charging the air brought under the
hearth from without into narrow
rectan oular box, as long as the width
of d stove. and as high, excepting the
space for the smoke tiue over It's top;
and, lastly, three holes near the eK-
IRENE back edge for the smoke, after 1t
| had passed over the air-box and de
scended behind it, to enter the t1ue lead
| ING into the base of the chimney. Inc
1 air-box at its sides was furnished WIN
holes through which the heated ar was
admitted into the room, and q success
sion of shelves, one above another, was
/ provided in this box, reaching not
quite across, by which the circulation
I Of the air was extended, and it was
/ longer exposed to the heated surfaces
before passing out into the room. Inc
back plate of the stove, heated by tne
/ descending smoke tfue, impaired neat
to the air between it and the chimney
the stove standing q little cut from the
wall. A register of sheet-iron was m
troduced in the descending tiue, which
could be closed wholly or in part, and
check the fire to any considerable eX-
i tent. This stove embodied the princl-
pies of the modern air-tight stoves.
| This stove was ornamented in front
with a representation of the sun, near
which were the letters Alter Idem, in
tended for the name of the stove. TWen-
ty-five wears later, in 1771, DIR. Frank
lin brought out another invention, and
from that time to this improvements
have been made in heating and cook
ing stoves and ranges, though the I'M
provements have been more marked for
the past quarter of a century than Tor
, all time before.
We do not suppose there were dozen
stoves of any kind in Hartford, and we
might safely say in Connecticut, pre-
vious to 1926. All of our older citizens
remember when stoves first came into
general use, and remember how the
heating and cooking were done pre-
yious to that time. Almost any one OF
them can tell you about those old,
fashioned fire-places, where huge logs
were piled up during the cold winter
months, and about which, in a semi
j, circle, sat the family and visitors, il
any. Many of these fire-places We're o.
such huge proportions that they would
: accommodate ten-foot log, coming
: from the butt of big tree. 1t woulC
almost require a yoke of oxen to draw
K it into place. Still there was room fol
the smaller cuts with which to make the
monster s.back-log'' burn. And, il
t those loosely-built old houses, witt
their many drafts of cold air, even fir
. of these proportions was insufficient II
the coolest weather. That portion 0
> the body nearest the fire might b
h warmed to degree suggestive of tn
punishment laid out for the wicked
while the other portion of the anaton-,
was as cool as the interior OF paten
v refrigerator.
In extreme cold weather, however
the unequal temperature was equalize
1t in one place, and a comfortable al
rangement secured, by the old-fashione
h sssettle 7 This roony seat, with a high
is protecting back to shield the occupan
IL from the cold draft, was drawn Il
le in front of the fire, and took the hes
without the chill. The E'old folks an
lg the children had that choice place. Th
old clay pipe was there brought out b
s grandfather.
But those wide-mouthed fireplace
:. required chimneys of such great size :
&c the base that it necessitated houses
correspondence ample ground dinner
y sions. In the chimney places WEI
~ ovens of huge proportions in whic
- nearly all the baking was done. Undt
: the oven was an fash hole, into whic
all the ashes made during the Wint'
% were dumped, aggregating several car
IS loads. These wood-ashes We're yaluab
! for enriching the soil.
AS the winter holidays approach, Il
us good housewife of to-day looks ahes
with cheerful serenity, relying with co
fdence upon the improved appliances t,
warmth and cooking purposes, to NAL
the coming festal days full of pleasu
and enjoyment. The housewife of o.
M hundred years ago, and even of fiji
-. - I..a.l-ad fL,,.,rrn,.d - thn d