The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-10
SEAsoNABLE SUGGESTIONS.

SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS.
On days like yesterday and to-day, when
billiards. freeze solid everything between sub
cellars and the nearest fixed stars, it is the
part of wisdom to take advantage of every pos
sible artifce to mitigate the boreal cold and
prevent the very life blood from congealing.
The crudest way to do this, and one that
would suggest itself to even savage, is to ar
range for an abnormal combustion of carbon,
both in the shape Of food taken into the stom-
ach and of coal piled high on the CRATE or rat
tied down from the hopper Of base-burner.
But these devices, however agreeable they
may be- are expensive We do not refer to the
necessity of eating, for that must be
accepted as essential to the preservation Of
life as well as comfort. A well-fed stomach
is magazine of reserve heat and energy to
its fortunate possessor, and it is useless to
argue against the time honored custom. If
one can afford to feed himself generously on
wholesome food, he is prepared to face an arc
tic temperature with somewhat of fortitude,
if not actual exultation at the idea of buffet
ing it. The axiom that a man should be well
fed admits Of no discussion. It is to be re-
GREETED that many find it impossible to be
properly, not to say bountifully, fed.
Turning to the combustion of fuel in an
open CRATE or any external arrangement,
lit appears at once that the most should
be done to economic in the use Of wood or
coal. With habiiations open to the cold as
are modern houses, it is necessary that an
artificial source of heat must be provided in
weather like this. By a deplorable contrariety
of fate, the home most in need of a generous
fire has least of means to provide one Hence
the pressing necessity of making every ounce
of fuel count A certain amount Of carbon,
under anything like favorable conditions will
hnpart certain amount of heat. But the
amount of coal or wood that would render the
rich mans cozy sitting-room comfortable, be-
cause Of close-ftting windows and doors and
walls impervious to wind and snow would
leave poor mans kitchen as frigid as a gla-
cier Under such conditions the man of linn
tied means is wise who seeks to render his
hearth-stone as secure against the prying
winds as he may.
1t should be understood that a nickel's
worth CT tacks and few old papers, with
which the world is fairly Uttered, may be
made to save much fuel and add to the COM
fort of all concerned. By battening the win
dows and doors with strips of paper or listing
. large per cent. of the cold can be kept out,
be kept out is just that much less to heat
Nor are the windows and doors the only places
through which the arctic air of midwinter
makes entrance Sometimes there is space
between the floor and Dashboard through
which air as cold as an icicle steadily streams.
Let this be stopped; and the cracks in the
floor and walls-let all be looked after. This
done, marked rise in temperature will be
noticed in a very short time, the family COM
fort will be increased, and the coal bill greatly
diminished. There's many house with young
and delicate inmates that could be made in
flnitely more comfortable with 10 cents
worth of material and half hours work. In
households where clothing is scanty and fuel
scarce these matters should be carefully and
promptly attended to.
A hint in this connection can be dropped
FOR the benefit of such people, men and
Swcmen, who are Obliged to stand in cold or
exposed place, as in market stall, news or
candy stand. When fire is impossible, one
can be made very comfortable by keeping the
feet warm, and this can be done at an insig-
nifcant outlay by taking shovelful of live
Goals and lightly bury;ng them in a crock or
iron pot, across which narrow board or strip
VI metal can be laid for the feet to rest on.