The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-09-26

Probably there are few children OF
the present day who have ever seen, or
even heard of the old-fashioned tinder-
box and matches. Yet fifty years ago
the friction match, now so universally
used, had but just been invented, and
did not come into general use for many
years. Before the year 1886, or
thereabout, housekeepers were obliged
to use matches of domestic manufac-
ture. These we're small pieces OF
white pine wood, perhaps twice the size
of our match, the ends of which had
been dipped in melted birthstone. A
small iron skillet in which to melt the
birthstone was once common kitchen
utensil in many families in New En-
gland, If not elsewhere.
The only way to light one of these
birthstone matches was TO bring II IN
contact with spark of fire. For
this purpose there used to be kept
in every house small tin box filled
with burned rags, and this was called
a tinder-box. In order TO obtain light
a common gun-fint was struck with
considerable force against a piece OF
steel made of convenient size, which
produced few sparks; these, lodging
upon the burn rags, made sufficient fire
to enable one to readily light the
match.
4hese smoldering rags (for the spark
thus obtained did not produce blazes
were afterwards extinguished by a
round tin cover called damper. To
thus create fire required some expert
ence, especially in damp weather, or
with cold fingers on winter mornings.
We have known people TO make "a bad
piece of work" with the flint and steel
and TO succeed only with great patience
in striking light" If one happened
to be cross or nervous, the chances were
that he could not succeed at all nor
was it an infrequent sight to see the
good wife Of the house running across
the street with shovel to borrow
shovelful of live Goals from a neigh
Dor, the chimney-smoke of whose dwell
ing proclaimed that she had fire.
The change to the match of commerce
was one of the first of what we now
consider modern conveniences. In many
families IL was one of the "children's
chores" to prepare wood for the match
es, and to dip the ends in melt ed brim-
stone. These matches were sometimes
to be bought IN shops, but New En-
gland economy more frequently led
each family to prepare its own. Still 1t
was not uncommon for poor children to
make trife of money by selling bunch
es of matchs 10 their more fortunate
neighEors.
In sparsely settled neighborhoods
oil ! Nv no
head of the house TO keep the fire. ="
He took precaution that there should
be a good bed of live Goals at the
hour of retiringy these he covered with
many shovelfuls of ashes TO prevent
them from burning ont. The next
morning the Goals were usually found
TO be live" on raking open the ashes,
and served to start the days fire. 1t
was not an impossible feat TO thus pre-
serve the family fire through the year,
without recourse TO Undertook and
matches.
The modern friction match was well
coined by most housekeepers, although
here and there some old people object
ed TO 1t, considering it dangerous
article, as no doubt il is when carelessly
used or left lying about. The first fric-
ton match invented required to be
drawn across piece of fine sand-paper
in order TO produce light. This was
called a lucifer, and was much safer,
although not so convenient, as the pres
ent match. Then came the present
patent friction matches, which used TO
be called "loco-focos. There were no
fancy match boxes in "old times" and the
Undertook was not considered an orna-
mental article, but was kept out of sight
in the cupboard or on the kitchen man
tel piece - Vide AUdke.