Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-04
THE OLD TINnER Rnx.
The Time When II Was Very Dimcult to
"strike "A Light


" strike n Light -
Probably there are few children of the
present day who have ever seen, or ever
heard of, the old-fashioned tinder box and
matches. let fifty years ago the friction
match. now ~ universally used, had but
just been invented and did not come into
general use for many years. Before the
year 1886, or thereabouts, housekeepers
were obliged TO use matches of domestic
mai lfacture. These were small pieces of
white pine wood, perhaps twice the size of
our Eaatch, the ends Of which had been
dipped in melted birthstone. A small
, iron skillet in which to melt the birthstone
was once 4 common kitchen ntensil in
many families in New England and else
where. The only way to light one of
these birthstone matches was to bring ii in
contact witA a spark of fire. For this.pur-
pose there used to be kept in every house
4 small tin box filed with burnt rags, and
this was called tinder box. In order to
obtain light a common gun aint vas
struel with considerable force against
piece of steel made of convenient size,
which produced few sparks; these, lodg-
ing upon the burnt rags, made sufficient
fire to enable one to readily light the
match.
These smouldering rags (for the sparks
thus obtained did not produce blaze)
were afterward extinguished by round
tin cover called a damper. To thus create
lire required some experience, 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" IfI
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 a shov-
elful of live Goals" from Il neighbor. the
chimney smoke of whose dwelling pro-
claimed that she had fire The change
to the match of commerce was one of the |
first of what We now consider modern con-
veuienceS. In many families it was one
of the " children's chores" to prepare wood |
for the matches and to dip the ends in |
melted birthstone. These matches were |
sometimes to be bought in shops, but New |
England economy more frequently led |
each family to prepare its own. Still it |
was not uncommon for poor children to |
make Il trifle Of money by selling punches |
of matches to their more fortunate neigh |
bors. In sparsely settled neighborhoods |
great care was exercised at night by the |
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 re- |
firing; these he covered with many shov-
eliuls of ashes to prevent them from burn |
ing out. The next morning the Goals |
were usually found to be "alive" on rak- |
ing open the ashes, and served to start the |
days fire. 1t was not an impossible feat |
to thu> preserve the family fire through |
the year without recourse to tinder box |
and matches.
The modern friction match was well |
coined by most housekeepers, although |
here and there some old people objected |
to it, considering it dangerous article, as |
no doubt il is when carelessly used or left |
lying about. The first friction match in |
vented required TO be drawn across a piece |
of fine sand paper in order to produce q |
light. This was called lucifer, and was |
much safer, although not so convenient, as |
the present match. Then came the pres
ent patent friction matches, which used to |
be called locofocos." There were no |
fancy match boxes in cold times" and the !
tinder box was not considered an orna-
mental article, but was kept out of sight |
i'll the cupboard or on the kitchen mantel |
piece.
We find in a Salem newspaper of June
80, 1885, the following: Notwithstand-
ing the convenience OF those dangerous |
little articles, friction matches, which are |
in almost everybody's hands, but which
with all charms, bid fair to prove heavy
curse TO the community, We learn there is
one man in Salem, respectable trades
man, who keeps a store where we should |
generally expect to find such things, but
he has never sold them, nor allowed them
to be used on his premises. At his house
and shop he sticks to the old-fashioned
flint, steel and tinder. He shows his wis
dom in so doing. How many more can
say as much Ride Audke