The Opelousas courier., 1889-05-04

have proved unsuccessful, a. th,+ 49,
: lo1z gas was successfully introduced
nso boston, and the next year a com.
pany was incorporated in New YorL
win a capital of 81, 900, 900, but did
NOT succeed in successful oneratior
until 1927. But these things were
"holiy unknown 100 years ago: and
NJ" coal gas is being extensively used
LOT warming apartments in Offices or
houses; and wood, excepting, perhaps.
70 some considerable extent in the
country towns. has largely gone out O,
use; and, in point of fact, electrical
nights appear to be fast taking the
place of Gal gas.
90 also in the homes of a hundred
years ago rugs and carpets were al.
iuose unknown, and the floors In manv
cases were sanded as a matter of clean.
ilness. All the water used for house.
noio purposes in the larger towns and
CLUES was obtained from wells by
means OF pumps or old -fashioneJ
sweeps as very generally in the coun-
Try towns at the present time. Pumps,
IL Is stated, were not in use until about
Iooo; If this be SO. there were no
pumps in use one hundred years ago
IN this country. They are now of very
rare use in cities and towns supplied
with water works, while in the country
they have mostly superseded the use
OF the old-time w~ell-sweeps.
Among other small conyeniences
needed one hundred years ago, or a
much less term, was that now univer.
sal item. friction machine1-made and
used at the present time in such large
quantities in our country, and import.
ed In, such considerable numbers from
European countries. In early times,
n down to q period within the re-
~membrance of many persons of the
present day, the common means of r
ducing fire was by the use of the flint
n steel. striking a single spark from
the flint into prepared finder, and then
lighting q sulphur match in the finder.
"lf," as said, 1.-THE finder proved to be
damp or would not catch, the only
alternative VS. that of wading
through the snow Il half mile
or more and borrow a brand
of a neighbor." 1t is almost
wonderful what progress has been
made in the use of friction matches
within the last forty Or fifty years. 1T
is a face worthy of notice that, insignif-
cant as matches are, it is q matter OF
Importance, on account of the immense
number made. that the manufactures
should be situated in districts where
timber is cheap" Twenty years ago il
was estimated that the quantity manu-
factursd in the United States amounted
to seven thousand gross of boxes, or
nearly forty millions of matches daily
At the present time it is doubtless very
much larger. OF course, under these
circumstances. it must be admitted
that they are a very great convenience,
and it is almost wonderful how the
people could ever have got along and
kept house without them. At the
present time vast numbers of friction
matches are extprted from the United
States to the West Indies, South Amer
lea and other countries, and even to
Australia.
There are, as is well known, many
articles and means in use at the pres
ent time to lessen the burdens and
trials of severe winter weather in this
part of the country, which as yet are
not in use farther north Or in the far
West. And with this it would seem
that what might be called a severe
winter could be easily borne. while in
other parts of the country, and among
the poor classes, it is usually a dis
tressing trial to human nature. But
even among our osn people a mild
winter and exemption from severe
storms is much to be appreciated as a
great relief and blessing to 2 large
part of every COMMUNICATIVE
Herald.