The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-01-10
TAE AMERICAN HOME.
tea Wonderful AFFAIR When Contracted
with Foreign Homes.

Nothing strikes an observing Amer.
fcan upon his first visit to Europe witt
greater force than the lack of those
comforts and ~conveniences in the dwell.
lings of ever the wealthiest CLASSES
which in his own country are consider
ed indispensable necessities, saws the
Popular Scientific Neps. We are quick
to seize upon the latest discoveries ir
science and the arts which can in any
way render our homes more attractive
or the cares of housekeeping less bur
densome, while the more conservative
Europeans are content TO live as theil
fathers did before them, and would
consider it a sacrilcgious extravaganza
to tear up the floors or walls of thcil
dwellings for the purpose of introduc.
ing steam or water pipes. The climate
of England is damp and cold, but the al.
most universal way of warming is by
open tire-places of soft coal, which us.
ually develop more smoke than heat
Hot air or team furnaces are practic.
ally unknown and the only means
of heating railway carriages is by can.
of hN water placed upon the floor.
Under favorable circumstances these
will sometimes prevent the soles OF
ones feet from freezing, but their in.
i%luence rarely extends any further.
Only the very wealthiest persons abroad
allow themselves the luxury of Il priv.
ate bathroom, and the idea of IL set bow
with hot and cold water faucets in .
sleeping chamber is Il refinement o.
etfeminacy and extravaganza at which
even "A monarch would hesitate. The
houses of London are provided with a
tank, into which the water is allowed
to flow for a certain length of time
every day, after which it is turned of
and there is no more to be had until
the visit of the water company's official
the next day. The bedroom candle
to which such constant allusion is made
in foreign novels, is no figure of speech,
but a very disagrceable reality, for gas
Is rarely or never introduced into sleep.
ing-rooms,
A modern American house, with al
the recent improvements, is Il mosi
wonderful aiiair, and an inspection
while being constructed gives one u
good idea of the extent to which the
arts and sciences are applied to minis
ter to our comfort. The space between
the walls is crowded with tubes and
pipes of every description. Steam, gas,
hot and cold water are carried to all
parts Of the building, speaking tubes
and v%cntilating shafts are connected
with every room, while great cables of
insulated wire us large as a ships haw.
ser illustrate the manifold uses to which
electricity may be put. Call-bclls, au.
tomato gas lighting and incandescent
lamps are only IL few of these applica-
tons, and the day is not fardistant when
some simple form of electric motor to
run the sewing-machine and furnish
a supply of power for many other pui-
poses will be found in every tirst-class
dwelling. As regards sanitary and
drainage arrangements their construc.
ton has become II science in itself.
Take it altogether the American house.
holder has no cause 10 regret his lot.
A recent writer has said that in some
things we are m~easurably behind the
Europeans, but i'll many things we are
immeasurablr ahead of them, and in no
respect is this more TIL than in ou1
domestic arrangements. 1t may be
safely said that there is not Il royal
palace i'll all Great Britain or Europe
which is rs luxurious or even as COM
Portable as the house of the average
American of moderate means, and in
no country in the world is the greatest
blessing OF life-a happy and comfort,
able home-so readily within the reach
Of all as in our own land.