The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-28

vite you without further delay into
that ''sanctum sanctorum" Of the
housekeeper-the kitchen.
We see the broad open fireplace,
famed in story and in song, but the
breaker nevertheless Of many wolnen's
backs. The crane, with its projecting
arms, is hung over the fire. From the
hooks hung kettle and pot, while on
the hearth stand the oven or bake
kettle, with its iron lid and the tin re-
fiector. 4 trivet, or the three-leggeo
cast iron stool, is one of the modern
improvement of the times, and oilers
more substantial support for coffee pot
and frying pan than the treacherous
Goals. With this equipment, and The
addition in many kitchens of capac-
ious brick oven, the cook must work
out her own salvation.
The oven was placed at the side OF
the chimney and was heated by having
fire in it. When it was sufficiently
hot the Goals were removed and the
entire baking of bread, cakes and pies
put in at oEce, or in installments, ac-
cordiug to the preference Of the house
keeper. They were removed when
done with long handled bakers
shovel kept for the purpose. In South
ern kitchens, where the baking was done
freshly for each meal, these oven were
more rare than in the North, but the
bake kettles and refectors We're in
more common use.
The first of these utensils, called
variously according to the locality
oven. bakeoven and bake kettle, was
q round, flat bottomed cast iron vessel,
having short legs and an iron top, with
q handle in the centre and was used
in this wise -
The loaves of bread, Northern 'John-
nv cake" or Southern "corn pone, "
were put into the oven, the top was
nut Oil and covered with eoals, and
the whole set over Goals pulled out on
the hearth. There it stood until the
bread was presumably done. Whether
the cooks Judgment as to the time OF
taking it up was unerring or what was
done in the event ofits not being so
are ques1tSsssa2 that must be answered
oy some older person. ~e-
The tin reflector was 4 contrivance
for taking 10y reflection. 1t consisted
,, of two sheets of tin, the lower one
slantiug upward toward the fire. Two
short legs in the front and two long
legs in the back kept it in place. The
ends were closed, and \ CRATE coming
out from the point of conveyance
made resting. place for the pan of
biscuits. The open side was placed in
front of the glowing fire, and the bis
cults, cnveloped by the reflected heat,
were in time cooked.
I recall the appearance of pair OF
| waffle irons used under the old dispen-
sation. They looked much lise pair
of indented shovels turned together,
the long handles enabling the cook to
stand at a safe distance from the flre
while turning them from side to side.
Meats or fowls to be cooked were
fastened to hook from the centre OF
the fireplace, and turned from time to
time until done, or roasted on spit.
A lady, speaking of the one time roast
ing, says, ave boiled more than we
roasted" and who can wonder?
Now compare all of this with the
modern raags-the Riverside. for fn-
stance-with its large ovens, warming
closet aud reservoir, all adjusted to a
woman's height and furnished with
| boilers, steamers, toasters, waffle irons,
| muffin pans, croQuet baskets and the
| numberless contrivances for the con-
venience of the cook, and tell me do
you sigh when you are cooking for the
good old times ?"
The cook stove and range should un-
| qnestiouably ably be ranked first in the
list of household improvements, if not,
indeed, when we consider the numoer
benefited, first in the inventions of the
inventions of the age.
x r K
No, the world moves-for women as
we'll rs men; for the housekeeper
as we'll as the scientist. 1t Is . good
age iu which to live; a good age IN
which to keep house. Domestic science
has taken wonderful strides in the
| last half century. 1t may take greater
strides in the next.
May we all be there to see,
Disappearance Of SMALLPOX.
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