Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-06-14
OBSERET EVENING NEWS
saturday. lame "a. 1890.
UNDER THE BLOCKADE.
ISGENJITY FRAcTICED By SOME
woNES II WAR TINES.

Has q proper estimate ever been
placed, wonder, upon the large
amount Of Wit sharpening, the COLI
slant exercise and consequent devel-
opment OF ingenuity pracIiced by the
fair ladies Of the Confederacy during
the last years OF the wal?
The exigencies Of the time were
great, for the outside resources Of the
sOurh-siim at the start, il one will
recall the small number Of manu-
factories TO be found in that section
were dwindling fast away, ami
often such supplies as could he de-
veloped at home and among families
were the only ones that could he re-
lied upon.
These supplies included articles OF
every nature, from food and cloth
ing FOR the family down 10 toys for
the children. The question Of
dress became a perplexed one after
all ports were bloekad.d by
northern vessels aud all frontier
ports were held by northern
troops, and woman's wit was Sc
verely taxed in order to make good
appearance from the material AT her
command.
''cASDLE MAKING BEES"
The subject Of lights was another
with which It was found difficult to
contend. Tallow was used freely
during the first years Of the war; old
candle mOlds were brought out from
their hiding places and put to use,
and ''tallOw Dips became Is familiar
to Us as they had been to our fore
fathers. But the source Ofsupply Of
these flights Of other days" soon be-
came exhausted, and wOmsn's in
genuiiy was again put to the test.
Land also had been in frtqueRt use,
and favOTite light vas \ saucer Ol
can filled with this melted substance
wherein floated n burning sycamor,
ball. IL, too. WIS growing scarce
however, and a new material mus
be evolved.
Several things were tried, but
a mixture Of beeswax and lOsir
was found best Ofthem all. Through
this mixture, when melted, n long
coil Of candle wick was drawn
again and sgain until thoroughly
coated, and in Orller to make thi.
coating even several persons stood
i'm a row holding the wick a
short intervals and shaping the wal
upon il as it passed through theil
hands. The position ofgreatest hon
or and difficulty in this undertak
ing was conceded to Ice the on,
next TO the pan containing th'
heated melted mixture.
When cold, tins waxen rope wa
wound, low after row, around 4
pottle, with the free end put through
1 strip Of tin with a hole in it, il
order TO hold it upright. Thes,
candles gave forth "A meager but 1
steady light. Candle making bees
were quite the style, anu younl
adde's and their military beaux ''Oi
.eave'' managed to extract a grea
zeal Of merriment from them. Tn,
refreshments were usually fruit an,
peanuts.
A light for sick rooms consisted o
a scrap Of paper cut like a miniatun
cap Rni set in a saucer VI lard. Whel
the point OF this little cap was wei
oiled and lit 1t gave forth sufiicien
IlluminatiOn to see a watch or urOl
medicine by. Before Lard becam,
% scarce "A lady friend of ours il
Illuminated her house beautifully 70
an evening party with these tin.
lets Of flame. She borrowed win
glasses frUm farand near, cOnverte,
them into these little lamJs an,
placed them ia pyramids on man
Ties, brackets, and all availabl
places. The effect was very move
aud pretty. Those who lived in tn
pine regions obtained their ligl,
from the picturesque and cheerful
| glow Of pine knots, nut il was Of :
fiickering a nature as to he very han
upon the eyes If relding, writing 0
sewing was attempted.
a vision Of late war time suppe,
eaten under the fantastic glare Of
pine torch, held 10y a negro boy d
the end Of the table, stands out il
told relief on the tablets of my mem
DRY, and can see rs wildly as
today the faces of these about tn
hoard. beneath the Yavering Rem
Jrandte-quc shadow Of the torch.