The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-08-29
THE AMERICAN HOME.
IT'S a Wonderful Affair When Contrasted
with Foreign Homes.

Nothing strikes an observing Amer.
lean upon his first visit to Europe with
greater force than the lack of those
comforts and conveniences in the dwell
lings of even the wealthiest classes
which in his own country are consider.
ed indispensable necessities, says the
Popular Scientific Meas. We are quick
to seize upon the latest discoveries in
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 contentto live as their
fathers did before them, and would
consider it sacrilegious extravaganza
to tear up the floors or walls of their
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 steam furnaces are practic.
ally unknown and the only means
of heating railway carriages is by cans
of hot water placed upon the floor.
Under favorable circumstances these
will sometimes prevent the soles oil
ones feet from freezing, but their in.
fluence rarely extends any further.
Only the very wealthiest persons abroad
allow themselves the luxury of priv
ate bathroom, and the idea of a set bowl
with hot and cold water faucets in
sleeping chamber is refinement OF
effeminacy and extravaganza at which
even monarch would hesitate. The
houses of London are provided with
tank, into which the water is allowed
to flow for q certain length of time
every day, after which it is turned off
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 q very disagreeable reality, for gas
is rarely or never introduced into sleep.
ing-rooms.
A modern American house, with all
the recent improvements, is most
wonderful affair, and an inspection
while being constructed gives one a
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 ventilating shafts are connected
with every room, while great cables of
insulated wire as large as ships haw-
ser illustrate the manifold uses to which
electricity may be put. Call-bells, au.
tomato gas lighting and incandescent
lamps are only few of these applica-
tions, and the day is not far distant when
some simple form of electric motor to
run the sewing-machine and furnish
q supply of power for many other pur-
poses will be found in every tirst-class
dwelling. AS regards sanitary and
drainage arrangements their construc-
ton has become a science in itself.
Take it altogether the American house,
holder has no cause to regret his lot.
A recent writer has said that in some
things we are measurably behind the
but in many things we are
immeasurably ahead of them, and in no
respect is this more true than in our
domestic arrangements. 1t may be
safely said that there is not a royal
palace in 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
Df all as in our own land.