Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-14
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
What Changes Have Occurred in
that Space of Time.
Enumeration OF Things That Did Not
Exist, ana n chance Given to Make
Gratifying Comparisons - A List
Worth Reading.

To The ARGUS:
RAPIDS CITY. Ill. Oct. 10.-Fifty years
ago there were no envelopes. no postage
stamps, no blotting paper. no steel pens,
and the postal service was just coming
into use; letters were folded and the adj
dress written on the back. The postage
was in proportion TO the distance. from
twenty-five cents to three and four dol
lars. Sand paper was used for blotting
and goose quils were the common pens
used
Fifty years ago no photograph had
ever been taken; fifty years ago fires were
kindled with the finder box, which con-
taintd piece of steel, piece OF common
flint stone. and soft dry partly decayed
wood; fifty years ago there were no gas
lights, no electric lights, nor kerosene;
tallow and wax candles were the only
lights known; fifty years ago there were
no matches, When light was needed
live coal was usually taken from the fire
with pair of tongs. and what was To be
lit held against it. end then by blowing
on the live coal the candle WAS lii; fifty
years ago there were no canned fruits;
no ice was ever kept over summer, no ice
cream, no soda water, no cocoa. no
chocolate; no tomatoes were eaten, be
ing considered poisonous; fifty years ago
coal was very little known-wood was
everybody's fuel; fifty years ago table
forks were made of steel; everybody ate
with knife, and a great many do vet for
that matter. The bandana handkerchief
was the only napkin known; no one had
ever thought of the individual dishes. but
everyone helped himself to common
dish; fifty years ago stove was as gresta
rarity as woman is today who hasn't
something to find fault about The men
are left out on this because they never
find fault when they are asleep; fifty
years ago newspapers were very scarce
the stage coach being the usual dissem
inator of news; fifty years ago there were
comparatively no railrOaGs-no telegraph
lines. Today there over 100 600 miles of
railroad in the United States alone,
giving employment to almost
million people Fifty years ago The pop
ulation of the United States was only
little over 1900 900; today we number
over 60.000,000. Fifty years ago there
were slaves in ell the sts ties except Maine,
Michigan. Massachusetts and Vermont
Iowa had IS slaves. Wisconsin IL. Ohio
3, Indiana 0. and grand old Illinois had
33l How many of you ever thought
Illinois was once a slave state2 Not
many, | venture to say. and yet only fifty
years ago there were 2.4s6. 200 slaves in
Uncle Sans free country. Fifty years
ago tie first machine was invented TO
make railroad spikes. Fl. Burden of Troy.
n. Y. being the inventor. 1t made fifty
a minnie and was veritable bonanza in
those times
Fifty years ago the wings nominated
Gen. William Harrison, grandfather of
our present president. to be president of
the United States. Fifty years sgo the
first power loom for weaving carpets was
set in motion by + B. BiglOw. of Boston.
Mass. Fifty years ago the first wheat
was shipped from Chicago 1t was only
seveutY-eight bushels. and was shipped
west. Fifty years ago the first steam fire
engine WAS made and tested in New York
city. II was invented by Capt John
Ericsson. Fifty years ago the Sirius and
Great Eastern. the first ocean steamships.
entered New York hsrbor on their return
rip. number one. Fifty years ago
900 reformed drunk ards marched in
procession at the first anniversary of the
Washiugtonisn society. Fifty years ago
u law was enacted against duelling in the
District of Columbia. Fifty years ago
the Cherokee Indians were removed from
Georgia and placed west of the Missis-
sipsi. Fifty years ago was established
the first commercial college in America
-ComeIs college, of Boston. Fifty
Years ago the first patent was granted To
Goodyear for vulcsnized rubber goods.
Fifty years ago survey was made for
canal across Central America. Fifty years
ago a patent WAS awarded on steam pro
pI ling boat. Fifty years ago beet sugar
was first made by ID. l.. Child at Mort h =
anptOn. Mass. Fifty years ago the Mas
snchusetts abolition party was first organ
lied. Fifty years ago the banks of the
United States resumed special payment
Fifty years ago wooden dicks had been
10 use about two years Fifty years ago
the dsguerreotype was invented in France.
Fifty years ago there were no machine
made pins. Fifty years ago there were
no lacks to step on when one got up in
the dark. Fifty years ago there was no
such thing as going TO the store to buy
c8ico and household linens. Fifty years
bGD tue SGWlug UnhCDIUe WIS hnO"n,
the sewing all being done By hand. Fifty
years ago monOpclies and trusts were I'M
known almost. Fifty years ago before a
young lady got married she must be in
style-have spun and woven with her
own hands all the household linen needed
for wears to come. Fifty years ago Rap
ids City was right where it is now. Fifty
years ago everything was in about the
same condition as it was and had been
from about 1880. Everything that we
can cali to mind in the way of modern
progression has occurred since fifty
years ago. Fifty years ago the Young men
used to take their best girls to church and
then home; now they let them go alone
and wait outside to see them home. Fifty
years ago was the good old times that
your grandfather tells about. They were
better in sentiment than in reality; they
were never so good that We would want
to exchange the present for the past, and
nifty years from now we who live will
probably see the most wonderful age of
Improvement the world ever saw. and one
that can only be imagined. But fifty
years ago. or fifty years from now, the
hoy or girl who has the right kind of stuff
in him or her gets TO the front just the
SAME as of old. j. MAC. MEYERS.
800 Reward 800.