The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-08-25

,i"ue'' NY young ptay mates, rOliIck.
ing boys and pretty girls, the cold wa
ters rushing from the mountain
springs. The beautiful Ohio river III
which fished and bathed. the expeii
ences OF my boyh"od all rise up b..
lore my eyes, and revel among them
again with all the charms and beaptie,
of an imagination just beginning te
enter into and comprehend the reali-
Ties OF life, with long future before
| it.
But things have changed-you have
| better school houses-and create,
conveniencies You have ADLER teach
ers, yon have picture books and object
| lessons, and easy attractive reading
matter. in books and magazines.
adopted to the capacity of the chill.
ureh or every age, none of which we
iad 10 assist us III our dull unattrac.
tive studies in my school DAYS. And
then You have the newspaper, the
great Instructor, on incentive to IN
duce the youth t. read and post him.
| self in current events.
why 6O years ago, there were no
railroads. there were no telerraphs
telephones were unknown.
Less than fifty years ago when Gen
taylor won the great battle of Buena
vists and drove Santa Anna and his
Mexican hordes of plunderers from
bis pathway, the news wele carried
TO New Orleans by sailing vessel
from the mouth of the Rio Graude.
thence to Louisville by steamhoat
thence by couriers on horseback to
CINCINNATI, theEce by railroad and
stages to the President and Compress
at Washington City, requiring twenty
or more days. Why to day great
battle could DE fought, the results
sent to all parts Of the world, and for.
gotten in that period of time.
oteambOats required ten or twelve
days to go from New Orleans to Louis.
vllle. | remember when the steam
boat Edward Shippen, built at Jetfer
sonville, Indiana, made that trir. q
lew minutes inside of six days. that
all Louisville and JetfersonviIle got
drunk, and had royal Jubilee over
the event. Why can leave Thibo-
daux at 8 O'Clock in the morning and
the next afternoon l will be 10 nv
oyhood home, spend one day with
my Nouagenarian sister and another
with my Septnagenarian sister. and
return easily i'll less than that time
Friction matches were unknown
sixty years ago. People had to cover
up their fires at night so as to keep it
alive, and resort to flint and steel to
ronew 1T when it expired.
There were no envelopes for letters.
'Ihe epistles had to be written upop
three sides of a sheet, folded 80 as to
leave the blank side out, for the adj
dress. and then they were sealed with
wax. Sweeihaarts, in writing to their
lovers did not worry the Postmasters
In purchasing stamps of a color to
suit their complexion.
When one sent a letter, the postage
could be paid in advance, or lie paid
by the receiver of the letter. To send
a letter any where in the country
would require 81 cents postage if
sent outside and not more than 100
miles, the postage required was l21
cts If not over 400 miles, 18 3-4 cts,
and for greater distance the cost
was 70 cents. About 50 years ago.
however, stamps came into use and
postage was reduced to five cents for
short distances and ten cents for long
routes, but very soon it was brought
down to three cents, and some ten
years ago, TO two cents.
The plows that overturned the soil.
had mold boards made of wood.
Wheat and oats were cut with the
sickle and cradle. They were thrash
I'd with the fail or tramped out by
horses. To-day one mau and two
horses will cut more grain in one day
than 20 men could harvest in the same
time, and one machine with 10 men
will thresh and clean more wheat in
Dne day than 100 men could, in ten
lays. 80 years ago. Merchandise
purchased IN the large cities was
on wagons, hundreds of
miles. to the Purchasers who were !
living in the sparsely settled districts,
md the public roads were such only |
N name. Teamsters often had to re-
pair or improve the highways before |
hey could pass their loaded wagons
over them.
Bnt | must close peiforce
One ether important change and l
will conclude.
In my youth, the school masters
we're all males.
Women were not considered capa |
Die Of being teachers, and there was
some reason for it, because they had
lot been educated.
A boy who could read, write and |
,iphis to the single rule of three was i