The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-08

forated sides and "tallOw dips" or
mOulds for light. The light from such
a lantern was not of the brightest, still
il was the best they had, and they
seemed satisfied. Many times too, the
wagOners carried a lantern of this
kind with them. The stages were
lighted with large sperm candles about
two inches thick, enclosed i'm a frame
with glass sides; the candles were in
serted in a socket, in which there was
a spiral spring, which pushed the can
die upward as it burned away, and, as
the wick needed no snuf1ing, the light
was comparatively good. Nothing
seems To have been known then about
reilectOrs, or at least, that is the writ
er's impression. If they had had
something like a locomotive head
light, the light would have been i'm
mensely better.
The writer's uncle, John Mitchell,
whose welI-known tavern was men
toned in a previous paper, always had
box of slippers behind the bar; and,
most likely, other tavern-keepers a.
well, had the same. These slippers
were made OF fair leather, and their
soles without heels or shanks; they
were intended only for indoor wear,
and when the wagOners were through
attending to their horses, and the hog
and cattle, horse and mule drivers had
their stock secure for the night, they
pulled off their boots, and slipped their
feet into a pair of slippers. There was
always an abundant supply, and if "A
wayfaTing man, or several of them
were guests at this hotel, there were
slippers enough for everybody. Boot
jacks were necessary article around
the bar rooms of those old taverns, as
shoes worn by men We're almost un-
known then. Now, however, boots
are seldom worn, shoes being worn al
most exclusively. II was sight to
see on winter evenings, when the wag-
oners and others had gathered around
tine immense CRATE, tOasting their slip
pered feet, telling yarns, and swapping
stories to, and with each other, their
boots the while, standing against the
wall, conveniently by, ready 10 be put
on in the morning. Then a. the night
heightened apace and their eyes grew
heavy, they Unrolled their beds, spread
them on the floor, and slept the sleep,
if not of the Gust at least the sleep Of
wearincSs, enjoyment and content
ment. The wagoner's bed was not Of
down, nor curled hair, nor woven-wire
springs, by any means, but a straw
tick wide enough for one man; not a
very thick tick either, as in that ease il
would have been incOnveniCnt To roll,
pillow, a sheet and a couple of quilts
or blankets. This bed in the morn
ing was rolled up rs compactly as pos
sible, with . strap buckied around it,
and carried in the front part of the
wagon. The writer slept on one of
these beds once, with his feet towards
the fire, and he cln not conscientious
ly say that the bed was of a higher
grade than, at best, from fourth 10
tenth class; this depending mainly on
how tired n fellow might be. As
general thing mother earth" would
be infinitely softera and pleasant.r. Time
and tide, which. we used To be told in
our copy" books, wait for no man,
have meted ont changes in all these
thiags, and We shall never look on the
like ag.in, mpre's the pity, for those
were enjoyable TINES.
Allison, Pa. NJ.