The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-12
FIAT PRICES.
RecOIIec4iOns of the Days Lamented
by the SiIverite.

Boston Transcript.
The years Immediately preceding 1873 are
red letter ones in the diary of the tiatiSt
Since that time humanity, especially that
portion incident to the United states, nave
been rapidly degenerating and the world
has become decidedly less worthy OF the
compliment paid to it by these persons IN
consenting to remain therein. And yet 1t
is occasionally borne upon ones mind that
there must have been roses on the thorn,
desert places in that paradise, which the
fatists have forgotten may be.
So active is ones lack of memory we may
perhaps say that we doubt not few of the
readers of the Transcript remember the
fact that Frank Stockton once wrote a
book on housekeeping. This book, the joint
labor of Frank and Marian Stockton, APP
peared in 1872 and was admitted into the
Boston Public Library in January 1873 II
Be and What Should Be Put Into IT. "
There is nothing Stocktonian, as we now
know the author, about this book. 1t is an
exceedingly practical, useful and prosaic
treatises on how to furnish a house, where
it should be located, and how to live de-
Gently and yet within ones income-a prob
lem which really seemed as Vexlng at that
time as now.
The eighth and last chapter OF. the book
is our present interest, as II telis . now TO
one may think. But 1t is a modest house
only five rooms-and an examination or the
details makes one gasp at the prices there
doubtedly reliable.
Here, for example is kitchen clock for
S3 winch one can buy IN BOSTON now LOT
IS cents. Other prices are, coal scuttle, $13S;
tin slop pail $1.5O: waffle iron, $1.75: ash ket-
tie and sitter, $3.50; clothes wrfnger IS; up
plate warmer, $780, Think of. being asked
to pay for two Scotch Holland window
shades $3.50. American ingram carpeting at
$150 per yard Britannia coffee pot 81. 20,
plain French white dinner set $50, one dozen
goblets, cut glass, $4 solid silver table
spoons, $50 per dozen. In the bedroom.
$780, a hair mattress $2S, springs for the
bed (and just think of what sort those aw-
full springs were in those days.. 80, TWO
feather pillows only IS, and one pair blan-
kets SIS.
In the parlor and sitting room combined
in this house of 1873. fourteen yards of Not
tingham lace for the two windows cost $50,
part of a suit of oiled walnut furniture, con-
siSting of a sofa, large easy chair and
small easy chair sS4, and think of the ghast-
illness of that word easy A sewing chair
should cost S. and a walnut table with mar
BILE top $l6 Sixteen yards of Venetian car
peting for the hall and stairway must cost
$3.50, and eighteen stair pads $3.50.
Biddy's room was to cost furnished $40.
Here are some of the items; Twenty-Five
yards of rag carpeting, SO; three pairs of
BILE. 81; rocking chair. 49,; and a $40 hair
mattress% That New England relic of bar
barism. the feather bolster for the best
bedroom, cost just Sc There is an item of
So. for an icepick, which causes terror un-
til it is found TO be an error OF the types.
Altogether the house IS furnished in a
way which we could not to-day call COM
Portable. There is no mention of piano, a
sewing machine, and many OF the refine
ments or modern clvin t w nc rev
house to-day could be furnished with the
same things for about $500. 1t WILL there
fore, be seen that while wheat may not be
so high now as ii was then, it ought to
have been over 81 to make up the differ
ence. In fact. the more one examines the
facts, the more he marvels at the enchant-
ment which the distance of twenty-fiv
years has lent to the view OF the silverttes.