The San Francisco call., 1897-06-27
6he Old CfnSes-Box.

Probably there are few children of the
present day who have ever seen, or even
heard Of, the old-fashioned tinder- box
and matches. Yet fifty years ago the frio-
tion match, now SO universally used. had
but just been invented, and did not come
into general use for many years.
Before the year 1886, or thereabouts,
housekeepers were obliged to use matches
of domestic manufacture. These were
small pieces of white-pine wood, perhaps
twice the size of our match, the ends of
which had been dipped in melted brim.
stone. A small iron skillet, in which to
melt the birthstone, was once a common
kitchen utensil in many families IN New
England, if not elsewhere.
The only way to light one of these brim-
stone matches was to bring it in contact
with a spark of fire. For this purpose
there used 10 be kept in every house
small tin box filled with burnt rags. and
this was called tinder-b box. In order to
obtain a light q common gun-fint was
struck with considerable force against
piece of steel made of convenient size.
which produced few sparks; these, lodg-
ing upon the burnt rags, made sufficient
fire to enable one TO readily light the
match.
These smoldering rags (for the sparks
thus obtained did not produce baze)
were afterward extinguished by round
tin cover called a damper. To thus create
fire required some experience, especially
in damp weather, or with cold fingers on
winter mornings. We have known people
to make "a bad piece of work" with flint
and steel and to succeed only with
great patience in striking a light"
If one happened 10 be cross or
nervous the chances were that he
could not succeed at ali; nor was
it an infrequent sight to see the good wife
of the house running across the street with
a shovel to borrow a shovelfuI of 'live
Goals" from a neighbor, the chimney
smoke OF whose dwelling proclaimed that
she had fire. The change 10 the match
of commerce was one of the first OF what
we now consider modern conveniences.
In many families it was one of the "chiI-
dren's chores to prepare wood for the
matches and 10 dip them in melted brim-
stone.
These matches were sometimes to be
bought in shops, but New England econ
omy more frequently led each family to
prepare It's own. OllIl, IL was not u0cOms
mon for poor children to make trifie of
money by selling punches OF matches 10
their more fortunate neigh bors.
In sparsely settled neighborhoods great
care was exercised at night by the head of
the house TO keep the fire. He took
precaution that there should be a good
bed of "live Goals" at the hour of retiring:
these he covered with many shovelfuIs of
ashes TO prevent them from burning out.
The next morning the Goals were usually
found to be 'live" on raking open the
ashes, and served to start the DAVIS fire.
1t was not an impossible feat to thus pre-
serve the family fire through the year,
without recourse to tinde1-box and
matches.
The modern friction match was well
coined by most housekeepers, although
here and there some old people objected 70
| it, considering 1t dangerous article, as on
doubt it is when carelessly used or left
lying about.
The first friction match invented re-
| qulred to be drawn across piece of fine
sand-paper in order to produce a light.
This was called lucifer, and was much
safer, although not so convenient, as the
present match. Then came the present
patent friction matches. which used to be
called 'loco-focos." There were no fancy
match boxes in ''old times" and the tin
der box was not considered an ornament,
but was kept out of sight in the cupboard
or on the kitchen manteI-piece.