The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-25

ing tub. which works with a spring. like
a folding bed, and turns up against the
wall. In one uptown mousse, where
space allowed only a liliputian bath
room, the builder arranged the small
tub so that it slides back into the wall
and partially under the shelves of a
wardrobe and linen closet next door.
The small patent contrivances for
convenience and comfort in bathing are
innumerable, and two of the most pop
ular are the head rest and seat. The
head rest is a broad band of rubber,
shaped like a small cushion in the CEN
ter. 1t is stretched across the tub, and
clamped to it's rim on each side by
nickel clamps; and one may rest his
head upon it and dream and soak with
out fear of rude awakening by drown
ing. Taking maps in the bath tub can't
be recommended as "A healthful ana
profitable habit, but If one should drop
into the habit the head rest will keeq
his head above water. The seat Is very
much on the order of the head rest, but
the band is broader and stronger. 1t
says down into the tub and any one,
particularly a fat person, who has eX-
perimented with sitting on the edge of
a slippery tub will recognize the merit
of the patent.
AlOlllCI bdlH IOOlll a1NfSSol "AAN'
adds nightly to the comfort of a bath
is a towel heater. The oven-like ar
rangement has perforated shelves, upon
which the towels are laid. 1t can be
connected with the gas jet with a rub
Der tube. Small jets are lighted under
the oven and the heat rises through the
shelves, warming the towels delight
fully.
Altogether, bathing is becoming a
much more scientific and complicated
affair, as well as an occurrence decid-
eddy less rare tina in the old days. The
regular weekly bath night was an es-
tablished institution IL years ago in
most proper and exemplary families;
and portable tin tubs and water, heat
ed in kettles and carried to the scene of
the fray, were the implements of war
fare i'm many a comfortable home. I'm
der such circumstances a bath was an
event, and couldn't be approached with
such levity and recklessness as is shown
in this day of porcelain tubs anu mead
rests.
The plumbers say that where one
BATH tub was put in 30 years ago, thou
sands are used now; and each year the
demand increases and the fittings are
improved. We haven yet reached the
point where we make such a feature OF
Tubing as do our English cousins.
We do not splash so furiOusly and aud
{ ~ anu . ~ A'N@NN 49, -
Grafton our chief topic of cO"nversation
but we are improving, and the time
may come when we Will carry TIN Dath
tubs among our luggage, when travel
ing abroad. 1t won't be necessary mere
for now that America has decided TO
make a feature of bathing, elaborate
bath rooms will sprinkle even the klon-
dixie. Tin tubs of freezing wafer, set
beside the bed in the early morning,
tempt only those Americans who are
chronic sufferers from Anglomania.
The ordinary American doesn't object
to bathing: but he wants a porcelain
lined tub and warm water and heated
towels.
Many physicians insist that bathing,
like everything else in this day, is be
ing ~oVerdone. Some constitutions can
not stand the shock of a cold plunge,
and some suffer from h e~xhaustine
effects of a hot bath; but that isn't al
lowed to interfere with bathing regula'
tions. Even the mildest patient rebels
when the doctor vetoes tub baths, ano
looks at him with scorn when he urges
that sponge baths will answer all pur'
poses of cleanliness and be less harmful
There is a certain naughty arroganc,
n aggressive superiority about col'
plunge bathers which the advocates o
tepid water find hard to bear. 'no'
don't take a cold plunge in the morn
ing? Oh!" The tone implies that you
case is hopeless, that you have no sens
of the fitness of things, that you are
mere namby-pamby weakling. Colleg
girls are particular sticklers on taa
poInt. Some way or other, a colt
plunge seems, at college, 10 be assoclat
ed with advanced thought; and warn
baths are put aside with crochet WorI
and wax flowers.
A Washington girl entered one OF TN
, large colleges for women last year. 81
, was a nice girl and a clever girl, bu
. she had never been exactly robust an
: had been brought after southern ideas
: which didn't include cold plunges an
, advanced thought. She made a faVora
! bile impression, but when ii becam
known that she didn't take cold pluge
: she lost caste. The girl couldn't bea
. IN under the reproach. Sch resolved
: do or die. She screwed her ourag I
: the sticking point. and one morning sh
: shut her eyes, puckered up her mouti
= held her breath. stepped into a tub {
lev water and said "O-o-h!' Then 81
!, dressed and went down to !
= triumph. She had proved herself wol
thy of higher education. She took thrt
cold plunges. and then she took pnel
monia: and the family doctor, when b
: heard about those baths, said Trims
which would pain the ears of a Gus
= genheimer.
g The moral of the tale is that advan
, ed thought and cold plunges are not K
al-and thereby hang many oth'
le tales. but this was a story about bat
= tubs.