The evening times., 1899-11-04

eer settlers had or did not have, they
usually possessed an abundance of wood.
1t is only since the reign of the cities be-
gan that We hear OF people bemoaning the
size of their coal bills.
1t is rather interesting. when one cores
to think of it, to review the changes in
the way of heating houses. which hare
come to pass in the last century, espe-
cialiy in this country. The English sill
cling to their freplaces and gratss. and
the American generally has long shiyer-
ing season when he goes to spend his hrst
winter in London. he is ussd to aiins
a room until he feels warm; the English
man makes himself warm. and does not
bother about the room. There are a1van-
tages in both schemes. The English plan
is good for the health. but it is rather In
comfortable for cold biooded persons who
cannot exercise long enough at any one
time to keep themselves warm for the rest
of the day.
The American Office building in big
city is heated by steam or perhaps by fur-
mace: the office in a small city, by big
coal stove. kept burning day and night;
the private house has its furnace. its coal
stove, its gas heater or-rareiy-its glo-
rious open fire. There is nothing like
fireplace for furnishing a room. but We
have been spoiled by our furnace heat, and
cannot get enough warmth from the fire.
place. We also grumble at the Increased
expense and trouble. The trouble does not
enter into the English househo.der's cal
culations. for the servants attend to his
fires.
The various forms of stove in this coun-
try. like many of our other convenienees,
are largely due to the existence Of that par
adoxical person, the lady WHO does her
own work When the wife of the business
man. or the farmer or the mechanic, mus,
herself attend 10 much of the household
work, she wants all the conveniences she
can get. The old-fashioned housewife
would much rather have fewer servants and
the latest labor-saying inventions in her
kitchen. For her benefit, therefore, the
Yankee stove was developed to perfection.
and then for his own advantage the
American inventor perfected heating sys-
tens for offices and business buildings. His
idea was TO save fuel. This was after the
big forests were destroyed and coal be-
came an item TO be reckoned with by the
proprietor of any large business. All these
various causes have given us the steam
heater and the furnace and the multitude
nous kinds OF stove which We have in our
homes.
From an esthetic point of view, the de-
velopment is not very good. The romance
Of home is lessened when the CHEEKY glow
of the fire is no longer to be seen. The snap
and crackle of burning logs was cheerful
interlude in the old-tim family CONVERSE
tion. The fire seemed living thing, which
was glad with the folk who watched and
tended it. and low-spirited when they were
absorbed and failed to give it proper no.
tice. But there is no romance in a steam
coil. and when IL begins TO talk ii wants all
the field of conversation itself. Anyone who
has the pleasure of its acquaintance knows
that. One can pet and coax and fondle
suiky pile of logs. till it relents and sends
up q volley of brilliant sparks and small
army of leaping flames, but when a steam
coil is bad-tempered it plays the Battle of
Prague" on its own bones, and there is
nothing to do but run for the janitor.