Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-23
sts fsUO-THEN AND N0W-180


 times Americas population; Italy had three times as many, and so had Great Britain. Even Spain had dou- ble our number of people, and little Portugal was almost our rival in num- bers.
 We have more people now than any European nation except Russia, which alone leads us. We have as many people as live in all Great Britaina and more people than Germany. We have, practically. 75,OOOO0o people in the United States, and 100000 more in our new possessions.
 There were only five large cities in Am rica in 1900. Philadelphia with G600O, was the largest, the seat of gov ernment, and the center of wealth and culture. New York was next, with 60OOO. Ba timore was third, with 265OO; Boston fourth, with 2o,OOo, and Charleston, s. C., fifth, with 1e,0oO people.
 Chicago was unheard of in 1900. The century was three years old before the government even built fort where Chicago now stands, and 1t was not until thirty years later that q city was thought of and incorporated.
 There was no western city. The mighty modern cities of St Paul, Min neapolis. Omaha, Denver and Kansas City were unheard of. There was small trading post at St Louis.' That was all. The Pacific coast had two or three missions under Spanish con- trol. All the rest of the west was given over to Indians and wild beasts.
 In what are Illinois, Indiana, Mich igan and Wisconsin now there lived 5000 people in 1900, spread over that whole territory. The liar vest was then Kentucky, Ohio and western New York. Beyond the Alleghenies was practically a wilderness. Now 53,O0O,- belonged to our nation in 1900.
 The United States Is larger now than all Europe in point of area. It has 3,6OOOOO square milestone fourteenth of the land surface of the entire globe. In 1900 we had just S25,0O0 square miles.
 We are the richest nation on the globe. To-day our wealth Is estimated at over $1OO, 900 OOO, ,OOO; in 1900 it was S2,O0O, 100000. A man worth $500 900 was then considered abnormally rich; to-day we have several hundred men who are worth $3,O0O,00O or more.
 Uncle Sam spends each year on his government S55O,OOO,OOO, not including tue eAtIa OulluS pS OuI Ill lt war and the new accession of terri tory. In 1900 he spent SIP, ,5OO, 900. In four years he now spends more than the entire wealth of the nation in 1900.
 It is amazing how people lived in 1900, judged from modern StandpointS. Half of them dwelt in log huts. Win dow glass was luxury even in the coast towns. Some people used oil paper; others had simple openings in the walls, which in winter were closed with blanks split from logs. The iron stove was a positive luxury; the fur mace was unheard of. Great fire places supplied heat, but could not keep these huts comfortable in win ter.
 There was no kerosene nor gas; both were unheard of The tallow dip was the standard light and on the from tiers even tallow was scarce. There the torch of the forest was used: Lamps then were in the homes of the very rich, fed with whale or vegetable oil, but they were few and the flame hardly brighter than the candles. For fifty years into the century these lights were used for it was not until 1858 that petroleum was discovered, and, even in 1861, kerosene was very expensive, costing GO cents gallon. There was no such thing as q match. The flint and steel of the old family musket was the means of kindling a fire, or a live coal was brought from a neighbours. sometimes many niles distant When the friction match came in 1927, people were afraid of 1t and would not have 1t in the house. i To-day we in America alone use over 135. COG. 100000 matches each ye r.
 The cooking stove was unknown. The cooking was done in the fireplace in pots and kettles standing on long, slender legs well above the coals. The old brick oven was fired once a week to almost blazing heat and filled with appetizing dishes.
 i Table linen was made by the house wife and 1t was beautiful. China and silverware were lacking. Pewter spoons and steel knives and forks were choice heirlooms and highly prized. Hand made wooden trench | CTS, platters, bowls and noggins com 1 prised most of the table ware in use a hundred years ago. On the fir ntiel meals were often eaten off chips fresh | ly cut from the forest trees.
 Garments were spun by hand, every member of the family doing q part ! There were few cotton-spinnine mills in operation, but the spinning 1 jenny, the carding machine and the l loom with flying shuttle were almost 1 unknown in America. The century l was thirteen years old before the frs' power loom was set up-at Waltham | Mass.
 A woman could spin from dawn te dark from forty to sixty knots of yarn Now, with modern machinery. one op orator can spin 15O,00O knots in ths same time.
 Carpets were a luxury in 1900 There were a few woolen carpets 1T Philadelphia and New York; few in grains, and here and there an import ed Turkish rug. But these were uset for state occasions. The rag carpe 1 was the glory of the housewife. 4 few Administer carpets were made IT Philadelphia, but the century was wei begun before ingrains appeared. UI to 1850 there was not power loon for carpet making n America. l--. Not a cast-iron blow existed in 1900 The farmer used the sickle, the scytht | and the hail His blow was home