The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-04-25
IN THE DAYS OF THE CANDLE.


remember how up on an Orange
county farm in my childhood my
mother used every fall to dip the can
dies for the year supply. After the
pig killing, in which l used to have
to stick the knife in the pigs throat
and give him his quietus after his last
squeal, as soon as 1 was old enough,
the lard was dried out and made ready
for domestic use. So, when we killed
a beef critter, the tallow was saved
for Illuminating purposes.
1t was heated in a hugh iron pot or
brass kettle hung on the crane over
big fire in the old fashioned kitchen
fireplace, and when sufficiently hot
the pot was swung out in the room.
The night before my mother had tax
en- the rolls of candlewick and cut off
the necessary number of lengths for
the gross or great gross of candles to
be made, and they had been placed On
year after year in the work. About
a dozen wicks were placed on rod,
as far apart as twice the thickness the
candles were to assume. Then the
rows of rods supporting the wicks
were placed on parallel supports rest
ing on chairs SO as to keep them from
touching the floor.
AS fast as dipped, the candles were
hung between the supports to cool,
and by the time the end of the row
was reached the first were ready for
the second dipping and this was re-
peated dozen or score of times.
The larger candles were for use in the
best room, the smaller ones for the
kitchen and cellar.
In my boyhood we had no other
light to eat, read or sew by than can
dies, two being used respectfully good
light was required. remember when
the old country church, in which the
men sat on one side and the women
on the other, was lighted by candles
in tin sconces or candlesticks hung on
nails in the pillars which supported
the high gallery, and an especially
large one used by the minister. We
had morning service in that church
and no regular evening service, for the
circuit rider who traversed the terri
tory had another evening appointment,
but in time of protracted meeting in
winter the edifce was lighted by can
dies evening after -eus1ai.1s, wnlle
souls seeking salvation thronged
about the altar amid the fervent
PRAYERS Of the faithful. remember
going to an uncle's to stay all night,
and my surprise when the time for
evening prayers arrived that he put
the candle between his eyes and the
pages of the Bible in order to secure
sufficient illumination to read the
chapter before kneeling in prayer.
A little later parafin and sperm oil
were used in lamps, and some kind OF
explosive fluid, which was regarded
as dangerous, and then came the dis
e8gAFs & gQeE q oil q 81 1sgt5ol and I'd
has driven the candle out of the rural
districts and made it practically un-
known to the present generation save
in connection with sacerdotal func-
tions.
The snuffers were as important an
article of furniture as the candlesticks
in the days oft their general use. Fine
ones of silver for parlor or best bed
room, and common ones for everyday
employment were used. The silver
ones also often had silver tray, and
all matched the best brass candlesticks.
It was quite a trick to snuff candle
with the fingers if the snuffers were
not at hand, and many scorched
finger resulted from this meddling
with the fame. To snuff candle
with rifle ball at forty rods without
extinguishing the fame was regarded
as a feat of craftsmanship ranking
with barking a squirrel, in which the
bullet hit the bark under red or
grey squirrel, and the cuncussion
killed the animal without dishguring
his skin. That was one of Daniel
Boone's favorite exploits. NfU
| T01 EeY.