The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1913-05-22


and pewter dishes were owned and
used by some OF the better colonial
families Apparently pottery was used
in colonial homes, for the general
court enacted laws regulating the dig
ging of potters' clay in 1915. A glass
factory was established in Salem In
1859, but glassware was not among
the common tableware. Silversmiths
came from England P1d settled in
Newbury in early times and made
spoons.
The floors OF early colonial homes
we're often covered with sands from
the seashore or rushes from the
marshes. The sand on the floors was
sometimes nodded into geometrical
designs or elaborate figures for adorn-
ment. The kitchen floor in the Colon
ial home in the Essex Institute in
Salem furnishes an excellent present
day example OF the early colonial way
of sanding floors. Brooms were made
OF stifr reeds or birch tviggs, like the
brooms used by some farmers in their
stables today. Woven carpets and
rugs were rare. Bearskins and the
pelts Of other animals made warm and
pretty rugs.
Clocks and Watches Scarce.
There were no pictures on the
walls, no bookcases and scarcely any
need of them, for the bible was al
most the only book read by the puri-
tans. There were few writing desks;
clocks. too. were rare. When Roger
Williams became involved in q dis
cussion with some rivals, it was
agreed that each side should have 10
minutes in which TO present its case.
But before the debate was started 1t
was found that not man in the en-
tire gathering had a watch. and there
wasn't clock, not even a sandglass,
in the entire neighborhood. So It was
agreed that the presiding oficer
should guess at the time. Sundials In
many New England gardens served to
tell the time OF day. The Waterman
cried the hours OF the night. Many
colonial houses were built facing the
south, and housewives knew 1t was
noon when the sun was in the south
windows
Kitchen sinks and bathroom furnish
ings were among the things of which
early corners never dreamed. The
first settlers obtained their water
from springs or brooks. Later settlers
dug wells Water was brought into
houses in buckets. Being scant in
supply, it was sparingly used. The
daily bath was not a puritan practice.
The family washing was usually done
once a month, and in some homes
once In three months.
The chests brought over from Eng
land served for trunks; shelves were
made; pegs, driven into the walls for
the hanging OF clothes. and corner
closets were built in kitchens. The
mantel of the fireplace. the walls Of
the kitchen and the rafters served for
the hanging Of pots, pans, kettles,
guns, kettles, guns, corn. dried apples,
snowshoes, clothing and other house
hold furnishings.
Simplicity Of Colonial Homes.
Candlestlcks brought from England
were in use and some thrifty families
employed pine torches for lights. Beds
and bedding we're among the goods
brought by the first settlers. Capt.
John Endicott's company of 100 men,
Who settled In Salem. was provided
with fifty beds, fifty mats to lie under,
fifty pairs OF blankets OF Welsh cotton,
100 pairs OF sheets, fifty bedticks with
wool TO put In them and Scotch tick
irg. There were no springs In the
beds The typical colonial bedsteads
were large, many being OF the four
posted style, with canopy tops draped
with heavy fabrics.
Bedroom furnishings we're priced In
colonial times. Bertha Cartwright,
who died In 1910, beqeautheG my bed,
my bolster and two pillows, with
blanket and a coverlet to my sister"
She also directed that pair OF sheets
be given to Margaret Jackson and
that four pairs of sheets be sold to
pay her debts.
Some idea OF the general equipment
Of an early colonial home may be
gained from the inventory of the es-
tate OF Joseph Howe. who died in
Lynn in 1850 and left his entire estate
to his wife and his rs year old daugh.
ter In addition to land and buildings
and cattle. the inventory showed the