The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-11-29
.ere and Dhere
BY Mrs. byrd Trego

!. was long narrow board, occasion
. ally three feet In width, with n
l. legs attached to it. 1t was laid o
8 supports or trestles made 'somethin
r like sawhorse. 1t was called
a table board and the linen used t
q cover it at meal time was calle
board cloth. This board cloth wa
not an inferior article, but one /
: which the housewife and daughter
took great delight for it was of thei
: own spinning, weaving and bleach
! ing. Some of them were even trim
med with lace. There were plent
? Of napkins, more as rule than fam
lilies of corresponding means and sta
ton at the present time. When Am
erica was first settled forks wer
: almost unknown to English people
J being in use in luxurious Italy alone
where travellers found them to clean
ly they were introduced into Eng
land. In the absence of forks tn,
hands were used constantly for hold
ing food, and the napkins therefore
were quite necessary. Governor
Winthrop was presented with the
first FORK in 1888 and If he ate with
1t at table he was the only one tc
do so for period of thirty or forty
Years when those having two tines
and made of iron or silver were used
in New York and Virginia Is well as
Massachusetts.
! The SAL, cellar or saler" was a
very interesting table furnishing.
They were quite large, a standing
affair, and made Of various materials
from silver and pewter, to wood and
horn. always this salt 'saler" was
set in the center Of the long board
table. Guests of nonor and grown
people were seated "above the salt"
where the host and hostess sat side
by side, while the children and per-
sons of not much dignity were plac-
ed below the salt" At Harvard
University there was the same dis
tinction made by having faculty and
graduates ..'above the SALT and un-
der-graduates below the salt"
The only table furnishings were
cups to drink from, spoons and
knives to eat with, chatting dishes to
serve hot food, charges for display
and for serving large quantities Of
food, salt Ssalers, and trenchers for
use as plates. Thenchers were made
of wood, often only block about,
ten inches square, followed out like
a bowl and in which were placed
,porridge, meat and vegetables
There was not a trencher for each
person as we furnish plates nova
days. A man and his wife ate from
one, or perhaps two children did.
So great a man as Miles Standish |
used a wooden trencher as we'll as
all the early governors. Boys at |
Harvard also ate \ from them and |
many times were they mentioned |
in wills. u
There was another curious old |
table. top in use at one period which |
dispensed alike with broad cloth and |
trenchers. It. was of heavy oak I
about SIX inches thick and at inter-
walls of perhaps eighteen inches on
either side were scooped out deep
bowl or trencher shaped holes in
which each persons share of the
meal was placed. After each meal
the top was lifted off the trestles,
.horoly washed and dried, then
placed against tine wall for the next
neal. J. a. lese trenchers later were
Jailed Indian bowls at times.
Drinking cups were made of wood
Ind also "noggins," which were
like a mug with a handle
ormed by one stave left longer and
upright. There were tank
lrds too. Pewter isn't used any
more that the writer knows, but quite !
ancy chargers, large round, deep
'latters, some weighing five or six I
'ounds, full sets dishes as they were I
hen In use, was the pride of many |
opsekeepers and favorite wedding !. s
lifts. Pewter was kept bright and |
hiny like silver, was soft and easily
often out of shape when it could be I
lelted and recast by any one who a
assessed mould Pewter was pre-
erred by many, after the. introduc- t
ion of china because it was more \
urable and made less "clatter." Il
Porringers were like shallow 6
owls with a handle and especially p
/ use for the children and there =
ere bleeding, bowls" too, all made n
'om pewter and perhaps a few Of
lver. FL r.
spoons are nearly II not quite as :.
ID as the world. All the colonists y
i'd them made form something, and u
ley needed them, for many Of their = !,
shes were in the form of soups u
; spoon meat When ereals l.
me they were more frequently !.
,iled in porridge than prepared in l.
more solid form. Spoons were %
metimes made from horn and in " "
sw York laurel was called spoon ~
pod because the Indians made W
city white ones to sell. From this :,
riod we are said to have handed o.
'wn to us the rather common af- VI
native "by the great htrn spoon. a.
Later persons of moderate means HI
ten owned silver spoons, some RI
nd of a drinking cup and vessels
at were inventoried as tankards, he
er-bowls, beakers, fiagons. wine mr.
ps, tasters, candle cups, posset "a
ps, dram cups, punch bowls, tum- ra
RS, mugs, dram bottles two-eared n
ps and TASKS. NJ
Glass was a rare novelty; the Eng he
being less familiar with its use m,
IN settlers who came from Con- lin,
entail Europe. 1t was greenish in GU
or like course bottle glass, poor
quality and used more for orna- "v
mt. yf5 me