Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-08-14
CHAPTER 1.

Major Anderson had made a for
fune" in 1873, when other people were
losing fortunes, and the magnifcence
OF the AmbersonS began then. Their
&pxendor lasted all the years that saw
their Midland town spread and darken
Unto a city, but reached its topmost
during the period when every prosper
ous family with children kept a New
G01ndland dog.
In that town In those days all the
SrGme1 who wore silk or velvet knew
aN the other women who wore silk or
%ssvet, and when there was q new
purchase of Sealskin sick people were
act TO windows to see 1t go by. Every
&CG5y knew everybody else's family
A0Ese and carriage, could identify such
% silhouette half q mile down the
street, and thereby was sur who was
, going to market or to a reception or
coming home from office or store to
. @oea dinner Oh evening supper.
ri During the earlier years of this pc
Efnd elegance Of personal appearance
! WAS believed to rest upon the
texture of garments than upon their
shaping. A silk dress needed no re-
! modelling when it was a year or SO old;
Et remained distinguished by merely
! &e1naining silk. Old men and COVER
| g1oFs wore broadcloth; full dress was
1roadcIoth with "doeskin" trousers;
&nd there were een men Of all ages
' Go whom a hat meant only that rigid,
! &atE silk thing known to impudence as
! b "~stovepipe." In town and country
, these men would wear no other hat,
54nd. without self-consciousness, they
sqtsenf rowing in such hats.
Trousers with a crease were c0nsid-
erred paebeIan; the crease proved that
ane garment had lain upon a shelf, and
hence was "ready made;" these be-
EGFaying trousers were called hand
I~RHeSEownS," In allusion to the shelf. In
f7he early eighties, while bangs and
LHustles were having their way with
k1g0men, that variation of dandy known
las the ~dude'' was invented: he wore
t4r0users as tight as stockings, dagger
E7sointed shoes, a spoon "derby," a
,s@7ngle-breasted coat called a Chester
s41eld," with short flaring skirts, q tor
I during cylindrical collar, Numbered to
S3 polish and three inches high, while
kaa7s other neckgear might be a heavy,
Efuffed cravat or a tiny bow fit for a
fSfoIFs braids. With evening dress he
EzUore a tan overcoat so short that his
fEbiack coattaiIs hung visible, five inches
F,DeIow the overcoat; but after a season
for two he heightened his Overcoat till
t4f touched his heels, and he passed out
sd1f his tight trousers into trousers like
sssgreat bags. Then presently he was
xEeen no more, though the word that
Hfsad been coined for him remained in
Hlkhe VocaBularies of the impertlnent.
Surely no more is needed to prove
fehat so short a time ago we were liy'
YEng in another agel
AT the beginning of the Ambersons
E1reat period most of the houses of the
midland town were Of a pleasant ar
Eehftecture. They lacked style, but alst
$v.retentiousness, and whatever doei
Eknot pretend at all has style enough
AtThey stood In commodlous yards, wei
Eahaded by leftover forest trees, elm
Ennd walnut and beech, with here ant
N1here n line Of tall sycamores wher'
f{Fhe land had been made by film
N5ayous from the creek. The house o
IA prominent resident" facing Mil
&ary square or National emu or Ter
Tz1essee street, was built of brick upo
stone foundation, Or of wood upon
kgsrick foundation Usually 1t had
R1sTront porch" and a 'back porch |;
X&ften a side porch" too. There wa
- ~Srpnf hall !" there was n "side hall,
%9and sometimes a black hail." Fror
She 'froDt hall" opened three rooms
k1ne 'parior," the Sitting ROOM an
ahe library" and the library coul
aHhOw warrant to It's titIe--for som
treason these people bought book
CammonIy the family sat more in tn
Efbrary than in the Sitting room,
HvhfIe callers, when they came 70
&mz1y, were kept to the 'DarIor,"
place OF formidable polish and discon
1nrt. The upholstery or the ubrar