Evening star., 1935-05-27
No Slackers Survived
Among Colonial Women
Who Faced Hardships
No Breakfasting in Bed Was Permitted AL
though Sleeping Provision Was Matter
of Fine Technique.

degrees Of fiuffineSs and softness The
best were used by the adults of the
family and by guests-if the latter
makers, candlemakers and peddlers
used the second best; servants and
children used the poorest.
THE process of making a feather
bed was a highly technical Job
in itself To be really good, the feath-
ers had to be plucked from live
goose In the Spring Of the year. when
the feathers we're light, elastic and
had less tendency to mat up. How
ever, to get enough feathers the pick
ing had to be done four or five times
a year, SO only a certain percentage
OF the feathers could be truly perfect.
Three quarters of pound of feathers
came from the four pickings 1t
seems to have taken long time to
make one mattress or feather bed,
and must have been awfully unpleas-
ant for the geese.
Other mattresses were made Of corn
husks. These were filled SO full, at
first, that in the beginning the would
be sleeper had to get into bed via a
stool-very much like the upper berth
method in modern railroad trains. All
things considered, / should say that
beds were not built for comfort in
those dayS-they were simply a place
to pass the night in sleep that was
too profound from daily hard labor
to be disturbed by the actual dis
comforts.
A INTERESTING sidelight on the
times. a little later, is the fact
that although there were not many
tablecloths, and the tabletop itself
was washed and dried after each
meal, there were plenty OF napkins.
The records state rather naively that
this was so because fingers were used
as the main eating utensils, and thus
many napkins were necessary TO keep
the owners of the fingers clean and
neat! Also as We mentioned before,
the laundry was allowed TO accumu-
late for months at time, and prob
ably a large supply had to be on
hand to keep the household going.
Cups we're so scarce that several
people usually drank out of the same
one. At first they were made Of
gourds, wood and horn-later leather
Jacks were used to hold milk, and
in some families there were silver
and pewter mugs. Clam shells were
used for dishes. and wood bowls,
made from knotty growths of trees,
called burl bowls. were much in IA
vor. There were a few knives OF
various kinds, but very few forks;
as matter of fact the first fork is
said TO have been brought to America
for Gov. Winthrop in 1888.
THE salt celler, or 'saler" was the
main adornment Of the table,
where 1t was placed in state in the
center: all persons of high degree
sat above the salt. and those OF
lesser state below it. The vessel it
self was always large. and, in pros
porous households was usually of sill
yer. 1t was always covered with a
clean napkin to keep the salt pure
and dry.
AS you may see. the accessories
of those days were of the simplest
and crudest type. And yet the house
wife was probably happier making
her rough belongings do" than many
of us today who may step into any
shop and purchase the latest means
of efficiency and comfort!
II you wish advice on your indi-
vidual household problems write to
Betsy Casweil. in care Of The Star.
inclosing a stamped, self addressed
envelope for reply.