Year: 1874

A stepladder is an almost indispensable ar
ticle to persons who are moving into a new
house. Not only do the domestics find it
extremely convenient when they undertake TO
wash the window, to remove the dust from
the door and window-frames, and to perform


sundry other household duties, but the lord of
the castle will require it when he hangs his
pictures, when he fixes the curtains. and when
he yields to his wife's entreaty for hanging a


shelf or two in the cellar. would, however,


warn my fellow countrymen against the con-


triyance which is afforded to them under the


name of the "Patent Combination Stepladder.


I purchased one in the citv just before we


moved, because the dealer showed me how, by


the simple operation of set OF springs, the
ladder could he transformed into an ironing


table, and from that into q comfortable settee


for the kitchen, and finally back again into a


stepladder, just as the owner desired. IL


seemed like getting the full worth of the


money expended to obtain a trio of such use


full articles for a single price, and the tempta-


tion to purchase was simply irresistible. But


the knowledge gained by practical experience
of the operation of the machine enables me
to affirm that there is no genuine economical
advantage in the use of this ingenious article.
Upon the day of its arrival, the servant girl
mounted the ladder for the purpose of remov-
ing the globes from the chandelier in the par
lor, and while she was engaged in the work,
the weight of her body Unexpectedly put tho
springs in motion, and the machine was sud-
denly converted into an ironing table, while
the maid servant was prostrate upon the floor
with a sprained ankle, and amid the fragments
of two shattered globes. Then we decided
that the apparatus should be used exclusively
as an ironing table, and to this purpose it
would probably have been devoted if it bad
| suited. On the following Tuesday, however,
while half dozen shirts were lying npon it
| ready to be ironed, some one knocked against
| it, accidentally. 1t gave two or three ominous
| preliminary jerks. ground two shirts into rags,
i hurled the fiat-irons out into the yard, and.
| after few conyulsive movements of the springs,
| settled into repose in the shape of stepledder.
| IL became evident then that it could be used
] with the greatest safety as settee, and Il was
| placed in the kitchen in that shape. For a
| few days it gave much satisfaction: but one
| night when the servant had company, the
| bench was perhaps overloaded, for it had,
| another and most alarming paroxysm. There
| were trembling of the legs, violent agitation
| of tine back, then a tremendous jump, and one


of the visitors was hurled against the range


while the machine turned several somersaulfs


jammed itself halfway through the window


sash, and appeared once more in the similituds


of an ironing table.


| 1t has now attained to such degree of SEN


sitiveness that it goes through the entire drill


promptly and with celebrity, IL any one come
| near it or coughs or sneezes close at hand
We have it stored away in the garrett, an


sometimes in the middle of the night q rat vii


lar it, or q current of air will pass through tn


| room, and we can hear 1t dancing over the fioo
{ and getting into service as ladder, a bench
, and a table, fifteen twenty times in quic
| succession.


. The machine will be disposed of for a sma
, fraction of the original cost. 1t might be
valuable addition to the collection Of sou
good museum. L am convinced that II w
4 shine with greater lustre as a curiosity ths
as household uten