Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1896 — A Pious Speculation In Footwarmers. [ARTICLE]

A Pious Speculation In Footwarmers.

A Portland (Me.) citizen tells The SundayTlmes about a pious speculation in footwarmers, way back iu the thirties. when church-goers depended upon little individual box stoves to keep their toes from freezing. These were about a foot square, the frame of wood, the side of wire netting or castiron perforated, and with a deep, sliding pan, in which were placed about three pints of hot, hardwood coals.or sometimes charcoal. Every family group going to church would carry several of these stoves. Finailly the janitor of the Second parish, a Mr. Leech, undertook to take charge of all the stoves fbr $1 each during the winter. He would bring them to church every Sunday morning full of coals, and place them in the pews where they belonged. As he had fifty or more of the toe-ticklers to care for, he must needs have had a Mg bank of coals to draw upon