Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1876 — Some Things That Were Not 100 Years Ago. [ARTICLE]

Some Things That Were Not 100 Years Ago.

One hhndred years ago wedding-tours Were not fashionable. One hundred years ago the gin best known was not the cotton-gin. \ One hundred years ago there were no Pacific Railroad subsidies. One hundred years ago farmers did not cut their legs off with mowing machines. One hundred y'ears ago our mothers did not worry over disordered sewing machines. One hundred years ago horses which could trot a mile in 2:14 were somewhat scarce. One hundred years ago’ there was no fast mail-train between New York and Chicago. One hundred years ago there were no disputes about the impoliteness of streetcar drivers. One hundred y'ears ago people did not enjoy the inestimable pleasure of growling about gas-bills. One hundred years ago “crooked” whisky was not known. Our forefathers took theirs straight. One hundred years ago university boat clubs were not entered at? pool-sales like fighting-cocks in a pit. One hundred years ago every young man was not an applicant for a position as clerk or book-keeper. One hundred years ago false teeth were not considered very much preferable to the original grinders. One hundred y'ears ago time and tide waited for nobody, and now nobody waits for either time or tide. One hundred years ago kerosene lamps did not explode and assist women to shuffle off'their mortal coil. One hundred years ago men did not commit suicide by going up in balloons and coming down without them. One hundred years ago there was no steam on canals—even the driveV on the tow-path didn’t steam up in those days. One hundred years ago there were no Turkish harems at Salt Lake, and no Ann Elizas suing for the nineteenth part of a divorce. One hundred years ago England was not very far behind the United States in all that goes to make a nation powerful and progressive; One hundred years ago a young woman did not lose caste by wetting her hands in dish-water or rubbing the skin off her knuckles on a wash-board. One hundred years ago the physician who could not draw every form of disease lrom the system by tapping a large vein in the arm, was not much of a doctor. .. One hundred years ago the producer carried his surplus products to market on his horse, the products being placed in one end of the bag and the jug in the other end. One hundred years ago'our fathers did not light their pipes with matches, butcarried fire in their pockets in the shape of a piece of punk, a piece of steel and a flint. One hundred years ago a public officer or other citizen could not steal enough to make the act respectable and insure the actor a prominent position in the “ first circles.” One hundred years ago the condition of the weather on the Ist day of January' was not telegraphed all over the continent on the evening of Dec. 31. Things have changed. One hundred years ago people did not worry about rapid transit and cheap transportation, but threw their grain across the backs of their horses and uncomplainingly “ went to mill." ,1 One hundred years ago every man cut his coat according to his cloth—every man was estimated at his real value — shoddy was not known—nobody had struck “ ile”—and.true merit and honest worth were the only' grounds lor promotion. i 1 One hundred years jigo, to tell the truth, people generally died from natural causes, while in our day they step out throtlgh steamboat explosions, railroad smasii-ups, hurricanes, earthquakes, circular saws, and in a thousand other way's discovered since the birth of the oldest inhabitant.— Tokao Blade.

—ln the Gardener's Monthly Mr. Meehan says: Dry leaves are excellent to mix with hot-bed material, and, where practicable, shbpld be saved for this purpose. They do not heat so rapidly as stable manure, and in this have an advantage; as tempering the violence makes manure last longer and maintain a more regular heat/ They are excellent material to put round cold frames to protect halfhardy plants. A board is put up to the height of the frame boards and about a foot or more from them and the leaves filled in between. If the plants are somewhat tender the bottom ot the frames may be filled in a few feet with the leaves. These leaves, after having been two or three years decaying, make admirable stuff for potting plants and for flowers in general. A young lady dropped her handkerchief in the street last Saturday, and it blew close to the dangerous end of a mule. The young man who picked it up will not send her his photo for a few days, as he don't look well with his chin under his ear. —Laurrence (Karf.) Standard.