What Our Grandfathers

Did, and How They Did It,

Sixty Years Ago.

["Ottawa Weekly Republican, 07 Feb 1895, page 4, column 5]

Then farmers ploughed with wooden mould board ploughs, and carried a paddle to scrape the dirt off the mould board and used oxen for teams. Now they use steel ploughs propelled by steam. Then the farmer cut his grass with a hand scythe and raked it together with a hand rake. Now they cut and rake it with steam power. Then they cut their wheat by hand with a cradle or scythe and bound it by hand. Now it is cut and bound by steam power. Then farmers raised flax and wool, and their wives spun and wove it into cloth, and made all their own clothing. Now all the family apparel is bought from the stores. Then young ladies spun and knitted their own stockings. Now they spin street yarns and read dime novels and love stories. Then women attended to household duties. Now they act as book agents, patent medicine agents, sewing machine agents, clerks in stores, in law offices; are barbers, watch tinkers; are politicians, preachers, doctors and lawyers.

Verily, verily, now that man's work is either all done by machinery or monopolized by the fair sex, what is he to do? There is nothing left for him to do but to join Coxey's conmmowealers and march on to Washington.

Then a school teacher taught thirteen weeks for a quarter, six days for a week, and eight hours a day, and no holidays. Now twelve weeks for a quarter, five days for a week and five and one-half hours for a day, with about one holiday per month. Then a man who carried a watch was the exception; now the one who don't is the exception.

Then patent medicines were hardly known. Now the drug stores are piled full of it and patent medicine peddlers are tramping all over the country. Then a boy was placed on a horse with a bushel and a half or two bushels of grain in a sack, went to the mill with it and brought by the flour or meal, as the case might be. Then young ladies were not ashamed to go to church with a nice home-made flannel dress of her own make. Now they would not like to be seen on the streets with such a dress on. Then little girls were just as well pleased with a rag doll as they are now with a $2 patent doll. Now, the show cases in the stores are piled full of dolls of all sizes and colors. Then the little boys were as well pleased with a squirt and pop-gun as they are now with their toy pistols, swords and bayonets. Then we scarcely ever heard of a murder; now they are an every-day occurrence. Then we knew no such fruit as bananas, lemons or oranges. Now the country is crowded with them. Then our dwelling houses were made of round logs and covered with clapboards; now they are made of pine lumber, brick or stone. Then such an article as canned fruit was not known in the market. Now it is almost indispensable in a family as food. Then no one ever thought of mortgaging his house or farm; now the farm or dwelling house that has not been mortgaged is an exception.