Our Past Is Present October 16, 2017

October 16, 2017

This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Our story today is about some helpful household hints from 1900.  The first hint is about care of table linen.  The author of the article from which this information came stated that “you may have a delightful meal to serve, plenty of pretty china, glass and silver, but if your tablecloth is not snowy white and of just the right stiffness, your table would not look it’s best.  One should examine the cloths once a week and darn the smallest break.  A tiny hole was easy to mend, but a patch was unsightly.  An undercover of Canton Flannel would make the tablecloth look better and prevent the table from wearing the linen.”

Another hint was about the use of tray cloths.  “Tray cloths were to be used to prevent spillages and stains.  These smaller cloths were easier to wash and dry than the larger cloths which would be on top of the smaller ones.” 

Several tips were given for the removal of stains on the different cloths.  “Tea and coffee stains were to be removed by pouring boiling water over them and kerosene could be used on fruit stains and iron dust.  Alcohol was good for grass stains and chocolate required a soaking in cold water before being rinsed in boiling water.”

“If the woman of the house did not do the laundry herself and if she wanted to keep her table up to standard, she must still be able to direct the laundress.”

Today less time is spent at the table to share in a meal.  Gatherings with friends tend to be for barbecues, sharing finger foods and watching games on television.  We often use paper plates and plastic ware.  Most items used can be thrown in the trash or recycled with less time spent on clean up.  Even some table cloths can be thrown away.  People tend to serve themselves in a buffet style and serving trays are rarely needed.  As we mentioned last week – to some, the good ole days were more formal.  However to others -  THESE will be the good ole days.  What will be our eating and dining habits in the future?

Well…. That’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.