The Brussels Post, 1976-12-22, Page 26Saturday was bath night
in the old farm kitchen
26—THE BRUSSELS POST, trEcEMBEF1 2Z 1976 .
(By W. G. Strong)
The table had a red checked cloth..
The oil lamp gave good light ...
The shiny cookstove threw out heat
To make the room so bright. (Evans)
The farm kitchen was often the largest room
in the house. Of course there was the front,
room or parlour which was all too sparingly
used and then for such special occasions as a,
wedding ceremony, a christening, a pastoral
visitation by the local clergyman or a funeral
service for the deceased. Oh, yes, it might be
the scene of family gatherings especially at
Christmastime when the tree with all its
trimmings was set up.
The ample kitchen served as the dining
room where the family gathered regularly at
meal-time, where visitors were entertained
anddined and where neighbours gathered for
threshing and wood bees. Off this central
room was the pantry in one corner and
adjacent thereto were the steep stairs leading
to the second storey, 'the family sleeping
quarters, while another set led to the
basement area. Often the kitchen was entered
through a summer room with its adjacent
woodshed.
6" Pine
In the older houses the flooring was made
from six-inch pine boards sawn at the local
mill from logs on the farmstead. In due time
the surface was worn down by busy feet and
frequent scrubbing until, here and there, the
knots protruded. Scatter rugs were
strategically placed. The one immediately
inside the door was worn thin by frequent use.
Another was placed in the vicinity of the stove
where the family dog delighted to slumber.
"There's something in an old hooked rug
Spread out before the hearth.
Of honest, fundamental things
As solid as the earth." . (J agues)
Located to one side of the kitchen, usually
near the pantry, was the cook stove, now a
passing commodity rarely seen except at an
auction sale in a rural setting. They are now
becoming quite popular by those who own
summer cottages and desire to conserve
electrical energy. All too often they are picked
up by a local scrap iron dealer.
Can you recall the early mornings when this
monster had to be wakened into action? There
was the clanking of the front lids as they were
moved back, the scraping of the long-handled
poker across the grates, the rumble of the
shaker as the ashes were shaken down into the
ash-box. Scraps of paper were fluffed into an
airy ball and placed on the grates. Pine or
cedar shavings freshly cut with a pocket nife
fell on top and to these were added dry, finely
split kindling which had been placed in the
woodbox for this very purpose.
In the gloom a hand reached up to the tin
Matchbox where the sulphur matches were
stored. A match was drawn sharply across a
stove lid or on a pant leg and applied to the
silent, awaiting mass. The lids were returned
speedily, the dampers adjusted. When the
kindling had ignited and burned brightly for a
moment or so, Wood thumped and banged as
it was pulled from the ever-present woodbox.
As the stove door was opened to receive
some maple, beech or hickory, flying sparks
from the blazing kindling crackled in the air
and some smoke was emitted to mingle with
'the metallic smell of hot iron. The dampers
were partially closed and the man of the house
placed the chipped gray granite tea-kettle,
freshly filled from the waterpail on the kitchen
sink, over one of the front lids. In due time the
escaping Steam Started to rattle the lid and
mother knew it was tithe to start another busy
and often monotonous day.
Fresh Pork
to yOu recall the smell of fresh pork and
eggs frying in the iron skillet at breakfast
time, the aroma of freshly baked bread turned
out of the pans to coc)1, the fragrance of fruit
and vegetable concoctions at preserving and
pickling tithe or the Sight of the golden
bubbles rising frotn the sOupbette as potatoes,
carrots and turnips, hotrie-grown, were
dincriped tito the iron pot? What a sight to See
(?"•1*
11-'1
the Thanksgiving turkey emerge from that
cavernous, steaming oven or the plump,
native-raised goose at Christmas! The broad
surface of the woodburning stove supplied a
wide range of heat. A perfect spot, at just the
right temperature, could be found for every i pot ,or pan to cook or warm. The warming ,-
oven, tog, was a prized convenience.
Bright pot-holders dangled under the
matchbox within easy, reach. Nearby was a
rack with horizontal bars where dish-towels
could' be hung for drying. The sink along a
sidewall n ear a window sported a wash basin,
a soap dish, a water pail and dipper. Some
kitchens boasted an iron pump which drew
rain water from the cellar cistern: Nearby was
the roller towel. A mirror hung immediately
above the sink and beneath the looking glass
was a short shelf whereon was displayed the
shaving mug and brush and straight-edge
razor in its case.
From the door-knob hung the leather strap
which served for more than one purpose as
many an erring child can recall. From up on a
shelf the pendulum clock bonged out its
muffled message each passing half hour. Here
too kerosene lamps were aligned. Under this
shelf might 'be found a pipe-holder, a pin
cushion or a pair of scissors suspended on
nails.
A newsrack was always in evidence where .
the local paper and Eaton's and Simpson's
catalogues were stored. There, too,,was Dr.
Chase's almanac which was studied for
weather predictions and, in many cases,were
as accurate as modern forecasters. Calendars
issued at Christmas by the grocer, the baker,
the buthcer, the dry goods merchants, the
hardware dealer, the insurance agent or the
local bank if you were a customer adorned the
papered walls. A careful scrutiny of one of
these, especially the one with the largest
figures , revealed such facts as when the gray,
mare was due to foal, .when the brindle cow
was about to freshen, when that next littler of
piglets should arrive or when that first batch
of chickens should hatch. A calendar could be
a com enclium of homely events,
couple of chairs to isolate the bather fro
other, members of the family. Warm wate
."-• from the reservoir was poured into the tub an
cold water . from the „cistern added until th
right temperasture was reached. A bar of soal
in a porcelain dish was set on the oven doo
and a bathtowel within easy reach.
One had to be somewhat of a contortionis
to perform these ablutions properly. Lucky
Was one if he did not burnan . elbow or if h
happened to bend over in the wrong direction
while drying himself and be burned in a less
conspicious but perhaps a more tender spot o
his anatomy.
The ordeal over, one grabbed and donned
warm night clothes, and dashed upstairs. In
winter some merciful soul had been there
before you and as you slid down under the
thick quilts your feet touched a warm brick or
flatiron wrapped in a towel in the centre of the
bed. You curled up like a human pupa in a
nocturnal cocoon and soon you were borne in
the arms of. Morpheus to Slumberland.
' Hooks & Nails
Do you recall the hooks and nails along the
wall behind the door where the clothes were
arrayed in winter? In summer such garments
were usually relegated to the back kitchen. In
winter the stove was hardly recognizable for
the gloves, mittens, scarves, stocking caps
drying in the warming oven while wet overalls
and long Johns were draped over the back to
dry. N eedless to say, the atmosphere around
the kitchen in the evening often left much to
be desired.
Gray woollen socks lay on the open oven
door while rubber boots found a place with the
toes extending under the front damper. When
two pairs of socks Were needed in winter to
keep one's feet. 'warm,' the services of the
boot-jack were called into play when removing
she boots. This homemade article was usually
stood in- a corner behind the door.
In reminiscing about farm kitchens, one
must not overlook the installation of the
telephone early in the century. Of course there
had to be party lines, each subscriber on that
particular circuit had to have a different call
signal; a long and a short, a long and two
shorts, two longs and a short and other
combinations. At first whenever the telephone
rang, all subscribers cocked their ears to hear
if it were going to be their ring. All the
neighbours knew each' other's number and
knew who was getting the call.
To get the gossip, most everyone would
listen in at one time or another. One could
almost tell who was listening by the
background noises. Children had to stand on a
chair to talk into the mouthpiece. To call
central one pushed a button on the side of the
phone box and turned the handle once or
twice. When there was an emergency such as
a local chimney fire one long, persistent
ringing was sufficient to alert the neighbours
who rushed to the scene.
An old song comes to mind, the words of
which ran somewhat as follows:
"Hello, Central! Give me Heaven
For my Mamma's there,
You will find her with the angels
On the golden stair.
She'll be glad it's the who's speaking,
Call her, won't you please,
For I want to tell her
We're so lonely here:
When the girl received this Message
Coming o'er the telephone,
How her heart throbbed in that itiOnnient
And the wires all seemed to Moan: '
I Will answer just to please her;
"Yes, Dear Heart; soon be home,"
"Kiss me, Mamma, kiss your darlilng
O'er the telephone."
Now we have gleaming, orderly, efficient
kitchens With electric ranges, tea kettles',
frying pans, toasters, mixing bowls blenders
and sundry other gadgets. Understandably
few houseWiVes would wish CO return to the
inconveniences 'of the wood-burning stove but
fortunate are we who have memories of an
farm kitchen with its black, tnioking, rdaritig,
crackling, wartfith,giving stove.
"1,71/17
Vkl • Storage
The pan try adjacent to the kitchen was a
convenient storage as well as work space.
Here were tall cupboards with glass doors
behindwhich, on shelvesy were arrayed the
family dishes. A counter top, sundry drawers
and shelves completed the fixtures. Here were
displayed pots and pans, baking ingredients,
patent medicineS, in very' truth a miniature
general store.
Centrally located was the extension table
which could be enlarged when necessary by
the addition of extra leaves. This was usually
covered with an Oilcloth which could be easily
wiped off of ter meal-time. When company
came a linen table elcith was called into use.
Straight-backed kitchen chairs Were in vogue
and, if not drawn up close to the table, were
pushed back against the Wall. Immediately
above, the table was a .hanging lanip, later
displaced by an Aladdin lamp. An arm chair
and a rocker were part of kitchen furniture A
lounge or sofa for tired bodies arid geraniums
in the Window were indispensible.
Saturday night was declared bath night for
the younger members of the family. The
galVanized washthb was brought in front the
shed and placed on newspapers in front of the
open oven door. A blanket was hung over a