What It Was, When It Was, The Way It Was (Part 4)

Hello, here is the next segment from the 1914 book on how to do thing. Enjoy, talk to you in the closing.

"WHAT TO-DO." AND "HOW TO DO IT."

Including Various Recipes of All Kinds."

"We have gathered a posie of other men's flowers And nothing but the thread which binds them is ours."

114. To Clean Bottles and Cruets.—These are best cleaned with shot and soap suds. Save the shot in a bottle to be used again.
115. Care of Coffee Pots.—If you would have good coffee always keep the inside of the pot clean. Boil it out once in a while with soap, water and wood ashes and, scour it thoroughly. ,
116. The Teakettle.—In localities where there is lime in the water it is well to keep an oyster or egg shells in the teakettle to receive the lime deposits.
117. To Clean Kitchen Floors, Tables and Wooden Articles.—Use sand or bath brick to scrub floors, tables and wooden articles.
118. To Keep Silverware.—It keeps best when wrapped in blue tissue paper.
119. To Keep Hinges from Creaking.—Dip a feather into oil and rub them with it.
120. To Drive Away Fleas.—Sprinkle a few drops of lavender about the beds and other places they infest.
121. To Drive Away Red Ants.—Put a small bag of sulphur in the , drawers and cupboards.
122. Icy Windows.—Rub the glass with a sponge dipped in alcohol and the windows will be kept free from ice. Alcohol is also good to polish them with.
123. To Kill Roaches.—They may be poisoned by sprinkling the floors at night with hellebore.
124. To Keep Pails and Tubs from Shrinking.—Soak them with gly­cerine and the pails and tubs will not shrink and fall to pieces.
125. To Keep Flies Off Gilt Frames.—Boil three or four onions in a pint of water and apply the water to the frames with a soft cloth or brush.
126. To Remove Dry Putty from Window Frames.—Pass a red hot poker over the putty and it may easily be removed.
127. To Soften Hard Water.—Water may be softened by boiling it. Hard spring water is softened by adding a piece of chalk to it. Cistern water that is hard from long standing may be softened by the addition of a little borax.
128. To Remove Smell of Fresh Paint.—Mix chloride of lime in water, sprinkle hay with it and place in the room.
129. To Clean Chromos.—Go over them carefully with a slightly damp­ened linen rag. If any of the varnish is off apply a thin mastic varnish.
130. To Clean a Sponge.—Rub fresh lemon juice thoroughly into a soured sponge, then rinse several times in warm water and the sponge will be as sweet as when new.
131. To Take Kerosene and Grease Spots from Carpets.—Cover the grease spot with flour and then pin a thick paper over it and after leaving awhile sweep up the flour. Repeat several times.
132. Hard Whitewash.—Dissolve five cents worth of glue in warm water and mix with ten cents worth of kalsomine, two quarts of soft soap and bluing. Fine for halls, fences, etc.
133. To Remove Bad Smells from Clothing.—Articles of clothing orany other articles' which have bad smelling substances on them may be freed from the smell by wrapping them up lightly and burying in the ground for a day or two.
134. To Mend Tin.—Scrape all rust and grease from the parts to be mended, rub a piece of resin on it till a powder lies about the hole, lay a piece of solder over it and hold a hot poker or soldering iron over it until the solder melts.
135. To Remove Grease from Wood Before Painting.—Whitewash the parts at night and wash off in the morning. Let it dry before painting. It is as well to lay a little slacked lime on the parts and dampen a little. .
136. Lightning Cream for Clothes or Paint.—Dissolve four ounces of finely cut white castile soap in one quart of soft water over the fire; remove from fire; add four ounces of ammonia, two ounces of alcohol, two ounces of ether and one ounce of glycerine.
137. Magic Furniture Polish.—One-half pint of alcohol, one-half ounce gum-shellac, one-half ounce resin, a few drops of aniline brown; mix and let stand over night, then add one-half pint spirits of turpentine and three-fourths pint of raw linseed oil. This should be well shaken before using. Apply with a cotton flannel and rub dry with another cloth.
138. To Temper Lamp Chimneys and Other Glassware.—Put them into cold water; bring slowly to the boiling point and let them boil for an hour. They should be allowed to cool before removing from water.
139. A Good Cement for All Kinds of Articles.—Mix litharge and gly­cerine until of the consistency of thick cream or fresh putty. This is good for fastening on lamp posts, mending stone jars, stopping leaks in seams of wash boilers or tin pans, cracks in iron kettles, etc. It is not affected by water, heat or acids.
140. To Clean Wall Paper.—Blow the dust off the wall with a bellows and then, beginning at the top of the room, go all over the paper, rubbing it with downward strokes with pieces of stale bread. Or, tie about two quarts of wheat bran in a flannel and go over the paper with that. Or, dry corn meal may be used instead of bread. Apply on a cloth. Grease spots may be removed by laying a blotter over them and then holding a hot flatiron .on the blotter."
141. To Drive Away Red Ants.—Scatter sweet fern in the places they frequent.
142. To Remove Egg Stains from Silverware.—Rub the silverware with a little salt or wash in water in which potatoes have been boiled.
143. To Remove Taste of Fish from Tableware.—Rub steel knives and forks with fresh lemon or orange peel to remove the taste of fish.
144. Corks.'—If they are too large put them into hot water for a few moments to soften.
145. To Prevent Rusting of Cutlery.—After wiping dry, wrap it in coarse brown paper.
146. To Brighten Tin Teakettles.—With a woolen cloth saturated with kerosene a tin teakettle may be rubbed as bright as new.
147. Care of Wire Tableware.—It will keep bright if washed in clean water with soap added. Never scour it.
148. Silver Polish.—Add three ounces of precipitated chalk and two ounces of ammonia to one quart of rain water. Keep well corked in a bottle and shake before using.
149. Cement for China, Marble and Glassware.—Add enough finely powdered quick lime to the whites of two eggs to make a thick paste.
150. Water-proof Paper Covering for Jars—Used in Preserving, Etc.— Brush the paper over with boiled linseed oil and hang over a line until dry.
151. To Remove Tight Glass Stoppers.—Wet a cloth in hot water and wrap it around the neck of the bottle. Another way is to wind a cord once around the neck of the bottle and saw back and forth a few times until the neck is heated and expands.
152. To Clean Knives.—Take a raw potato, cut it in two, dip the flat surface in brick dust and rub the knife blades. This will remove rust and stains. A cloth or a cork may be used in like manner.
153. A Fire Kindler.—Melt together a quart of tar and three pounds of resin and stir in as much pulverized charcoal and sawdust as possible; spread on a board to cool and then break it into lumps the size of a walnut. These lumps may be lighted with a match and will burn quite a while with a good blaze.
154. To Clean Brass or Copper Kettles.—First scour »with soap "and ashes, then put in a handful of salt and a half pint of vinegar; put over the fire and let come to a boil and wash out thoroughly, afterwards rinsing with water. If the kettle is used every day the scouring with soap and ashes may be omitted.
155. To Soften Water.—Boil a small bottle in a kettle of water to soften the -water. The carbonate of lime and other impurities will be found adhering to the bottle,
156. To Remove Rust from Plows and Other Steel Implements.—Rub the steel well with sweet oil and let it remain for two days, then rub it with finely powdered unslacked lime until the rust is removed.
157. To Polish Iron or Steel.—Vienna lime and alcohol applied with leather, chamois, a cork or piece of soft wood will give a fine polish to iron or steel.
158. To Clean White Zephyr.—Rub with either magnesia or flour and change often. Shake off the flour or magnesia and hang for a short time in the open air.
159. To Clean Alpaca.—Sponge alpaca with strained coffee and iron on the wrong side with black cambric under the goods.
160. To Take Out Machine Oil.—Rub with a little soap and wash out in cold Water. Another way is to rub with a little butter or lard and wash in warm water.
161. To Stiffen Linen Collars and Cuffs.—Add a teaspoonful of brandy and a small piece of white wax to a pint of fine starch. Soap the bottom of the iron if it sticks.
163. To Clean Rusty Wash Boilers.—Wash them with sweet milk or grease with lard.
163. To Remove Paint from Clothing.—Saturate the spot two or three times with equal parts of spirits of turpentine and ammonia and then wash out with soap suds. This treatment will remove paint no matter how dry or hard it may be.
164. To Restore Velvet.—Velvet when crushed may be restored to its original beauty by holding it over a basin of hot water with the wrong side next the water. *
165. To Remove Spots, Caused by an Acid, from Cloth.—Touch the spots with spirits of hartshorn.
166. To Remove Spots, Caused by an Alkali, from Cloth.—Moisten the spots with either vinegar or tartaric acid.
167. To Prevent Blue from Fading.—All shades of blue may be pre­vented from fading by soaking for two hours in a solution of an ounce of sugar of lead to a pail of water. The material should then be allowed to dry before washing and ironing.
168. To Wash Red Table Linen.—Set the color by using warm or tepid water in which a little powdered borax has been dissolved; wash the article separately and quickly, using but a very little soap and rinse in tepid water containing a little boiled "starch; hang in the shade and iron when almost dry.
169. To Clean Alpaca.—Put the goods into a boiler half full of cold rain water and let come to a boil and boil three minutes. Wring out of the boiling water and put into a pail of very dark indigo water, let remain for half an hour, wring out and iron while damp.
, 170. To Clean Velvet.—Turn a hot flatiron bottom side up, put one thickness of wet cotton cloth over it, lay the velvet on this with the wrong side next the wet cloth, rub gently with a dry cloth until the pile is raised then lay the velvet on a table and brush with a cloth or soft brush.
171. To Take Grease Out of Woolens, Silks, Paper, Floors, Etc.—Grate either French or common chalk thickly over the spot, cover with a brown paper, set a hot flatiron on it and let it remain until cool; repeat if necessary. See that the iron is not hot enough to burn the paper or cloth.
172. Silver Polish for Shirts.—One ounce borax, one ounce isinglass, two teaspoonfuls white of egg, one teaspoonful white glue; cook well in two quarts of fine starch. Starch in this and dry. Before ironing apply it to the cuffs and bosom with a cloth until well dampened and iron immediately with a hot glossing iron.
173. To Clean Black Lace.—Wipe off all the dust carefully with a cam­bric handkerchief; then pin it on a board, inserting a pin in each point of lace that projects. Sprinkle it all over with table beer and leave it until perfectly dry when it will look fresh and new.
174. To Remove Iron Rust from Clothing.—When rinsing the clothes dip the wet finger in oxalic acid and rub on the spot, then dip in salt and rub on and then hold on a hot flatiron. Rinse again and rub with the hands.
175. To Wash Neckties and Other Goods that Fade.—Instead of soap use crude ammonia. Use a teaspoonful of spirits of hartshorn to two teacups of water for washing neckties. If they are much soiled put through a second wash not quite so strong. Lay the tie on a clean white cloth and wipe it gently with another cloth until dry.
176. To Clean Woolen and Silk Dress Goods.—Any woolen or silk dress goods may be washed and rubbed in gasoline without injury. The dirt is quickly removed without injuring the colors. Do not use gasoline near a stove or light.
177. To Clean Silk and Thread Gloves.—Put the gloves on the hands and wash them in white castile soap suds or in borax water the same as though washing the hands; rinse by holding under a stream of water and dry with a towel. Keep them on until half dried, remove and fold carefully like new gloves and lay between towels under a weight.
178. To Wash Delicate Colored Muslins.—Make a thick corn meal mush, salt it well and use instead of soap; rinse in one or two waters. It will not need starching.


I hope you have enjoy this segment and will look forward to the last three. Some interesting stuff from this old book.

Today is June 6, for many it is a day of remembering. For to many it is a day just like any other. What I am referring to is the date June 6, 1944, D-Day, the Normandy invasion. Every time I think about what those men did on that day I am just over come with aw and admiration for the incredible heroism that took place there. Thank God that this country had men and has men like that. Their incredible sacrifice is what keeps this great land free, then and today. We can disagree on many things, but we have to agree that when we stand together as a nation we become an incredible force that will not give way to tyranny, despotism or any two bit dictator that has to big opinion of himself and his muscle.

Because of what they have done, we can sleep tonight in freedom and liberty.

And I can say, all is well down on the farm,

The Old Farmer.