Terrestrial Flight

The term had me looking it up so you'll find some information below are some tidbits about recreational sports from a book titled "Outdoors: A Book of Healthful Pleasure" ©1894 Enjoy the thoughts from the time about exercise and recreation.

The lazy Washington atmosphare, which seems to have been imported from the Land of the Lotus Eaters, and which affects everybody on foot, from the sable piccaniny to the Cabinet officer, is powerless to influence the rider on the steel horse. I forget how many bicycles are owned in Washington, though I did take the trouble to ask; but it appears at times as if everybody must own one. The broad, straight streets, smooth with polished asphalt, are swimming with shining wheels, following, passing, crossing, approaching, vanishing, gliding, all lightness, noiselessness, and speed. They stream to and fro in glaring currents, and no single rider can hold your eye but for an instant, but they are always coming, always going, and spin in continuous succession along thsir soundless paths, swift as birds, and with no more apparent effort, though their elastic tires never leave the solid surface of the planet.
Then terrestrial flyers are not restricted to sex, age, or occupation. If there are not, at present, as many women as men, the number of the former is constantly increasing; and a woman looks so graceful on a bicycle that the aesthetic instincts of the sex, no less than its good sense and love of movement, will aid in urging them to the saddle. The Washington Department clerks are almost all members of the steel cavalry division; their unwearying steeds enable them to stay so much* later at their breakfast, and so much earlier at their dinner; and at the journey's end there is no stable to hire, no hostler to fee, no fodder to provide. How much salary, how much lassitude, how much dyspepsia and low spirits do these tense, economic racers save in a twelvemonth ?" Post equitum sedet atra cura" says Horace; but I doubt if dull care often overtakes the airy sweep of the bicycler. His foot is on the pedal: he is the author of his own flights, and he can regulate it to suit his mood.
The small boy and the elderly gentleman, the tradesman and ths manabout-town, the seamstress and she for whom the seamstress works, all mingle with equal propriety and enjoyment in the wheeling lists. Bicycling is a freemasonry, broader in its membership than any other, save human nature itself. The man of brawn and the man of brains are at one in the saddle. Youth and age alike can do their mile in three minutes or under. The "winning wave, deserving note, in the tempestuous petticoat," is never more winning than when it whispers past you on the wheel. A woman on horseback, in a trim riding-habit, is an alluring sight; but we miss one important feature ■— the rhythmic grace of motion, which nothing but the bicycle affords. The entire pose shows the figure to the best advantage; and the slight, unconscious swayings of the body to maintain the balance imparts an element of life to the spectacle which is more fascinating than the most studied art of mere attitude.
But it would be omitting an important factor in the combination which has made the bicycle so universally popular, to ascribe its success to its practical business utility and to its faculty of making its riders look well. It is, above all, the solution of a problem which has puzzled hygienists and physical culturists for many years. The modern gospel of physical culture has been preached sinca before i860; and certainly, the multiplication since that revived of gymnasiums, of athletic clubs, of out-door sports, and of athletes, is evidence that it has not been preached in vain. Probably a majority of college-bred young men have made more or less practical acquaintance with bodily exercise. During their college career they attended the gymnasium, rowed, played base ball or foot ball, or took part in athletic games. In after life, a fair percentage of them kapt up their practise for a time; but, as a general rule, the business occupation of life, or other business, led them to discontinue their active habits soon after reaching their thirtieth year ; thenceforward they "took things easy," and rapidly developed portly abdomens, short breath, and sluggish circulation. This is especially noticeable in men who have been prominent in feats of strength and endurance while their athletic life lasted. The more acute their enthusiasm, the sooner it seems to exhaust itself. Some few persistent individuals, however, who have always done enough and never too much, keep up a moderate activity till past forty, fifty, and even sixty, and these retain their health, their vigor, and their figures till near the end.
Now, it is a physiological fact that rational exercise, constant, but not excessive, is never so beneficial and necessary as between the thirty-fifth and the fiftieth years. During the ebullient season of youth, our bodies instinctively crave to work off their superfluous animation; but later on, physical indolence supervives, and money-making pursuits seem to afford an excuse for the indulgence thereof. But, whereas vitality is abundant in youth, even when not artificially reinforced, the opposite is the case in age. As years accumulate, we must needs do something to keep the pot of life boiling. It need not be much, but it must be something; otherwise the penalties —■ dyspepsia, palpitation, asthma, nervous prostration — are tolerably sure to be inflicted. The conditions of our intellectual and business occupations are too arduous and exhausting to be endured with impunity (save in the case of exceptionally fine organizations) unless they are counteracted by deep breathing and systematized muscular movements.
These facts have been often repeated, and are widely accepted. But the truth is, it is not good advice that we lack, but the stimulus that shall prompt us to follow it. A man or woman may be assured that a certain nostrum, taken regularly, will give him or her health and long life; and he or she may know the statement to be true. Nevertheless, if the nostrum in question be nauseating to the taste, or involves much trouble to procure, the patient will take advantage of any specious pretext to avoid taking it; and the result will be that, for the parson concerned, the nostrum might as well be non-existent. The situation is the same with regard to bodily exercise. Unless it be administered in an attractive form, it will be neglected. In youth the competition and solid pleasure of out-door games, and even of gymnastic contests of a more precise and scientific kind, are sufficient to enlist participants. But, as we grow older, we perforce retire from such contests and must then do our work alone, or not at all. But who wants to play ball, or run races, or lift dumbbells, or practise leaping, alone by himself, after the hair has begun to thin on his temples? Who will practise calisthenic movements in the solitude of his chamber? Who, even should his geographical situation permit it, will set out to row a couple of miles out and back, for the mere hygienic advantage of the exertion? Even walking is too monotonous for the majority of temperaments, except a definite material goal be in view. It is true that a few of the faithful here and there will do all these things, in spite of spite: but their number is so small that, for purposes of argument, they cannot be considered.

Americanism or American Slang

Quite a while ago I posted various chapters on Americanisms or Slang. Today's post is an index for all of the posts.

Starting with the Letter A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q-R

S Part 1

S Part 2

T

U

V

W

Y

There were no X's or Z's.

American House Plans

I found this tidbit on an American House from an English publication titled "The Choice of a Dwelling." It gives a detail description along with some basic floor plans.

This common disposition of the plan of an American house is not without useful application at home; plans are here offered (illustration No. i) of one erected by the author in Philadelphia during a residence in the United States, which possesses the most desirable of the features above detailed.
The plot was 25 feet frontage by 100 feet in depth, the invariable area devoted to what is called a "city lot."
The extreme depth on the basement and principal floors is 78 feet, including the piazza, and of the bed-room floors (of which there are three) 50 feet.
In the basement the dining-room is 20 feet wide by 25 deep, and is octagonal, the corners being cut off to obtain more space for the room by curtailing the passage (which is only used by the servants and tradesmen coming to the house), and at the same time not to contract the doorway and its side lights. A fire-proof safe occupies one of the front corners, and from another a door opens into a large private store-closet. The other portions of the plan follow the general description previously given. Servants' bathroom and water-closet are provided on this floor.
The principal floor comprises two long rooms, each 25 by 15 ft. 6 inches, with columns between; the extension or tea-room in the rear, and back of all, the enclosed piazza breast, and with Venetian blinds working in grooves between the pillars that support the over-hanging roof. Between the end of the reception-rooms and the rear apartments, are wide sliding glazed doors, which, when opened, do not show, the opening extending nearly to the cornice. There is at the end of the hall a serving room with lift to a closet below, for use in entertaining company.
The bedroom plan represents two large bed chambers, back and front, with dressing-closets between, lighted by a well, and at each end of the hall small rooms, that in front being a single room, and in the rear, a general bath-room and water-closet. Each floor is similarly arranged. The dressing-closets are very completely fitted; on the right are wide drawers, and above are wardrobes, but of full size and with every contrivance that ingenuity can devise for hanging and placing dresses; upon the left is a bath with shower over, and a marble wash basin; a large cheval glass forms part of the fittings.
§ 296. Cost.
The cost of this residence, built very substantially, finished throughout with hard polished woods, and fitted with heating and ventilating apparatus, hot and cold water to every dressing-room, gas pipes, speaking-tubes, &c, throughout, the exterior faced with cut stone, the floors all double—in fact built in the best manner, and of the best materials—was about ^7000 of English money, the land upon which it stood being worth then about ^2500. At the present time I learn the house and ground are worth nearly ^16,000, the great increase being due principally to the rise in value of the land.
§ 297. Features worthy of adoption.
Some features of this, and similar American plans, are worth introduction into our London buildings; the octagonal planning of the dining-room, giving as it does so fair a space for the front door, removes a frequent objection that builders of small houses are compelled to devote a verynarrow allowance to the entrance passage.

How to Cook Eggs

Below are 19th Century Recipes and information on how to cook eggs from Mrs. Owens New Cook Book ©1897 Omelets will be in another post.

TO BOIL EGGS.
Have the water far below the boiling point. At 180 degrees the albumen will become solid and white. If at 212 it will become shrunken and tough.
TO SERVE HARD BOILED EGGS. Remove shells and if not ready to serve at once drop them into hot water, a little salted. Place them on a layer of lettuce, with a few leaves over them. Pretty and appetizing.
Boiled. EGGS. To Poach.
BOILED EGGS.
Use a wire egg-boiler for boiling eggs; 3 minutes cooks the white about right for soft-boiled eggs. If put into cold water and let remain to a boiling point, they are cooked more evenly than by plunging into hot water at first. And it is further recommended to pour boiling water on the eggs and set the vessel on the hearth for 5 minutes.
Another method is to put eggs into boiling water, set back and let remain in water for 10 minutes.
ENGLISH BOILED EGGS. Put eggs into cold water and when it begins to boil, let boil just 2 minutes.
SCRAMBLED EGGS. Put a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan. When hot put in the requisite number of eggs beaten lightly. Pepper and salt them, and add $ cup of milk to a dozen eggs. Stir constantly, and as soon as they begin to set, take off and pour out. They must not be hard. EGGS SCRAMBLED IN MILK.
Lydia Avery Coonley, Chicago. Eggs beaten up with milk and scrambled in a dish set in a dish of water, make a pleasant variety. Use salt, but no butter.
SCRAMBLED EGGS IN BREAD CASE.
C. R. Schrapps, St. Louis. Take an even brick-shaped loaf of bread, cut the top off. Take a sharp knife and cut out the crumb of the loaf evenly, leaving the crust, ends, sides and bottom. Immerse both case and cover in hot fat and fry a nice brown, and drain well. In the meantime prepare scrambled eggs in the ordinary manner sufficient for the meal, and put into the hot bread case, cover with the hot cover and place on a platter. Dish with a spoon from the case the same as from a platter or tureen. After the eggs are gone the fried bread may be served in convenient pieces. Cooked asparagus placed on the eggs is a nice accompaninent.
TO POACH EGGS.
Mrs. W. A. Dickerman, Marseilles, Ill. Let the water come nearly to boiling heat, break the eggs in carefully and be sure that the water covers them, put a close cover on the sauce pan and cook until sufficiently done, and they will skim out very full and white. It will take but 2 or 3 minutes.
To Fry. EGGS. Panned.
TO FRY EGGS. Break the eggs into hot fat in the frying pan, cover closely and cook until done—perhaps 5 minutes, or butter gem irons and break an egg in each one, set in the oven, after seasoning. Will cook in a very short time.
FRIED HAM AND EGGS. Freshen the ham, if it requires it, by putting it on the stove in cold water, and pouring off as soon as it comes to a scald. Fry the ham in its own fat, then fry the eggs afterward in the same. Dish up on the same platter.
BROILED HAM AND EGGS. Broil thin slices of ham. Put a bit of butter on each slice when done. Poach the eggs in water, and lay one neatly on each piece of ham.
STEAMED EGGS.
Butter a tin plate and break in your eggs. Set in a steamer, place over a kettle of boiling water and steam till the whites are cooked . If broken into buttered patty pans they look nicer, by keeping their forms better. Or still better, if broken into egg cups and steamed until done, they are very nice. Cooked in this way, there is nothing of their flavor lost.
BAKED EGGS.
Take a large platter. Break on it as many eggs as you need for your meal, sprinkle over with salt, pepper and lumps of butter. Set in the oven, and in about 5 minutes the whites will be set and the eggs sufficiently cooked. A handy way on washing or ironing days, when the top of the stove is all in use.
EGG PYRAMIDS. Mrs. H. B. Clark, Pulaski, N. Y. Take 4 eggs, beat whites to a stiff froth, salt a little, butter the platter, put whites on in spoonsful. Make a hollow in each center and put a whole yolk in, salt and pepper and put a bit of butter on each one. Set into the oven and bake until a delicate brown.
PANNED EGGS. Make a minced meat of chopped ham, fine bread crumbs, pepper, salt and some melted butter. Moisten with milk to a soft paste, and Scalloped. EGGS. Fricasseed.
half fill some patty pans with the mixture. Break an egg carefully upon the top of each. Dust with pepper and salt, and sprinkle some finely-powdered cracker over all. Set in the oven and bake about 8 minutes and serve at once.
SCALLOPED EGGS. Prepare a cup of thick drawn-butter gravy, and a dozen hardboiled eggs. Butter a pudding dish and place in it a layer of fine bread crumbs moistened with milk or broth. Add 2 beaten eggs to the drawn butter. Cut the boiled eggs in slices, dip each slice in gravy and place in layers upon the bread crumbs. Sprinkle these with cold meat or fowl minced fine. Repeat the layers and put over all a covering of sifted bread crumbs. Heat well through in a moderate oven.
EGGS WITH TOMATO SAUCE. Boil 6 eggs hard and divide lengthwise. Pour over them a pint of tomato sauce. Serve hot.
RUGBY EGGS.
Isadore P. Taylor (Mrs. H. S.) Kenilworth, Ill. $ can of tomatoes, stewed, 1 small onion chopped fine, 1 small teaspoon corn starch, and butter size of egg. Cook 6 minutes, add salt and pepper (chopped parsley if desired) then add 5 well beaten eggs very slowly. When the mixture is as thick as thick cream, pour over buttered toast and serve immediately.
EGGS al a CREME. Boil 12 eggs hard, cut in slices and put in a baking dish with grated bread crumbs, pepper and salt. Make a cream sauce of a pint of cream or milk, add chopped parsley and a bit of onion and nutmeg. Pour over the eggs, sprinkle with crumbs and brown in a well heated oven.
SHAKER EGGS. Boil 4 minutes, take out, and as soon as cool enough to handle remove the shells, keep the eggs whole. Dop in a covered dish and dress with pepper, salt and sweet cream. To 6 eggs allow ^ cup cream. FRICASSEED EGGS. Boil 6 eggs hard, cut crosswise and remove yolks; mash the yolks with a little minced cold tongue or ham or fowl, a little butter and Swiss. EGGS. Sur Le Plat or Shirred.
made mustard and parsley. Fill the whites and set them in a covered dish. Have some broth ready and heat to boiling, and add 3 tablespoons cream to each cup of broth. Boil up, pour hot over the eggs, let stand covered for 5 minutes and serve at once.
SWISS EGGS.
Take a baking dish and butter the bottom generously. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Break in as many eggs as are required. Season with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of cayenne. Pour over k cup cream and sprinkle more cheese. Bake 15 minutes.
PARIS EGGS.
Boil 6 eggs hard, when cool remove shell cut in two, take out the yolks and put them in a bowl, with the juice of one onion, pinch of red pepper, saltspoon of salt and $ cup cream. Mix thoroughly into a smooth paste, then return to the whites, and stand them in the bottom of a small pudding dish. Pour sauce over them and bake 20 minutes.
SAUCE.
Rub together till smooth 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 small tablespoon butter, saltspoon of salt, pinch of red pepper and juice of 1 onion. Put this with 1 pint of boiling cream (less amount used for yolks) stir until thick and smooth.
Chef of Les Trois Freres, Paris in "250 choice recipes."
(The above is a delicious dish, but I use only a few drops of onion juice. I found the flavor entirely too strong if a whole one was used. F. E. O.)
BEAUREGARD EGGS. Boil 12 eggs 20 minutes; remove shells, divide whites and yolks. Rub the yolks through a sieve into a dish alone; chop the whites very fine; blend 1 tablespoon of butter with 2 of corn starch in a saucepan and add a pint of milk and stir until thick and smooth. Stir in the whites of the eggs, $ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of white pepper. Have a nice piece of toast ready on each plate, and more for reinforcement . Spread each piece with the white sauce and sprinkle with the sifted yolks set in the oven a minute. A bit of parsley is also an improvement.
EGGS SUR Le PLAT OR SHIRRED EGGS.
Little individual stone china dishes come expressly for this mode

Stuffed. EGGS. Cradled.
of serving eggs. Heat and butter dish, break into it two eggs, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and $ teaspoon butter. Place in hot oven about 5 minutes. These may be varied by adding different seasonings and flavorings. For instance, the cups may be rubbed with onion, a little chopped parsley, ham, tongue, chicken, or grated cheese may be sprinkled in the dish before the eggs are broken in.
STUFFED EGGS.
Boil 12 eggs 20 minutes; cut in two; also cut a thin slice from each end so the eggs will stand. Take out yolks and mash fine. Add 3 tablespoons melted butter, 2 drops onion juice, a little finely chopped boiled ham, small teaspoon prepared mustard, 1 of celery seed, salt and cayenne pepper to taste; make quite moist with vinegar, mix all thoroughly, chip the edges of whites in small points with scissors; fill with above mixture and serve each half on a small, curled lettuce leaf.
EGG LOAF.
Remove the shell from hard-boiled eggs; moisten a cup of bread crumbs with 1 teaspoon butter; mix with this the crumbled yolks of 3 hard-boiled eggs; season with salt and pepper; line bottom of dish with this mixture, place eggs in, then fill round again, and cover the top with buttered crumbs, and brown in oven 5 minutes. Garnish with slaw or chopped pickles.
SAVORY EGGS.
Tin cups, or tin muffin pans; butter thickly, line with thin layer of chopped parsley, put in bottom a thin layer of minced ham (seasoned), break egg in cup, sprinkle with salt and pepper, (be careful not to break the yolk); set molds in pan of boiling water until eggs set (about fifteen minutes). Serve upon a piece of round bread, toasted.
CRADLED EGGS. Mince very fine some cold chicken, turkey or duck and add some melted butter, pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and. two beaten eggs; moisten with some stock, put in a saucepan and place over a fire and cook about eight minutes; turn on a hot platter and make it smooth across the top, form a ridge all around and build a fence of triangular pieces of toast on the outside; have ready and place in this meat bed Deviled. EGGS. Omelets.
as many poached or dropped eggs as it will hold; garnish with parsley at each end of the platter.
DEVILED EGGS.
Boil eggs hard. When cold, take off the shells, cut in two lengthwise, remove yolks and mash fine in a bowl, adding salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar until it is palatable and taking care to keep it thick enough to replace in the whites. Smooth over and serve eithes in halves, or put the halves together. A most excellent dish.
EGG RELISH.
Take the whites of hard-boiled eggs divided in lengthwise halves. Drop into each one a teaspoon of mayonnaise, on this put the yolk rubbed through a sieve and mixed lightly with salt and pepper and top this with a bit of grated cheese.
CURRIED EGGS.
Boil eggs hard, remove shell and divide in lengthwise halves. Take i rounding tablespoon of butter, put it in a frying pan; in it fry one tart apple, one small onion, add a heaping teaspoon curry powder, the same of flour, 4 tablespoons stock or water; let simmer; then add the eggs and heat them thoroughly.- Have ready a dish of plain boiled rice, make room in the center of it for the mixture, and pour what may be left over the top.
PICKLED EGGS.
Boil eggs very hard and remove the shell. Take 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice, and mace, put in a little muslin bag in cold water, boil well, and if it boils away, add enough to make $ pint when the spices are taken out. Add 1 pint of strong vinegar, pour over the eggs. If you want them colored, put in some beet juice.

1875 Hats

Below you'll find a variety of 1875 hat designs, enjoy!

Egg Tidbits

Here are some interesting tidbits about the egg from the 19th Century perspective.

EGGS.
REMARKS. TO TEST. TO COLOR. CURIOUS FACTS. MODES OF COOKING.
EGGS are regarded by some as a great delicacy, by others as a prime article of food. But in either case, the mode of cooking has much to do with the satisfaction produced in the eating. The yolk is much more nutritious than the white.
To ascertain the freshness of an egg, hold it in the hand and look through it to the light. If it looks clear, there is tolerable assurance that it is good. Another test is to put them in a clear vessel of water. The good ones will lie on the side.
The eggs of the common hen are esteemed the best. They are much better when new-laid, than even a day or two afterwards.
Turkey eggs are almost equal to those of the hen—not quite so mild.
Goose eggs are large, and agreeable to the taste.
Duck eggs are richly flavored. The white is of a bluish tint, and will cook in less time than that of the hen.
Guinea-hen's eggs are smaller and more delicate than those of the common hen.
Eggs of wild fowl are usually colored, and often spotted. They frequently taste somewhat like the birds themselves.
Eggs of land birds, such as the plover, are much liked, but those of sea-fowl have a fishy taste that is disagreeable.
Turtle eggs are numerous, and have yolks only. The eggs of some varieties have no shell. They are very delicious. The turtle To Test. EGGS. Hard Boiled Eggs.
lays from i 50 to 200 at a time, and lays several times during the year.
Eggs contain a large amount of nutiment in a compact, quickly available form. It is stated as a fact that there is more nutriment in a dark than a white-shelled egg. The white in the latter is like limewater, while the former is gelatinous and will hold together if lifted a few inches and is a third more valuable for any culinary purpose.

TO TEST EGGS.
Put into water and a good egg will always lie on its side.

TO COLOR EGGS FOR EASTER.
Wind strips of bright-colored calico around the eggs, and then boil in lye; you will find them gayly colored. To color them yellow, boil with onion skins.

CURIOUS FACTS.
A curious fact about eggs is: A boiled egg will spin freely, while a raw egg can not be made to spin at all. Another curious fact is that the white is heavier than the yolk. A French gentleman hung up an egg in a little bag, lying on its side and marked the upper part of the shell with an X. In just one month he let the egg down, still enclosed in its bag, into a saucepan of boiling water. When hard he cut the egg open. The yolk he found adhering to the membrane, not of the lower, but of the upper shell, and thus was disproved the common belief that the yolk was heavier than the white or albumen.
Source: Mrs. Owens New Cook Book ©1897

Pets (The Cat)

Below is some basic information about having a pet cat during the 19th Century.

THE CAT.
It has not been satisfactorily ascertained at what period cats were first classed among domestic animals. Every country has its peculiar species. In Tobolsk the cat is red; at the Cape of Good Hope, blue; in China and Japan, they have pendent ears. In Russia, it is stated, the muzzle is small and pointed, and the tail six times as long as the body. Cats are mostly the favourites of ladies. In ancient Egypt they carried their veneration for this animal to a ridiculous excess; they not only lived in splendour, but were buried with great pomp. Iu China this animal is indulged with a bed of down and silk, where it lies in that indolence so dearly loved by the race, decorated with a silver collar, and rings of jasper or sapphire in its ears.
Buffon gives this animal a very indifferent character. He saip, "The cat may be considered as a faithless friend, brought uiroer human protection to oppose a still more insidious enemy."
The aversion cats have to anything like slavery or imprisonment is so great, that by means of it they may be subdued to obedience; but under restraint they are very ill at ease, deprived of liberty they will die of languor. Lemery, by way of experiment, put a cat into a cage, and then suffered two or three mice to run through it. Puss, instead of destroying them, merely looked at them with indifference. The mice became bold and provoked her, but she remained quite quiet till her liberty was restored; and then, had they been in her power, the mice would have been destroyed.
Cats are but little susceptible of teaching; there have been, however, famous exceptions. Valmont de Bomare states that he saw at the fair of St. Germain cats turned musicians, who mewed sad or lively strains; an ape conducted'this singular concert. Sometimes a cat can be taught to beg, to jump through the hands, or a hoop.
Active, cleanly, delicate, and voluptuous, the cat loves its ease, seeking the daintiest spots to he on. Birds and mice are its principal game, for all cats are not good ratters. The black species, which is a degenerate one, will seldom attack a rat; it is the grey tabby, whose fur is dark, with black rings, who is ferocious enough to attack and master rats. Black cats make affectionate pets, but are of little service in the family household. The disposition of cats, as of men, differs much in individuals. Four cats kept in a family known to the writer are remarkable for the absolute difference of their tempers. These are two black cats, one light tabby, and a dark grey. "Tootsy,"' a cat entirely black, of great age—for he is twelve years old—is of a sullen temper, seldom allowing himself to be coaxed, though sometimes seeking notice; petulant, and resenting freedoms by scratching, or giving a sharp blow with his paw; unsocial with his own kind, and very malicious towards his companions, biting them slyly when they are asleep; somewhat of a coward, too; yet, when this cat's mistress died, the poor creature took to moping and not eating, and seemed for many weeks as if he, too, would die; only great care and notice brought him round, with unlimited indulgence. '' Jem," his companion, a black and white cat, about four years old, has, on the contrary, an affectionate temper, with a great share of spirit, and a determination to be master; yet, if ever so much teased, never biting or scratching, only testifying his displeasure by growling. "Sille," the light tabby, is one of the sweetest tempered of the feline race ever known. Anything may be done to Sille, and he will only coax and purr. A little vixen terrier will teaze and play with him roughly, and he will put his paws round her neck and lick her all over; he seems perfectly incapable of resentment; while "Crab," the dark grey, shows not the least symptom of fear of dogs or anything human. Crab will fight with a large black dog called Jip, or else will sit still and regard his fury with the supremest contempt. This last cat is a fine ratter, which none of the other three are. All these cats are "toms."
Sometimes, indeed, cats testify strong attachments, and even to animals superior to themselves. A celebrated horse, the Godolphin Arabian, and a black cat were for years the warmest of friends. When the horse died in 1753, the cat sat on his carcass till it was buried, and then, crawling slowly and reluctantly away, was never seen again till her dead body was found in a hay-loft. It is customary for these animals, when they feel life about to depart, to seek some retired place to die in.
A cat was so strongly attached to a hunter in George III.'a stables, at Windsor, that whenever he was in the stable she never would leave her seat on the horse's back; and to accommodate his friend, he slept, as horses will sometimes do, standing. This, however, injured his health, and the cat was removed to a distant part of the country.
In the eyes of cats there is this peculiarity: the contraction and dilation of the pupil is so considerable, that the pupil, which by- daylight appears so narrow and small, by night expands over the whole surface of the eyeball, and their eyes seem on fire; by this peculiar conformation they see better in the dark than in the light.
Cats have a great antipathy to water, and dislike to wet their feet; yet such is their fondness for fish, that to obtain favourite prey cats have been known to seize them out of the water. Dr. Darwin tells a story of a cat who fished for trout in a mill-stream near Lichfield. They are ravenous after cooked fish, also, and their fondness for the herb valerian is a well-known fact. Cats, to be kept in health, should, moreover, have free access to grass, which is medicine to them.
It is stated in " Loudon's Gardener's Magazine" that white cats with blue eyes are always deaf. A cat of this kind—which comes from Persia originally—kept in a family, was deaf herself, and such of her kittens as were born white were deaf also, while others of her offspring who had the least trace of colour had their hearing.
The true Persian or Angora cat is a beautiful and docile creature, larger, considerably, than the common cat, with long hair, and thick, bushy, long tail; some are white, others of a dun colour. The fur of the cat has the property of emitting electric sparks, especially in frosty weather; if the fur be rubbed backwards the electric sparks come freely.
There is also a race of cats peculiar to the Isle of Man, which have no tails.
Cats are liable to maDy diseases, but especially to mange and to cold. When indisposed, a dose of castor-oil, or a spoonful of syrup of buckthorn, should be administered, and occasionally sulphur in their milk will keep them healthy.
Source: Hand-book About Our Domestic Pets ©1862

Moving the Hen House

I stumbled on this tidbit and could see all kinds of possibilities for my characters to run into trouble or have a bonding experience when moving chickens. When I was young my father and I raised chickens. We did not move our coup but when we had a season of no chickens the weeds grew over ten feet tall in the penned in area from all the manure. So when I stumbled over this I thought it was extremely practical. Enjoy!

Movable fowl-houses are used exclusively, with the exception of some large ones for hatching-rooms. By building small, light, and low, with strong sills made on purpose for runners, the houses may be moved every spring by an ordinary team, to the section tilled the previous summer. The distance traveled in transferring 100 fowl-houses, from one 6O-acre lot to_ another, is one-third of a mile for each building, and back with no load. The amount of labor is much less than would be involved in hauling the manure, mixed with dry earth, from the buildings. The moving is acoomplished systematically; the fowls belonging to a building being all moved in one flock in a large box made on purpose, in which they are quietly entrapped when attempting to leave their house in the morning by placing it adjoining, after which the box is darkened and drawn upon runners, on which it stands, to the new station. On arriving they are immediately allowed to escape into a spare house, shaped and colored like the one they left, placed before-hand, when they are ready to commence their day as usual, the whole operation of removal occupying only a few minutes.
Source: An Egg Farm ©1891

Referring to a "broody hen"
most hens will bear moving, nest and all, to a quiet place; but a great many will not like to be taken out of the chosen nest, and placed in another.
Source: Rural Life Described and Illustrated ©1868

Axle Grease

Here's some practical information regarding axle grease. It's something most of us don't need to use today but very important for our 19th Century characters. Below the most recent tidbit you'll find a link to a previous post on Axle Grease for Wagons.

Axle-grease for very heavy wagons. No. 1, for winter: Tallow, 420 parts; palm oil, 840; soda, 140; water, 4200.
No. 2, for summer: Tallow, 420 parts; palm oil, 490; soda, 35; water, 2300.
The above lubricants are calculated for a low temperature in winter and a hot one in summer. For a moderate winter climate, the quantity of soda may be somewhat reduced, and that of palm oil increased.
Axle grease for heavy wagons. Palm oil, 210 parts; tallow, 85; soda lye, 65; water, 920.
Melt the palm oil and tallow together, and after making the mixture homogeneous by stirring, add the soda lye. The latter is prepared by dissolving soda in sufficient hot water for the cooled fluid to show 20° or 21° Be. After adding and stirring in the soda lye, the water is added, and the whole stirred to a homogeneous mass, which is ladled into vessels and allowed to congeal.
Grease for wooden machinery. Tallow, 30 parts; palm oil, 20; train oil, 10; graphite, 20.
After melting the fats at a moderate heat, intimately mix the graphite, previously pulverized and elutriated, with the mass by stirring.
Source: A Practical Treatise on animal and vegetable fats and oils ©1896

Here's the link to the previous post. Axle Grease For Your Wagon or Carriage

1875 Ladies Dresses

These 1875 Ladies Outfits come from original sources. I love the colors that they used.

Cashews

Here is some basic information about the Cashew. It's interesting to see how beneficial they saw the cashew during the 19th Century.

'The cashew-tree, is a native of the Brazils, and other parts of America, where it grows to the height of twenty feet or more, in favourable situations. Lunan gives the following account of it in his Hortus Jamaicensis. The fruit is full of an acrid juice, which is frequently used in the making of punch. To the apex of the fruit, grows a nut, of the size and shape of a hare’s kidney, but much larger at the end which is next the fruit than at the other end. The shell is very hard, and the kernel, which is esteemed the finest nut in the world, is covered with a thin film. Between this and the shell is lodged a thick, blackish, inflammable liquor, of such a caustic nature in the fresh nut, that if the lips chance to touch it, blisters will immediately follow. The fruit is said to be good in disorders of the stomach; for the juice of it cuts the thick tough humours, which obstruct the free circulation of the blood, and thus removes the complaint. This juice, expressed and fermented, makes a fine rough wine, useful where the viscera or solid system has been relaxed. Barham, who has written on this fruit, says, " the stone of this apple appears before the fruit itself, growing at the end in the shape of a kidney, as big as a walnut. Some of the fi'uit are all red, some entirely yellow, and some mixed. with both red and yellow, and others perfectly white, of a. very pleasant taste in general; but there is a great variety, as some more sharp, some in taste resembling cherries, others very rough like unripe apples. The taste of most of' them is sweet and pleasant, but generally goes; off with an astringency or stipticity upon the tongue, which proceeds from it’s tough fibres, that run longwise through the fruit. When cut with a knife, it turns as black as ink. The generality of the fruit is as big and much of the shape of the French Pippins, and makes an excellent cider or wine.” Barham adds, that he has distilled a 'spirit from the nut far exceeding arrack, rum, or brandy, of which an admirable punch is made.
The flowers are very small, grow in tufts of a carnation colour, and are very o'doriferous. The leaves much resemble those of the common walnut-tree in shape and smell, and a decoction of them is equally efifectual in cleansing and healing old wounds.
The oil cures the 'herpes, takes away freckles and liver spots, but draws blisters, and therefore must be cautiously made use of; it also takes away corns, but it is necessary to have a very good defensive round the corn to prevent inflaming the - part. The inside kernel is very pleasant to eat when young, and, before the fruit is too ripe, exceeding any . walnut; and when older and drier, roasted, is very pleasant, exceeding Pistachio nuts or almonds; and ground up with cocoa, makes an excel
lent chocolate. . It has been observed, that poor dropsical slaves who have’ had the liberty to go. into a cashew-walk, and eat what cashews they please, ‘' as well as the roasted nuts, have been recovered. These trees are of quick growth: Barham says he has planted the nuts, and the young trees have produced
fruit in two years after. They will continue bearing fruit for more than a hundred years. Many are now flourishing in Jamaica that were planted when the Spaniards had it in possession. '
I have lately received from Jamaica cashew apple, bearing two distinct nuts, which was considered so rare a circumstance that it was preserved in spirits. It’s appearance is unnatural, resembling a lemon pippin apple, with two lambs’ kidneys stuck on the end.
Source: Pomarium Britannicum ©1822

Pets (The Dog)

Below is some basic information about Dogs and their breeds from the 19th Century.

THE DOG.
This faithful and generous animal, the friend of man, often his protector and guide, needs no description here. Of the genus canis, in anatomical structure and external character the dog is closely assimilated to the wolf, the jackal, and the fox, having the same kind of teeth; the canine teeth being strong, conical, pointed, and curved slightly backwards; the incisors, or cutting teeth, are six above and below. But widely different is the disposition of the domestic dog from his fi'rce and savage brethren. He attaches himself to humanity, and is never so happy as when domesticated, and a sharer of his master's toil or pleasures. A faithful dog is one of those treasures at best but little appreciated, because familiar to all.
The great variety of the canine species, and their frequent resemblance to savage beasts of prey, is remarkable in the annals of natural history. There is the Esquimaux dog, which so closely resembles the wolf, that, when observed at a little distance, it is difficult to distinguish between them. It has been stated that the Esquimaux dog is a domestic variety of the wolf, but this is not true. The Esquimaux dog hates and fears the beast of prey, which it will attack only on the pressure of strong necessity.
Again, the Hare Indian's dog, found on the banks of the Mackenzie lliver and the Great Bear Lake, so nearly resembles the Arctic fox, that the one has been supposed, again, a domesticated species of the wild beast. In its native country the Hare Indian's dog is never known to bark, but one born in the Zoological Gardens here barked the same as any European dog of his size and race. Sometimes, indeed, the dog in its domestic state displays an inclination to abandon civilised life, and return to savage habits. Of this the following instance from the annals of sporting is an example:—A dog was left by a smuggling vessel on the coast of Northumberland. Finding himself deserted, he began to worry sheep, and did so much mischief that considerable alarm was created in the surrounding country; mangled sheep were constantly being found by the shepherds, who with difficulty recovered them. Frequently this animal was pursued by hounds and greyhounds, but when the dogs came up to him, he lay down on his back, as if asking for mercy, and in that position they never hurt him; he therefore lay quietly till the hunters came up, when he made off again without being followed by the hounds till they were excited to the pursuit, which invariably terminated unsuccessfully. One day, he was pursued from Howick to a distance of more than thirty miles, but returned thither the same evening and killed a sheep. His general abode was upon the Heughhill, near Howick, where he had a view of four roads that approached it. There at last this canine brigand was shot.
The Spotted, or Coach Dog.—There are two breeds of spotted dogs—viz., the Dalmatian and the Danish, the latter being much smaller than the former. The Dalmatian is used in his native country for the chase, but in England he has never been so employed. He is said to have little sagacity or power of nose, but has a remarkable attachment towards horses, and is generally used as a carriage attendant by the wealthy and great to gambol before the carriage horses. This animal is elegant in form, and marked all over with numerous small, round, black or reddish-brown spots.
The Greyhound.—This race of dogs has been known for more than 3,000 years. The head of the greyhound is narrow and sharp, the ears high and semi-pendulous, the neck long, the chest deep, the limbs long and slender, the back considerably arched, the whole structure evincing elegance, and rendering the animal swifter in speed than any other carnivorous beast. English greyhounds have been known to run eight miles in twelve minutes' time, while the hare in pursuit has dropped dead. The differences between the Grecian and the English greyhound are that the former is not so large, the muzzle not so pointed, nor the limbs so finely formed. According to the climate from whence they originally come is the greyhound's hair. In Russia and Tartary it is long and shaggy; in Syria, Germany, and Hungary, it is rough; in Persia and Greece, silky; and smooth in southern India, south and western Europe. In the west the smooth coat is the result of importation. Scotland has long been celebrated for its greyhounds, large and wiry-coated. "Maida," Sir Walter Scott's favourite hound, was a fine specimen of the breed. He was presented to Sir AValter by the chieftain Macdonell, of Glengarry. Maida lies buried at the Gate of Abbotsford. A gravestone, with the effigy of a dog, is placed over him, and the Latin inscription— "Maidse, tu memoreas dormis sub imagine Maidse. Ad Januam Domini sit tibi terra levis." The breed of the Irish greyhound—a noble beast—is believed to be extinct. The greyhound has been charged with wanting the attachment so discoverable in other dogs, but circumstances do not sustain this accusation.
The Sleuth, or Bloodhound.—A terrific animal, employed in former ages to hunt down men, and still used, we believe, in Southern America in the capture of runaway slaves. An instance of the scent and ferocity of this animal may be drawn from the following anecdote:—
A servant, discharged by a northern sporting gentleman, broke into his late master's stables at night, and cut off the cars and tail of a favourite hunter. An alarm by the dog was raised within an hour, and a bloodhound was brought into the stable, which immediately discovered the scent, traced it upwards of twenty miles, stopping at the door of a certain house from which he could not be removed. On being admitted, he ran to the top of the house, and bursting open the door of the garret, found the criminal in bed, whom he instantly seized, and would have torn to pieces but for the huntsman who was fortunately at his heels.
We come now to pet dogs, which are of various fancy breeds, and the smailaess of whose size increases their marketable value. There are various breeds of pets, from the small, sharp, wiry terrier, to the delicate King Charles, or Blenheim spaniel.
Spaniels.—These dogs are remarkable for docility and an affectionate disposition, which, with their beauty, renders them universal favourites. This race of dogs was known, it seems, to the Romans, for its effigy is clearly figured on some of their later monuments. Fidelity is a great attribute of the spaniel.
"A spaniel was reared by the gamekeeper of a gentleman, and constantly attended its master by night and day. Wherever the gamekeeper appeared Dash was not far distant, and in nightly excursions to detect poachers, Dash neglected the game to assist his master in taking the depredators. During the last stage of a consumption that carried his owner to the grave, Dash watched unweariedly at the foot of the bed, and, when Death came, lay down by the side of the body. With great difficulty the dog was induced to take food, and though, after the funeral, he was taken to the mansion of his late master's employer, he constantly stole back to the room of the cattage where the gamekeeper died, where he would remain for hours from home. For fourteen days he constantly visited the grave, and at the end of that time the faithful dog died."
The Blenheim spaniel is a breed cultivated by one of the Dukes of Marlborough. It is essentially a toy dog, though in the field it will sometimes break out and display its sporting propensities.
Water-spaniels and rough water dogs are valuable and intelligent animals. Dr. William Hamilton relates, "that in riding from Portrush to the Giant's Causeway, they had occasion to ford the river Bush near the sea, just as some fishermen with a dog were about to haul their net. As soon as the dog perceived the men move, he ran down the river of his own accord, and took his post in the middle of it, on some shallows, where he could occasionally run and swim, and testifying all the eagerness of a dog which sets his game. One of the salmon escaping from the net rushed down the stream, where the dog stood ready to catch him. A chase commenced, but the dog was left behind in con
sequence of the water deepening; nothing datrated, the dog ran down the river again, seaward of the salmon, which a second time met him, and another chase commenced, but the salmon distanced his pursuer, and ran out to sea."
The Poodle.—This is a most sagacious dog, and numerous are the tricks he may be taught, and the anecdotes told of him. Mrs. Lee's account of the poodles of Milan, in a letter to Mr. Loudon, dated March, 1830, is most amusing. The principal of these dogs, Fido, had a remarkable faculty for spelling and arithmetic. A word being dictated to him from the Greek, Latin, Italian, German, French, or English language, selected from a vocabulary containing fifty words of each tongue, and which altogether make three hundred different combinations, Fido was able to select the letters which composed the given word, and lay them in proper order at the feet of his master. His skill in arithmetic was equally remarkable. In playing .ecarte with Bianco, his companion, he excited the admiration of all who saw him. Mrs. Lee adds:—" All this passes without the slightest visible or audible sign between the poodles and their master. The spectators are placed within three steps of the carpet on which the performance goes forward. People have gone for the sole purpose of watching the master, and yet no one has found out the mode of communication established between them and their owner. Whatever this communication may be, it does not deduct from the wonderful intelligence of these animals, for there must be a multiplicity of signs, not only to be understood with eyes and ears, but to be separated from each other in their minds, or to be combined .one with another for the various trials in which they are exercised."
In Mr. Jesse's "Gleanings" is the following anecdote of a poodle given:—
"A gentleman who had occasion, when in Paris, to pass one of the bridges across the Seine, had his boots, which had been previously well-polished, dirtied by a poodle dog rubbing against them. He, in consequence, went to a man who was stationed on the bridge and had them cleaned. The same circumstance occurring more than once, his curiosity was excited, and he watched the dog. He saw him roll himself in the mud of tho river, and then watch for a person with well-polished boots, against which he contrived to rub himself. Finding that the shoe-black was the owner of the dog, he taxed him with the artifice, and, after a little hesitation, he confessed he had taught the dog the trick in order to procure customers. Struck with
D
the dog's sagacity, the gentleman purchased him at a high price, and brought him to London. He kept him tied up some time, and then released him. The dog remained with him a day or two, and then made his escape. A fortnight later he was found with his former master, pursuing his old trade on the bridge at Paris."
There are also Italian greyhounds, a delicate species of pet; pug dogs, now becoming extremely rare; and small Maltese silky dogs, all of which are much prized.
The Alpine spaniel, or the dog of St. Bernard, is a very remarkable creature. These dogs originally came from Spain, and, being sent out to clear the snow, and aid the unfortunate travellers who may have been surprised by an avalanche, they are instrumental in saving numbers of lives. Two, named Barry and Jupiter, are renowned in the annals of St. Bernard for saving many travellers.
We cannot conclude without noticing the shepherd's pet, the collie dog. This useful and intelligent animal is one of the most placid, obedient, serene, and grateful members of the canine race. Ever alive to the slightest indication of his master's wishes, prompt and gratified to execute them, he is never happier than when employed in useful service, in exerting his talents for the benefit of man, and in giving constant proofs of his inviolable attachment. For him there exist no attractions beyond the flock committed to his care. Once properly trained, he knows every individual of his flock, and will select his own from others and drive all intruders away. The shepherd of mountainous districts would be badly off without theservices of this faithful ally. Naturally hardy, he subsists on the least possible food, and, in the shepherd's absence, will guard the flock as ably as his master.
Finally, in regard to the treatment of dogs, to keep them healthy let them have plenty of exercise, and do not over-feed them; let them at all times have plenty of clean water, and encourage them to swim. When they are washed no soap should be used, as it prevents them licking themselves, and they may thus become habitually dirty. Dogs should only be fed once a day. Meat boiled for dogs, and the liquor in which it is boiled thickened with barley meal makes capital food. Dogs are liable to be attacked by distemper, from four months to four years old. It prevails most in spring and autumn. The symptoms of this disease are dulness of the eye, husky cough, shivering, loss of appetite and energy, and occasional fits. During the prevalence of this complaint they should be allowed to run on the grass; their diet should be spare, and sulphur should be put in their water. To administer medicine to a dog, place him upright on his hind legs, between the knees of a seated person; apply a cloth round his shoulders, bringing it forward over the fore legs, by which he is secured from resisting; the mouth being forced open by the pressure of the forefinger and thumb upon the tip of the upper jaw, the medicine can be introduced with the other hand, and passed into the throat, to insure its not being returned; the mouth should be then closed, and kept so till the matter given is passed down. Consult chemists who dispense cattle medicine on the diseases of dogs.
Source: Hand-book About Our Domestic Pets ©1862

Painting Photographs

Below is some basic information on painting photographs curing the 19th Century.

Colors for the Eyes.
Blue Eyes.—If they are light blue,, use thin Cobalt; shadow delicately with the same and a touch of Indigo; add White to Cobalt for the illuminated part of the iris—if it is not left sufficiently clear in the photograph. If they are dark blue, use a deeper tint of Cobalt, and shadow with Indigo. If "deeply, darkly, beautifully blue" (as are some children's eyes), the effect can be heightened by using French Blue; but carefully, as it is a powerful color.
Gray Eyes.—Define them delicately with India Ink and a tinge of Cobalt; if the eye has been photographed with sufficient distinctness, use Cobalt alone. If of a bluish-gray, use Indigo instead of the Cobalt. Add White for the illuminating. Gray eyes often change to yellow hazel as the person grows older, and are to be painted in this transition state by tinting the illuminated part slightly with Yellow Ochre, which will produce a greenish-yellow tone.
Light (or Yellow) Hazel Eyes.—Use Yellow Ochre,
slightly toned with Neutral Tint for the local color. Shadow with Vandyke Brown, and illuminate delicately with White added to the local.
Dark (or Brown) Hazel Eyes.—For the local color use Vandyke Brown, or if the print is dark, use Burnt Sienna. Shadow with Sepia. Illuminate with Burnt Umber and White, and sometimes Burnt Sienna and White.
Black Eyes.—Although all dark-colored eyes are generally called '' black," reference is now specially made to that description of eye which has its iris of so deep a brown as to be scarcely distinguishable from the pupil. They are peculiar to brunettes and people generally who are from tropical countries. Use Sepia and Vandyke Brown for the local color. Shadow with the same, mixed with Neutral Tint or India-Ink. Illuminate with Burnt Sienna and Chinese White.
Painting the Cheeks.
The nearest approach to the color of the cheeks will be found in a mixture of Pjnk Madder and Vermilion, either color prej dominating according to the subject. It should be kept in mind that children ought to have more Vermilion, adults more Pink Madder, and old people more of a purple tone,—this last being made by adding a little Cobalt to the former mixture, provided the photograph itself does not give a bluish tone.
Remember that the use of Carmine or Crimson Lake is not recommended for carnations; the one being too bright, the other too purple,—and both are fugitive. On the contrary, all the Madders are durable and in every respect better. Pink and Rose Madder seeming to differ only in intensity, may be used according to the option of the student . Either can be used for men, but Vermilion should be added for young women and children.
In applying the carnations, observe the grades of color and light on the cheek-bones, and do not lay out the cheek-tint in a circular, but in a triangular form, having its angles at the temple, lower jaw, and the nostrils. In no case should the carnations be washed on, but always stippled; although in very large pictures they can be hatched.
Painting the Chin.
In nature the chin being somewhat of a redder tone than the ( surrounding color, it is to be treated in like manner as the cheeks, though in a very slight degree; and care must be used not to commit the error of over-tinting.
Painting the Lips.
The upper lip being nearly always in shadow, is both darker and less bright in color than the lower lip. If the mouth in the photograph be not too dark, use Indian Red with a little Crimson Lake for the upper lip; if dark, use Pink or Rose Madder heightened with Vermilion. For the lower lip, wash' it first with thin Vermilion, or Orange Chrome and Rose Madder, and in .either case model and shade it afterwards by stippling with Pink Madder. Observe that in painting both lips, the more distant parts are to be less vivid in color.
The lips of children require more Vermilion, and those of I aged persons more Pink Madder,—not unfrequently approximating a slight purple tone.
The painting of the mouth is perhaps the most delicate and hazardous of all the features, on account of its variableness of expression. In defining the partition-line between the lips, the slightest deviation will alter its character and damage the portrait. Especially so at the corners of the mouth, wherein most of the expression lies. Hence it behooves the student to consider well its distinctive marks as photographed, before commencing, and work throughout with the utmost care.
As has been already observed respecting the carnations, it will be well to paint the lips with a. full tone of color, in order to provide against the unavoidable deterioration which time will effect.
Painting the Ears.
In painting the ear, which is semi-transparent, let the shadows be made warm and inclining to red. The inside of the ear should be colored with Pink Madder and Indian or Venetian Red, and the tips very lightly with Rose or Pink Madder alone.
The ear should always be well toned down, so that it will set back, and be wholly secondary to the more important lights. A large or prominent ear is considered ever an ugly, unsightly object: and as it is an organ without being a feature it should never be painted in a manner that would increase its conspicuity. If practicable, it is more judicious to partially cover it with the hair,—which can be done in most pictures without materially changing the drawing.
Painting the Neck and Bosom.
The general tint of the neck, as it will be noticed in nature, is much below the color of the face, and invariably of a grayer tone. The flesh-wash might therefore be somewhat reduced for the neck, and the pearly tints added to a more considerable degree. The clavicles or collar-bones peering through the flesh, are to be sometimes tinged slightly with Pink, but great care should be used to avoid rendering them too distinct and angular. The shadows of the bosom are usually of a bluish tint.
Although a well-curved neck, and round, plump shoulders do not by any means appear in the majority of photographs of ladies so taken, the colorist may very safely assume the privilege of correcting the drawing of his picture, so as to produce these desirable elements of physical beauty. Few ladies will object to any roundness of the neck or graceful droop of the shoulders which it may be possible for the artist to bestow on their pictures. Some delicate touches of Pink Madder can be put on the extreme point of the shoulders; whilst Indian Red and Cobalt will serve to shadow the flesh around the arm-pit.
Painting the Arms and Hands.
The foregoing remarks apply somewhat to the painting of the arms, although the lower arm often partakes of a very slight purple hue. Indian Red alone can be used for the first tints, working over them, when necessary, with Blue; and observing the reflected lights, which are always to be kept warm. The elbows should be tinted with Pink Madder, but delicately; and any disagreeable angularity rounded off—as before observed.
The Hands in most photographs, by reason of their distance from the focus-point of the camera (generally directed to the face), are disagreeably enlarged; and in some cases partially shadowed. For these reasons it is often desirable to cut them down, shorten the fingers, cover them with thin drapery, or '' paint them out" entirely.
When the division-lines of the fingers are light or somewhat indistinct they may be drawn with Brown Madder, or Sepia and Crimson Lake. If already rather dark, use Light Red or Burnt Sienna.
The tips of the fingers, the knuckles, and the outside of the hands are more rosy than the other parts, and require to be hatched with a little Pink Madder. Before doing this, however, it may be advantageous to rub out the flesh-wash a little in these particular parts; and when the hands are perfectly flat— as in old copies—and without definition and modelling, this rubbing out of a portion of the flesh-wash assists very greatly the raised appearance of the knuckles, and other lights.
A liberal use of Cobalt in the hands is recommended—particularly for those of women and children—in order to attain clearness and the appearance of veins. This effect is also more necessary tor female hands, the skin of which is intended to appear very fair and transparent.
The general tone of color in the hands should be very much below that of the face (except when the head rests upon one of them), so that they shall not first attract the beholder's eye, which ought always to be drawn involuntarily to the face,—the portrait!
Source: How to Paint Photographs in Water Colors and in Oil ©1878

Whale Oil

I grew up on Martha's Vineyard which was a huge whaling port during the 19th Century and Whale oil was what drove them to the open seas. Below are some tidbits about whale oil that some of you may not have known. The primary use of the whale oil was for lamps but it had other uses as well.

Whale-oil prepared by the method just described, is of a pale honey-yellow colour; but sometimes, when the blubber from which it is procured happens to be of the red kind, the oil appears of a reddish-brown colour. When first extracted, it is commonly thick, but after standing some time, a mucilaginous substance subsides, and it becomes tolerably limpid and transparent. Its smell is somewhat offensive, especially when it is long kept. It consists of oil, properly so called, a small portion of spermaceti, and a little gelatin. At the temperature of 40°, the latter substances become partially concrete, and make the oil obscure, and at the temperature of 82°, render it thick with flaky crystals. It is sold by the ton of 252 gallons, wine-measure. A gallon of oil, by measure, weighs 7 lb. 10 oz.
Source: The Whale Fishery ©1820

Using Whale Oil Soap to help protect fruit trees:
The manner in which Capt. Randall uses the whale oil soap, and which we consider the most important part of his communication, is as follows:—eight to ten pounds of whale oil soap are put into a common pail, to which a sufficient quantity of warm water is added, so that when well mixed together, the whole is about the consistence of good'thick paint. With this pail of soap, thinned in this manner, the man having a small tin pail, or bag, or pocket, filled with fine sand, tied round bis waist, with a coarse crash cloth, and a paint brush, is ready for operations. He first wets his cloth with soap, then scatters on some dry sand, and gives the trunk and branches a good rubbing; nfter which, with a hand brush, he puts on a coat of the soap, prepared as above, equal to a thick coat of paint. The time selected for the operation is just at the termination of a storm of rain, when the moss, or any roughness on the bark, will yield more readily to rubbing.
Source: Magazine of Horticulture ©1842

Increasing Consumption of'Whale-oil.—It appears worthy of remark, that notwithstanding the large consumption of coal fur gas, which has in a great degree superseded the use of oil for street-lighting, the aggregate consumption of whale-oil has very materially increased. This fact is of course referable to the fashion now become very general of burning table-lamps in the *ace of candles in our dwellings; but it must excite surprise in the mind of every one when first made acquainted with the fact, that during this time the use of candles in dwellings, and especially of wax-candles, has also increased in a greater proportion than the population. It has been suggested, and with much apparent reason, that this increase may be consequent upon the greater brilliancy of the streets since they have been lighted with gas, since we have thus been made dissatisfied with the quantum of light previously thought sufficient within our houses. Certain it is, that our apartmcnU are much more brilliantly lighted now than they were before the introduction of coal-gas, whether that invention be chargeable with the increase or not.—Porter's Progress of the Nation,
Source: The Penny Magazine ©1843

1874 Men's Fashions

These images come from 19th Century sources, enjoy!