Last week my
11 year old washing machine went south and I had to call for a repair man to
come out. In the process of deciding
whether to fix it or buy a new one, I asked the repair man if it would last
another 11 years if the expensive repairs were done. His response was, "no, they just aren't
built like they used to be. They aren't
built to last." That got me to thinking
about 19th century things. I have a
sewing machine that was built in 1898. I
have used it for the last 20 years, and it will probably last another 100 years. Last year I bought a modern electric sewing
machine. My treadle, though, is still
the one that I use for primary sewing jobs.
It will handle heavy fabrics much better than my modern one. It is also more reliable with less breakdowns
and when something does go wrong with it I can fix it myself.
How about
the light bulb? I have a hard time
keeping light bulbs stocked in my house including the expensive curly ones that
are supposed to last several times longer than the incandescent bulbs but
don't. Compare that with the original
Edison bulbs. There are several of those
still burning, some of which have been doing so for over 100 years.
And then
there is the automobile. I remember a
time when you could work on your own vehicle.
Today they all have computers, which make them expensive and hard to
fix, and you can't even play Spider Solitaire on them. In fact, many if not most of the items that
we use every day contain computers of one kind or another. (Oh no, the computer in my coffee pot just
crashed and I couldn't get my caffeine fix today.)
I really
enjoy the simplicity of 19th century things.
For example, where can you buy a modern cherry pitter? I long to find a 19th century one in good
useable condition. I have a cherry tree
in the back yard and removing the "stones" by hand is tedious. There are some things that just can't be
improved upon. I would like to hear from
my readers. Are there 19th century
things that you enjoy and still use today?
I look forward to hearing your comments.
As a side
note, when I went to the store to buy a new washer the salesman assured me that
the new ones were built to last. He told
me that it would be the last washer that I would ever have to buy. I don't know how old he thought I was, but we
will see how long it lasts.
