Mother Remodeled Skirt

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, September 21, 1912: Ma made over a skirt for me. Got a pair of rubbers today.

wils36346.i — From Bedell Company advertisement in November, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I guess that Grandma’s mother was trying to save about $1.98 by making over the skirt. I can’t remember the last time I remodeled a skirt . . . or dress. (Actually, I don’t think that I’ve ever remodeled one.) Yet, Grandma and her mother did it regularly.

On June 3, 1912, Grandma wrote:

I am trying to remodel a skirt which was once the property of the benevolent Ruthie. I’ll know whether I’ll wear it or not after it’s finished.

And, on February 24, 1912 she wrote:

I fixed over a dress for myself this afternoon. It was one of my Aunt Annie’s cast-offs. I had one trying time a getting the waist and skirt together. I have it fixed now and tried it on to see the result. I’m not so much pleased with my sewing. It seems rather short in the back.

Grandma sounded like she wasn’t very satisfied with either of her remodeling efforts, but she didn’t express any similar qualms about the skirt her mother remodeled. Apparently her mother was more proficient at sewing than she was.

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On September 18, Grandma mentioned walking to school through the rain and mud—hopefully her new rubber overshoes made the trek slightly less arduous the next time it rained.

Old-Fashioned Watermelon Rind Pickles

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, September 20, 1912: Don’t have much for today.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I continue to enjoy making foods that were popular in central Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. Since Grandma didn’t write much I’ll tell you about my latest cooking endeavor.

Pickled foods were incredibly popular a hundred years ago.

I decided to make old-fashioned watermelon pickles—and they looked lovely and tasted great.

It was a three-day process, but well worth the effort.

Old Fashioned Watermelon Pickles

4-5 quarts watermelon rind

Water

Salt

2 cups apple cider vinegar

7 cups sugar

1 tablespoon whole cloves

3 sticks cinnamon

1 inch cube of fresh ginger

Select watermelon with a thick, firm rind. Cut off the outer green skin, and remove the red watermelon flesh, leaving a very thin layer of pink. Cut into 1-inch squares. Place in a 2 gallon glass bowl or crock. (I used 2 smaller bowls).

Cover with a salt water solution (2 tablespoons salt to 4 quarts water). Cover and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature.

After 24 hours, drain and rinse with cold water. Cover with ice water. Let stand for 1 hour, then drain.

Place the rind in a large pan, and cover with boiling water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.

Put spices in a cheesecloth bag. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices in large pan. Bring to a boil. Add rind. Simmer until rind is translucent.

Put rind and syrup into large glass bowl or crock. Cover; and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature.

Remove spice bag. Drain off syrup, put into a pan, and heat to boiling.

Pack the rind into hot pint jars; cover with the hot syrup, fill to 1/4 inch of top. Wipe jar rim and put lid on.

Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Makes approximately 6 pints.

History Test Questions a Hundred Years Ago

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Thursday, September 19, 1912: We had a test in General History today. Wasn’t hard at all.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I’m glad that the General History test wasn’t difficult for Grandma.

A hundred-year-old book called the Outlines of General History by V. A. Renouf contained information about how to develop good questions:

Different Kinds of Questions

The questions which are most frequently asked in exercises and examinations can be classed somewhat as follows:

Questions of Fact

Personality: Who did a certain thing?

Place: Where did a certain event happen? What places were affected by a certain cause or event?

Time: When did a certain event happen? How long did a certain period last?

Example Questions

Who built Memphis?

Name all of the countries conquered by Alexander the Great.

What year did Nineveh fall?

Questions of Comparison

Comparison with recent or contemporary events or conditions in one’s own country.

Comparison with events or periods in the history previously learned.

Comparison of historical personalities.

Example Questions

Does a man’s education stop when he has left school? What opportunities did the Athenians have for continuing their education through manhood?

Compare the condition of debtors in early Rome with that of early Athens?

Compare the government of Shih Hwang-ti with that of Darius?

Questions of Cause or Effect

Geographical causes

Causes lying in certain institutions

Effects of certain events

Example Questions

In what way did the natural formation of Greece encourage commerce?

What were the causes of the Peloponnesian war?

Why is the battle of Marathon counted among the decisive battles of the world?

Which types of questions did Grandma’s teacher include in the exam?

It’s been awhile–Where have the years gone?– since I’ve taken a history exam, but I think that many of the types of questions asked on a history test today would still fit into this categorization schema.

But, I bet that there are fewer questions today that ask about dates. It seems like students were asked to memorize more things back then than they are now.

Trying to Select a Class Pin

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, September 17, 1912: Had to walk to school through the rain. Also through the mud. Our class is deciding upon a class pin, but we’re making such slow progress in making up our minds as to which pin to take, that I doubt we’ll ever get them at all.

DSC04607.crop — Recent photo of the building that once housed McEwensville High School.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Yuck—a mile and a half walk to school in the rain on muddy dirt roads. It sure doesn’t sound like fun. Did Grandma wear galoshes to school?

Did Grandma and her classmates have a catalog that they were going to order the class pin out of? . . . or were they planning to order it from a sales representative or at a nearby jewelry shop?

Grandma’s class was small. Only six students graduated in Spring 1913 from McEwensville High School. It’s amazing how much effort they put into creating a class identity. A few days previous to this diary entry, Grandma wrote about the differences in opinion about class colors and now they can’t seem to agree on a class pin.

Average Salaries, 1912 and 2012

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, September 16, 1912: Just about the same things done over every day with just a little change here and a little more there.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Both then and now– some days are just the same old, same old.

Since Grandma didn’t have much to say a hundred years ago today, I’m going to share some interesting data that I found about the average salaries for selected occupations a hundred years ago and now.

The 1912 data are from an article in the September, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal titled “How Other People Live.” The current data was from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Average Salaries, 1912 and 2012

Click on table to enlarge

Of course all the salaries are much higher now than they were back then because of inflation. But it’s interesting to compare which salaries were relatively high and which were relatively low across the two years.

Data Sources

This is what the 1912 Ladies Home Journal article said about the data sources for 1912: “The industrial incomes were obtained from the Government’s’ investigation of the incomes of over 3,000,000 adult males. The income for public school teachers is taken from a report of the United States Commissioner of Education for 1911. The salaries of city and country ministers are from the United States Census reports.”

I used the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the 2012 data. It actually was 2011 data, but I assumed that salaries haven’t changed much over the past year.

All Mortals Have to Suffer for Their Errors

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, September 16, 1912: I don’t feel very good these last few days. I don’t know but I really think that it is likening to be near a grape vine. Alas all mortals have to suffer for their errors.

concord grapes on vine — Concord Grapes (Source: Wikipedia)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

If I could have a conversation with Grandma, this is what I’d say:

Grandma, what were you thinking!

Of course, you couldn’t have known we’d be reading it a hundred years later; but what kind of role model is that for your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?

. . . Actually, given your later strong stance against alcohol, my sense is that some are smiling.

An Afternoon with A Friend

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, September 15, 1912: Went to Sunday School this morning. Was over to see Carrie this afternoon.

corn field at edge of town — A recent late summer photo of a corn field at the edge of McEwensville.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Carrie refers to Grandma’s friend Carrie Stout. She lived on a nearby farm that was located about half way between Grandma’s house and McEwewnsville.

Carrie is the most frequently mentioned friend in the diary—and she seemed to be Grandma’s closest confidant. I think she was a couple of years younger than Grandma.

What did the teens do on a nice September afternoon? . . . chat about the latest happenings? . . . gossip about other friends?. . . giggle about cute buys? . . . go for a walk? . .. explore new things? . . .