HISTORY OF ORANGE
machinery for preparing it for spinning. After going through the process of the breaker, the shingle and the hatchel, until the proper degree of cleanness and fineness is secured. It was then twisted, doubled in the center, and secured with a band of the same, and in huge baskets, carried to the home, ready for the spinning wheel."
THE TINDER BOX
There were no matches in the early days, and to light a fire or a candle was a difficult problem. So the tinder box was a household treasure. This was a tin box, about four inches in diameter, filled with tinder, with a close fitting cover on the inside. To prepare this tinder, a piece of old cotton cloth was burned, and when all a live coal, placed in the box and then extinguished by pressing down the cover. This tinder was highly inflammable. To ignite it, a steel curved like a horse-shoe magnet was held by the left hand over the open box and struck with the flint, held in the right hand. A spark rolled off, and touching the tinder, ignited it instantly. Then a "loco-foco'' or Lucifer match being applied, it kindled the brimstone, burning with a bluish yellow flame, by which a fire could be started or a candle lighted. This Lucifer match was simply a thin shaving of white pine, dipped on one end in melted brimstone, and was ignited by contact with the fire. As the morning fire could be more readily kindled with the warm live embers, it was the custom to cover them carefully on retiring at night. But if they failed, the tinder box had to be relied on in the emergency. And if this method failed to bring results, it meant that some one would have to go to the nearest neighbor's to borrow some live coals.
MODES OF TRAVEL
During the years after the settlement of the town and well into the nineteenth century, the roads were not good, and much of the travel was on horseback. Many of these
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