Good Old Days: 1892

By Mildred Olson

Put yourself in her place: She was fuming. It had happened again. Her husband, a policeman, would not be home until late. He had been told the mayor would be having a council meeting and that he was responsible for getting the room cleaned and all of the chairs set up. This also meant he would have to clean those stinky, dirty spittoons. She angrily questioned, why don't they hire a janitor?

She recalled just a short time ago that he had to drag a dead steer out of town, as well as herd some cattle. For heaven's sake, she declared out loud, he is a police officer, not a cow herder!

But then she consoled herself. He had never been in a dangerous situation and got paid--$2 for a full shift—for a job he liked. She would put his supper in the stove's warming oven and prod herself into being very pleasant and uncomplaining when he got home. She did hope that meeting would not last long.

This was in 1892. Do you agree or not that it was a time of good old days?