New York State History

At eight o'clock the suppaan † bell was rung, a signal that work was over for the day. And here just a brief glance at the interior of the Dutch home. The kitchen fire-places were enormous—large enough to roast a whole sheep or hog; and over the crackling hickory logs, suspended on hooks and trammels, bubbled and hissed the large iron pots and kettles. Here the family gathered, while, by the light of the glowing fire and a tallow dip, the jufvrouws spun their lin­en and the burghers smoked their pipes. In the parlor, that reverenced apartment of state, was a similar large fire-place, with its hickory back-log, and its shovel and tongs keeping guard over the brass and-irons (or fire-dogs) and fender.

The chimney jambs were inlaid with party-col­ored tiles of Scriptur­al designs brought from Holland, and were extremely quaint. The round tea table stood in the parlor, the large square dining table in the kitchen, or fam­ily living-room. In one corner stood the old Dutch clock—no doubt the grandfa­ther's — telling the year, month, day and hour, the rising and setting of the moon, and when each hour struck sending forth in silvery tones some antique air

In still another corner stood the Holland cupboard, with its glass doors, displaying the family plate and china. There was the massive tankard, the richly engraved punch-bowl, the shell-shaped sugar-bowl, with provisions for the "bite and stir," and the ooma* or sifter for cinnamon and sugar. On the top stood a decanter of large size, always filled with rum, and beside it a piece of a cow's horn, smooth on each end, and hollow, tipped with silver.

And every morning before breakfast Mynheer must "take a horn" as an appe­tizer, hence the origin of the term. In another corner stood the huge oaken, iron-bound chest, brimful of fine linen of home production. Later this gave place to the "chest of drawers," with its brass rings and key-holes. On the wall hung the pipe-case of mahogany, with the drawer underneath for tobacco. Every house of pretension had its cock-loft in the steep roof for house slaves. In the middle of the hall was the "hoist door," through which the wheat was hoisted up by a crane and stored in the loft. Over the front door was a shelf, with steps lead­ing up to it. Here was placed a large tobacco box, always kept filled, and for every one to help himself. On the parlor walls hung the dim portraits of relatives in the Vaderlandt, and "y^e sconce, a hanging candlestick, with a mirror to re­flect y^e rays."

Chintz calico formed the curtains, which were put up without cornices. The win­dows were of very small panes of glass set in lead frames. The floors were sand­ed, with fanciful figures made in the sand with a broom handle. The best chairs were straight and high-backed, covered with hair-cloth, and ornamented with double and triple rows of brass nails. About 1700 the claw-foot sideboards, sofas, and tables were generally used. The high-post bedstead had its heavy curtains and valance of camlet, and on it a bed of live-geese feathers, with a lighter one for cov­ering. The patch-quilt was a most mar­vellous affair. Over each door was usually a stone with the date of erection and name or initials of the builder. In later times the date was built in anywhere, and the general style of architecture was altered.

† Corn meal boiled in water until a smooth paste, and then eaten with milk and salt.

* The Dutch oom means uncle, and an ooma  was the gift of an uncle to a niece.