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There’s a wonderful book titled, “The Good Old Days, They Were Awful!” It’s an interesting book with many stories of how life “back in the day” was not all peaches and cream. I agree with that - to an extent - but there were some bonuses to life back then. However, as far as issues of sanitation, we’re miles ahead of our ancestors who lived in the early 1900s.
Take a good look at this contraption (below). In short, the (ahem) “human waste products” were dropped into a steel box directly under your house (aka basement or foundation). See the handle beside the toilet (on the floor)? That’s your stirrer.
I suppose for those who were accustomed to donning warm shoes and making the long trek to the outhouse in the backyard, this “chemical toilet” was better. I suppose. But in the real world, that thing must have stunk to high heaven. Aren't you glad your toilet uses water?
I do remember my Grandfather telling me about (when he was young) when the trolleys finally went from horse-drawn to electric, how much cleaner the streets became as there was less horse excrement to deal with (even though it would be some time before all horse-drawn forms of transport were completely replaced by cars) and that the horse waste when collected would dumped directly into the river....
....along with the raw sewage (no treatment plants in his day!)
Also, flies were reduced due to no longer needing horse stalls in the city and less smell, too.
He was definately not a "good-ole-days" type of guy!
In the great capital city of St. John's, Newfoundland, as recently as the 1970s, there was still a "honey wagon" that came through the streets at night and emptied the buckets of human waste that was set out on the curb by householders.
When I was growing up, in the '50s, I knew people who were prosperous farmers, who still had no running water in their house, and only a chemical toilet in the woodshed. There was an old-fashioned long-handled pump mounted on the kitchen sink, which was the sole source of all household water. Cooking and heating was all done in a woodstove in the kitchen. Right up to the time they retired to Florida.
In the great capital city of St. John's, Newfoundland, as recently as the 1970s, there was still a "honey wagon" that came through the streets at night and emptied the buckets of human waste that was set out on the curb by householders.
When I was growing up, in the '50s, I knew people who were prosperous farmers, who still had no running water in their house, and only a chemical toilet in the woodshed. There was an old-fashioned long-handled pump mounted on the kitchen sink, which was the sole source of all household water. Cooking and heating was all done in a woodstove in the kitchen. Right up to the time they retired to Florida.
Are you serious? I've lived in St. John's for quite a while and I've never heard of that.
In the great capital city of St. John's, Newfoundland, as recently as the 1970s, there was still a "honey wagon" that came through the streets at night and emptied the buckets of human waste that was set out on the curb by householders.
When I was growing up, in the '50s, I knew people who were prosperous farmers, who still had no running water in their house, and only a chemical toilet in the woodshed. There was an old-fashioned long-handled pump mounted on the kitchen sink, which was the sole source of all household water. Cooking and heating was all done in a woodstove in the kitchen. Right up to the time they retired to Florida.
There are still people in rural New England that choose to live that way now.
I was a little kid in the early 1930's my dad had built a house. At first the out house was in the back of the yard. During the building I remember the large Cement tank outside the back door.
When he installed the john I was puzzeled where the water went when I flushed the handle.
The picture in the ad reminds me of a vault toilet, the kind found at alot of camp sites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88
In the great capital city of St. John's, Newfoundland, as recently as the 1970s, there was still a "honey wagon" that came through the streets at night and emptied the buckets of human waste that was set out on the curb by householders.
When I was growing up, in the '50s, I knew people who were prosperous farmers, who still had no running water in their house, and only a chemical toilet in the woodshed. There was an old-fashioned long-handled pump mounted on the kitchen sink, which was the sole source of all household water. Cooking and heating was all done in a woodstove in the kitchen. Right up to the time they retired to Florida.
I know people in America who still used outhouses in the 50's and 60's and had no runnig water. They lived in rural locations, but it was surprising to me when I learned that.
A few New Mexico rest areas have something similar to above described device still in use (much bigger pit). In the olden South, they didn't have even outhouses, a designated corner of the woods and a spade (not always), that's what I call environmentally friendly.
There's still people using composting toilets, outhouses, etc. Properly maintained and constructed they do not stink nor pose any health threat. Proper sanitation actually was known in the 19th century too, though the real reasons weren't understood until late in the 1800's. I have read many books from the 19th century, and some letters, etc., and they did have a reasonable idea that toilets/privies needed to be away from drinking water and food, etc., but they believed the reason for the dangers were things like odors...they didn't understand the real reasons for various things. The reason raw sewage and chemicals were dumped into rivers was because A) no regulations and it was convenient and B) it was done that way for centuries and on a small enough scale (not a high population) is relatively safe. There's animals and fish relieving themselves in every above ground water source anyways consider...
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(no treatment plants in his day!)
