Cambria Freeman, March 16, 1872 70 Years Ago What We Had Not Being somewhat ancient myself I wish to inform some of your most youthful readers how people lived 70 years ago, in order that the spirit of discontent so noticeable among young people at the present day may be somewhat assuaged. 70 years ago there was no Cambria County and very few inhabitants where Cambria County is now situated 70 years ago there were no turnpikes, no stage coaches, no canals, no railroad and no telegraph. 70 years ago there were no Lucifer matches, no carbon oil, no gas, no coal fires, no stoves - not even a cooking stove – no plastered nor papered rooms, and but little carpet. 70 years ago there were no steam engines, steam boats, steam mills, no threshing machines, no reaping machines, no mowing machines, no patent hay forks and no patent locks on wagons. 70 years ago there were no daguerreotypes, no photographs, no lithographs, no chromos, no albums, no fancy valentines and no bandbox children. 70 years ago there were no fancy school houses, no common schools, no cherry desks, no graded books, no printed copy-books, no ruled paper, no envelopes, no lead pencils and no steel or metallic pens. 70 years ago there were no rotary printing presses, no daily papers, no pictorial papers, no Sunday schools, no school cards, no ladies’ hats and no gentlemen’s shaws. 70 years ago we had no massive churches, no velvet cushioned pews, no choirs, no church organs, no melodeons, no pianos (I mean in this part of the State). 70 years ago we had no candy stores, no clothing stores, no hardware stores, no fancy stores and no strychnine whiskey. 70 years ago we had no house insurance, life insurance or other insurance companies, no pegged shoes, no sewing machines, no Yankee clocks, no gold watches, no metallic coffins, no patent clothes pins or clothes lines. 70 years ago we had no skates, no skating rinks, no agricultural fairs, no theaters, no masquerade balls, no false hair and no artificial paints or cosmetics. 70 years ago we had no oysters, ice creams, pound cakes, jelly cakes, canned fruits, tomatoes, cranberries, saleratus, soda, browned coffee or crushed sugar. 70 years ago we had no impudent boys and girls that imagined they knew more about the world than their parents, teachers, or anybody else.