living room furniture 1940

when pete first started taking photos, electriclights and indoor plumbing had not yet arrived in most farms. but when electricity came,it meant running water could be pumped into farmhouses. soon plans were in the works fortoilets, sinks, and bathtubs. it just felt like i was the wealthiest person in the world.it felt great not to have to go outside to go to the restroom. until then, family membershad used backyard outhouses for their bathroom duties. tip-toeing barefoot in the dark throughyards where chickens ran all day, exposing bare skin on cold winter days, and turningto the sears roebuck catalog as a predecessor to charmin. it was the first time i'd beenaway from home overnight. i was probably about seven or eight at the time. we drove intothe yard and the mother came out and said,

bob, go on back to the barn; the kids areback of the barn. about halfway between the barn and the house, i went by this buildingthat looked to me like an outhouse. i thought that's a big one; it must be a four-holer.but they had four kids; i could understand that, so i didn't think much about it. i wentout and played. i came back in the evening, and we had supper. we're playing anagramsand i realized i better go to the bathroom. i went out from the dining room table wherewe were playing the anagrams, down the steps, outside, and made a dash for the four-holer,opened the door, and there were hams hanging in this building. it was a smokehouse insteadof the privy. i came charging back and walked in the dining room and the father said, "upstairs,bob." i went upstairs and they had a flush

toilet. i couldn't believe it! the first onei'd ever seen!

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