HOUSE AND GARDEN 
November, 1911 
old English hearth was never complete 
without its trivet, and if one of New 
York's dealers in antiques has his way, it 
may soon become re-established on this 
side of the Atlantic as one of the most 
conspicuous of fireplace furnishings. It 
is a simple little stand with a cast brass 
flat top, and usually on a three-legged base 
about a foot high. Its purpose is to stand 
close up to the fire and hold the tea-kettle 
or other dish for warming purposes, thus 
taking the place of the crane. The toast 
stand belongs to the same family, and is 
used in the same way, but can only stand 
on the hearth on its own feet, whereas 
the trivet has hooks on one side to be hung 
over the foot rail or fender when desired. 
Dickens tells us about the trivet, and it 
has been a leading character in many fas¬ 
cinating fireside stories. In one of its 
forms it has an ingenious sliding arrange¬ 
ment whereby it can be pushed out over 
the flame, and in some forms it has extra 
long legs with room for a plate rack below 
the top surface. 
Another old English idea which never 
gained much headway in America is the 
seat fender. This is a simple piece of 
furniture used as a settee in front of the 
hearth or to be pushed up against the 
mantel when there is no fire burning, and 
still serve the same purpose. It is made 
in all lengths from 18 inches to 5 feet, 
and usually has an upholstered top. Its 
most fitting place would seem to be in 
large halls, club-rooms, or places of that 
sort. 
It would hardly do to omit the fender 
or foot rail from the catalogue of the 
hearth’s equipment. We do not use the 
foot rail as much as our ancestors did. 
It is, in fact, one of the things whose value 
we have grown to doubt. It offers no 
protection against sparks or heat, like the 
screen, and certainly it does not keep us 
out of the fire were we determined to walk 
into it. On the other hand, it would be 
a most convenient thing to trip over if we 
were looking for something for that pur¬ 
pose. Then, again, while it may have 
been ornamental at one time, it is no 
longer needed as an ornament, and we 
have grown to prefer the fine brick and 
tile hearths just as they are. Still, if the 
fender is wanted, it can be had in any one 
of many fine patterns in polished brass. 
The fireplace hood is a somewhat mod¬ 
ern device originally introduced to secure 
better draft when the chimney is not al¬ 
together efficient or large enough for this 
purpose. More recently the hood has 
often been extended further up the man¬ 
tel, and sometimes even to the ceiling, to 
produce a decorative effect. However, if 
the chimney is well constructed to permit 
the fire to draw properly, we can well dis¬ 
pense with the hood, and can rely on the 
brickwork or tile of the facing for the 
decorative requirements of the case. The 
hood is seen at its best in the craftsman 
style of fireplace, and it affords much op¬ 
portunity for the worker in brass and 
bronze to display his skill, but there is 
something about it that makes us feel that 
3 2 9 
In the Bell Democracy 
Membership in the telephone 
democracy of the Bell System means 
equal opportunity for every man, 
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distance the voice can be carried. 
However remote, whether in the 
adobe house on the Rio Grande, on 
the Montana sheep ranch or in the 
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the Bell telephone is an open door¬ 
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—that nerve center of the local 
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clear tracks for telephone talk 
throughout the land. 
12,000,000 miles of wire are the 
highways over which 20,000,000 
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The Bell System binds together 
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a people in a shoulder-to-shoulder 
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American Telephone and Telegraph Company 
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A Furnace Only 51 Inches High 
With more heating surface and capacity than ordinary furnaces of larger 
size, making it possible to get a rise in heat conducting pipes that is so de¬ 
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is new because the INTENSE is the latest scientific furnace put on the market. 
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“ Distributed Draft—Pure, Dustless Air ” 
Its distributed draft and patented check damper insures great fuel economy. 
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knocked down square jacket and other features your furnace man will recog¬ 
nize. Note portable ash pan—a great convenience. Two sizes for ordinary re¬ 
quirements. Arranged in batteries for larger buildings. ASK why this is 
done. Send us Architect’s and Dealer’s name and ask for booklet and full 
particulars. We will send free a “Physician’s Treatise on Warm Air Heat¬ 
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THE G. J. EMENY CO. 51 Hubbard Street, Fulton, N. Y. 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
