In beauty treatment fad ladies roll in hot sea sand

Friday, 13 August 2010 05:00

One hundred years ago: clippings from the newspapers of August 13, 1910.

Lindsay Post (July 12). From the Philadelphia Record, the Post republishes this dispatch about the latest craze of stylist Paris— costly sand baths.

The sand must be brought straight from the seashore after having been freed from all impurities in the shape of shells, seaweed, etc. It must then be thoroughly heated and poured in a great pile onto a large, thick blanket placed on the floor.

In the hot sun madam moves to an fro and is vigorously rubbed with handfuls of sand by a skilled masseuse, the treatment proceeding until a rosy glow is produced. Rolling in the sand is particularly encouraged, as this exercise is said to reduce the hips. After this tiring process the sand bather lies in the sand covered with a warm blanket and rests while her attendant prepares the second part of the bath.

This at first is rather painful, for the bather stands while the sand is blown from a sprayer against the body. Then a soft brush is used to remove the sand, a soothing cream is well messaged into the skin, and the bather is left to sleep off the fatigue of her bath.

Should the satin-like skin of her face suffer from the unwonted friction she dons a mask made of chamois leather at night, first thoroughly cleansing the skin and covering it with a specially prepared cream. Great attention is paid to diet, and several hours a day must be devoted to walking, which is most healthful.

INFLATED BREAD
Ottawa Citizen. Inflation has increased more than 60 fold in the past 100 years if the price of bread is a valid measure of the cost of living. Ottawa bakeries, reports the Citizen, are offering tickets good for 24 loafs of 12-ounce bread for 95 cents, or four cents per loaf. Today’s supermarket prices for bread are more than $2.50 per loaf. The four-cent bread in 1910 was delivered to your door but now you must go to the store for a loaf that costs 60 times as much.

HARBOUR GARBAGE
Victoria Colonist. The Colonist objects to scow loads of garbage dumped where wind and tide floats it back into the city’s beautiful harbour:

Once more we direct attention of the city authorities to the practice of those in charge of the removal of garbage, of dumping it from the scows a few hundred yards off shore. Not only does the stuff come ashore, but it is offensive to persons sailing for pleasure in the inshore waters. This ought to be stopped. Fifteen minutes steaming would take the tug with her scow out where the full sweep of the tide would carry everything out to sea or else keep it in the water long enough to render it innocuous.

NO PAVED STREETS
Peterborough Review.The Review might have its tongue in cheek when it objects to paving the city’s main street, in this editorial:

Those who are so anxious to pave George Street should sit down first and count the price.

Now what would that white winged brigade cost to remove the rubbish and manure? Would it help the merchants?

And manure dust from pavements is said to taste twice as bad as manure and earth. And it is trice as hard on the eyes.

And then Jack Frost has something to say in the matter. He occasionally gets on a rampage and lifts up a few yards of pavement just for devilment. That means a lot of money for repair.

The forefathers have beat back the bush and cleared the way and given good roads. As is already said: let’s leave some of the luxuries for our posterity. Don’t bleed those who pay the shot too hard.