Can You Guess What They Were Used For?

Today, let’s have a little game! What purpose did these vintage items serve, do you know? These enigmatic things, which range from strange equipment to unusual decorative pieces, may leave you perplexed. Don’t worry, though; try it and see if you can envision what people in earlier eras did with these fascinating objects.

First Item: The Coin Gatherer

First up, we have a mixed-metal object with connectors on the sides and slots on top. Do you know what it was used for in the past?

You’re 100% correct if you assumed it was a coin collector! Conductors of trains and buses would deposit the fares into slots and then pick up the neatly piled coins from the bottom. They could fasten it to their belts using the hooks on the sides. Remarkably, a contemporary rendition of this is still in use at a few locations where admission is free of charge. Pretty smart, huh?

The Sand-Filled Swim Cap is item #2.

This is an intriguing cap with chin straps, a blue interior, and a feminine printed pattern. Would you want to guess? Here’s a hint: it has sand inside of it!

Actually, this peculiar headgear is an antique handmade swim cap. People used to love modeling swim caps after the aviatrix fashion trend back in the 1920s. However, home sewers had trouble finding rubber ingredients. They then devised a clever fix: the cap was filled with sand, and the channels and stitches were machine-sewn.

Why the sand? As a water blocker, it lets swimmers select their own fabric pattern rather than being restricted to yellow or black rubber. Undoubtedly a novel strategy!

The Iron Flue Damper is item #3.

Now look at this iron object that has two stamps on it. Along an iron post with a spiraling end, the iron plate swivels. Any suggestions?

You’re exactly right if you assumed it to be an iron flue damper! Even though they are rarely seen, these iron flue dampers are still in use today. We enjoy finding unique artifacts that are a part of our past when we go antique shopping. It resembles going back in time!

The Victorian Shop Dispenser (Item #4)

Admire this metal box with a beveled glass front and elaborate gold stenciling. It even features a tiny sliding door with a dog picture on it. How do you suppose it was put to use?

Actually, this graceful box is a Victorian-style shop dispenser. It came in several sizes and was intended for bulk sales. This one had a label insert for gunpowder, but it may have also been used for bulk commodities like sugar or confectionery. Customers could see the quality of the products they were buying because to the glass front. Why was there a picture of dogs hunting? Well, since the purpose was to hold gunpowder exclusively, it’s merely an ornamental touch. This is a very fascinating essay, isn’t it?

The Cedar Butter Churn is item #5.

Take a look at this big wooden drum with a handle, a footed base, and a lid. There’s a crank on the side of it also. Any ideas about what it’s meant to accomplish?

This wooden drum is a butter churn made of cedar. To produce more butter, it was utilized. It says “Farm Master Dairy Supplies” on the other side. However, we didn’t want to reveal anything too quickly! Knowing about these antiquated gadgets truly transports us to a bygone era of ease.

The Soda Bottle Stand is item #6.

Look at this three-tiered metal stand for a moment. Each tier has a notch carved out of it. It is nearly four feet tall and supports itself on three legs. What was the purpose of it, do you suppose?

The purpose of this booth was to showcase Coke bottles—but not just any soda. Nehi purposely made it as part of their marketing strategy for their soda bottles. With their handy necks, the bottles fit well in the triangle shape with the notches. These stands used to be found in grocery stores and local stores during the Great Depression. They were really impressive!

There you have it, then! These enigmatic objects transport us through time and serve as a reminder of the inventiveness and resourcefulness of earlier generations. How many of those were accurate guesses, then?

Dirty Elderly Lady Runs into a Gas Station on Rainy Night, Screaming for Help — Story of the Day

A woman walked for miles in the middle of a thunderstorm to save her husband, but when she arrived at the service station, the manager refused to help her.

It was a dark and stormy night… Tara Wilson stared out of the service station’s wide window at the pouring rain and sighed. Just then, a streak of lightning flashed across the sky and the sound of thunder split the night.

Night duty at a gas station wasn’t exactly the exciting job Tara had been dreaming of when she went to journalism school, but unfortunately, she’d had to leave college to support her ailing mother. What Tara didn’t know was that the dreary night was about to become a lot more exciting.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

Even as Tara thought about her life, a frail figure was stumbling towards her in the dark, almost bent double against the force of the wind and the driving train. Tara was almost asleep when a gasping voice interrupted her reverie. “Please, oh please…”

Tara, who was seated behind the service station’s counter, jumped to her feet. In front of her, dripping equal portions of rain and mud was an older woman. Her clothes were plastered with oil, dirt, and mud, and dark streaks of makeup ran down her face.

“Ma’am?” Tara gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in!”

The woman took another stumbling step forward and held on to the counter with desperate hands. “Please,” she gasped again, “I need your help…”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

“Oh I’ll just bet you do!” a harsh masculine voice interrupted. It was Tara’s boss, Mr. Anderson, the service station’s night manager who must have heard the woman enter from the back office where he spent his nights online on dubious sites.

Never deny a person in need of help.

“I’ve had enough of you derelicts walking in cadging hot food and coffee every time it rains.” Mr. Anderson snarled. “Get out!”

“Please,” the woman said in a calmer voice, and Tara noticed she had a sweet voice and an educated accent. “I need help, my phone is smashed…”

“Help?” sneered Mr. Anderson. “Did you drive here? Do you need gas? Or motor oil? Do you have money or a credit card?”

“No,” the woman said. “You don’t understand…”

“I understand you just fine.” the manager snarled. “Get out! No car and no money, you get nothing!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

The woman pressed her shaking hands together. “My husband and I had a car accident, he’s lying unconscious on the road…All I ask is that you make a phone call!”

Tara made up her mind and stepped forward. “Ma’am, I’ll call 911 for you,” she said. She picked up the receiver of the service station’s landline and dialed. She frowned and picked up her cell phone then shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” she told the woman. “But the storm probably took down the phone lines and the cell tower. Where did you crash?”

The woman’s lips were trembling. “My poor John, oh my poor John…”

Tara came around the counter and put her arm around the woman’s sopping-wet shoulders. “Come on, Ma’am, I’ll drive you to him. We’ll take him to the hospital.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

The manager was enraged. “You most certainly will not!” he screamed. “You walk out that door and you’re fired!”

Tara looked at Mr. Anderson and said quietly. “Go ahead, fire me. But I won’t leave a man dying by the roadside.”

“Thank you, my dear,” cried the woman. “My husband is an influential man, you won’t regret this.”

“No matter who your husband is, I won’t regret it, Ma’am,” said Tara as she settled the woman into her car and buckled her seat belt. “My mother always taught us to help whenever we could, no matter who it is.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

With the woman’s guidance, Tara found the scene of the accident. The car was completely destroyed, and by the side of the road and covered with a blanket was an older man.

“John,” the woman cried kneeling by his side, “I’m here, darling, I found help!” The man opened his eyes and tried to speak, but he was obviously too weak. Tara and the woman managed to get him into her car’s backseat, and they drove to the hospital through the pouring rain.

As soon as the hospital’s staff had the man in hand, Tara asked them to take a look at the woman too, who was shivering from shock and exhaustion, then she allowed herself to sink into one of the waiting room chairs.

A while later, a tall young doctor came over and asked if she had been the one who’d brought the older couple over. “Yes,” Tara said. “Are they alright?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

“Thanks to you!” said the doctor with a smile. “Mrs. Smythe told me what you did. Her husband had internal bleeding, and another half an hour would have been too late. We’re also treating Mrs. Smythe for shock and hypothermia.”

“Mrs. Smythe, that’s the lady’s name?” asked Tara. “And they are going to be alright?”

“Yes, you saved their lives,” said the doctor, casting Tara an admiring look. “You’re a hero!”

“No,” said Tara. “Mrs. Smythe is the hero. She walked five miles in the rain to get help for her husband, and she never gave up!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

As it turned out, Mr. Smythe was the owner of the local TV station, and his news team told the story of how Tara lost her job to save two lives. Mr. Anderson was mentioned by name, and his boss fired him for casting the company in a bad light.

When Mr. Smythe discovered that Tara was a semester away from her journalism major, he hired her as a junior reporter. She was earning a lot more than she had at the service station and doing what she loved.

Rumor has it that Tra has been dating a handsome young doctor she met in an emergency room one dark and stormy night, and he might be on the verge of popping the question…

What can we learn from this story?

  • Never deny a person in need of help. Mr. Anderson wanted to run Mrs. Smythe off because she was dirty and he thought she was poor and homeless and it ended up costing him his job.
  • Life rewards the kindest hearts. Tara risked her job to help Mrs. Smythe but got the job of her dreams and met a wonderful man.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who discovers his youngest son isn’t his and keeps the secret his whole life.

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