Demographics were very different back then. Nowadays we have one person households. Also nowadays nobody peels potatoes anymore. I honestly wouldn't know how.
Have considered the fact that the skin is edible? Or that you could boild/roast the potatoes and then peel them by hand? If you're making fries you'll hardly notice the bit of skin at either end :-)
Solanine is not degraded much by cooking. It isn't the rawness of the potato that can be dangerous, but exposure to light, particularly when significant enough to cause greening of the skin.
I just don't bother peeling most fruits and vegetables and just eat the peel. Cucumbers and potato skins are fine to me. Obviously things like bananas and oranges need to be peeled but I throw all of that in a compost pile in my backyard. It has the side benefit that my kitchen crash can never smells bad.
Don't peel them. Pat them down with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture (especially if you're cutting them) and then use butter to get that delicious crunch and browning on them.
If you get a good potato peeler that has a similar shape to this one[1], you'll be able to peel potatoes fast and easy. If you can shave your face (or any other part of you), you can peel potatoes.
On the upside, Chips(fries) taste SO much better when they are just made from fresh potatoes and olive oil.
My peeler has lasted me six years, and I expect it to last me sixteen more. It's also a pleasure to use, compared to the old Soviet steel ones, that my family used to have.
