The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-07-25

are essential to the production of the finer qualities;
but it will show the whole nature Of the operations
better for TO akethe case of those which involve
| all the various processes
| After being examined when the pointer has done
his portion ofihe work to them Ian examination which
is undergone after every AngIe process throughout the
manufacture), the wires DIRE taken to the stamping
shop where the FIRST germ eye is given to each
half Of every wire The stamping machine consists of
heavy block of stone, supporting its upper surface
bed Of iron; and this bed is placed the under half
! of a die or stamp. Above this is suspended a ham
mer, weighing about thirty pounds, which has on its
lower surface the other half of the die or Impress
The hammer is governed by lever moved by the
foot; that it be brought down exactly upon the
| iron bed. The form ofthe die stamp, may he
best explained by stating the work which it is to
perform. 1t is to produce the gutter or channel,
in which the eye of needle is situated and which is
to guide the thread in the process of threading
needle.'
But besides the two channels or CUTTERS the stamps
ers make pertoration partly through the neede
means of marking exactly where the eye is to be -.
The device the two halves Of the die is consequent
y raised one, since it is to produce depreesons in
the wire. The workman, holding in his hand
al wires drops of them the bed-iron of the pa-
chine, adjusts it to the die, brings down the upper die
upon by the action Of the foot, and allows it to fall
into little dish when DONE This he does with such
rapidly that one stamper can stamp four thousand
equivalent to eight thousand Needesn an hour,
although he has to just each needle separately to
the die.
To this process succeeds another, in which the eye
of the needle is pierced through. This is effected by
boys, each of whom work at small hand press; and
the operation is at once a minute and ingenious
The boy takes up number Of needles or wires, and
spreads them out like fan. He lays them fat
small iron bed or slab, holding end Of each wire
in his left hand and bringing the middle of the wire
to the middle Of the press. To the upper Of the
press fixed two hardened steel points cutters,
being in the size and shape exactly corresponding with
the seyes' which shey are TO form. Both of these
points TO piss throrgb each wire very nearly
geher, and at a small distance on either side of the
exact centre of the wire. The wire being placed be-
meath the points, the press is moved by hand the
points descend, the two little bits of steel cut
Of the wire thereby forming the eyes for two needles
As each wire becomes thus pierced tho boy shifts the
fan-like array of wires until another under
the pcrcers, and so on throughout. The press has
be worked by the right hand for piercing each wire
and the head Of the boy is held down pretty closely
to his work. in order that he may to seye' the
needles properly. Were not the wires previously
prepared by the samper it would be impossible thus
guide the piercers to the proper pont but this be-
ing effected patience good eyesght, and steady hand
effect the rest.
There several processes about this stage which
effected by boys: groups of little incpicnt work.
being distributed here and there, each group I'M
direction IF an oIdar hand Snp,e hava hair
caps on, some cloth caps; aspire to the dignity
of workman IS paper cap; here is one with pima
fore, there another who thinks he is enough to
wear apron; have eyes as sharp as the
needles which they piercing while others look
if they would rather be playing at marbles at shop
SCOTCH than piercing needles at all; in short they
true boys, and. doubt not, as fond Of fun any
other boys Their earnings from two shiings per
week upwards, according to the importance of the
work at which they placed and their skill in
cutting it. In many cases they are the or appren
tees Of workmen employed in the factory, who
ceivc the earnings of the boys, and responsible
for the work done by them; in other the boys
receive the wages which they
Some Of these little laborers take the needles when
they have been eyed, and proceed to spit them;
that is, to pass wire through the eye of every
needle. Two pieces OF hne wire, perhaps three or
four inches in length, ARE prepared, the diameter cor
responding exactly with the needle eye These two
pieces of wire held in the right hand parallel, and
at distance apart equal to the distance between the
two eyes in each needle. wire. The pierced needles,
being held in the left hand, successfully threaded
upon the two pieces of smaller wire, till, by the time
the whole is filed the assembage has something the
appearance of a fne-toothed comb. workman then
files down the bur, protuberances left on the side
of the eye by the stamping
It must be borne in mind that throughout all these
operations the needles double; that is, that the
piece of wire three inches in length, which is to pro-
duce two needles an inch and half long each is still
whole and undivided, the two eyes being nearly close
together in the centre, and the two points being at
the ends Now, however, the separation is to take
place The fi!er, after he has brought down the
oc hutire hut hpfura he has laid