The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-07-25
A DAY AT THE BRITISH NEEDLE MILLS,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

guard, to be used by the needle pointers and dry
grinders. He was not at the time aware that pre-
MUM had been offered by the Society on this subject
but in October of the some year he sent second
communication, in which, among other details, he
stated;-"The Society may not perhaps be in possess
sion of the information that thousands Of individuals
in this country, besides the needle pointers who have
been regularly employed in dry-grinding have been
cut off at the age of thirty to forty years. After de-
scribng the nature of apparatus, Mr.. Abraham pro-
ceeds to remark that the needle-pointers and dry
grinders, CATER the grinders asthma begins to aict
them, which generally happens to those regularly en-
poyed in dry-grindng, when they arrive the age of
twenty-five twenty-seven years, linger out mis-
cradle existence till they arrive the age of thirty or
thrtyve years; beyond the age of forty years very
fewdry grinders are known to live''
The apparatus consists of two parts. The first is a
screen. suspended from the ceiling as to shield the
man from the greater part Of the grit and stee-dust
set in motion by his work. The second is a mouth
guardo ares! the progress of such particles as might
reach his lips The mouth-guard consists Of a small
frame of wood, the upper and lower pieces of which
are ma de circular TO fit the lips On this are fixed
two or three layers Of Grape muslin and it is stud
ded with several small magnets calculated to arrest
considerable portion of the deleteous matter before
it can reach the Grape To the upper part of this
wooden frame is attached bent wire, to which Grape
is fixed for the purpose of protecting the nostrils and
ths whole is fastened by two strngs passing round
the head and tying behind.
Such the two pieces of apparatus conrved by
Mr.. Abraham for protecting the workman not only
from the particles of STEEL but also from the grit de-
tached from the grindstone during the process. 1t
may now be asked, how far these contrvances were
efficient? Let the evidence of the needle manufctu
rers attest. The volume Of the Societys 'Transac-
tons before referred TO contains several memorials
or testimonials; which is signed by several
srfgeonsy the apparatus completely
succeeded in arresting the particles; the mouth guard
becoming wholly coated with particles, which would
otherwise have passed into the mouth of the work.
Another is letter from the propretors Of
needle factory in Derbyshire, expressing their anxious
wish that these humanzing arrangements should be
adopted, and stating, among other things, that the
needle pointer who used them most had ssnot
dust floating about him in whole day than he used
to have in quarter Of an hour.' The third is let
ter from Reddtch, signed by five needle manulactu
and pointers, TO the effect that the arresling
ofthe steel PARTICLES was successfully performed by
the mouth-pece. similar letter was afterwards
formed by nine of the manufacturing firms at Red
ditch, twelve Of the pointers (whose state Of educa
ton may be guessed by the fact that ten out OF the
twelve made their markSt }, and other inhabitants of
the place.
Might it not be supposed that such contrvances
would be eagerly caught at by the men Such would
to be reasonable; for it understood that Mr..
Abraham had no other motives than those ofkindness
for promulgating his inventions. Yet has the whole
become dead letter. We believe we are correct in
saying, that the needle pointers body, of whom
there are about hundred and thirty at Reddtch,
fuse to adopt these arrangements perhaps that their
wages may not be lowered by rendering the work
less injurious Their earnings sometimes amount to
SO large guinea day; and are at all times
considerably above the average OF artisans wages
The handkerchief which is tied loosely round tho
mouth of the needle pointer is poor safeguard. The
steel and gritty particles enter his lungs in abundance
and he is still, what he has been, short lived
and -condtoned man. 1t excites regret to see Gas
any may sec without much difficulty in the Museum
of the Society of Arts, the models Of MIR. Abraham's
inventions memorials only of the unwillingness the
part of the workman to adopt plan which is intended
for his benefit, which is looked favorably by his
employers, which society sanctions by its approval,
which would give him better health and longer life,
and which would raise him in the scale of respecta
bilty man.
We have dwelt somewhat at length on the process
Of needc-pointng, because it involves matters of more
than usual interest in connection with the we'll being
of those who are employed in it; but we may now re
sumo the thread Of detail.
Tho raader will hear in mind that the state of our
embryo needle is simply that Of piece of dull
straight wire about three inches long(suPposing 6s'
to be the sze) &ponted at both ends. The next pro-
cess is one of series by which two eyes or holes are
pierced through the wire the centre of its length,
to form the eyes of the two needles which are to be
fashioned from the piece of wire number OF very
curious operations connected with the process, in
voving mechanical and manipulative arrangements OF
great nicely. Those who learned in the qualities
of needles that they will not 'cut in the eye. and