New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-14
Steel Pen nal,pg a, B,rm,pabam.

Steei rem unkfpg NJ Bfrmfna nam.
Mr.. elliott Of Birmingham. who has done 50
much to improve u, considers the manufacture 70
be yet in its infancy. The first operations are
performed by steam power. The sheets Of steel
after they are received from Sheffield, are reduced
10 the requisite tenuity by successive transits
through the rolling miii--operstions which are
tended BY men and boys. When reduced in this
manner to the thinness OF steel pen, and to the
length Of about two feet, and the breadth OF two
inches and half or three inches, the sheets Of
steel are ready for the next processes. which are
entirely performed by women and giris. DO
scribing the rooms according 10 the order Oh the
the processes, and not according to the arrange
ment Of the building, the irst 10 be entered Is
that where the blanks" are punched out
Ranged in double rows along a large and roomy
workshop, with windows at both sides and scru-
pulously white and clean in floor, ROOT, and walls.
are seated from fifty TO a hundred girls and
women, from the age Of fourteen 10 that of forty
and upwards. The only sounds to be heard are
the working Of the hand press, and the clinking
of the small pieces of metal they fall from the
block into the receptacle prepared for them
This process is performed with great rapidity, one
GIRL Of average industry and dexterity, being able
to punch or cut out about hundred gross per
day. Each division of the workshop is superin-
tended BY a tool maker, whose business il is to
keep the punches and presses in good working
condition, to superintend the work generally, and
to keep order among the workpeople.
The next operation is to place the blank In
concave die, on which q slight touch from q con.
vex punch produces the requisite shaPe-tnst OF
the semi tube The Sits and apertures which III
crease the elasticity of the pen, and the makers
or vendors name or mark, are produced oy nmi
lar tool. The last operation is that OF sitting
which is also performed by girls and women
Previously TO this however, the pen undergces
variety OF processes in different part OF the Tao
tory. and under the hands of different class OF
Zor COmDlete
pen is soft and pliable, and may be bent or twist
ed in the hand like piece OF thin lead being
collected in crosses or great crosses -tns
former containing l44 and the great gross twelve
times that number-the pens are thrown INTO ~,
tie iron square boxes by men. who perform all
the work in this department, and they are placed
in a furnace, where they remain till box and pens
are of white heat They are then taken OUT,
and thrown Kissing hot into pals or tanks OF OIL
a process which cures them OF their soitness oy
making them brittle. When taken out OF the oil.
they may be broken by the fingers with as much
case as If they were so many waters AS a great
deal of oil adheres to them, they are put into
sieve to drain There they remain until no more
oil will run from them bat, notwithstanding al
the draining which they have received, the oil Is
not efiectually removed. 10 cleanse them snol-
oughly they were formerly thrown into pits or
heaps of sawdust, and stirred about but rs, oy
this process the sawdust became cotted into OH
cakes, and was rendered unserviceable, the inse'
nuity OF Mr.. elliott was taxed to discover some
me ans by which saying both oil on anu sA"uuse
could be effected He was not long before the
thought struck him, that, if the pens were made
TO revolye rapidly in perforated cylinder, the last
drop of oil might be forced out Of them-in fact.
that the oil might be twirled from the pens like
moisture from a mop.
The experiment was tried and succeeded ad-
mirably. The pens, after being allowed to drain
in the seive until no more oil would run of them,
were placed apparently dry, but greasy looking.
in the cylinder, but twired round with great ra
pidty, until the oil ran of in copious stream.
The mingled oil and sawdust formerly constituted
a nuisance, and it was necessary to change the
sawdust, and burn it, three or four times day IL
now lasts for a week. By this means-a remark
able instance Of the economy of manufacturers
Mr.. elliott has diminished his oil account about
1900 to $500 per annum. This operation once
completed, the pens are once more placed Ia re-
voving cylinders, where their friction against each
other produces the necessary polish Each pen IL
thus made to clean and polish its neighbor. The
next process is to roast annea these brittle ar
ticles and give them the texibity OF the quiz,
and produce upon them, at the same time, the
color which may be desired, whether bronze or
blue. The hexibility and color are both produced
by heat, and it becomes a delicate matter so TO
arrange and regulate it rs to attain the exact re-
suits desired. From this department they are
once more consigned to the female part OF the Is
Enlistment, where, by the operation OF the cut
ting tool, each pen receives the required slit. One
girl, with quick aud practsed finger, can slit by
this means many as 200 gross or $4,000 in
day. They are now ready for counting and pack
ing in boxes or crosses, for the wholesale market
This last stage OF the business is wholly performed
by Young girls [Cor of the Morning Chron
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