Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-10-09
Cbs 5aFnlfr.
MATCHES.


or Laciier Match. Abont twenty
years ago. Chemistry abolished the
Undertook; and he burnt rag that
made the finder. went to make pa
per. Slowly, did the invention
spread. The use of the matches is
now 81 established. that machines are
invented to prepare the splints.
In New York, one match manu..
factory annually cuts up large raft
Of timber for matches. Matches are
generally square, and thirty thou
sand snIiuts are cut in minute
The process Of shaping round matches
Is more elaborate, and only four thou
sand five hundred splinis are cut in
minute We will fellow a bundle Of
eighteen hundred thin splints, each
four inches long, through its con-
version ibto thrss thousand six hum
dred matches.
Without being separated, each
end Of the bundle is first dipped in.
to sulphur. When dry, the splits
adhering to each other by means of
the sulphur, must be parted By what
Is called duslins. A boy, sitting on
the floor with bundle before him,
strikes the matches with sort OF
malIet on the dipped ends, ill they
become thoroughly loosened. They
Aave now TO be plunged into pre-
=, paraiion OF phosphorus, or chlorate
Of potash. according to the quality
Of the match. The phosphorus
produces the pale, noiseless fire; the
chlorate of potash, tile sharp, crack
ling illumination. After this appli-
cation of the more inaamable sub
stance, the matches are separated
and dried in racks
Thoroug bly, dried, they are gath
cred up again into bundles Of the
same quantity, and are taken to the
boys, who cot them; for the reader
will have observed that the bundles
are dipped at each end. There are
few things more remarkable in manu-.
faetures than the extraordinary ra-
pidity of his cutting process, and
that which is connected with it
The 10y stands before a bench, The
bundle on his right hand, pile Of
empty boxes on his left. The
matches are to be cut, and the boxes
filled by this boy.
A bundle is opened, he seizes ?
portion, knowing, by long habit, toe
required number with sufficient ex
actness; puts them rapidly into ;
sort of frame, knocks the ends even
ly together, confines them with /.
strap, which he tightens with hi:
foot, and cuts them in two parts viii
knife or hinge, which he bring
down with strong leverage. Th'
halves lie projecting over each sid
OF the frame; he grasps the left por
ton, and thrusts it into half-ope'
box, which slides into an outer Case
and he repeats the process with tn
matches on his right band. Thi
series of movements is periorme,
with a rapidity almost unexampled
for, in this way, two hundred thou
sand matches are cut, and two thou
sand boxes filled, in day, by on
boy.
1t is a law Of this manufactur
that the demand is greater in tn
summer than in tie winter. Tn
increased summer demand for til
matches, shows that the great cor
sumption is among the masses til
laboring population-those VIII
maka up the vast majority OF tn
contributors to dpties of cuStor
and excise. In the house of tn
wealthy there is always fire; in tn
house Of the poor. fire is needles
hourly expense. Then comes th
match to supply the. want-to ligb
the afternoon fire to toll the kettle
Tt is unnecessary to run 10 tn
neighbor's for a light, or as despeI
ate resource to work at the finder
box.
The matches sometimes fail; bu
they cost little, and and so they ar
freely used, even by The poorest
Their value was sufficiently show
when an English officer, in camp a
Sevastopol, recently wrote home
that no want was greater, than tina
of the ready means of procuring FIR
and light, and that he should hold
box of matches cheap at half crow
(6fty cents of our curreney.)
Accession TO THE FREMONT RANKS
IL