Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-08-20

- ''''' !s'tt SUN 10 octpm9 place OF
great Commercial importance Halifax
has telegraphic communication with the
principal cites OF the United States anl
the British Provinces. Life illustrated
! CCRtosIrY OF COMMERCE.. Turning
over the pages ofthe Cyclopelia Of Com
mcrcc. just published, few matters at
trlc'cd our attention as curiosites, which
we propose to transcribe for our readers.
We were looking for the small things in
commerce. matters that, in taking a
magnificent, broad. and comprehensive
view, would be overlooked, +, Just as the
invention Of the greatest importance for
domestic purposes would be overlooked
and unnoticed in its homcly attire when
placed on exhibition and surrounded by
works Of polished art. costly machinery
and gorg Gus furniture. An humble in
ven'or once paced in such an exhibition
fsw lunches ot friction matches. They
We're unRotieed. Visitors went there
looking for some great thing, not realiz-
ins that the desp~el package of splintS,
tipped with cEcmic.l fire was the thing
in that proud collection destined 10 work
revolution in the means of procuring
lrtitci i light, and to become univcr-
sal necessity, to be deprived of which
wo9ld be one of the greatest inconvcn-
iencics that could happen.
1t is not more tLan twenty years apo
since the tnderbox was in universal use.
1t is abolished now. The invcrton OF
the friction match spread slowly but
who at this day would venture to say they
could do without it; Insignificant as
they appear to be, single factories, with
expensive machinery, cut up large RATS
of timber annually for matches.
Uaacr the head OF PIN, We find that
tho manufacture Of this indispensable lit
tie instrument was commenced in the
United States between 1872 and 1870.
since which time the business has ex-
tended greatly, and several patents for
the manu- acture of pins hive been taken
out The manufacture in England and
other parts Of Europe is conducted upon
improvements made in the United States
Notwithstanding the extent of our own
productions, the United States imported
in 1856 pins to the value of Si0,255
Still keeping our attention directed to
small things, we find that the imports OF
needles into this country for 1886 amount.
ed to S246,00O. 1t is said that needles
were first made in England in the time OF
the bloody Mary by negro from Spain
but he wou d not impart his acret it
was lost at his death, and not recovered
again TIL 1858, in the reign of Queen
Eliz1beth, when German taught the ayt
to the English, who have since brough;
1t to the greater perfection 1t is stated
that the construction of a needle requires
about 1870 operations, but they are rap
idly and uuinterraptedly successive.
The temperance people will find argu-
ment to enforce their doctrines in the
fact that 4l,07l, $50 bushels of grain
paying S25, 100000 duty are annually
converted into malt in Great Britain for
ale and porter. 1t may reasonably be
inferred that great quantity OF these
beverages is drank there.
Ground nuts are quite an institution
with 1ounS America, oOo ttti's haNih .
been imported into the United States
from Gambia in one year. We, however
dissent from the encyclopcd list when he
says they are most used here as dessert
roasted as chestnuts are elsewhere. But
France is the great market for ground
nuts, where they are used for oil, OF
which they contain large quantities.
The Insignificant hazle nut, SO agreeable
to the palate, but SO difficult to get is ex
ported from Tarragona to the extent o
$4,000 or $4,000 bags, of four to the
tun. A kind of chocolate is prepared
from them, and they sometimes have becI
. made into bread. The pressed oil of ha
ze nuts is little inferior to that of al
monds.
The original inventor Of tho Ayrshire
snuff boxes was cripple. hardly possess
S ing the power of locomotion. They arr
Q made of wood, admirably joined, painte'
{ and vanished, and were first manatactur
ed only sixty years since. Instead o
o taking out patent, the inventor intrust
+ ed his secret to joiner in the village