The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-08-24
cUR1os1rIEs OF COMMERCE.

Commerce. just published, q few matters attracteu
our attention as curosltlcs, which VIC propose 10
transcribe for our readers. We were looking Tor
the small things in commerce,--nlattcTs tEat IN
taking magnificent, broad, and comprehensive
view, would be overlooked-just as the invention
of the greatest importance for domestic purposes
would be overlooked and unnoticed IL Its homely
attire when placed in exhibition and surrounded
by works of polished arts, costly machinery, and
gorgeous furniture. An humble inventor olice
placed in such an exhibition few bucches et tl1c-
ton matches. They unnoticcd~ visitors
went there looking for great thing, not real
iziny that the dcspised package OF sprnt5, tipped
with chemical fire, was the greatest thing III That
nroud collection, destined to work revolution IN
the means of procuring artificial light, and to Lc-
come universal necessity, to be deprived OF when
would be one Of the greatest lnconVenlenccs that
could happen.
1t is not more than twenty years since the TIM
der-box was in universal use. 1t is abolished now
The invention of the friction match spread slowly;
but who, at this day, would venture to say they
could do without it? insignificant they appear
to be- single factories, with expensive machinery,
emf IN lar~c RATS Of timber annually for matches
Under the head Of pin, we find that the manu-
facturc Of this indispensable little instrument was
commenced in the United States between lSl2 and
1920, since which time the business has extended
greatly and several patents for the manufacture OF
|
ENGLAND aud other parts of Europe is conducted
unon improvements made in the United States.
notwithstanding the extent of our own productions,
the limited States imported in 1856, pins TO the
value Of $40 255.
Still kecping our attention directed to small
things. we find that the imports Of needles INTO
j this country for 1856, amounted to S246,O 1t
! is said that needles were first made in England IN
the time of the bloody Mary, by a negro from
l, # y
lost at his DEATH and not recovered again till 1860
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when a German
TAUGHT the art to the English, who have since
brought it to it's greatest perfection 1t IS stated
that the construction Of needle requires about oht
hundred and twenty operations, but they are rapid
ly and unintcrruptedly successive.
The temperance people will find an argument tt
enforce their doctrine in the fact that lOIl ,o5t
bushels of grain, paying $25, ,O00, 900 duty are an
nuallv converted into malt in Great Britain for al
and porter It may reasonably be inferred that
great quantity of these beverages is drank there
(iround-nuts are quito an institution with \ onat
America, 800 tons having been imported into tn
United States from Gambia in cEe year. we
however, dissent from the encyclopedia, when n
saws they are most used here as desert roasted a
chcstnuts arc elsewhere. But France is the grca
market for ground-nuts, where they are used 10
. oil, of which they contain large quantit cs. IN
INSIGNIFICANT hazlcnut 50 agreeable to the paat
: but so difficult to get is exported from Tarragon
to the extent of $4,000 or 10000 bags Of four
the ton A kind of chocolate is prepared from then
. and they have sometimes been made int" bread
The pressed oil Of hazlcnuts Is little inferior
that of almonds.
The original inventor of the Ayrshire snu
boxes was a cripple, hardly possessing the power
: locomotion They are made Of wood, admrab
J. J. jointcd, painted, and vanished, and were fir
q q manufactured only sixty years since Instead
q taking out patent, the inventor entrusted his s.
Is crct to joiner in the village, who in few yea
u anassed great fortune, while the other died as
! !. had lived, in the greatest poverty. Speaking
l. snuboxcs, snuff taking took its rise in Englar
= in 1902.
&c Under the head of Hair, the Cyclopadia sa
IS that 200 600 pounds weight of womens hair Is a
"a : nually sold in France, and that the price pad
H. it is usually six cents an ounce.
&c One hundred thousand roses arc required to 81
~ yield of 1eS grains of otter or oil OF roses.