, 1863-07-04
Erictinn ITatchea

Among the articles Of demand that have
become Of importance, nothing is more
worthy of notice than the friction OF lucifer
match. About thirty years ago, chemistry
abolished the tinder-box, and the burnt
rag which made the tinder went to make
paper. Slowly did the invention spread.
The use Of the match is now so established
that machines arc invented to prepare the
splints. In New York, one mandatory
annually cuts up large raft Of timber for
matches. The English matches are gene
rally square, and thus thirty thousand
splints are cut in a minute. The American
matches are round, and the process Of sha-
ping being more elaborate, four thousand
five hundred splints are cut in a minute
We will follow bundle Of eighteen hun
dred thin splints, each four inches long
through its conversion into three thousand
six hundred matches Without being sep
arated, each end Of the bundle is first
dipped into sulphur. When dry, the
splints adhering to each other By means Of
the sulphur, must be parted by what is
called dustng. A boy, sitting on the
floor, with a bundle before him, strikes the
matches with a sort Of mallet on the dipped
ends till they become thoroughly loosened.
They have now to be plunged into prapa-
ration of PHOSPHORUS or chlorate of pot
ash, according to the quality of the match
es. The phosphorus produces tic pale.
noiseless fire the chlorate Of potash Che
sharp cracking illumination After ,ais
application of the more inAammable sub-
stance, the matches are separated, and
dried in racks Thoroughly dried, they
are gathered up again into bundles Of tho
same quantity, and are taken to the boys
who cut them. There are few things more
remarkable in manufactures than the extra
ordinary rapidity of this cutting process
and that which is connected with it. IA0
boy stands before bench, the bundle on
his right hand, pile of empty boxes on
his left The matches are to be cut, and
the empty boxes filled by this boy. A
bundle is opened; he seizes a portion,
knowing by long habit the required num-
Der with sufficient exactness, puts them
radidly into a sort Of frame knocks the
ends evenly together, confines them with q
strap which he tightens with his foot, and
cuts them In two parts with a knife on a
hinge, which he brings down with a strong
leverage. The halves lie projecting over
each end Of the frame; he grasps the left
portion and thrusts it into a half-open box,
which slides into an outer case, and be re-
peats the process with the matches on his
right hand. The series Of movements is
performed with rapidity almost unexam-
Piled; for in this way two hundred thou
sand matches are cut, and two thousand
boxes are filed in a day, by one boy. The
increased summer demand for the matches
shows that the great consumption is among
the masses-the laboring population-those
who make up the vast majority of the con-
tributors to duties Of customs and excise.
In the houses Of the wealthy there is al
ways fire in the houses Of the poor, fire
in summer is a needless hourly expense
Then comes the match to supply the v ant
TO light the afternoon fire to boil the
kettle. The matches sometimes fail, but
they cost but little, and SO they are freely
used, even by the poorest.
PADDg's PASSAGE TO BE PAID BY THE FED
ERAL GOYERNMENT.-The New York cores
pondent of the London Morning Herald says:
"The immense arrivals Of Irish astonish those
who are not in the secret Their passages are
paid by the U. S. Government and will be
charged to enlistment expenses The sum APP
propriated for this purpose is S3,000000, and it
is estimated that it will bring over 10 America
10000 Irish persons Of this number it may be
safely estimated one third will enlist; that will
cost only $50 each for O,OOO and in any other
shape it costs the United States 500 per sol
der,