The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-08-18


Of sight. There is wealth Of unused adj
yantsges lying around them perfectly anna
ing.-Londos Wovkingman.
Iron and CAvHlsxasA0A.
Although Scotland is now onsof the prin-
cipal sources from which our supplies Of iron
are drawn, it was in ancient times greatly
distressed for want Of the metal. The
people were ne yet too little skilled to be
able to turn their great mineral wealth to
account. Even in the time Of Wallace, they
had scarcely emerged from the Stone period,
and were uuder the necessity of resisting
their iron-armed English adversaries BY
means Of rude weapons Of that material. To
supply themselyes with swords and spear
heads, they imported steel from Flanders,
and the rest they obtained by marauding
lncursions into England. The district OF
Furness in Lancashire-then as now an iron
producing district-was frequently ravaged
with that object and ON such occasions the
Scotch seized and carried of all the manu-
featured iron they could find, preferring it,
though SO heavy, to every other kind Of
plunder.s About the same period, however,
iron must have been regarded as almost q
precious metal even in England itself for
we find that in Edward the Thirds reign,
the pots, spits, ....d frying pans of the royal
kitchen were elasssd among his maiesty's
jewels.t Ftf - ~ = fsss
The same famine of iron prevailed to still
greater extent in the Highlands, v here il was
even more valued, 40 the Gins lived chiefly
by hunting, and In an almost constant state
Of feud. Hence the smith was q man of in
dispensable Importance among the High
landers, and the possession of a skilfn.
armorer waf greatly valued by the chiefs.
The story In told Of some delinquency having
been committed by q Highland smith, on
whom justice must be done; but as the chief
could not dispense with the smith, he gener-
rOusly offered to hang two weavers in his
stead
At length a great armorer arose in the
highlands, who wns able to forge armor that
wo0ld resist the best Shefkeld arrowheads,
and to make swords that would vie with the
best weapons Of Toledo and Milan. This
was the famous Andrea de Ferrara, whose
swords still maintain their ancient reputa-
ton. This workman Is supposed TO have
learnt his art in the Italian city after which
he was called, and returned TO practice it in
secrecy among the Hilland bills. Before
him, no man in Great Britain is said to
have known how to temper q sword in such
n way rs to bend 80 that the point should
touch the hilt and spring back uninjured.
The swords Of Andrea de Ferrara did this.
and were accordingly in great request; for
it was Of every importance to the warrior
that his weapon should be strong and sharp
without being unweildy, and that it should
not be liable to snap in the act OF combat.
This celebrated smith, whose personal iden-
titys has become merged in she Andrea de
Ferrara swords Of his n1Cnufacture, pursued
his craft in the Highlands. where he em-
ployed number of skilled workmen in forg-
ing weapons, devoting his own time princi-
pally to giving them their required temper.
He is said to have worked in dark cellar,
the better to enable him to perceive the
effect Of the heat upon the metal, and to
watch the nicely of the operation OF temper-
ing, us web as possible to serve as a screen
to bis secret method OF working
Long after Andrea lie Ferrara's time, the
Scotch swords were famous for their tenn
per Judge Marshal Patten, who accom-
panied the Protectors EXPEDITION into Scot
land in l547, observing thst, fsthe Scots
came with swords nil broad and thin, of ex-
cesding good temper, aud universally 90
made 20 alice thar never saw nOne 50 COED,
so think it hard to devise a better" The
quality Of the steel used for weapons Of war.
was indeed OF NO Jess importance fog the,
etfectual defence Of a country then than it 10
now. The courage Of the attsckiug and de-
Tending forcee being equal, the victory
would necesssry fest with thepsrty in pos
session Of the best weapons. 4Jl1 z
England herself has on more than one
n A. = 49, -