The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-20


to fifteen hundred matches. These are sold
on the spot, by the manufacturers, at about
y two cents, our money; per dozen boxes, while
1 the splnts, untipped, Ot which large quantl-
ties are exported TO England aud other coun-
tries, are sold at q still more astonishingly
low rate, one manufacturer offering the un-
tipped at the rate of ten thousand for one
cent. In Austria and Bavaria both the fin
, ished matches and the splints are sold by the
! pound, at a rate that makes them come
/ equally low.
From Germany the manufacture spread
| into other countries, and England especially
took up the making with n vigor that has
| made her serious rival to the former In the
markets of the world. In England, at this
! time, there are some most extensive manu-
| factories-one in Lancashire alone employing
five hundred hands, keeping always on hand
q stock of timber valued at seventy-hve thou
| sand dollars, using every weelS ton and
! half of sulphur and the same quantity of
| glue, and producing an average of seventy
millions of matches weekly.
In this country the manufacture is Scat
tered through too many hands to compute
the number made. We have no manufac-
tories that can compete in size with those of
Europe; and since the internal revenue tax of
one cent. per box has been added to the
price, the makers are unanimous in assuring
us that the demand has fallen off one-haf.
This must of course proceed from the sim
pie fact that the consumer has now to pay
two and a half cents for what a few years ago
he obtained for one cent, or less, and, as
consequence, is more careful in the use, or,
rather, more judicious in the waste.
The first process to which we shall intro
duce you is that of the conversion of the
timber The planks or pieces, you will per-
ceive, from which all matches save matri-
monial and sporting ones are made, are four
feet in length. This timber is not neces-
sarily the best stuff as it had to be years
ago, when the machines were fine knives for
splitting wood doing just as we'll
when perfectly free of knots These slips of
plank four feet in length and two
inches in thickness, are taken to
machine to be cut into slabs the exact
thickness of match. Formerly, fine
circular saws were used to accomplish
this work, but have been rejected in favor of
the present machine, which splits off the slabs
by n motion similar to the eccentric of q
steam engine, or a pushing stroke This is a
saving OF forty Per cent. i'll timber, there
being no waste by sawdust.
This slab when cut off is ready for the ma
chine that is to cut it into splints The ac-
ton of this is simply the revolution of solid
iron cylinder, about three inches in diameter,
on which is a series of minute knives exactly
distant the width of a match, and making
eighteen upon the cylinder. The slab is
passed i'll beneath this cylinder and the
small platform that supports and presses
it upward and in seven and a half seconds is
passed through, cut half its thickness. 1t is
instantly reversed and the operation repeated
and in fifteen seconds eighteen splints four
feet in length, and capable of making twenty
four matches each, or four hundred and
thirty-two in all, are turned out. The same
rate Of progression for days work of ten
hours would give one million thirty-sx thou
sand eight hundred matches. Both round and
square splints are made upon the same ma
chine, the only difference being in the knives
that do the cutting.
These splints, when cut, are put in bundles
of fourteen hundred each, and, when not
made by the match-makers, are sold to them
at the rate of twenty-five cents a gross of one
hundred and forty-four splints, or thirty-four
hundred and ffty-siX matches, which, count
ing one hundred to the box-that being
honest measure-will make thirty-four and
half boxes, or somewhat less than a quarter
of gross of boxes of matches. To dispose
of the splint-cuttlng we have only to say
that the cutters assert that before many
months are gone they will have a machine
in operation that will cut thousand gross
of splints day, or three and half millions
of matches.
The splints being now transferred to
the factory, the first process is to reduce
the four feet to shorter lengths. This is
done by cutting them to four inches or
twice the length of q match, this length
being kept for the purpose of dipping both
ends by one process. This cutting is done
without unbundling and with one movement
of guillotine worked with treadle the cut
matches falling loosely into box.
From this cutter they go to the hands OF
the tiny creatures who fit them into frames
for dipping-children scarce old enough to
reach the low tables at which they work,
standing through their ten hours, and placing
the little morsels of wood rapidly in these
frames, which are simply two uprights Sc
cured firmly by cross-piece at the bottom,
and having grooved slides which hold the
matches firmly Just far enough apart to
keep them from touching, and their ends
protruding on either side of the frame. Each
of these frames will hold about three thou
sand matches, and upon being filled they are
carried to an inspector who shakes out what.
ever is loose, fastens the frame and passes il
over to the dipper.
The dippers are the chief workmen of the
occasion, each dipping furnace accommo
dating two of them. The furnaces are kept
at high heat, and upon them stand, first, al
iron plate with nothing upon it; second, par
or sulphur, kept always IN fluid condition;
and, third another iron plate on which is the
phosphoric composition that produces tht
light. This composition is kept always of the
consistency of thick cream, and Just sufficient
of it allowed on the plate that it may nO
overflow, and be of the exact depth necessary
for dipping, or about the eighteenth of an
inch. The dipper takes the frame as il
comes to his hand, putting it for second Of
two upon the first hot plate, and instantly
reversing it. This is done that any linger
inc tbof Ino ba in ba wood oh