Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-03-09
Harry's Box Of Pens.
BY OLIVE THoRNE.

- y
pens. Charley Ross has one, and 1
believe there's million of pens in
it."
"Oh, Harry" said Emma, who by
virtue of being two years older than
Harry, thought she was much wiser,
sthere amt more than five or six
million pens in the whole world.
Are there, mammal"
Mamma smiled.
"You're about as far wrong as
Harry. 1 don't know how many
there are in the world, but 1 know
that one town in England, sends out
fourteen million every week."
"Oh, mamma" said Emma, "can
that be so?''
"Then I guess there's million in
Charley's box" said Harry.
"No, Harry, probably there is
gross"
"How many is that2" asked
Harry.
"Twelve dozen," answered NAM
ma.
"When I went to school, Harry,
one of the things I was taught, was
to make my own pens"
"Make your own pens" said
Harry, astonished, 81 don't see how
you could do that"
"Our pens were notmade of steel,
or I-couldn't. They were made of
quills."
"Goose quills?" asked Emma.
Generally of goose quills,
though very nice, delicate pens were
made of the quills of birds, like the
crow"
"L don't see how you could make
pens Of them," said Harry.
"Iwill make one for you, Harry,
if you will get me goose quill, but
you won't like it so well as steel,
though school masters made great
opposition to having steel pens used
in the schools, at first"
81 should have thought they
would be glad to get rid of so much
work." said Emma.
cit would seem SO, but prejudice
is hard thing to get over, and some
people are always shy of new
thing. Besides, they cost more at
first than they do now"
"How much did they cost?"
"Nice ones cost over a dollar at
first, but they soon came down to
twenty-five cents. The fancy dol
lar ones, used to be bought for pres
ents, as curiosities. --
"What a funny idea,' said Harry
laughing.
Eyes, it seems funny now, when
the same men who then charged
such prices, can afford to sell them
for one cent a gross"
81 don't see how they can do
that said Emma, ''it must be a |
good deal of work to make them"
"They can do it because nearly
all the work is done by machinery.
1 visited Gillott's factory, when 1
was in England"
"Oh! did your exclaimed Harry,
''do tell us how they're made
"Well, at Gillott's, the steel, as it |
comes from Sheffield, is first cut into
strips about yard long and four
inches wide"
"Who cuts it? how can they cut |
steel" interrupted Harry.
at is cut by a machine, that |
makes no fuss about it, only just |
does it. Then it goes between i'm.
mense rollers, to make it the right |
thickness"
~ don't see how rollers can do
that said Harry.
"Rollers can do wonderful things
when they're worked by steam. 1t |
looks as easy for them to roll a |
piece of cold iron out thin as it is
for Jane to roll out her pie crust,
with a rolling pin.
81 should like to see it." said |
Emma.
"When it is all rolled, mamma
WeHt On, "a glrl VINO Is seated at |
stamping machine"
whats thatP interrupted Harry.
~ know" said Emma, "lt's like
papa's Office stamp, that he stamps
his name on envelopes with"
at works like that" said mamma,
"only it goes by steam, and it cuts
the pen completely out, that is, the
outside shape. The next girl who
takes it, puts it into a stamping ma
chine, which cuts the hole at the top
of the split. You must remember
it is still a fiat piece of steel, not yet
rounded up. The next thing is to
put it, with hundreds of others, into
what they call a muffle. 1t is in
fact an earthen box, in furnace.
That is called annealing them"
p "What is it for2' asked Emma.
"To make them soft and easy to
shape. When they are cool again,
another girl puts them into tiny
stamping machine, which prints in
the makers name. Have You any
pens here, Harry?"
Harry searched his pockets.