The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-11-02
now EYES ARE MADE.

What do you think OF this fellow p
asks tho Occulist Of his client. Study
his features, his look, and say frankly
what you think" "ElC looks we'll enough"
answers the other, laboriug usually under
some little emotion. "Well, Jean, reveal
your secret to this gentleman" Where.
upon Jean introduces knitting needle
under his eyelids, removes his eye, places
il in the hand Of the Rstonished spectator
as unconceFnedly as though it were shirt
stud. How Is II possible TO resist such
demonstration These gentlemen charge
from forty 10 fifty francs for an eye
The manufacturer of the Rue du
Temple has an entirely different
way Of doing business. he Is gen
orally man pretty well informed;
simple, polite, o little OF an artist, little
ola workman and q little Of q tradesman.
He scarcely employs either apprentice or
assistant, except when he receives a good
order from some naturalist for animals
eyes for his collection. All day long,
seated at n tablO at one end Of his work
room, he works by tho light Of q spirit
lamp. Before him are arranged, In either
cakes or sticks, the materials used by him
In his profession He takes little enamel,
melts 1t, and by the aid Ol blow.pipe,
blows II until II becomes small ball ut
the end OF the instrument. This ball 10
destined TO represent the white Of the eye.
He next takes some more enamel, which
is colOred this time, and lets drop Of 1t
fall upon the c0rneG,
Gently heating itat the fame, II spreads
out into d red spot, and eventually becomes
fat, and resembles the iris, A darker
drop oil enamel placed In the same manner
in the centre of the Iris initiates the pupil.
The ball Is now detached from the blow.
pipe, cut to an oval shape, and smoothed
ut the edges, 30 that on introducing II
beneath the eyelid 1t may not wound any
OF the smaller nerves. These eyes cost
no more than from twenty 10 twenty-five
francs, which one can quite comprehend,
as there Is neither heavy rent to pay, nor
tho wages Of llyrled cyclops.
The manufacture OF artificial eyes %
both difficult and tedious. II suits alike
both men and women, and many OF the
latter succeed well Ia 1t; II Is, moreover,
one Of the best remunerated OF art indus
tries. Most oil tho work.people are paid
BY piece.work-that 10, 50 much an eye,
varying from ten TO fifteen francs, and Q
clever workman will turn out his eye
per diem. Others receive from the large
manufacturers u share Of the proceeds
arising from the sales OF eyes manutac-
tured BY them, and have 10 take back any
eyes not approved Of by tho customers.
These they put on one side, 10 serve for
their stock In trado when they commence
business on their own account.
One of those collections form some
what curious sight Reposing upon wad-
ding at the bottom ol drawer are sew
erai eyes, ranged side by side, and exhib.
ltIDg q singularity of expression, Some
arc small, Others large, some black, Others
blue, hazel brown, blush and greenish
grey, nearly all brilliant; oil have hxed
stare-all are, In fact, looking you
through. On one sidO are laughing chill.
drens' eyes, next to them the lIquid.look.
Ing eyes OF young girls, tho languid eyes
Of middleaged women, eyes with an amia-
bic or sinister expression, severe official
eyes; then came the old mems eyes,
slightly fllmy; and In o corner are
the worn.out eyes-eycs that have been
already used, aud have been returned by
the customers as models 10 mako other
eyes by. The Camel'S eye, after being ex.
posed 10 the action Of the atmosphere Tor
some months, loses alike It's color and its
luster, and becomes opaque looking; q
thick, dlngy coating Of solidihed humOrs
spreads over It's polished surface, and 1t
has a CLASSY look like tho eye Of dead
person. "Touch them, you will do no
harm," says tho oculist to visitors, Just as
though It was a collection Of coins or min.
erals they were inspecting.