The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-02-13
MATCHES.
THE ELECTRIC MATCH COMPANY.

Few things afford finer TYPED Of the results
of modern civilization than the little splints
which we use to procure light and then so
ca3eessly throw aside. The laboratory of
the chemist is introduced into our very
households; results which few years ago
were only to be produced by men who had
long poured over4crucibles and retorts, are
now produced by children; and the product
of deep alchemical research becomes o daily,
we had almost SAID an hourly, conveniencs
We worder if it has ever occurred to the
reader that all the three Kingdoms OF nature
contribute to their convenience every time
they use match? To torn the little colored
tip, ANIMALS gave their bones for pbosph orus
and glue; long and tedious voyages were
undertaken to volcanic regions to procure
the sulphur which is a constituent of most
matches; and, to form the splints, our own
American forests gave their tailest and
MODEST pine The match, trivial though it
GEMS is interesting and beautiful but then
most common things would be interesting
and beautiful if We only examined them.
| The difficulty with most of us is than we
walk through world Of interest and beauty
with our eyes shut. NJ
| The Manufacture of this useful little arti-
Gle has become quite an important item ia
the industries OF our city, and no doubt
many of our readers will be surprised when
we inform them that during o. recent week
no less than four thousand five hundred tons
were shipped by the Superintendent of the
Electric Match Company. to all paris of th e
country. Two machines are used for cutting
the spints, one for square and the other for
round matches. From the machines the
splints are stored in dry houses to season
After being sorted and all worthless mat, rial
removed, they are rolled into coils by ma
chimes operated by girls. These coils are
about eighteen inches across, and each splint
| is isolated from another by the band which
holds them together. The dipping process Is
then gone through with. The mixture, of a
pasty consistency, Is spread upon q dat slab
of stone, and the workman, taking bundla,
rapidly dips one side. and then, turning it
over dips the other side. After having been
dried, the coils are unwound by another ma,
chine, and at the same time the splints
are cut into two, making two matches
which are then delivered to the boxers,
The bowers are all girls, and they have &C
CURED great dexterity in their work. As
rapidly as they are boxed, other girls stamp
them. Then they IRE passed to the packing
room, where they are put up for the market.
| They are packed indifferent styles for differ
ent localities, the Southern trade requiring
small square box, while the Northern is sup
piled with large eases. About sixty hands
are employed. Most of them are girls, the
work being light and peculiarly suited to
girls from ten to twenty years old. Some
twenty-five to thirty girls are employed in
making boxes, some OF them working with
astonishing rapidity.
The factory has been enlarged and i'm
proved, and under the management o It's
present propriet0rs, and w G. Vincent, the
superintendent, it is increasing it's business,
and is contributing largely to the comfort Of
the people all over the praires and through
the forests of the Northwest We passed .
profitable hour with Mr.. Vincent, last Mon
day, in reviewing the different processes
through which each match passes in its jour
ney to the little tin box on the walls of our
homes. Other Inventions arc on q grander
scale, and assume more magnificent proper
tions, but the match excels many in constant
usefulness 1t requires no special engineer
or chemist to operate it, as do the locomo-
tive, the steamship, the telegraph, the print
ing-press, and the spinning jenny. The tcle-
graph would be missed by thousands but the
loss of the match would carry Inconvenience
to every man, woman, and child that has ev-
er even heard OF the telegraph. e-