The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-05-09
An Essay on o Pins"

A pin is an insignificant thing; but the
pin has history and is of great antiq-
uity. By whom invented or when is past
finding out, but certain it is it has been
in use from very early period.
As far back as civilization extends the
pin can be traced. The grandfather of
them all was found in British burrows
among the relics Of the time of Strabo,
who was historian If the Augustan age,
five years before the birth of our L"rd-
This pin is of iron, an eig hth Of q yard
in length, and has for head two wings
In which are fastened two other movable
wings. 1t is supposed to have boen used
as fastening for mantle.
There seems to have been difference
between the British and the Roman pin.
leading US to believe in the pins exist
epce before Britain had history, before
the invasion of Julius Caesar.
Pins made of bone are constantly un-
earthed in British burrows, and one ex-
humed in Kent England, has stem Of
brass, with head of gold, and orna-
mented with red and blue stones and FL
agree work. We are told tha, before the
invention Of pins, or probably before they
were in general use, both sexes used tor
holding together parts of the dress loop
holes Of lace, ribbons, hooks and eyes,
ETC., etc. During the thirteenth century,
when Edward l. was King, the women
made use of pins to fasten over the ears
the unlovely garment, the fashion of that
period, which was also raised at the bot
tom with pins, which were Of a clumsy
size and made of bone.
In 1883, pins were first mentioned in
the statutes as an article of commerce
and in 1910 Catharine Howard, Queen of
Henry WILL, imported brass pins from
France. Pins were not Of English manu-
facture until three years later. The ladies
of the court OF James l. used pins with
pearl heads and otherwise richly orna-
mented.
The pin of our acquaintance was first
made by filing point to proper length
of wire, and at the other end twisting
finer wire, so as to form a head. There
still exist pins of this construction. Four
teen persons were required in the manu-
facture of q single pin-the first, to
straighten and cut the wire; the second,
to point; the third, to cut into requisite
lengths the fourth, to twist the heads;
the fifth, to cut the heads, which is work
OF great rapidity, at the rate of $4,000
heads an hour; No. 6 annealed, or
SOlNUcu, Guc ucAue, III OIuCA w UO oAoA r
ened by No. Z, who transferred them to
No. to be cleaned and colored; No. 8
next proceeded to whiten with a prepara-
tion of cream-tartar; No. 10 was the
washer; No. II the dryer and polisher.
To dry, the pins were thrown into large
leather bag containing bran and were
violently shaken by two men. No. IL
did the winnowing-that is, the separa-
ton Of the pins from the bran. By
machinery No. 13 prepared the pin
papers, which, according to the size OF
the pins, were punched into folds, and at
the same time holes were prick ked to re-
ceive the pins, which were put into their
places by No. IL, and then we had pa
per of pins ready for sale. This opera
ton was capable of much improvement,
and in 1924 an American, Lemue' Well
man Wright, invented the first machine to
obviate hand labor Since then many re-
| markable Improvements have been invent
ed, very complicated in detail, and are
wonderful pieces of mechanism, the ac-
ton being beautifully simple, and CON-
pleting, without the aid of the old fourteen
hands, pin in all respects but color and
polish. After said processes our modern
pins are prepared for papering by two
children-one to feed the machine with
pins, the other with papers; and by some
indescribable means the pins are forced
into the places prepared for them.
Thus, you see, the subject of "pins,"
which seems beggarly enough, furnishes
good material for an exhaustive essay:
But to hear any more on this subject
suppose you "don't care q pin."-N. 7.
Hrnuhic