Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-26
ABOUT ANvILS.

Anvils, in modern days, are made almo st
entirely, if not altogether, in what is called
the "Black Country" meaning portion OF
Yorkshire and Lancaster counties, in En-
gland. 1t is special craft by ITSELF requir-
ing of its experts not only skill, but great
strength and uncommon powers of physical
endurance. The anvil makers work in
gangs, consisting, usually, of four men and
stout lad. Their wages are equal to the best
paid workers in the iron country. There is
but mere trne left of twenty pound note
when the gang, which has been doing its
best all the week, receives its pay due on the
Saturday night Like all winners of high
wages in the Black Country, the members of
the gang work by the piece-that is. arc paid
by the weight of metal thoy tnrn into manu-
featured goods. As a rule, they are greedy
Tor work, sometimes refusing to work ut all
unless allowed to work ut all hours, and do
rs much rs they choose.
Twenty-Five years ago anvis were made in
one way only; way rs old, perhaps, rs the
days of Tubal Cain. They are now made in
two. L propose to describe both ways briefly.
The old way of making anvis, and still the
process by which the larger number is man
ufactured is rs follows: The business COM
monces by welding quantity of the choicest
iron--usually scraps that como from broken
tools, and the likc-into mass which be-
comes the nucleus of the anvil. These scraps
brought to white heat in the furnace are
subjected to tho heavy blows and crushing
weight of the trip hammer, Under which,
twisted and turned, flattcned and rounded,
the concrete" gains rough approximation
to the desired form. 1t is then in company
with another piece of iron, called second
Weld" recommitted to the furnace. Reach
ing the necessary heat, both nucleus" and
second weld" are drawn, and placed in
stantly-not this time under tho trip hammer
under tho blows OF forge hammers in the
hands Of tho workmcn, one beginning the
work, then second joining in, and so on.
until all four are pounding upon the two
pieces fast uniting into one, in rapid and reg
ular succession. The strikers are guided in
their work by the actions OF their leader,
each man directing his hammer to that part
indicated by the leaders blow. An on look
surprised to note that under all their appar-
emily reckless blows, the glowing mass grad
ually assumes form and shapcliness. If the
anvil were IL small article of trifling weight
it might be possible to forge it whole from
single piece of iron, rs u farrier does horse
shoe. But anvils weigh from three hundred
pounds to n thousand. They are made, more
nj inl in E,ff A q,
gle put up" anvil might ruin the reputation
of the manufacturers. In fact, II large anvil
is built of twenty pieces of metal Each
piece, in company with tho over growing
nucleus" has to be subjected to the heat,
the blows of the slodge hammers, and the
shaping already described The corners
which project ut the base to steady it, the
protrusion toward the beak. tho parts of the
postorior projection, and the rounded sides,
are all separately shaped and welded on by
the rapid blows of the workmen. Finally,
there is the upper surface, made of the
toughest steel, which must, at the cost of ut
most strength of blow and skill of craft, be
homoogated with the solid iron, that tina
whole may be in perfect union.
The high temperature to which the work.
men are exposed during the twenty yields"
is very exacting To protect them from tho
furnace fire curtain of iron is hung up as
screen. During the process of welding this
screen is almost always red hot, and yet 1t
furnishes protection OF which tho men are
glad enough to avail themselves. Tho larger
tho mass to be forged, of course the fiorcer
must be the fire Of the furnace to bring the
IRON to welding condition; and when the
iron has to DO shaped by blows delivered at
hand, the strikers must come into close con-
tact with their work, and may not finch
from any temperature that can possibly he
borne. The protested Gro-kings who, in
public, enter heated ovens and remain dur
ing tho cooking of bread and meat, do not
breathe hotter air nor endure a higher
temperature than the anvil makers are sub
jectcd to during every day of their lives.
There is hardly n more interesting sight
throughout the iron regions than that which
a night visit to the forging room of the anvil
maker affords. The SHOP Is mado up OF
bricks and mortcr; u blazing furnace urged
by heated air to its highest power; an iron
curtain, itself glowing with red heat; huge
trip hammer worked by steam, with the
ponderous anvil that receives and repels its
blows; dozen other anvils, more or less,
around each of which are stacked sledge
hammers OF different Sizes; the foreman,
with long, huge tongs, moving tho half melt |
cd mass to and fro in tho Kissing fire; the
men, half naked, waiting, sledgos in hand, |
to hurl ponderous blows upon the mass the |
instant 1t is drawn; the lurid glare Of the |
fire, swar arms and breasts of tho workmen, |
blazing cnders that fly like chaff when the
blows fall, and close attention of every strlk- |
er to the lead the iron master ndicates-all |
make up scene that almost realizes the |
myth of Thor, who presided |
over the spirits who gave power TO the Gle |
ments.
The last operation in the forging of an an
vii is the welding of the steel that forms its
surface. II this is not perfect the whole re- |