National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-03
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STATISTICS OF THE GLASSFYE

! STATISTICS OF THE GLASSEYE
TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES.
IL is not generally known that the entire
glass-eye business of the United States is in
the hands of one firm, Messrs. Thiesman s.
Paulding, Of Pittsburg, and but few people
have any idea Of the immensely of their bust
ness. There is in the United States deficit of
some 6O,OOO eyes. OF this number about g.
900 make use of glsss-eyes. Some rich, arts
tocratic old gentlemen have their ewes made to
order. Those are manufactured by hand, with
great care and nicely, a certain fire and viOor
being thrown into them more then realistic
We know Mr.. johnson who is greatly ion
proved BY wearing one Of these glass eyes. The
Young ladies dote on him, and saw he locke
Ike poet, "his eye with such fine frenzy roll
ing" Such are some Of the advantages Of L
glass eye. -a.... ...t :.
The cheapest kind of eyes are the light blue.
These are sold in large quantities, The Door
people, who cannot afford luxurjes, usually
wear these, whatever the color of their natural
optics. When a man has genuine black eye
supplemented by one of dim, dismal blue, it
produces weird effect. The strange appear
ance is still more heightened when the black
eye gives evidence Of glass or 50 too much OF
whisky; its contrast with the sleepy sober
ness of the blue eye is apt to astOnish =
stranger.
Several years ago Messrs. Theismaa &
Paulding were burnt out in the big fire in
Pittsburg. The sorpow, the ruin, the misery
this caused can only be appreciated by a one
eyed man. Almost all had to content them
selves with secondhand eyes. dim, and con-
siderably the worse for wear and tear.
A well-known merchant of New York, who
was wanting in optics, dissected doll of his
daughter to procure an eye, so that he might
appear in society decentIy, and a poor man in
TINS very city, in a similar strait, made use Of
those large yariegated crystals of which chill
dren are so fond. His eye Of many eolors pro-
duced quite sensation, and Messrs. Theis-
man 81 Paulding threw a quantity of Dolly
Warden eyes on the market, but somehow theT
did not take and become the fashion, and the
cargo was an entire loss.
Mcssrs. Theisman & Paulding have almost
entirely banished the French glass eye from
this continent; the English eve never took well
here; was never popular. They are now en-
gagged in supplying the Chinese market, and
have invented a new patented aquiline eye
just suited for the NOngolans. They are also
patentees Of the strabismic glass eye, suitable
for cross or cock eyed people.
With each dozen glass eyes, copy Of direc-
tons how to wear glass eyes are sent II is to
be hoped that this book will be. studied, as
some of our best citizens display adisgracefuI
carelessness in the manner in which they wear
their eyes. To Oe glared at by an. eye upside
down is apt to disturb man; indeed, it is ex-
tremely disagreeable.
We understand that two gentlemen of this
city, who have been in the cotton business, in
tend to start q glass-eye mandatory. We
see no reason why this industry should not
succeed here as well as at Pittsburg. Why
should we depend on the North for our supply
Why should brave Southrons, who freely
spilled their gore during the late struggle, see
through Northern eyes2 This new
industry will give employment SO many idle
hands, to much idle capital. Come on with
your glass eyes-Ne10 Orleans Pieay1uls.