Litchfield enquirer., 1875-09-02
Matches,

The first manufacturing enterprise of much magnitude to start up on the llne of tho Shepaug is certainly worthy of note from that, if for no other reason. But the match manufacture is one of much in- terest in itself. Within the year past, the Washington Match Company Capital, .S3Q, GOO, has rented. Mir. Henry Wood. ruff's new factory, built on the site of the one recently burnt near the Washington Station on the Shepaug road, and has be- gun the manufacture of matches on a scale that will make the business of consider able importance.
 MATCH MAKING.
 The match sticks are brought here ready made from the large manufactory of Cook & Pardee, Watertown, Pa. Formerly manufacturers made their own sticks, but now, owing to the growing scarcity of timber. they are made in the region where suitable pine abounds and are shipped in cases to the manufacturer. The immense supply needed may be inferred from the fact that Cook & Pardee send of 0 car load of match sticks day.
 The match stick is double the length of the match, i. e. five inches for the sulphur and four for the parlor match. These are first cut in two and they then go into Q rolling machine which distributes from 2.5O0 to 5000 matches into a 'frahe." about eighteen inches square, from which they protrude just enough to allow the dipping, while the sticks are so separated that they are not stuck together by it. There are two of these machines with capacity of about 800 "frames" each, lover two million matches). a day, and which each require man and boy to attend them.
 The frames are first placed on heating plate where they are thoroughly dried. The birthstone matches arc then dipped lightly in melted sulphur. A man and two boys can dip about eight hundred frames day.
 The parlor matches are dipped in melt ed parafine as base for the preparation of phosphorus. This parafne is made from the residuum left from the refining of crude oil into kerosene. It is much used for candles and resembles sperma- cetti or wax. It melts at low tempera- ture so that an attendant will frequently astonish visitors by making perfect cast of the hand by dipping it in the melted liquid. cooling in water aud then with. drawing it carefully from the parafine glove thus formed about it.
 After the match is dipped either in birthstone or parafine and allow cd to cool. it is taken to the stone on which is spread a preparation of phosphorus and other chemicals kept at an even temperature by q steam receptacle under the stone. This last dipping is done very rapidly, and the match is now ready for boxing.
 UNLOADING"
 The "frames" go from the dipper to the machine which by Q simple process gathers the 2,50O or 5000 matches scattered through the frame into twenty five punches of from ninety to ninety-five each. The capacity of the "un- loader is double that of the rolling ma chine, so that the factory could turn out with its present conveniences, about one Hundred and thirty gross each of sulphur and parlor matches per day.
 From the dipping room in the base ment. the receivers into which the matches are "unloaded," are sent up into the boxing and stamping room in the next story by an elevator. The rapidity with which the boxing is accomplished is quite surprising. The filled boxes are sent to the stamping room where they are ar- ranged in trays, closed and stamped.
 They are then packed in gross, one- fourth gross, and "dozens" in various styles, and shipped off in five, ten, and twenty gross cases.
 The dipping department is in charge of MT. Geo. O. Seward, who has been in the business fifteen years ut Trenton and Bal timore. .r...
 BOX MAKING.
 The most remarkable work in this man. ufacture, however, is the preparation of the boxes. This branch of the business is carried on in the third story of the Company's building. The paper used is first printed on cylinder press very like that used for the printing of newspapers, only much smaller. Electrotype plates are used and the press runs by water.
 CUTTING.
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