The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-03-12
How ,ra,che. are ,inde.

A match is q small thing. We seldom
pause 10 think, after il has performed its
N ssion, and we have carelessly thrown
II away, that Il has history Of its own,
aud that, like some more pretentioua
things, its journey from the forest TO the
match-safe is full Of changes.
The match OF to-day has story far
more interesting than that OF the old
fashioned match AZ we have said much
of the timber used in the manufacture
comes from the immense tracts OF forest
in the Hgdson Bay Territory 1t is
hoated down the water course TO the
lakes, through which il is towed in great
log-rafts. These rats are divided; some
parts are pulled through the canals, and
some by other means are taken 10 mark
ct. When well through tbs seasoning
process, which occupies from one TO two
years, the pine is cut up into blocks
twice as long as q match, and about
eight inches wide by two inches thick.
These blocks are passed through ma
chine which cuts them up into "splints"
round or square, OF Just the thickness OF
a match, but twice its length. This ma
chine Is cap. ble, as We are told, Of max
ing about 1000. 900 splints in a day.
This number seems immense when COM
pared with the most that could be made
IN the old way-by hand. The splints
are then taken 70 the setting" machine,
and this rolls them into bundles about
eighteen inches in diameter, every splint
separated from its neighbor by little
spaces 30 that there may be no sticking
together after the dipping. In the
operation Of setting" ribbon Of
coarse stuff about an inch and half
wide, and an eighth Of On inch thick, is
rolled up, the sphnts being laid across
the ribbon between each two coarses,
leaving about q quarter Of an inch be-
tween adjoining sphnts. From the
setting" machine the bundles go to the
dipping" room.
After the ends Of the splints have
been pounded down TO make them even,
the bundles are dipped-both ends-in-
20 the molten sulphur and then into the
phosphorus solution, which is spread
over q large iron plate. Next they are
hung in frame 10 dry. When dried
they are placed in machine, which as
it unrolls the ribbon cuts the sticks in
two across the middle, thus making two
complete matches Of each splint.
The match is made. The towering
pine which listened To- the whisper Of
the south wind az q swayed in the cold
northern blast, has been so divided that
we ke it bit By bit and lightly twirl il
between two fingers. But what 1t hns
lost in size IL has gained in use. The
little 9ame il carries, and which looks
50 harmless, flashing into brief exist
ence, has a latent power, moro terrible
than the vhirlwind which perhaps sent
the tai pine tree crushing TO the ground.
Ba, the story is not yet closed From
the machine which completed the
matches they are taken to the boxers"
mostly girls and women-who place them
in little boxes. The speed with which
this 10 done 10 surprising. With one
hand they pick mp the empty cases and
remove the covers, while with the other
they seize just q sualdsnt number Of
matches, and by peculiar shutting mo-
ton arrange then evenly, then-'as
donel
The little packages Of sleeping Gre are
taken 10 another room, where on each
one is placed stamp certifying the pay
nent TO the government OF one cent rev.
enue tax Equipped with these passes,
the boxes are placed il larger ones, and
these again in wooden cases, which nre
.hipped to ell parts Of the country, and
over the seas.
AL this trouble over such little things
a. matchesl Yet on these fire-tipped
bits of wood millions Of people depend
for warmth, cooked food, and light -
They become n necessity, and the day Of
flint, steel and tinder seems almost as
far away in the past as arc the bow and
fiTe-sticks Of the Indian.
How apt TO our subject Is that almost
worn-out Latin phrase, "multum IN Por-
20. much in httlel Much labor, much
skill, and much usefulness, al in q little
piece of wood scarcely one-eight OF an
inch through and about two inches long
IF. II. O., ST. Nicholas for March.