The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-26
,T - .IJae ,'iw "' ,''''i -. Al .,.rI
MN o11u 1ie,h tod the f3res Of }lis nation

annually lighted the fires OF his nation
at the winter solstice by means of con.
cave mirrors fashioned from masses of
iron pyrites, polished to the .brilliancy
of silver: But though the Incas pro!
fessed to be SONS tof the sun the latter
did not always shine. on the festival
given in biz. honor and then the lighting
of the new fire by his direct action be-
came impossible. r, In such cases the fire
was kindled by friction. 'nE9' ..~ -
About the middle of the Seventeenth
century it was discovered that phos-
phorus by friction would ignite a stick
that had been dipped in sulphur. Phos-
phorus, however, did not come into
general use as means of obtaining fire
for more than $50 years after its utility
for that purpose was discovered, though
during the interval several new methods
Of using it were devised. All these
early modes Of producing fire by chemi-
cal means were crude. and none Of them
were such improvements on the flint:
and steel as to come into general use.
Less time was consumed in starting the
genial fame, but the materials used
were expensive and the time gained was
more than sunk in the greater cost.
Most of our readers who have reached
or passed middle age can remember the
matches of their childhood's days. They
were small sticks. the ends Of which had
been dipped in melted sulphur. With
these and q vial containing oxide Of
phosphorus. produced by partially
burning a piece of phosphorus in the
confined air OF the vial, the more enter
prising of our fathers prided themselves
upon possessing the latest improvements
in fire making, but not untrequently
they were forced to resort to the old
and ever reliable flint. steel and tinder-
box. .!..., :. s.. .., ,.':.~.,... ..
In 1929 an English chemist discovered
that chlorate Of potash would ignite
by friction, and with this discovery the
era of friction matches" began. Pro-
fessor Faraday, whose contributions to
scientific knowledge have since then rem.
dered him famous, suggested that nitre
of saltpetre should be used in lieu Of
chlorate of potash to avoid the explo-
sion made by the ignition Of the latter
substance; while by mixture of stear-
inc with the sulphur the Objectionable
fumes were lessened. .:..."s-.
In the United States the first patent
for the invention of friction matches
was granted to Alonzo D. Phillips OF
Springfield, Mass, on the Oath day Of
October, 1885, which patent covered the
use of q mixture consisting of glue,
phosphorus, chalk: and sulphur. We
have no record of the manufacture Of
matches in the United States as spe-
cial industry until after the issuance of
this patent, and it was not until some
years later that the new-fangled things !
came into general use. But factories
sprang up, processes OF manufacture
were improved, the price was reduced,
and about 1910 "locofeco"' matches be-
came quite common. ..,s.- ~. s:....
Since that time the improvements in
matches has been numerous and their
has grown to be 8 busi-
ness of far greater magnitude than is
supposed, involving the In
vestment of large capital and affording
remunerative employment to thousands,
of hands. The latest United States
census reports seventy-6ve establish
ments engaged in the manufacture of
matches, with an invested capital Of
81 ,521 ,805; twenty mine steam engines
aggregating 359 horse power, and nine
teen water-wheels representing 449
horse power, furnish the motor for driv-
ing the machinery. The number of
is stated at 2, 1855, of whom 6O9
are males above the age OF sixteen, and
,OS9 females over fifteen years Of age,
the balance, 858, being children. The
wages paid amounted to 1916, TIA, the
consumed were valued at
81, ITS, ,6e6, and the finished products
we're worth So, ,540,008. " .!