The Portland daily press., 1879-09-10
How the Modern Bow and Arrow
are Made.


In Rhode Island there is a large factory used
entirely for making the costly bows and arrows
used in the pretty sport of lawn archery. A
correspondent who has visited the establish
ment tells in the following words how the ar.
ticles are made: We were first taken into a
room where the arrows are made. 1t is no
small thing to make an arrow. We used to
think so in our childhood days when we whit
tied industriousy on pine stick with a case
knife. We are quite sure of it now. For tar
get practice, thoroughly seasoned pine is used
for arrows; ash and harder woods are employed
for those used in hunting The wood from
which the bows and arrows are made in this
establishment must be thoroughly seasoned
when subjected to such heat as came from the
little room packed full of timber of all kinds
into which we were permitted to enter, and
from which we gladly beat hasty retreat.
These thoroughly seasoned pine boards are cut
into small strips, which are again cut into
lengths suitable for arrows. A machine takes
these angular strips and elects them perfectly
rounded. The best arrows are footed with q
wedge of heavier wood. Some contend that
there is an advantage in this, and others dis
pute it. Drayton would seem to have given
the reason in this couplet from song of his
..Iheir arrows paired for timber and for feather,
With birch and brazil pieced to fly in any weather"
While the gluing and the polishing of the
wood is going on in one part OF the room the
horn in which the mock is cut is making out of
pieces shaped and followed to fit over the wood
OF the arrow, which also receives at the point
a covering of brass or steel. The arrow is now
taken up stairs to be feathered and decorated
The ancients used peacock feathers, though
Roger Ascham scorned them. and thought only
the feathers OF goose were proper to wing an
Ia - ~
feathers of the turkey are used by the bushel,
and are obtained from Chicago. A young girl
strips the feathers from the nlid-rib, keeping
several busy trimming them into proper shapes,
while others glue the pieces to the arrow,
which, polished, stained, and coated with shell
lac or varnish, has been prepared for them, lit
tie Sits having been made in them by ma
chine at the right distances. Some of the
feathers are colored green and red. This is
generally the case with the cock feather, as
the one at right angles with the mock is called,
for the reason that it shows which way the ar
row is placed upon the string. In another room
we find woman decorating the arrows with
bands of bright colors above the feathers. AZ
ter this the arrows are weighed, the number of
their weight is stamped upon them. and they
are packed for transportation in quivers Of
dozen each.
Many kinds of wood are used in making
bows, among Which are some beautifully varie-
gated woods from South America The lance
and hickory take the lead among the common
varieties, and the elegant snake-wood, backed
with hickory makes one of the incest bows that
is made. The snake-wood takes a beautiful
polish, and owing to its responsive nature.
sends the arrow farther and with more certain
ty than bow made of any other kind of wood.
The incest bows are planed by hand, great
care being required to make the sides curve ex-
actly alike, as any deviation Injuries the eff
cheney of the bow. The ends of the bows are
carved out of horn. The incest bows are tipped
with buffalo horn. 1t takes long course of
cutting, planning, gluing, bending, polishing,
staining and vanishing to make the bow
ready. A piece of cork is shaped and glued to
the centre and covered with plush to make the
handle. The power of the bow is measured by
the number of pounds it pulls, spring scale
being used for the purpose of showing this A
right thing for lady, and fifty pounds for
gentleman.