The Democratic advocate., 1879-06-07
PINS AND NEEDLEs.
An Interesting Chapter about these Use.
full Domestic Articles.

ful Domestic Articles.
Pins arc Of very ancient invention, as
they were manufactured BY the Egyptians
ih the time Of the Pharoahs. May OF
these useful articles were found ia the
tombs of her kings in the Pyramids. Some
of them were Of quite elaborate manufac-
ture, and must have been costly, as they
had gold heads and were six to eight in
ches in length. Needles are also supposed
to be of great antiquity, and their intro
duction in Europe is said to have taken
place at she time Of the Saracen invasion
and conquest Of Spain. The first needles
made in England were manufactured at
London by negro, who came there from
Spain during the reign of Queen Mary
He died without imparting the secret Of
his art; but il was subsequently recovered
10 1865 by one Elias Growse. A century
later one Christopher Greening was instru-
mental in establishinga factory at Long
Creadon, in Buckinghamshire
The first pins manufactured in England
were made at Gloucester in 1926; Init snb
sequentiy this industry was established la
Birmingham, and that city is now the
headquarters oe the pin trade Of Great
Britain. The best English pins are of
superior excellence, and are put up in
green paper; but inferior pins are also put
up in the same way, and are frequently
palmed of upon the unsuspecting purchaser
as the genuine production. When pins
we're first made in England the raw mate
rial passed through fourteen different pro-
eesses before completion, and each Of these
processes employed a separate operative.
The operations consisted Of strengthening
the wire, pointing, cutting into pin lengths,
twisting wire for heads, annealing heads,
: stamping heads, cleaning, Whitening,
washing polishing, winnowing, paper
prickiDg and putting in papers.
The business Of pin making was estab-
!, lished in this country in 1912, when, in
= consequence Of the war with Great Britain,
the price rose from six cents to one dollar
! per paper. Invention was consequently
! i stimulated, and pins were manufactured
= = at Greenwich, New York, or what now
= constitutes that part Of the metropolis in
: the vicinity Of Christopher street, west
I side. At the close Of hostilities the effort
u was abandoned, as we could no longer
= compete with English cheap labor and low
J rates Of interest. In 1920 the business
ie was resumed ut Bellevue Almshouse, but
:, soon was again abandoned In 1924 Lem
u uel Wright, of Massachusetts,, invented
= and patented in England the first machine
that made solid headed pins, but the en-.
!, terprise lacked encouragement, and il was
y nearly ten years subsequent before pins Of
. :, his make were sold in London. Perfect
pins by this process were manufactured
y during the revolution Of a single wheel,
'e and this machine, since considerably i'm
proved, is the one used at present in the
largest manufactures in Birmingham.
Since 1924 several Americans have pat
ented machines for making pins, but th,
most successful invention was the work o
!" a Mr.. Fowler. But the entire process
Il Il a mystery to the uninitiated, and the Sc
~ ~ cret is carefully kept hidden from euriou
~ ~ eyes Most Of the best American pin
- are made in Connecticut, after Fowler
=, s procass. In one establishment are eighty
.ne 1--WE machines, which consume annual
- many tons Of brass or iron wire, and tuI
pr e@r out millions Of pins. Brass pins are viii
~ ened by long boiling in copper vessels COZ
" VI tanning block tin. The process of maxim
y. white iron pins is still secret Ther
-n are eight pin factories in the United State
"a y, with an annual production Of about 900
~ COG, 900 pins.
" Pin-papers are marked by the use Of
~ nodded piece Of wood, which correspond
M to those portions representing the sma
~ folds, through which the holes are mad
y 4" for the pins to be secured The pir
y sticker, usually girl, gathers two Of th
~ ~ folds together, and places these betwee
~ ~ the jaws Of a vice having grooves TO serv
~ ~ as guide for the entry of the pins. Whe
=. filed the paper is released and held up s
- - that the eye Of the expert at once detect
~ 'lSi' every defective pin, and causes It's remova
"' Needles differ from pins in being mad
Of steel, and having an eye for the receI
ton of thread, sharper poiut, and
highly polished body. English needles {
the best makes are very elastic, the met,
'Ok %, being suitably tempered, and the eyes a
ny finely finished and FURNISHED, so as not /
are cut the thread. A great many needle
ey' are spoiled while in the process Of temper
nt' ing, as the steel Of which they are mad
ice ice is apt to be so variable in quality, and
ne heated state, while undergoing chemici
ien i.h action, they are easily injured Scourin
we is also delicate operation, and needl,
aus when not properly hardened and polishe
ley are always Of inferior strength and quick
rs accumulate rust.--Ne,0 York Mercanfi
ms. journal