Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-05-02

! tnelr famlllar boxes, with red and blue
and yellow labels. The matches Of fifty
years ago were very clumsy affairs
compared with the 'parlor' and safety
matches Of to-day; but they were great
Improvements upon the first in use.
Those small sticks dipped in melted
sulphur, and sold in tin box with
n small bottle Of oxide Of phos-
phorus, were regarded by our
forefathers as signs of "ten-
leagued progress" Later a compound
made of Ghlorate Of potash and sulphur
was used on the splints. This ignited
upon being dipped in sulphuric acid.
In 1929 an English chemist discovered
that matches on which had been placed
chlorate Of potash could be ignited by
friction. Atterward, at the suggestion
OF Professor Foraday, saltpeter was
substituted for the chlorate, and then
the era Of friction matches lighted by
rubbing was fairly begun. But the
match of to-day has story more in
teresting than that of the old. fashioned
match. AS we have said, much Of
the timber used in the manufacture
comes from the immense tracts of for
csts in the Hudson Bay territory. 1t is
! ioated down the water courses to the
lakes, through which it Is towed in great
log RATS. These RATS are divided,
some parts are pulled through the
canals, and some by other means are
taken to market. When well through
the seasoning process, which occupies
from one to two years, the pine is cut
up into blocks twice a5 long rs match
and about 8 inches wide by . inches
thick. These blocks are passed through
u machine which cuts them into
"splints," round or square, Of
Just the thickness Of match, but
twice its length. The machine is
capable, rs we are told Of making
about 100000 splints day. This
number seems immense when compar-
ed with the most that could be made in
the old way-by hand. These splints
are then taken to the Setting" machine
and this rolls them into bundles about
eighteen inches in diameter, every
splint separated from its neighbors by
little spaces, so that there may be no
sticking together after the dipping"
In the operation of setting" u ribbon
of coarse stuff about an inch and Il half
wide and an eighth Of an inch thick is
rolled up, the splints being laid across
the ribbon between each two courses,
leaving about quarter of an inch be-
tween adjoining spints. 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 Dip
ped, both ends, into the molten sui
phur, and then into the phosphorus
solution, which is spread over Il large
IRON plate. Next they are hung in Il
frame to dry. When dried they are
placed in machine which, rs it unrolls
the ribbon. cuts the sticks IN two across
tire middle, thus making two complete
matches Of each splint. The match is
made. The towering pine, which lis
tened to the whisper of the south wind
and swayod i'll the cold northern
blast, has been so divided that
we can take II bit by bit
and lightly twill it between two fingers.
Bat what it has lost IN size it has gain
ed in use. The little flame it carries,
and which looks so harmless, flashing
into brief existence, has IL latent power
more terrible than the whirlWind which
perhaps sent the tall pine tree crashing
to the ground. But the story is not yet
closed From the machine which
completed the matches they are taken
to the "boxes," mostly girls and women.
who place them in little boxes. The
speed with which this is done is SUR
prising. With one hand they pick up
an empty case and remove the cover
while with the other they seize Just a
sufficient number of matches and by IA
peculiar shullling motion arrange them
evenly; then It's done. The little pack
ages ofsleeping fire are taken to another
room, where on each one is placed
stamp certifying the payment to the
government of | cent revenue tax.
Equipped with these passes, the
boxes are placed in larger ones,
and these again III wooden
cases which are to be shipped to all
parts of the country and over seas. All
this trouble over such little things ms
matches! Yet on these iire-tipped bits
of wood, millions Of people depend for
warmth, cooked food and light. They
have become necessity, and the day
Of flint and steel and tlnder seems al
most rs lar away in the past as are the
bow and tire.stick OF the Indian.
Some idea OF the number of matches
used in North America during Il year
may be gained from the fact that ii il
estimated by competent judges that ON
M average six matches are used every
day by each inhabitants this gives II
grand total Of 81 400, 100000 matches,
without counting those exported. Now,
this would make n single line, were the
matches end to end, more than 100000
miles III length 1t would take rail
road train almost eight years To go from
one end to the other, running forty
miles I'M hour all the time. How apt to
our subject is that almost worn-out
Latin phrase, "muRum IN pdrto''-
much in little Much labor. much skill
and much usefulness all in little
piece Of wood scarcely one-eight OF an
Inch through and about two inches
long
r.