Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-08
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 factory tells
us In the following words how the articles were
made:
We wer" first taken into a room where ar
rows are made. 1t Is no small thing to make
an arrow. We used to think so in our childish
days when we whitfield industriously on pine
now. For target practice thoroughly seasoned
pine is used for arrows; ash and harder Wood
for those used in hunting.
The wood from which the bows and arrows
are made in this establishment must be thor
oughiy seasoned when subjected to such heat
as came from the little room packed full Of tim
Der OF all kinds into which we were permitted
to enter and from which we gladly beat a
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 sound The best arrows
are footed with wedge OF heavier wood Some
that there Is an in this
given the reason in this couplet from song of
Their arrows paired for timber and for feather
With birds and brazil pieced to fly in any weather"
While the gluing and polishing of the wood
Is going in one part Of the room the horn in
which the neck is cut is made out OF pieces
shaped and followed to fit over the wood OF the
arrow, which also receives at the point cover
ing of brass or steel The arrow Is now taken
up stairs to be feathered and decorated The
ancient used peacock feathers, though Roger
Ascham scorned them, and thought only the
feathers OF goose was proper to wing an ar
row on its way.
At this factory the stiff feathers Of the tur-
key are used by the buShel, and are obtained
from Chicago.
A young girl strips the feathers from the mid
rib, keeping several busy trimming them into
proper shapes while others glue the pieces to
the arrow, which, polished, stained and coated
with Shellac or varniSh, has been prepared for
Them little Sits having been made In them by
machine at the right distances. Some Of the
feathers are colored green and red. This Is gen.
orally the cock feather, as the one at right ang-
les with the mock Is called for the reason that
1t shows which way the arrow is placed upon
the string.
In another room we find woman decorating
the arrows with bands Of bright cOlorS above
the feathers. After this the arrows are weighed,
the number Of their weight Is stamped upon
them and they are packed for transportation
In qu1verS OF dozen each.
Many kinds of wood are used in making
bows, among which are some beautifully va
rtegated woods from South America The lance
and hickory take the lead among the common
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 certainty
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 deficiency Injuries the eff
cheney of the bow. The ends of the bows are
carved out of horn. 1t takes a long course of
cutting, planning, gluing, bending, polishing,
staining and vanishing to make the bow ready.
piece of cork is shaped and glued to the CEN
tire and covered with plush to make the handle.
The power of bow is measured by the number
of pounds it pulls, spring scale being used for
the purpose of doing this A bow pulling
thirty pounds is considered the right thing for
lady, and fifty pounds for gentleman.