Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-28

the merciless saw-teeth as he sent a
ceaseless shower of parts of horns rafting
into their respective boxes. Before he
left the spot Paul took pencil and made
an estimate.
'Why, uncle" he said, ''to cut so fast
as that, he must saw over three horns
every minute for ten hours a day. l
wouldn't think he could handle them so
fast"
Then as he saw how rapidly one horn
after another was finished, he drew forth
his little watch and found that the rug
ged old sawyer finished horn every ten
minutes with perfect ease.
"WOulN you like to learn this trader"
the old fellow asked. He held out his
hands with the stumps of fingers and
thumbs outspread; but Paul only laughed
and followed his uncle.
They watched a boy wheeling bar
row-lOad of the horns as they came from
the saw, and beheld them placed in enor-
nous revolving cylinders, through which
a stream of water was running, where
they remained until pretty thoroughly
washed. Being removed from these,
they were plunged into boilers ranged
along one side of the building, filled with
hot water.
"Here they are heated" said Mr.. San
ford, "tO clear them from any adhering
matter that the cold water does not re-
move, and partially softencd, ready for
the next operation"
From the hot water the horns were
changed to a series of similar caldrons
at the other side of the room, filled with
boiling oil. Paul noticed that when the
workmen lifted the horn from these watts
their appearance was greatly changed,
being muchless opaque, and considerably
plastic, opening readily at the longitu-
dinal cut made by the saw. AS the
horns were taken from the Oil they were
flattened by unrolling, and placed be-
tween strong iron clamps which were
firmly screwed together and put upon
long tables in regular order.
"Now begin to see how it is DONE"
Paul said. ~
"The oil softens the horn, said Mr..
Sanford, ''and by placing it in this firm
pressure and allowing it to remain till it
becomes fixed, the whole structure is so
much changed that it never rolls again
Some combs, you Will notice, are of
whitish, opaque color, like the natural
horn, while others have a smooth appear
ance,' are Of amber color, and almost
transparent. The former are pressed be-
tween cold irons and placed in cold wa
ter, while the others are hot pressed, it
being "cooked'' in few minutes These
plates of horn may be colored; and there
are great many stortoise-shell' combs
and other goods sold which are only horn
with bit of color sprinkled upon it.
''The solid tips Of the horns, and all the
hot NJ ri h of
making the combs, are made up into horn
jewelry, chains, cigar-holders, knife
handles, buttons and toys Of various
kinds. These trinkets are generally col
ored more or less, and many a fashion
able belle, suppose, would be surprised
to know the amount of money paid for
odd bits of horn under higher sounding
names. But the horn is tough and ser
viceable, at any rate, and that is more
than can be said of many of the cheats we
meet with in life"
The next room. in contrast with all
they had passed through previously, was
neat and had no repulsive odors. Here
the sheets of horn as they came from the
presses were first cut by delicate circular
saws into blanks of the exact size for the
kind of combs to be made, after which
they were run through planer, which
gave them the proper thickness.
They stepped to another part of the
room; and here Paul saw the "blanks"
placed in the cutting machine standing
over hot furnance, while, after being
softened by the heat, they were slowly
moved along, while pair Of thin chisels
danced sup and down, cutting through
the centre of the blank at each stroke.
When it had passed through, an assistant
took the perforated blank and pulled it
carefully apart, showing two combs with
the teeth interlaced. After separation
they were again placed together to hard
en- under pressure, when the final opera
tons consist of beveling the teeth on
wheels covered with sandpaper, rounding
the backs, rounding and pointing the
teeth; after which came the polishing,
papering and putting in boxes.
~ suppose they go all over the coun-
try" said Paul, as he glanced into the
shipping-room-
Much farther than that was the re-
ply. eve never know how far they go;
for the wholesale dealers, to whom the
combs are shipped from the manufactury,
sends them into all the odd corners of the
earth Every little dealer must sell
combs, and in the very nature of the
business they frequently pass through a
great many hands before reaching the
user, so at the last the price is many
times what the makers receive for them.
While Paul was watching the deft fin
gers of the girls who filed the boxes and
affixed the labels, his uncle stepped
through door communicating with the
office, and soon returned with three ele-
CANT pocket combs.
zone of these" he said, represents a
horn which came from the pampas of
Buenos Ayres; this one, in the original,
dashed over the boundless plains of
Texas; and here IS another, tOughened
by the hot, short summers and long, Bit
ter winters of Canada. Take them with
you in memory of this cherries, rainy
day."
Paul could not help little sigh as he
thought again of the pleasures he had an
ticlpated; but still he answered bravely:
ssThank you; never mind the rain, dear
uncle. All the New York boys go off in
the woods when they get away from
home; but not many Of them ever heard
how combs are made, and l don't suppose
quarter of them even know what they
are made Of can tell them thing or
two when get home.''
Manual Education.