The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-22

THE th'mble is Dutch invention that
was first brought to England ia 1895 by
one John Lofting, who began its manu>
faCture at IslingtOn, near London gain
ing thereby both honor and profit. Its
name was derived from the words thumb
and bell, being for long time called
tumble, and only lately thimble. Old
records say that thimbles were first worn
on the thumbs, but we can scracely con-
ceive how they could be of much use
there. Formerly they were made of brass
and iron only, but of late years steel, sill
yer, gold, horn, ivory and even pearl and
glass have all been used in making Thin
bles. Some very beautiful ones were seen
in China that were exquisitely carved, of
pearl, and bound with gold, and the end
also of gold. These pearl thimbles are
quite costly and far prettier than those
made entirely of gold. Usually there is
pearl sheath for the scissors, and a
dainty needle book of pearl, edged with
gold, to accompany the thimble, and the
whole is enclosed in an exquisite little
pocket case shaped like book and bound
in satin and pearl. A thimble owned by
the queen consort of Siam is shaped like
lotus bud, this being the royal flower Of
that country, and almost everything
about the court bearing, in greater o.
less degree, some impress of the lotus
This thimble is of gold, thickly stubbe(
with diamonds, that are so arranged as tt
form the lady's name and the date of he
marriage 1t was a bridal gift from til,
king, who, having seen the English ant
American ladies at his court using thin
bles took this methods of introducing
them among his own people. In Naples
very pretty thimbles. composed of lay'
| from Mount Vesuvius, are occasionally
sold, but rather as curlosities than fol
utility, being from the extreme brittlenes
of the lava, very easily broken. We have
also heard of thimble made of asphaltum
from the Dead Sea, and of one composed
of fragment of the old elm tree at Cam
bridge, Mass, under which Genera
Washington stood when taking command
of the United States army in July, 1775
but 1t is not supposed that any of thes
were ever intended to be using in sewing
In the ordinary manufacture of gold ami
silver thimbles thin plates of the meta
are introduced into the die and theI
punched into shaped But in Paris tn
French have way of their own, quit
different from ours, for making gold thin
bles that are said to be much more durabl
than those made in the usual way. Piece
of very thin sheet iron are cut into disks 0
about two inches in diameter These
after being heated to redness, are stuc
bv means of punch into succession o
holes of gradually increasing depth t
give the proper shape. The thimble
then trimmed, polished and indente
around its outer surface with tiny holes
It is next converted into steel by process
called concentration; then tempered, SCOUT
ed and brought to bright color. Ate
all this is completed thin sheet of gol
is introduced into the interior and faster
, ed to the steel by mandrci, while gol
leaf is attached firmly BY pressure to th
outside, the edges being scanned in
small groove made to receive them. Tn
completes the thimble that will last fc
years. The steel used in its constructio
| will scarcely wear out in long Lifetime
2 and the gold, if worn away, is easily re
t placed.