Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-19
Glass Eyes.

Passing a sign in the narrow door
way reading "Glass Eyes inserted,
and going up a steep flight of stairs
the reporter and his companion founc
themselves in the parlor of the i'm
porter.
=" Yes, import all my human eyes,
said he, land sell them at uniform
price of ten dollars each. There is q
larger sale for them than you NIGH
think. They are merely shells made tc
tit over the face of the oye-ball, as you
see."
He took q brown-irsed eve out of lis
padded case and handed it over for in.
spection. 1t was simply shell of glass,
with perfectly smooth edges, shaped to
cover the eye-ball from muscle to mus
Gle The iris, pupil and veins that
traverse tho white of the eye werc deli
cately painted in exact imitation of q
natural orb.
The shell, at first" remarked the
importer, sis concave bit of pure
crystal. 1t is then passed to the painter,
who colors it on the inside, and thence
1t goes to be fired. A small particle of
glaze is placed in the hollow, upon the
painting, and when the firing is COM
plete the colors are fixed between two
plates of glass, as it were. Unless
broken, through carelessness, the glass
eye will keep its color and usefulness
for ten years or more"
"ls there any difficulty in inserting
themp"
None at all. Stand right still for
minute"
Slightly turning back the reporters
upper eyelid, the artist inserted the
upper edge of one of the shells; he
moved 1t sidewise and upward with a
dextcrous motion Of his fingers and
then, with little click, il settled into
place, completely covering the eye-ball
and Of course binding the eve for the
time being. Beyond slight feeling of
fullness, which it was declared would
soon wear away, there was no pain or
discomfort noticeable.
1--WE have quite rs many gentlemen
as lady customers" came the response
to question.
"When it is possible to cover so
prom nent Disagreement as an injured
eye, there is no question that duty to
the public demands the wearing of
these shells. They are not painful
or injurious. There is no danger of
their falling out, as the muscles OF the
eye keep them in place, and when
their durability is considered il
will be seen that they are very cheap.
g Yes; sometimes il is difficult to get
a perfect match for good eye. The
size of the iris, the size of the pupil, the
veins and color of the white, as well as
The size of the shell and color of the
iris. must be matched exactly
They are to be taken out at night,
like set of false teeth, supposep"
"Of course, of course; otherwise an
awkward accident might happen.
Now. here is an eye that does not need
70 be taken out from one years end to
The other"
He handed over q solid crystal, with
I six-inch wire inserted in the under
'ide. The coloring was not so delicate
rs in the shells, and the entire work
was inferior.
THAT is homemade eye. II was
TO order for an amateur
axidermist, who means TO insert it i'm
he head of cas which he is stufling
or an old lady on Seventh street. This |
$ very fertile branch of our business,
IS we sell a great many more of these
han oi the human crystals. The price |
8, OF course. much lower, and varies
Tlth the number and kind wanted.--
.incianai AD2asrsr.