The Osceola times., 1884-01-19
HOW CANES ARE MADE.
rhe Different Kinds of Wood Used ana
where they Come From.


Comparatiyely few understand how
and where the material is gathered, or
the process of its manufacture into canes
and umbrella handles. The Chicago
Times furnishes some information on
these points. According to that paper,
many of the canes are imported woods,
some from the tropics, China, and the
East Indies. The celebrated Whongec
canes are from China, where they are
well-known and celebrated for the regu-
larity of their joints, which are the
points from which the leaves are given
off. and the stems of a species OF phyllo-
siachys, gigantic grass, closely allied TO
the bamboo. The orange and lemon are
highly priced and are imported chiefly
from the West Indies, and perfect speci-
mems command enormous prices. The
orange stick is known by its beautiful
green bark, with fine white longitudinal
markings, and the lemon by the sym
metry of its proportions and both pro
minence and regularity of its knots.
Myrtle sticks possess also value, since
their appearance is so peculiar that
their owner would seldom fail to recog-
nize them. They are imported from Al
geria. The raiah is an importation. 1t
,is the stem Of palm, and a species oi
calamus. 1t is grown in Borneo, and
takes its name from the fact that the
raiah will not allow any to go out Of the
country unless heavy duty is paid
These canes, known as palm canes. ar(
distinguished by an angular and more
or less fiat appearance.
Their color is brcwnish, spotted, anC
they are quite straight, with neithe
knob nor curl. They are the peticles D
leaf stalks of the date palm. Perhap
the mos. celebrated of the foreign cane
are the Malaccl, being the stems of tn
Calamus sceptonum, slender climbing
palm, and not growing about Malacca, a
the name would seems to indicate bu
: imported from Stak, on the opposite
coast of Sumatra. Other foreign cane
are of ebony, rosewood, partridge, o
hairwood, and cactus, which, when tn,
pi.h is cut out, present most novel ap
pearance-hollow, and full Of holes.
The manufacture of canes is by NJ
means the simple process Of cutting thu
sticks in the woods, peeling off the harl
, whiting down the knots, and sand pa
pering the rough surface, and adding
touch of varnish, Il curiously carve,
, handle or head, and tipping the end Will
ferrule. In the sand flats of New Jer
scy whole families support themselIe
: by gathering nanneberry sticks. whiCl
. they gather in the swamps, straightel
? with an old wise, steam over an old ket
tie, and perhaps scrape down or whittl
r into size. These are packed into larg
bundles to New York city, and 'old T.
r the cane factories.
Many imported sticks, however hav
! to 90 through process of stfaightenin
= by mechanical means, which are myster
5 to the uninitiated. They are buried il
: hot SAND until they become pliable. i
) front of the heap OF hot sand inwhich the
! are plunged is a stout board from five t
, six feet long, fhed at an angle incline
! TO the workman, and having two or NOR
=. notches cut in the edge. When tn
stick has become perfectly pliable, IT,
workman places II on one of the notchc
and bending it in the opposite directio
TO which it is naturally bent, straighten
it.
I Thus sticks apparently crooked, ben
warped, and worthless, are by this sin
pie process Strengthened; but the mos
curious part Of the work is observed i
the formation Of the crook or curl for tn
| handles which are not naturally SUI
piled with hook or knob. The work
man places one end of tn cane in Wis,
and p0urs continuous ,trcam of fir
from gas pipe on the part which is t
= be bent. When sufficient heat has bee
applied, the cane is pulled slowly an
gradually rounl till the hook is con
pletely formed, and then secured wit
' Il string. An additional application {
heat serves to bake and permanently fl
the curl. The under part of the haHil
!, is frequently charred by the action
the gas. and is then rubbed down wit
sand paper until the requisite degree ,
smoothness is attained.