The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-07-31
AMdeEagM IntelliaeaeeE,
A Talk About Needles.

"Mamma, what do they make needles
off" asked Dorothea, as che looked up
from her sewing.
She was Bright. eyed little girl Of
seven years, of an inquiring turn of mind
and industrious in her habits.
"Of wire, Dorothea," replied her
mother.
"steel wiref"
"Yes."
ut must be very fine ?"
at is SO thin that $4,000 ordinary
needles can be made out of one pound
of the wire"
"Do they make one needle at time"
mo, dear; that would be very Glow
process. and would make them rather
expensive. One hundred dires eight
feet long are placed Ia bundle and cut
into proper sizes by a powerful pair Of
shears; IL is 30 arranged that one man
can easily cut 100000 needles in a dsy
of twelve hours"
Dorothea's eyes widened.
"Hou are they polished 7" she asked.
II hardly know whether can explain
the operation TO you" replied her mother.
"The needles are tied up in bundles, and
are placed in what Is called the securing.
machine. They are KEEP, 10 motion from
eight to ten hours. which gives them
silvery appearance"
"That seems simple enough" observed
Dorothea.
II didn't cay they came out Of the
machine polished" resumed her mother.
1.-THE roles are then covered with putty.
powder and oil, wrapped In canvas, and
placed in a similar machine called the
polishing mschine. A third process is
necessary. The canvas is removed and
the needles are agitated in vessel filled
with soft soap and water"
"Ip order to remove the oil?" Dorolhea
asked.
"Yes, dear. They are finally dried iu
ash.wood sawdust, after which they are
tempered"
(which means made brittle, don't it,
mammal"
"Jnst 30. 1t Is done by makinp them
hot, pluuging them into oil, ant after
ward burning of the OIL"
Dorothea was -r-y much interested.
She closciy exan. y ed the needle which
she had ia her hand.
Mamma, do they drill the eyes and
sharpen the needles before they temper
them 7" she asked.
"Yes, Dorothea. was getting along
too fast in my description. A clever
workman will drill aud polish the holea
os seventy thousand needles week."
THAT is large number, mamma. Are
they sbarpened on q grindstone ?"
"Yes."
zone needle 1T O timer"
"Oh, no. An expert grinder will hold
twenty Of the wires at once againYt
the stone, presenting all their points by
n dexterous movement OF the thumb
Dorothea pushed her inquiries.
"Whsre are needles principally made,
mnmma9"
I'm Redditch, email town near Birm.
ingham, in England. 1t is tho great
center Of the needle trade, and II may be
said that 1t has supplied the whole world
for almost two hundred years. Ninety
millions of needles are turned out every
week."
Itwas larger number than Dorothea's
mind could grasp.
"Did they use needles in old times ?"
she asked.
''They are mentioned by some very
old writer's. The beautiful Babylonian
embroiderieB, which were often mrtle out
Of gold thread, were wrought wi.h nee.
dies, The body of the wife Of the Emperor
Honorius, whose grave was discovered at
Rome in 1914, was wrapped up in an
embroidered dreas, from which thirty.
six pounds of gold were obtained. The
needles used by the ancient Egyptians
were made of bronze. They had no eyes
in them, owing to the difficulty of pierc.
ing such minute holes In the metal"
Dorothea put away her patches, q
thoughtful look filling her face.
"Mamms," she said, "they had needles
liz the Bibis times. Needles that had
eyes in them toop
"Why do you think 80, Dorotbea 2"
"Becanse 1t says, In the eighteenth
.chspter of Luke, twenty.fifth verse, that
it is easier for camel to 60 through q
needles eye than for rich man to enter
into the Kingdom of God."
s"That, Dorothea, is now supposed to
refer to the name needles eye,' which
was given to the narrow side entrances
in tho fortified places in the East. In
India 'an elephant going through g mar.
row door, or 'throug b the eye OF a needle
10 q proverbial phrase. Others say that
in the dialect Of Galilee the word for
camel means also the cable of vessel.
It ia not at all probable that our Saviour
meant the eye OF q sewing needle."-