Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-07-10
AN HOUR IN A BASEBALL
FACTORY.
M Wonder the Spheres are like
St0nes.-A Chat with Il Manu-
f.ActUrcr.

M Wonder the Spheres are like
StOnes.-A Chat with Il Manu-
fActurer.
"The base ball manufacturing bust
ness has had a rapid but prosperous
growth" said a manufacturer recently.
1T is confined to few men, and prob
ably will not be enroached upon by
spectators. There are in the United
States today only eight factories of any
importance, and yet these are entirely
sufficient to supply all the base balls
wanted in this country. Recently there
has been q sort of boom in the ball
market. This is caused by the adoption
by clothing houses throughout the coun-
try of the custom of giving to juvenile
purchasers base balls as presents. Wan.
amaker of Philadelphia, ordered $4,000
for this purpose. The balls are Of diff
ferent grades and prices. The kind
that are given away are, of course, cheap
but quite durable. Perhaps you would
like to see how base balls are made
Follow me and | will show you the whole
process.
On the upper floor of the establish
ment sat several men with baskets Of
dampened chamois and buckskin clip
pings at their side. Before each work
man stood stout piece of joist, in the
end Of which was inserted a mould
hemispherical in shape, in which the
balls are formed. Taking handful of
the cuttings from the basket, the work
man pressed them together in his hands
and then wound around the mass a few
yards Of strong woolen yarn. Placing
the embryo ball in the mould, he pounds
in into shape with heavy flat mallet,
and then wound on more yarn and gave
the ball another pounding. After test
ing its weight on pair of scales and its
diameter with tape measure he threw
the ball into basket and began anoth.
er. When the newly made balls are
thoroughly dried they are carried to
the sewing room on the floor below
where they are to receive their covers.
Forty young womea sat at tables sew
ing on the covers Of horse-hile. Grasp
ing ball firmly in her left hand, with
her right hand one of the young won
en- thrust three cornered needle
through the thick pieces Of the cover
and drew them firmly together. In less
than ten minutes iler work was COM
pleted, A smart girl can cover two or
three dozen of the best, and eight doz-
en- of the cheaper grades of balls in a
day. The wages earned weekly range
from 81 to So The balls are afterward
taken to the packing room where the
seams are smoothed down and the prop
er stamps put on. The best balls are
made entirely of yarn and India rub
ber.
"My brother was one Of the pioneers
in this business" said the manufactur,
er. "He was the inventor of the two
piece cover now in general use through
out the country. If my brother had
only patented his invention the mem
bers of our family would now be wear
ing diamonds instead of bits of white
glass in our shirt fronts. Ball covers
are made, almost without exception, Of
horse which costs three dollars a
sile. We used to obtain our supply
from John Carl, leather dealer in the
Swamp for nearly 35 years. We are
obliged to 60 to Philadelphia now, there
being no merchant here who keeps
horse hide leather. The capacity of oul
factory, when we get our moulding
machines in working order. will be alb
out $1,000 balls daily, each machine be
ing expected to turn out 1900 balls 9
dav. - Neau York Tribune.