, 1885-11-14
ABOUT THE LocxsMlrH's Ant.
A old C~raftsman's Lament-Ths Factory
SInd- Lnck-Loeks for Jans.

~ Old tfhitsuiAns Lamont IA Y actpfI-
Made LncN-Loeks FOR Jai1s.
lChlciga Ecwsl
Tell you something about lock.
smiths. exclaimed an old craftsman
doleiully there are none any more,
The trade is dead. ocks are all made
now by machinery, except, perhaps,
safe and prison locks; those are hand
made because they aIori greater Sc
curity than the other kind. limo was
when the lock maker was a smith aud
bell hanger as well, and the trade was
a good one. but it is all changed now.
and We do nothing TO- except repair
ing. or occasionally duplicating Il key
that has been lost.
The factory made lock has taken the
place Of tina hand made article, and
driven us out of the business. Now,
perhaps, twenty men are required to
make a lock which formerly was the
work of one man. These men superin-
tend machinery by which certain parts
of the lock are made. One man handles
a punch, and cuts out the tumblers'
another makes the sliders, the springs
are made by another, and 81 on, until
all the parts are ready TO be put to
gcthcr. None of these men could make
q lock without assistance from other
wOrkmen, and they have nc knowledge
Of the principles OF locks.
Before the era of machinery all locks
were made by hand. That is why Old
locksmiths understand their business so
well But there are very few smiths 0
the old school in the business now
Most of them have quit making locks,
and are making sewing machines, The
principles on which sewing machines
are made can be easily understood by
any locksmith, and there is more money
to DO made in the new business.
Yes, the modern lock is superior to
the old fashioned one, and for this rea-
son, 1t is harder to pick. The old lock
was made to accommodate a large key,
so that no matter how fine the con
struction inside an accomplished cracks
man could always get an idea of the
works. The key hole being large. he
would insert a wire, the end of which
being covered with wax, would receive
an impression Of the style of key re
quired to open the lock. 1t was an
easy matter to make a key after this
model in wax, so that almost all the old
locks could 10 picked with but little
difficulty.
THE patent lock of to-day, requiring
a lat key, deies any attempt at picking
the works, because the key hole is SO
small and tho slots are too numerous.
For that reason skeleton keys are use
less to thieves nowadays, and cracks
men rely for success principally on their
possession of duplicate keys.
"'Jail work, as it is known to the
trade, is the only branch of our bust
ness where machinery is not used. All
tho locks for iails and penitentiaries
are made of wrought-iron, and con
structed with from two to five tumblers
finished off smooth on the inside and
held together by steel screws and brass
clamps. The parts when thus .oincd
are absolutely alright and the only
opening in the lock is the key hole.
Such a lock is as durable rs can be
made.
THE principle of the modern lock is
very old. | have a book here which
gives a description of n lock found
among the ruins of the great temple oil
Karnac, and which was in use more
than forty centuries ago. The leading
principles Of this lock have served as
the foundation for most of the inyen.
tons Of recent times