The Opelousas courier., 1886-02-20
THE L0CKSMlTH'S A
Locks Of Various Kinds, Past
and Pfezent.
How Machinery Has Cut Into What Was
an Interesting Art.

an Interesting Art.
STel you something about the lock-
smiths!" exclaimed an. old craftman,
d~olefully; ''there are none any more.
The trade is dead. Locks are all made
now by machinery, except, perhaps, safe
and prison locks; those are handmade
because they afford greater security than
the other kind. Time was when the
lock maker was a smith and bell hanger
as well, and the trade was a good one;
but it is all changed now, and we do
nothing except repairing, or occasionally
duplicating a key hat has been lost.
sThe factory-made lock has taken the
place of the handmade 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 superintend machinery by
which certain parts of the lock are made.
One man handles a punch and cuts out
The tumblers; another makes the slidcrs:
the springs are made by another, and so
on, until all the parts are ready to be put
together. None of these men. could make
a lock without assistance from the other
workmen, and they have no knowledge
of the principles of locks.
Before the era of machinery all locks
t-
were made by hand. That is why old
locksmiths understood their business so
well. But there are very few smiths of 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 be made in
the new business.
eyes, the modern lock is superior to
the old -fashioned one, and for this reason,
it is harder to pick. The old lock was
made to accommodate a large key, so
that no matter how fine the construction
inside an accomplished cracksmen 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 lock. It was an easy matter to make
a key after this model in wax, so that al
! most all the old locks could be picked
with but little difficulty.
THE patent lock of to-day, requiring
a fat key, .defies any attempt Ut picking
the works.. because the Ike, hole is SO
small and the slots are too numerous.
For that reason skeleton keys are useless
to thieves nowadays, and cracksmen 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 business where
machinery is not used.
All the locks for jails and penitentiar
ries are made of wrought iron, and con
structed with from 4wo to five tumblers,
finished off smooth on the inside, and
held together by steel screws and brass
clamps. The parts when thus. joined
are absolutely alright, and the only
opening in the lock is the keyhole. Such
a lock is as durable as can be made.
The principle of the modern lock is
very old. | have a book here which
gives d description of a lock found among
49, - - - @H
the ruins of the great Temple of 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 inventions of recent times.
The locksmiths of China, we are told,
had, centuries before the birth of Christ,
perfected q lock out of which a sharp
bamboo thorn would dart and strike the
hand of any one Wrengfully tampering
with it. The end Of this bamboo thorn
was STEPPED in q poisonous decc,ction,
and, should the luckless thief Escape
death, he would be marked for life. But
this story is hardly entitled to full belief,
forsthe reason, as the Chinese. themselves
claim, that as g~unpowder was manufact-
ured by them at the time a Celestial safe
blower could easily render the patent
lock harmless by the aid of a few grains
Of powder.
1.-THE medieval locks were among the
most elaborate and delieately contrived
specimens of these articles ever produced.
They were enveIoped il steel covered
with beads and floral designs, and were
mostly found on the doors of the ancient
cathedrals on IN the magnificent cabinets
that have been the marvel of succeeding
ages. - Chicago Nesns.
HOsc 20 Make silhouette Portraits.
Our younger readers may find amuse-
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