The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-17


ing the Coil-The Wooden Case and
Filling It.
The consumption of lead pencils in this
country is estimated at 5000 "A day. This
Is at the rate of one per day TO every leo of
population, or about 9S,OOO,OUO n year.
Graphite, which Is the sottest substance dug
from the earth, is taken III the lump direct
from the mouth of the mine TO the reducing
mill Here it II pulverized by stamps under
water, tn. PARTICLES floating off with the
water through u series of tanks. Ii comes 10
the factory in Brooklyn in barrels, in the
form of dust The powder Is lusterless and
of dingy color. 1t Il finer and softer than
any flour, and can Ia taken up in the hand
just as water can, but Il hardly retained
more easily than water i. If one attempts
To take pinch of 1t between the foretiniycr
and thumb it is as evasive as quicksilver,
and the only sensation left Is that the flesh Is
smoother than before.
The first process i'll manufacturing Is To sep
arate the graphite dust further, according to
fineness. Ii Is mixed with sufficient water 10
run very freely, and Is then turned into n
hopper, from which the water runs slowly
through series of tubs. The coarStSt and
heaviest particles settle To the bottom Of the
first tub, the next cuarSs,St and heaviest in the
next, and 50 on, the movement of the water
last tub, the powder, being twice as heavy as
water and sinking i'll il if undisturbed, has
far settled that the water discharged at the
top is nearly clear. After the flow Is stopped
and the powder allowed 10 settle, the clear
water Is Withdrawn 10y removing succcSSively,
beginning with the upper one, n number Of
plugs inserted in holes in the side OF each tub,
care being used not to agitate the contents SO
To disturb tine deposited dust. This being
done properly, the deposit is removed through
the gates ut the bottom OF each tub. The
separation is thus performed, by this ingcn-
ious process of floating" more perfectly than
it could by any direct handling, dry treat
ment being wholly impractic;ible. For the
finest pencils the deposit from the last tub
only is used, but for ordinary and cheap
grades that from the two before the last will
answer.
READY FOR THE CLAY.
The graphite is now ready for the clay
This is peculiar pipe clay, from Germany
After being subjected to the floating process
the finest is mixed with the graphite, in pro-
portions varying according To the degree of
hardness required. The more clay used the
harder the pencil. For medium grades the
proportion Is about seven parts clay To- ten
graphite, by weight. The graphite and clay
are mixed together with water, t. the com
sistency of thick cream, and the mixture Is
fed to the grinding mills, which consist of two
fiat stones, about two feet in diameter, placed
horizontally, only the upper one running.
Between these the mass Is ground like paint,
for the finest pencils many "a twcnry-four
times, thus securing the most perfect strength,
uniformity and freeneSS from grit in the leads.
After grinding the mass II inclosssl in stout
canvas bags, and the clear water furc,Si ont
by hydraulic pressure until il becomes "a thick
dough.
1t then goes to the forming pres This Is
simply small vertical iron cylinder. hay ing
IA solid plunger or piston driven 10y screw.
a plate is inserted in the bottom, having an
opening of the shape ami size Of the lead lie
sired, ami the graphite is slowly forced
through the hole, exactly water Is forced
from "A syringe, cOiling itself round and round
like IA coil of wire on "A board set beneath the
press The coil l. taken up at intervals, rove"
Off straight by the hands into lengths sufi-
cient for three leads, which are Strengthened
out, laid III order on a board and pressed HAT
by putting a cover over them They are
finally hardened by placing them in crucible
and baking in kiln. The handling must l,s
done cxprlitiously, the leads begin drying
Immediately, and become brittle aS they dry;
but ON first Issuing from the press they arr
plastic that knots may Ia tied loosely in them.
THE WOODEN CASE.
The leads are now ready for their wooden
case. For the cheapest pencil pine Is used:
for the common grades an ordinary quality
of red cedar At the saw mills the cedar is
cut into blocks, about seven inches long and
these are sawed into strips about three and a
half inches wide and threeSiNteenths IF an
inch thick. The pencil consists OF two parts
glued together, with the lead between. Each
strip is wide enough to make the halves OF
six pencils The pencils are made six at a
time, and imperfect strips are put together so
to make full strip out of the parts
When these boards (which are now ready for
shaping1 reach the factory, they are first
passed into II continuous line. under n cutter
which cuts six little grooves, round or square,
for the leads, and smooths the faces by the
same stroke. The lead in the foreign pencil
lies wholly in one-half of the wood, the other
slip being put on a cover, Us nearly every
body has found occasion to know by the
covers coming off and leaving an unple,ls-
antly flat surface; but the American method
has the groove equally IN each strip. Accord
inSly the two strips are glued alike
Filling the leads is done by girls, sitting at
braSs-covered tables The first takes a grooy-
eel slip with her left hand and a bunch of
leads i'll her right. Spreading thee out in her
fingers like the sticks of fam she dexterous-
ly lays them in the grooves and passes the
filed slip u the girl at the left who puts over
ing Of hot glue from brush wielded by a
third. Any two slips lit together, and the
united pairs are laid in a row and pressed to-
gether in AN iron frame 10y screw. and the
row of slips is left To- dry. The rough ends of
the slips and the projecting parts are next
ground smooth against wheel covered with
Sinipapcr. and are then ready for the process
Of separating and shaping, which Is done by
machinery.-~B. V. IL " ia Brooklyn Eagle.
Cosmopolitan Character Of Bombay.
The cosmopolitan character of Bombay is
indicated by missionary letter: Last week
IA Greenlander called, seeking work Two
days after man from Australia wrote me
asking favor. \ few weeks ago West In
dian came 10 attend to repairs ON my house
Last Sunday night preached TO a congregl,-
ton in which sat, side lay side, "a Russian from
the Baltic, and an Armenian from the foot Of