Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-01-27
LEAD PENCILS.
How they are Made at the Faser
Factory. Near Nuremberg

We first enter large basement roOm
containing two rows of huge watts placed
in descending series, like steps. One
row is devoted to the publication OF the
yraphite, the other to that of the clay,
and the process is the same Tor both
substances. The raw material is thrown
INTO the first vat and a quantity OF
water added; the mixture is then thor
oughly stirred and afterwards allowed
10 settle, when the valuable ingredients
rise to the top, or remain In succeeding
strata. while the earth and stones sink
10 the bottom. A plug Is then with
Drawn about midway in the vat, and
he thickly impTegnated water falls into
Lhe second receptacle, while the mass oil
mud remains in the first.
In this manner the material passes
through water five times, when 1t has
become sufficiently prnc TO he poured
into a bag of thick cloth, which Is sub
iected 70 q heavy press until the water
is drained away. aud Tie lead or clay Is
eft in a solid mass. when It Is placed in
iron pans and dried In furnace, After
The lead and clay have been dried and
mixed in suitable proportions, water IS
added, and the mass Is put into a mil
consisting OF lows of separate stones,
occupying the whole length OF a large
apartment, and connected with tue
steam engine 10y hands Iunaing along
The upper wall. Under each mill stone
lsa tub TO collect the mass which slowly
escapes from the tremendous pressure
and falls in thick gray drops from the
wooden trough beneath the stone.
This process is repeated ten or twelve
times. when the mass IS again dried IN
tie oven. Afterward it Is laid upon a
iat surface and hammered for con-
siderable time, then shaped into a cake
and sent TO the second press. from be-
meath which it falls III spiTalS OF differ
ent sizes corresponding TO the apera-
lures through which il IS pressed.
These splralS are collected and handed
to operators, who sit before table and
busy themselves in Strengthening the
still flexible cords by laying them into
grooves 10 a corresponding size. The
boards when filed, are laid upon shelves
Just below the ceiling. where the warm
air of the room Will have most elect.
After a day or two the leads are placed
in other hands 10 be cut TO the length
required for pencils. and carefully as
sorted; the perfect specimens are tuen
laid in boxes and sent 10 another loom,
where they are inClOSed in larger boxes
of iron Theoretically sealed and subject
ed to the intense heat Of furnace Ire
for five hours, when the lead IS Sutli j..
ciently tempered for writing purposes.
and passes into the care of the work
men who furnish the wooden inclCsure,
though it must bear the scrutiny Of the
faithful proprietor, who personally
makes trial Of a specimen Of The con-
tents of each box before lie allows it 10
go forth under the stamp of his bolest
name.
The refuse ends and broken pieces Of
lead are sent back to the press. where
they become incorporated with fresh
mass. so there is no waste of the pre-
cious material. We may now leave the
lead mandatory and enter the long
building appropriated To the workman
in cedar. As we ascend the stairs the
air is heavy with the spicy perfume. and
great blocks and slabs of the pink and
white wood, Just as they were hewn in
their American forests, are lying In the
passage. On opening the door which
leads into the first workToom we find
ourselves in a cloud of dust amidst heaps
of soft shavings, the work of the many
fine saws which aTe revolving so rapidly
in their frames as TO appear stationary,
while the hoaTSe growl of the machinery
below is exchanged for a sharp buzz, rs
though gigantic bees and flies were en-
ceayoring 10 escape from spiders webs
as strong as a ships cable. Here we
see the whole process of cutting the
wood for pencils. One workman holds
the block under saw which works
with frightful force and prepares the
slabs for q more delicate machine ,-'''-''
sazz--4iselG The proper Thickness;
anothFr set Of tools, also worked 10y
steam, gives the requisite angles to each
half Of the form; another makes the
groove for the lead.
The next room is furnished with Ia.
bles, around which workmen sit, each
performing a special task according to
a systematiZed division of labor, and
then giving what he has finished to
another until it thus passes from hand
70 hand through the successive stages
of development. One lays the lead into
its groove, another CLUES it over, a third
applies the cover of the wood and CLUES
the halves together.
In the room devoted to the final pro-
cesses-the polishing, coloring, gliding.
stamping, arranging and packing of the
pencils-only women and girls are en-
ployed. 1t is the old story of Vulcan
and Venus, though the harmonious
union Of the useful and the beautiful is
perhaps better exemplifed in the WORK
manship than in the workers!