Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-25
MATCH MANUFACTURE.
THE PROCESSES WHICH THE LUIGI
FER OF TO-DAY GOES THROUGH.

MISUNDERSTANDING.
The lucifer Of to-day goes through almost
as many processes in its manufacture as the
proverbial pin. We have first the cutting of
the splints. These, in this country, art
usually of Quebec deal, and many OF them
are cut by water power in Canada. On the
continent white or gray poplar is frequently
used while the Swedish matches are generally
made of aspen. In Austria the splints are
usually round. with US and in Sweden they
are square in section. A great variety of
splint-Cuttlng machines are III use, and the
rapidity Of their production is something
enormous The splnts in England are almost
invariably twice the length of an ordinary
match, which is about two and a quarter
inches long and One-ninth Of an inch thick.
The Splnts at the larger works are received
in large cases, and are transferred in batches
of 300 or ~ on to trays, technically known
as monkeys" The dexterity with which a
clever filler will gather up her huge armful
of spnts wherewith to feed her monkey Is
admirable
The splints are next fitted either into
frames" or CLAMPS" or into coils, and are
so placed that each splint is separated from
its neighbOr by a space sufficiently large 10
prevent the tipping composition cementing
tine whole together at the ends. The mode Of
filling the frames varies in different works.
Occasionally the splints are slightly charred
at the end by being pressed upon heated
iron plate. They are next dipped into thin
layer of melted paraffine wax or crude paraf
fine scales, when they are ready to be tipped
ba int ab yttIr.A The ia fine
is necessary to insure the ignition of the
wood, as probably not one match in fifty
would take fire without its intervention. For
merry sulphur was exclusively employed foi
this purpose, but to-day the birthstone
matches are only preferred by sailors, lamp
lighters and cabmen, as, from the low ignit
ing point of sulphur, they are not so readily
extinguished by the wind as the ordinary
lucifer
The exact nature of the "eOmpo," as the
igniting mixture is termed in the language OF
the factory is among the special arcana Of a
modern match manufacturer Each maker
considers that he has his particular "bend,
but at bottom they consist, at all events IN
this country, of varying proportions OF phos-
phorus, chlOrate Of potash, powdered glass
sand, chalk or whiting, colOred with ma
genta paste, red lead, smalt, or prussian
blue, the whole being suspended or dis
solved in an emulsion Of glue On the con
tinent, nitre is almost exclusively used in place
of chlorate of potash; hence the continental
matches lack the sharp detonation which ac'
companies the ignition Of the British lucifer
and which seems to be 90 dear to the ears OF
the British workman but so very distasteful
to the more sensitive organs of the British
burglar \ proper order must be observed
in the commingling of materials OF this
nature, otherwise the "compO mixer becomes
a terror to the neighborhood in which be
works. The chief risk which the mixer runs
to-day, and which he shares with the dippers
and the boxers, arises from the action Of the
fumes of phosphorus upon the teeth and
bones, and especially upon the jawbone
Phosphorus, more particularly among the
scrofulous and unclean, tends to set up ne
crusis of the bone until, in some cases, the
lower jaw entirely disappears. This evil may
be greatly minimiBed by attention TO cleanli
ness and ventilation, and in the larger works
where proper precautions are taken, case:
of "luclfer disease are now comparatively
rare
The composition, in paste state, Il poured
ladleful or at time, on horizontal slat
of stone or metal, kept at regulated tenn
perature by means Of a steam or water jacket
and is spread out TO n layer of uniform deptf
by a gauge or doctor" The dipper tber
immerses the ends of the splints on one sidt
of the frame in the viscid mass and imme
diately transfers the clamp to an iron frame
arranged something like a wine bin, with th,
dipped ends downward 81 that the compost
ton gradually sets forming a well rounded
head He then dips a second clamp anC
transfers it i'll like manner to the frame unit
he has in this way dipped the whole batci
on one side only By the time he has finished
the heads first dipped are usually hard enough
TO allow of the clamp being reversed and tn,
other ends dipped; each splint, it being re
membered, forming two matches. The dippeC
clamps are allowed to remain in the drying
chamber for some hours, the time varyin:
with the humidity and temperature of th'
air until the heads are sufficiently set q
allow of the splints being cut and the matche
boxed. A clever dipper has been known q
dip 1900 frames in day, that is, in rounG
numbers some 500, 600 matches.
The next operation consists in dividing tn,
splints and boxing the matches. When suf
ficiently dry the dipped splints are releaseC
from the clamps and taken to benches a
which stand a number of girls, each provided
with hinged lever knife and supply o
empty boxes. The boxer throws back tn.
knife, seizes number of the splints lying be
side her-her sense of touch tells her to
match or two whether she has the required
number-places them on the wooden sup
port carrying the knife, slings a weighteC
cord across them to keep them in position
and with downward stroke Of the knife cut.
through the 20, 80 or 100 splintS As sh,
again throws back the knife she seizes one oi
the half lf-Opened boxes before her and drive.
into it, with a single stroke of the hand it,
complement OF matches \ very consider
able number of matches are necessarily LOST
in this operation; if the matches are at al
quick or tender the friction of thu
heads against each other in the cut
ting and boxing not unfreQuently causes
the ignition of the whole batch. As the
girls are paid by the number boxed, theiI
tenIpers are occasionally sOrely tried, particu
laTly on a hot summer afternoon; boxers,
As class being especially sensitive on the
subject of thermal atmospheric disturbance
The dexterous rapidity and courage with
which they will tackle a confagration on
their bench would extort the admiration OF
Capt Shaw's smartest hands. Although il
occasionally happens that the whole of half,
days make will ignite in the drying chamber
fires are by no means so common in match
making works as might be imagined A
plentiful supply Of sawdust in which to bury
the infiamed splints will promptly stop the
spread of the burning.
The making of match boxes is usually, at
least in the case of the larger works, carried
on outside the factories and at the homes OF
the operatives. The manufacturer supplies a
middleman with the required number Of
"skillets," labels and sands, to distribute to
the women and children who are mainly EN-
plOyed in the work. Enormous quantities of
these boxes are made in the poorer districts OF
Bethnal Green and in the neighborhood of
Bow, and large numbers are imported, case
within case, from Norway and Sweden.
He Had studied the Manual.
A young man in this city, who had been
prominent i'll lyceums and semi-secret so
cieties and whose strongest pOint his friends