The Red Cloud chief., 1888-10-05
GERMAN ARMY SWORDS.
rsoeess ~ Mssssw~sase srsm ~ Grade
Iron to the I~'svfeet oSIsds.

w 49, ~,
~ took the handle In both hand. and
struck the stone with all my might.
But Ia my astonishm.nt n piece flow
on the stone. while She sword did not
show even the least eyidcncc VI tho
blow.
Every one OF these weapons has 10
stand that test. I Was Informed, ''or
we do not put tn" mark VI our firm on
IL, nor do We deliver IL "a "a irst-claas
weapon"
] went all through this factory.
which employs yer one thousand men
exclusively In the manufacture Of fino
weapons. They are now filling an
order for the German G;ovcrnmcnt Of y
new %bayonct. Eight hundird Thousand
are to be- made, and the firm delivers
Loo IA day. The weapon 1. twclyo
Inches long. and the Government pays
six marks for each VI them when
finished.
before u piece 81 steel " converted
into such nm instrument Of war IL has
~ 20 through quit. n process. To
-how me this Mr.. Koch took mn into 10
larg" space ~ one end ~ the factory.
where ] AT once noticed pieces VI steel
varying in length from ten To- twenty
feet. standing all around the walls. ia
the center ~ the room stood "a largo
machine. where one maj and "a boy
were occupied.
'Thi, il where the stool il cut bc'orn
u has received u stroke yet toward tho
shape ~ u sword. 80 W. might call this
The stOreroom for raw material Thus
my kind informant began hi, csplana-
Ton. Tho long pieces Of steel. which
w"r" about two and u half inch.. wide.
were then put under IA machine. and by
the turning VI u crank. pieces ~ about
twelve Inches fell one after another In.
10 II basket. The boy then handed tho
man another piece of steel. put an
empty bnskct under the machine. and
Carried the short pieces into an adjoin-
Ing apartment. W. followed. and
from the number NJ fires all around I
guessed that we must havo arrived at
the iorgcs. And 80 II WAS. Each ono
~ tli"s" pieces Of steel was put into
the fire. and when IL was white with
heat n man put IL under u steam ham
mcr. which struck the heated steel in
rapid succession about twenty times ON
every particle Of IL. surface. When II
was pulled out the piece was about
eighteen inches long. II WIS now
thrown into u large barrel filled with
.snV., NJ, Al. I 4 - a
gone through the hardening process.
and u number ~ boys gathered them
again into baskets to carry them Ia tho
rolling department. In the front Of
each 81 these rolls ! had my attention
called To u big coke iirc. This fire was
stirred up to an heat. and
then the pieces ~ steel were ono
by n put into the fire. There ARC
two men occupied NJ cnch roll viz.
tn" roller aud his helpor. a. soon rs
the steel Is hot again II IN under
the roll. from whore IL energies about
Onc-cighth Of IN inch thick. and the
eventual shape Ot the sword stamped
ON IL.
Again tho pieces ~ steel ARE carried
ON. and this time they 90 to the cnter
presses, whore they are put under u
contrivancc which cuts the margins on
the steel. and when they leave hero
you u see that the thing looks like u
sword.
Hitherto. however. YOU have seer
nothing but u dark blue piece of dirty
steel. while We nOw come into the de-
pnrtmcnts where the metal In bright.
encd. THERE'S ut first the ''grind-mill."
This Is II large place which looks like u
barn. From one end Of tho room to tho
other ] observed rows OF immense
grindstoncS. some Of them eight feet In
diameter. In this factory I saw forty
stones. and In front Of each sat u
grinder. lie had u little wooden seat.
wears u wooden shirt, n0 cap. and u
| pnir Of Ovornlls. But over the latter
up Ia his knees he had wooden CATERS
made out Of four pieces Of wood. His
feet are also incloscd In wooden shoes.
The stones are turned by steam and
wntcrcd automatically. In the front ~
this stone the man sits from six o'clock
In tho morning until twelve o'clock
noon. Then he has an hour for dinner.
when no sits down again from ono
o'clock until six o'clo'k In the evening.
lie has u boy who brings him the In.
struments rs he wants them. Tho
grinding department IL the most i'm.
pOrtant In the entire factory. and tho
grinder has to ~ worry skillh,l. lle
has to have u keen eye; he must know
when to press tho steel hard against
the stone and when not. Asingls scrap
ing Of tho stone toO much spoils tho
whole weapon. and II has a. he thrown
away. Most ~ the other work IL me.
chAnical. while here II l. Intelligence
that does the work sati siactorily.
From tho grinding stone the piece Of
steel comes bright and sharp. II Is
now taken Ia tho burnishing-rooms.
This part " tho work Il chiefly per.
formed by boys. who vary In age from
twelve to sixteen years. IN this place
there are n number of wheels, hut they
are very small. Some of them are oi
stone. others are covered with leather.
which II the article has 10 receive u
polish Is covered with u powder which
lends the blade q high polish. Tho
knob and the back of tho handle are
o brilliantly FURNISHED. and tho