Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-07-31
Something About Needles


A needle is little thing hardl ~ worth
mentioning. in fact, but the daily con-
sumption of them in the United States
Is 4. 200. 900. About oue-sixth of these
are made in Brooklyn, but the greater
part of the needles We use come fron
Redditch, England, according to the
New York Graphic.
There are needles which all wig max
ers use. They are as delicate as hair
and shaped like fish hook. There Is
the tambour needle and the needle for
shirring machines; the great sail needle
which has to be pushed with steel palm;
the knitting machine needle with its lit
tie latchet; the arrasene and crewel
needles, and the long instrument which
the milleners use.
Then there Is the surgeons cruel out
fit, the probing needle made for hunt
ing after bullets or internal sores; the
post mortem needles, of various curves
and sizes; the hare-lip needle; the long
accupressure pins, for pinning gaping
wounds in place; all the needles for eye,
head and body-long, short, curved
once, twice or three times. Then the
veterinary surgeon has his case of need
les, too. The upholsterer is a favored
man. He has needles on the half curve,
and on the quarter curve, round points
and sword points, long eyes, round
eyes, egg eyes, and countersunk eyes.
The cook is not left out of this trade,
but has a curious trusting needle, made
for carrying melted butter or savory
sauce right into the very heart of fowl
or roast, being hollow and large ut the
end where the butter is poured in.
There is also the larding needle, which
sews large pieces of meat together, or
l.. g.. 1 l..
of meat. One of these was invented by
"A French chet. The other was made to
meet the demands of butchers who cook
large quantities of meat for the free
lunch restaurants, and who wish TO sew
their meet into good shape, so that it
Will cut well.
The collar makers needle Is not un-
like the upholsterers. The netting
needle has little branch at each end,
and with them goes q broad "mesh" of
ivory or polished wood. The knife
point ham needle, with its broad blade
was invented to suit the men at the
Chicago stock yards. The broom max
er's needle, like the sailors has to be
pushed with a steel palm. That which
the millers use has spring eye which
the heavy thread enters when the side
of the eye Is pressed
A NOVICE could never guess how to use
the needle for sewing soles on shoes.
The glove needles are marvelously fine
affairs, though even the daintiest of them
have three-cornered points. The knit
ting and astrachan needles want no
mention.
The needle for filing rugs has given
place to an ingenious machine which
does four times the work The beading
needle Is slender and long. The rag
baler's needle has blade like a leek,
and Is another invention made for Chi
cago. The weaver's pin for picking up
/ broken threads has an open eye In II
hook which catches and holds the lost
thread firmly.
The making of a needle is a very la
borious matter in Germany, France and
England where 1t is done by hand The
polishing there requires sixty or seventy
days. But in America it has called
forth some of the most interesting and
delicate inventions in machinery of
which this country can boast.