Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-07-04
FORTUNES IN THIMBLES.
HOW THE USEFUL LITTLE InrPLE-
MENr CAME TO BE INVENTED.
The Chinese Used It Centuries Be-
fore Amy Other Nation-Queer
Kinds Now in Use.

Kinds Now in Use.
''The is rich family of the name of
Lofting in England" said a dealer in
fancy articles, 'the fortune of whose house
was founded by such an apparently in
significant thing as the thimble. Two
hundred years ago thimbles were un-
known in England. The thimble is
claimed by the Dutch as an invention Of
their country, but it is known that it was
in use among the silk embroiderers of
China hundreds of years before 1t was
used elsewhere. The first ever seen in
England was made in London less than
two hundred years ago by metal worker
named John Lofting, the founder of the
family named. The usefulness of the
article commended it at once to all who
used the needle, and Lofting acquired a
large fortune and great fame in the manu-
facture of the new accessory to the
needle-worker's art. The implement
was then called the thumb-bell, it being
worn on the thumb when in use, and its
shape suggesting the rest of the name.
This clumsy mode of utilizing it was soon
changed, however, but when and why
the name 'Thimble' was given the article
does not appear.
"Lofting's thimbles, and, in fact, all
early thimbles, were made either OF iron
or brass, and specimens of them extant,
many of which are preserved as heirlooms,
are crude and clumsy looking things com
pared with the commonest thimble of to-
day, although their cost was many times
as much.
"To-day gold, silver, iron, ivory, steel,
pearl, shell, celluloid, rubber and even
glass are utilized in making thimbles.
When art needlework was in its first
burst as popular craze, four or five
years ago, thimbles of great value and of
most elaborate workmanship, to accom-
pany the rich and costly implements and
materials wealthy needleworkers affected,
found large sale. Solid gold thimbies,
elegantly carved, and frequently set with
diamonds, were found none too good for
many fashionable home decorators.
Thimbles made to order, with the mono
gram or initials of the person for whom
they were intended set in precious stones,
were by no means unknown objects dart,
in the fashioning of which the skill OF our
artistic metal workers were taxed.
know rich young lady in this city
whose enthusiasm for art needlework
was so intense three years age
that nothing but diamond set gold
thimble that cost 800, with other EN-
broidering implements to match, would
enable her to reproduce those well-re
membered, fearful and wonderful butter
cups, daisies and blue bells that one saw
blooming in such prodigal profusion OF
foot stools, banners, screens, tides ano
bureau covers in all homes of culture anc
refinement in those crazy days of anna
teur home art.
sIn China the ladies sof high rank ar
very dainty with their thimbles. Som
are carved from enormous pearls, witt
bands of fine gold, on which are engraved
all sorts of fantastic things, the etching
of which serve for catching the needle, a
the ordinary holes in the thimbles of tn
outside barbarians. do. The high-ranl
Chinese thimble always has mother-of
pearl case. With the thimble the Chimes
lady always has delicate pair of scissor
of the finest steel, in sheath of pearl
and a pearl needle case. The articles ar
all inclosed in an exquisitely inlaid cas-
of the purest mother-of-pearl. A New
York lady, whose husband was in tn
China trade, has one of these Chimes
needlework kits, which she values a
$4,000.
"The way thimbles are made in Eng
land and in this country is simpl
enough. Dies of different sizes are used
into which the metal, whether gold, si
yer or steel, is pressed. The hole punch
ing, finishing, polishing and temperin
are done afterward. Celluloid and rub
Der are nodded. The best thimbles al
made in France, where the process
more thorough. Strange as it may seen
the French consider durability in the
thimbles as the first requisite. The tirs
step in the making of Paris gold thin
BILE is the cutting into disk of the dt
sired size thin piece of sheet iron. Th
is brought to red heat, placed over
graduated hole in an iron bench and han
mered down into it with punch. Th
hole is the form of the thimble. Th
iron takes its shape and is removed frol
the hole. The little indentations to kee
the needle from slipping are made in
and all the other finishing strokes of tt
perfect thimble put on it. The iron
then made into steel by process pec'
liar to the French thimble maker, and
tempered, polished and brought to dee
blue color. A thin sheet of gold is the
pressed into the interior of the thimb
and fastened there by mandril. Col
Pleaf is attached to the outside by gre
pressure, the edges Of the leaf beir
fitted in and held by small grooves at Il
base of the thimble. The article is the
ready for use. The gold will last fl
> years. The steel never wears out, ar
) the gold can be readily replaced at al
, time. Nowhere else in the world a
I, gold thimbles made in that way.
> 81 have heard of many curio1
: thimbles. The Queen of Siam has Oh
Z which was present from her royal hu
band. The thimble had never been
use in Siam until few years ago, Wit
the King, noticing that English ar
American ladies who visited his cou
used thimbles, had one made for h
:, Queen. 1t was made of gold, in t