Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-02-22
ARMY SWORDS.

of Manufacture from the Grade
iron to the Perfect Blade.
Hare YOU are," he said. "See IL
can knock piece out of the sword
that stone. "
81 took the handle in both hands and
.rck the stone with all my might.
;, TO my establishment piece flew
the stone, while the sword did not
~ even the least evidence of the
ow.
Every one of these weapons has to
and that test" | was informed, .'or
do not put the mark of our firm on
nor do we deliver it as first-class
eapon.'
went all through this factory,
bich employs over one thousand men
rclusively in the manufacture of fine
s,pons. They are now filing an
-ier for the German Government of
ov bayonet. Eight hundred thousand
! to be made, and the firm delivers
800 day. The weapon is twelve
ehes long, and the Government paws
marks for each of them when
pshed.
Before piece of steel is converted
Ito such an instrument of war it has
90 through quite process. To
how me this Mr.. Koch took me into a
rye space at one end of the factory,
here at once noticed pieces OF steel
hrying in length from ten to twenty
st standing all around the walls. In
Ie center of the room stood large
rhine, whore one man and a boy
ere occupied.
This is whore the steel is cut before
has received stroke yet toward the
{ape OF sword, so we might call this
he storeroom for raw material" Thus
By kind informant began his explana.
- Ou The long pieces of steel, which
ere about two and half inches wide,
sre then put under machine, and by
be turning OF crank, pieces of about
tFelve inches fell one after another in
a basket. The boy then handed the
ban another piece of steel, put an
(npty basket under the machine, and
(aried the short pieces into an adioin-
bg apartment. We followed, and
|Nm the number of fires all around |
kuessed that we must have arrived at
|he iorges. And so it was. Each one
bithese pieces of steel was put into
DE fire, and when it was white with
beat man put it under steam ham.
ner, which struck the heated steel in
rapid succession about twenty times on
Every particle of its surface. When it
gas pulled out the piece was about
tghteen inches long. 1t was now
brown into Il large barrel filled with
rster. Now, the would-be sword had
pne through the hardening process,
nd a number of boys gathered them
gain into baskets to carry them to the
billing department. In the front of
bach OF these rolls l had my attention
allied to big coke FIRE. This fire was
TIRED up to an enormous heat, and
hen the pieces of steel were one
y one put into the fire. There arc
NO men occupied at each roll viz,
he roller and his helper. AS soon as
he steel is not again it comes under
he roll, from where it energies about
'ne-eighth of an inch thick, and the
eventual shape OF the sword stamped
m it,
Again the pieces of steel are carried
III, and this time they go to the center
Fesses, where they are put under
Ontrlvauce which cuts the margins off
he steel, ard when they leave here
gu can see that the thing looks like
word.
Hitherto. however. you have seen
Othing but dark blue piece of dirty
ieel, while we now come into the de.
ailments where the metal is bright
ned. There is at first the "grind-mill.
his is q large place which looks like
arm. From one end of the room to the
Their l observed rows of immense
some of them eight feet in
ianeter. In this factory saw forty
tones, and in front of each sat
FINDER. The grinding department is
ne most important in the entire fac.
ory,and the grinder has to be very
nllful. He has to have keen eye
must know when to press the steel
ard against the stone and when not
single scraping of the stone too mucs
polls the whole weapon, and it has tt
thrown away. Most of the other
ork is mechanical, while here it i,
Negligence that does the work satisfac.
orily.
From the grinding stone the piece o.
leel comes bright and sharp. 1t i.
ow taken to the burnishing-rooms
his part of the work is chiefly per
'rmed by boys, who vary in age from
we've to sixteen years. In this place
mere are a number of wheels, but they
re very small. Some of them are
zone, others are covered with leather
mich, if the article has to receive 1
Ollsh, is covered with a powder which